President Obama has said that he will change the ways the US and its allied Israel deal with the Palestinian question and US relation with the Arab world. The question is, is Obama able to change US policy around the world, especially in developing or the so-called third world countries? It is an open secret that the United States Government has supported some of the greatest despotic and tyrranical regimes in the world. Cases in point: Liberia (with Samuel Doe), Zaire (with Mobutu Sessesekou), Iraq (with Saddam Hussein), to name just a few.
The US massively supported the undemocratic rule of Siare Barre regime in Somalia, when he bacame very unpopular wit the Somali people the US left and Samalia became a failed state. The US has not taken genuine step on the Darfour question, because Darfour does not present any economic gains for the US.
In this era of globalization, many of the attrocities perpetrated against peoples of the "periphery" were perpetrated by peopel in "core".
For over 30 years the US has pay lip service to the Palestinian quest for a free and democratic homalend alongside Israel. Every body knows of how the US massively supported Saddam Hussein against Iran. Even as we speak, the US is supporting the exploitation of Ogoni peoples in the Niger Delta in Nigeria. It turns a blind eye polical, social and environmental degredation of the Ogoni peoples homeland.
So, my question again; can Obama walk the walk as he talks the talk?
ok it's Iraq but it's interesting
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Here is a link to a blog put up by Morgan on a different Blog. There are a
number of entries that tie more to your topic than theirs. Enjoy.
16 years ago
Golly, haven't you noticed? Obama is so great that schools aren't even bothering to wait until he is out of office to rename themselves after him. He is so great that, when he says, "Jump!" to either the Israelis or the Palestinians, they ask, "Sir, how high, sir?" (except they don't)
ReplyDeleteI am certain that he will make no mistakes and that everything he does will work perfectly. Soon Arabs and Israelis will be dancing with each other in the streets, the environment will be saved, famine and disease will become obsolete, etc., etc.
I agree with you. He has no hope of walking the talk and talking the walk or whatever. As the leader of the US government, what credibility does he really have? I imagine the world is mostly glad that Bush is out of the White House, but Obama still represents the country that is the world's 800 pound gorilla.
We Americans really can't relate to the people of small and/or weak countries. My friends in Budapest helped me learn this for myself back in '89/'90.
When Obama tells the Muslim world, I get it," who does he think he's kidding? The only people have any hope of "getting it" are the Israelis and the Palestinians themselves. Too many of the Israelis who get it have found a way to rationalize away the truth and too few of the Palestinians who get it have enough power to affect anything more than isolated tragedies upon their enemy.
Will Obama wake up the Israelis enough to get them to face the Palestinians as equals with rights? Highly unlikely. Will Obama empower the Palestinians so they can make statements beyond hopeless martyrdoms? Extremely unlikely.
I do not wish for Obama's failure in brokering peace; I only predict it.