Obama’s
Hope And Change:
The Alternative To Terror
By Ghali Hassan
14 March,
2008
Countercurrents.org
It would be easy to blame the current state of the world on the power of the President of the United Sates. To do that would be to ignore a political system controlled by very small élitist groups and based on predatory capitalism and naked imperialism. What is needed is a fundamental change to the foundations of this inhumane and unjust system, starting with the president of United States.
No matter who will win the November elections, whether Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton or John McCain, the system will remain the same. However, Senator Obama is a new direction. As Chris Beutler, Mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska said; “For the first time in a long time, we are seeing someone who can wash away the cynicism from politics”. That someone is Barack Obama. Obama is not part of the Washington Mafia, and has promised to transform Washington. He is an experienced community organiser.
The Senator from Illinois promised that if he is elected the next president of the United States, he would make changes to American domestic and foreign policies bring peace and enhance America’s credibility around the world. Many people hope that Obama will keep his promises of ending America’s war on the Iraqi people, introducing universal health care system and introducing energy policy to reduce greenhouse emissions.
Even a small change in this inhumane capitalist-imperialist system can translate into big ‘benefits’ for millions of people. To his credit, Obama shows that he understands better than most the wide gap between power and people, and that the “world shares a common security and a common humanity”. He is an experienced community organiser.
Obama has been the target of a negative smear campaign by the media and the Clinton Campaign and the so-called “American Left”, to distort Obama’s image. He is portrayed as the ‘black skin white mask’ candidate, who if elected will carry the ‘white man’s burden’ to the detriment of African Americans.
Moreover, the most misleading lie of this dirty smear campaign is the accusation that Senator Obama is a Muslim and if elected the “radical Islamists and their supporters”, will be dancing in the street. Of course, Obama is not a Muslim and have never been a Muslim. Being Muslim is a badge of honour, not a shame. But coupling Islam with violence is part of the West ongoing campaign of Islamophobia and anti-Muslims fascism infecting many parts of the world. Obama is just happened to be an African-American, who has to defend himself from being called a Muslim in a world controlled by racism and fascist forces. If Obama was a white man, he would not have been subjected to this racist smear campaign. It is a pity that Obama hasn’t denounced this fascist campaign against Muslims as plain racist propaganda.
Furthermore, Obama is unfairly accused of telling the Canadian Government one thing and the American voters another about NAFTA. Of course, it was a lie, according to the CBC news. In fact we now know that the Clinton team were doing secret dealings with the right-wing Canadian Government regarding NAFTA, not the Obama team.
Obama was right when he said that Senator Hillary Clinton is part of the bankrupt political crowd in Washington that “had driven the bus into the ditch” by voting for the criminal war against the Iraqi people. Like McCain, Hillary Clinton is part of the Washington Mafia. She is not a “tested” politician or an experienced “feminist”. To the contrary, she is tested as a good cover-up for her sex maniac and war criminal husband, former president Bill Clinton. Spending eight years living in the White House, doesn’t make the wife of the president a qualified politician.
It should be noted that the Clinton administration was more violent than the Bush administrations. The two former presidents (Bush1 and Clinton) and the current president (Bush 2) are responsible for unimaginable war crimes – from Somalia to Yugoslavia and from Afghanistan to Iraq – and they should be put on a trial in an international war crimes tribunal.
In stark contrast with Clinton and McCain, Obama voted against the illegal aggression against the Iraqi people and promised to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq if elected. However, it is still difficult to ascertain his promise. Poll after poll showed that the overwhelming majority of the Iraqi people want the immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq and the end to the murderous Occupation. Obama should respect the will of the Iraqi people and aims for and immediate and full withdrawal. The U.S.-installed puppet government is not in a position to speak on the behalf of the Iraqi people and Iraqi sovereignty. This “government” is merely a façade justifying a foreign military Occupation.
Meanwhile, McCain was and still is part of the criminal gang (Neocons) responsible for the illegal invasion of Iraq. In recent comment, McCain said that he has no problem with the ongoing murderous Occupation of Iraq and would keep U.S. troops there for “hundred years”. McCain is a war monger with ‘interventionist’ violent approach to world affairs. He has warns Americans; “’There’s going to be more wars’, endless war”.
Furthermore, McCain “heroic” character is a fabrication. Reliable sources show that McCain was shot-down in October 1967 over Vietnam and was taken a prisoner of war by the Vietnamese Resistance. In captivity, McCain gave the Vietnamese important classified military information (a serious violation of Military Code of Contact) that caused the deaths of many of his comrades. In politics, he proved to be a sycophant who will do anything to serve his own interests.
For example, in contrast with Obama’s repeated denunciations of controversial views such as those expressed by the Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, McCain openly embraced the endorsement of the Christianfascist John Hagee, the founder of the Christian Zionist group, Christians United for Israel, (CUFI). McCain said he is “proud” of Hagee and welcomed his support. Hagee is a well-known extremist, and has adopted the Nazis’ views on homosexuality, Islam, the Catholic Church and women. The preacher of the “Get Rich” Gospel has advocated the policy of ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people from their homeland for the sake of Israel. Like McCain, Hagee is very connected within the Bush-Neocons foreign policy agenda. Hagee's followers (19,000) form a key part of the religious extremism base of the Democratic Party.
McCain is also deeply corrupt individual. In 1987, McCain helped and lobbied on behalf of his earlier financial backer, conman Charles Keating who is serving prison term for fraud costing American taxpayers $3.4 billions. McCain so-called “straight-talking” politician is a sham. He is just like many of the hardcore Republicans, “frequently betray their words” and their voters (For more on the Republican saints see: Michael Parenti’s ‘Bad Boys, Nasty Boys…’).
Hillary Clinton on the other hand, seems to follow the script of her husband Bill Clinton. After all, the war on the Iraqi people is an extension of her husband war. In voting for the illegal invasion of Iraq, Hillary Clinton demonstrated that she would approach foreign policy in the same way her husband and his successor (Bush 1) approached; with bullying and state-sponsored terrorism. If elected president, Hillary Clinton could initiate an illegal aggression against Iran. Indeed, she has repeatedly threatened the use of military force (nuclear weapons) against Iran. It is more likely that Hillary Clinton will follow in her husband’s violent footsteps.
In addition, Hillary Clinton is very divisive and has been rightly described as a “monster”. Playing the most shameful fear-mongering card, the Clintons are working, not for the good of Americans, but to prevent the first black American from becoming president, revealed The Sydney Morning Herald on February 11, 2008.
Clinton’s constituency is not women and black voters, as many have suggested. To the contrary, African-American women (constitute 40 per cent of female electorate) are a pivotal part of Obama’s constituency. Racial animosity is key factor in Clinton success in some states. For example, Latino-Americans who don’t like African-Americans voted for Clinton (e.g., California and Texas). Many Republicans voted for Clinton, because they prefer Clinton to McCain. While race was important, Obama’s constituency is very broad and mostly grassroots constituency of young generation. Clinton’s voters are overwhelmingly late-deciding voters and old generation of white, the opposite of Obama’s.
It follows that Obama is campaigning against two ruthless, self-serving candidates, McCain and Clinton. If either of them were elected, there will be no end to the ongoing violent thuggery around the world. Unlike Clinton or McCain, Obama is campaigning on a social reform and ‘no-hypocrisy’ ticket, and has been open on most issues. However, he is not going to overhaul America’s economic and social injustices overnight.
On Israel and Palestine, Senator Obama would do well to follow world’s opinion regarding the right of the Palestinian people and Israel’s Zionist policies in Palestine. While Obama has said from the start, that ‘he wants to be in the room with everybody unconditionally’, he has moved very quickly to appease the pro-Israel Jewish Lobby in the U.S. and ignores Israel’s war crimes against the Palestinians. Endorsing Israel’s ongoing war crimes doesn’t make Obama any different from McCain or Clinton.
Since Obama has not criticised Israel’s terror and Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land, he must feel apprehensive before the elections. While Obama knows that the Lobby exerts formidable power over American politics, he shouldn’t censor himself to speak against Israeli policies in the way he does. Distancing himself from the legitimate Palestinian struggle for self-determination and adopting an unwavering pro-Israel approach, Senator Obama is betraying his moral principles and acting against world opinion.
To continue the unconditional U.S. support to Israel is not only counterproductive, but also anti-American interests. The Palestinians have suffered enough terror as a result of sixty-year of ongoing Israeli occupation and annexation of Palestinian land. Any negotiated settlement between Palestinians and Israelis must involve Israel’s full withdrawal from Palestinian land and the full implementation of past UN Resolutions. Obama may have to accommodate to the will of the majority of people, especially the political bloc inspired by him, and challenge the power of the corporate elites.
Finally, I do not believe that Americans want to continue with Bush,
Clinton, Bush, Bush, and Clinton. It is a possibility, but it would
be sad if Americans let it happen. If nominated, Obama will beat McCain
and hopefully break the cycle of violence and injustices.
If Americans care about their country and the world they live in, Barack Obama will be the next president of America. With Obama, there is hope for change. Fundamental change is the only alternative to terror and “endless war”.
Ghali Hassan is an independent writer living in Australia.
