In The Economist's World in 2009 interview with the chief of the NAACP Mr Benjamin Todd Jealous, Mr Todd says,

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"Barack Obama's very image sends a very powerful signal, not just about what's possible, but also about the changes that are needed in how our society operates and at the end of the day how we treat each other as fellow Americans...This victory is great for the entire country but at the same time it doesn't change the work of the NAACP and groups like it who are out there really trying to lift up grassroots people, make the country better for everyone...It's a signal to black people, it's a signal to this country, it's a signal to the world.

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The Europeans for a long time had pretended like race doesn't exist, and by contrast the Americans had pretended like class doesn't exist...We need to make sure that white people who have been locked into poverty for generations are also given a hand up and a leg up and included."

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As a manifesto, this is great stuff. I am glad the NAACP is emphasizing how much more work there is left to do by broadening the goal. The public needs to be reminded that things are far from over.

Yet, this manifesto must remain just that -- a manifesto. All reform work -- poverty, global warming, racism, sexism, class-struggle, and human rights -- is connected and all need to be tackled together as Mr Todd suggests. The irony is that to effectively tackle any issue, each group must remain separate to avoid an inefficient bureaucracy, and each group must husband its resources.

Although Paul Farmer calls widely for all aid groups (be it for AIDs, Malaria, poverty, potable water, or any other type of NGO) to work together, the cooperation ought to be verbal and ought to be given only where the work overlaps. AIDs groups and Malaria groups ought to work with poverty groups because taking people out of poverty will help prevent AIDs. But AIDs groups should not spare resources to Malaria groups. Helping the one does not help the other, and the opportunity cost of the diverted resources makes fighting AIDs less effective.

The same is true for the NAACP. Mr Todd is right in drawing attention to Europe's racial problem, but the NAACP should devote its energies to fighting racism and class prejudice at home. Yes, the NAACP should cooperate with groups who protest sexism and class-based prejudice; but no: none of those groups ought to divert resources to Europe and away from America.

The problems are all linked and broadly connectable, but the solutions and the resources that fund them must remain focused if any progress is to be made at all. All groups should recognize each other's problems and help whenever possible, but each group must remain focused on tackling its own issue.