The coronation is over. Never mind the cynics who sardonically quipped on the $150 million imperial saturnalia and some even went to the extent of pointing out that this was an amount more than three times of what had been spent on the Texan cowboy’s inauguration. The new American President's supporters have been quick to respond with some ‘hard calculation’ to refute this ‘CNN conspiracy’.
But we need not be concerned with such trivialities. A ruling class faced with a melt-down needs its revival shots and in a recession, isn’t bigger spending supposed to be a way to beat recession? Surely, it is only as bad as digging holes in the ground.
Now, for serious Leftists who do not engage in trivia, the main concern has not so much been the new President, (though some have taken time out to assure liberals of the symbolic importance of the first black man in the White House), but how to respond to the mobilization and the ‘hope’ around the ‘promise of change’ that the new man in the White House promises. In this a distinction has been made in the 'soft' and 'hard' political tools of imperialism.
The new American President’s first announcement after taking office to close Guantanamo Bay in a year's time has been lauded as a mark of decency, humanism and idealism. For liberals, it confirms their ‘hope’ and reposes the high moral purpose of partying on Tuesday night. The closing down of Guantanamo is no doubt important and an important victory for anti-torture and human rights groups and anti-imperialist opinion worldwide. But let us also not forget that Bush had also attempted some imperial repair in 2006 when he closed Abu Ghraib. Did we see any accolades? None and for the right reasons. There is also that other blot of a horror called Pul-I-Charkhi, a ‘detention centre’ in Afghanistan at the Bagram military base which had 630 prisoners a year ago compared to the 245 in Guantanamo. Now given the new President’s imperial scheme of things, any question about this is a no-brainer.
But has not Obama’s other concern been to pull out of Iraq? Let us not forget that the last few days before the US election, the Bush government pushed through the ‘pull-out’ plan in Iraq’s parliament over-riding the concerns of the Iraqi people who in their thousands came out to protest the modalities of the pull-out. Now the new American President’s man in the Pentagon who was also the Texan cowboy’s man in the Pentagon wants to stay on in Iraq. From interpretation of change to change is a long political exrcise.
More importantly, a small news item tucked away among thousands floating on the net shows that dual drone attacks by the US killed at least 15 people in Pakistan’s Waziristan including three children yesterday. Now given President Obama’s penchant to concentrate on the ‘War on terror’ in Afghanistan which he believes is a ‘just war’, the message is out quietly and firmly as opposed to the Texan cowboy's loud posturing: the drones will keep coming and the missile attacks in Pakistan’s federally administered tribal areas will continue.
Commentators have made much of the new President’s silence on Israel’s latest genocidal attacks in Gaza. Some have even read in the silence the prospect of a shift to a more ‘balanced’ approach. Ali Abunimah of Electronic Intifada provides a first hand account of how Barack Obama learned to love Israel.
Ten months ago, the new President had made his tryst with the Israel lobby. To quote Ali,
For those who want to read between lines for anything the new President says, this would assure them that there is very little to read:
But we need not be concerned with such trivialities. A ruling class faced with a melt-down needs its revival shots and in a recession, isn’t bigger spending supposed to be a way to beat recession? Surely, it is only as bad as digging holes in the ground.
Now, for serious Leftists who do not engage in trivia, the main concern has not so much been the new President, (though some have taken time out to assure liberals of the symbolic importance of the first black man in the White House), but how to respond to the mobilization and the ‘hope’ around the ‘promise of change’ that the new man in the White House promises. In this a distinction has been made in the 'soft' and 'hard' political tools of imperialism.
The new American President’s first announcement after taking office to close Guantanamo Bay in a year's time has been lauded as a mark of decency, humanism and idealism. For liberals, it confirms their ‘hope’ and reposes the high moral purpose of partying on Tuesday night. The closing down of Guantanamo is no doubt important and an important victory for anti-torture and human rights groups and anti-imperialist opinion worldwide. But let us also not forget that Bush had also attempted some imperial repair in 2006 when he closed Abu Ghraib. Did we see any accolades? None and for the right reasons. There is also that other blot of a horror called Pul-I-Charkhi, a ‘detention centre’ in Afghanistan at the Bagram military base which had 630 prisoners a year ago compared to the 245 in Guantanamo. Now given the new President’s imperial scheme of things, any question about this is a no-brainer.
But has not Obama’s other concern been to pull out of Iraq? Let us not forget that the last few days before the US election, the Bush government pushed through the ‘pull-out’ plan in Iraq’s parliament over-riding the concerns of the Iraqi people who in their thousands came out to protest the modalities of the pull-out. Now the new American President’s man in the Pentagon who was also the Texan cowboy’s man in the Pentagon wants to stay on in Iraq. From interpretation of change to change is a long political exrcise.
More importantly, a small news item tucked away among thousands floating on the net shows that dual drone attacks by the US killed at least 15 people in Pakistan’s Waziristan including three children yesterday. Now given President Obama’s penchant to concentrate on the ‘War on terror’ in Afghanistan which he believes is a ‘just war’, the message is out quietly and firmly as opposed to the Texan cowboy's loud posturing: the drones will keep coming and the missile attacks in Pakistan’s federally administered tribal areas will continue.
Commentators have made much of the new President’s silence on Israel’s latest genocidal attacks in Gaza. Some have even read in the silence the prospect of a shift to a more ‘balanced’ approach. Ali Abunimah of Electronic Intifada provides a first hand account of how Barack Obama learned to love Israel.
Ten months ago, the new President had made his tryst with the Israel lobby. To quote Ali,
"Israel is "our strongest ally in the region and its only established democracy," Obama said, assuring his audience that "we must preserve our total commitment to our unique defense relationship with Israel by fully funding military assistance and continuing work on the Arrow and related missile defense programs." Such advanced multi-billion dollar systems he asserted, would help Israel "deter missile attacks from as far as Tehran and as close as Gaza." As if the starved, besieged and traumatized population of Gaza are about to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles".
For those who want to read between lines for anything the new President says, this would assure them that there is very little to read:
“…he called Iran "one of the greatest threats to the United States, to Israel, and world peace." While advocating "tough" diplomacy with Iran he confirmed that "we should take no option, including military action, off the table." He opposed a Palestinian unity government between Hamas and Fatah and insisted "we must maintain the isolation of Hamas" until it meets the Quartet's one-sided conditions”.
And while the President has been silent, his fellow democrats have spoken again and again. Here is a gem of a quote from January 9, 2009"Israel has commendably made strenuous efforts to minimize harm to civilians, while Hamas has needlessly imperiled innocent Palestinians in Gaza by conducting its military operations from within heavily populated civilian areas. I support the efforts of Israel and others to improve access to humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. Along with my colleagues, I hope for a quick resolution to this crisis and for a future without rockets falling on Isra."
For those who see a way forward for the Left in the spaces created by the human face of imperialism, the first three days in a world under the new American President may be a cause for introspection.
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