Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005
RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail supporter? Anthony
Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony
Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony
RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony
Waiting for SIPO Anthony Public Inquiry >>
Indymedia Ireland is a volunteer-run non-commercial open publishing website for local and international news, opinion & analysis, press releases and events. Its main objective is to enable the public to participate in reporting and analysis of the news and other important events and aspects of our daily lives and thereby give a voice to people.
Julian Assange is finally free ! Tue Jun 25, 2024 21:11 | indy
Stand With Palestine: Workplace Day of Action on Naksa Day Thu May 30, 2024 21:55 | indy
It is Chemtrails Month and Time to Visit this Topic Thu May 30, 2024 00:01 | indy
Hamburg 14.05. "Rote" Flora Reoccupied By Internationalists Wed May 15, 2024 15:49 | Internationalist left
Eddie Hobbs Breaks the Silence Exposing the Hidden Agenda Behind the WHO Treaty Sat May 11, 2024 22:41 | indy Human Rights in Ireland >>
News Round-Up Mon Jul 29, 2024 00:40 | Richard Eldred A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the ?climate emergency?, public health ?crises? and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
The post News Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Labour?s VAT Plan for Private Schools Flunks Revenue Test Sun Jul 28, 2024 19:00 | Richard Eldred New analysis suggests Labour's tax on private schools could bring in less than half the expected amount because of the extra cost of adding more students to the state system.
The post Labour?s VAT Plan for Private Schools Flunks Revenue Test appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Far-Left Group Claim Responsibility for Paris Arson Attacks Sun Jul 28, 2024 17:00 | Richard Eldred A far-Left group has claimed responsibility for crippling Paris's rail network with arson attacks, stranding 800,000 passengers, just before the Olympic opening ceremony.
The post Far-Left Group Claim Responsibility for Paris Arson Attacks appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
DESNZ Has Net Zero Competence Sun Jul 28, 2024 15:00 | David Turver David Turver casts a critical eye over the new crop of ministers at the Department of Energy and Net Zero, revealing a batch of public sector lifers with no commercial savvy and zero energy know-how.
The post DESNZ Has Net Zero Competence appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Hate Cleric Raises £3 Million to Create Islamic Homeland on Scottish Island Sun Jul 28, 2024 13:01 | Richard Eldred A radical cleric has raised over £3 million to transform a remote Scottish island into a self-governing Islamic state with its own army, justice system, school and hospital.
The post Hate Cleric Raises £3 Million to Create Islamic Homeland on Scottish Island appeared first on The Daily Sceptic. Lockdown Skeptics >>
Voltaire, international edition
Netanyahu soon to appear before the US Congress? It will be decisive for the suc... Thu Jul 04, 2024 04:44 | en
Voltaire, International Newsletter N°93 Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:49 | en
Will Israel succeed in attacking Lebanon and pushing the United States to nuke I... Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:40 | en
Will Netanyahu launch tactical nuclear bombs (sic) against Hezbollah, with US su... Thu Jun 27, 2024 12:09 | en
Will Israel provoke a cataclysm?, by Thierry Meyssan Tue Jun 25, 2024 06:59 | en Voltaire Network >>
|
Obama - a carrot as well as a stick
The election of Barrack Obama created a buzz all over the world. Some commentators even lost the run of themselves and tried to convince us that the one of the most important events in human history had just happened. People everywhere celebrated Obama’s victory in a way that they would not have done were it a new government in their own countries. This is barely surprising, if we take into account that decisions taken by the rulers in Washington DC carry a heavy load of consequences for millions of people across the five continents.
![Click on image to see full-sized version obey.jpg](../attachments/jan2009/obey.jpg) However, if this represents a “dream” come true, nobody has been able to tell us what type of a dream it is. Obama is portrayed as the quintessential representative of a supposed democratic and humanist tradition that had a brief interruption of sorts with the Bush administration. Before Bush, US imperialism, according to Obama’s supporters, seemingly did not exist or was a rather minor problem. They insist that, after Bush, the “benign” influence of the US will again impose itself globally. Unfortunately, memory is a virtue more often associated with elephants than human beings.
Those of us who suffer from a kind of insomnia of the intellect and who like staying awake do not forget the countless US aggressions against Latin American people, nor the enthusiastic support given to all kinds of Third World dictators and to structurally murderous regimes such as Israel or Colombia. Neither do we forget Vietnam or Korea.
Can the peoples of Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan or Haiti expect an end to the occupation of their countries? Can we expect Obama to take some real action against Global Warming? Can the Latin American people expect the end of interventionism, in the forms of Plan Merida and Plan Colombia?
Obama does not seem to be in any rush to radically change the old order, but he does seem concerned about adding a new facade to it. Something like adding new seasoning to old soup. His declarations on Latin America or Palestine, even when he was still a candidate, give us enough reasons not to expect any significant change of policy. His choice of cabinet members does not allow for much optimism either, except by the most gullible.
But those of us tired of waiting and waiting know that imperialism will not end thanks to unselfish actions of the imperialists themselves, nor will exploitation end thanks to those who profit from it. Even if Obama was a convinced “progressive” we know that US imperialism is a well established State policy, serving the powerful elite’s interests.
Now, I don’t want to insinuate that the arrival of Obama in the White House does not represent a new scenario, or even that there aren’t chances of winning some improvements because of the high expectations caused by Obamania. But there’s a big gap between acknowledging this objective fact and seeing in Obama some sort of hero for “progressive” causes.
Quite contrary to those who expect liberation to come from the White House, Obama has turned to out be the Yankee ruling class’s best chance to restore their lost dominance. Imperialism will adopt a friendly face and will swing the carrot a little bit more than the stick.
The magic of Obama is that he renewed illusions in a worn-out model in crisis that loses credibility on a daily basis. We will soon see how little will change under the new administration, even if some clueless people want us to believe that what happened in the US was just slightly short of a socialist revolution.
|
View Full Comment Text
save preference
Comments (15 of 15)