Obama 41

'President Obama will be dependent on the information and advice given to him. Since the time when President Eisenhower warned against the military-industrial complex as a potential problem, it has fed and grown on public funds with a life of its own to the extent that it might be impossible to scale back. The Iraq war, for example, not only enriches politically influential individuals but also provides employment for many ordinary workers. The loss of these jobs would have important political effects for individual members of Congress and the Sentate. The scale of the US’s overall military spending is appropriate to its perceived global mission rather than defence of the US itself. It may be expected that there would be strong resistance to reducing this drain on the economy, unproductive though it is, due to the loss of both career opportunities and civilian jobs supported by military expenditure. Presidential advisers have their personal and sectoral interests at heart rather than the best interests of the American people, much less the rest of the world. This is particularly true of the powerful Zionist lobby. The information and briefings that President Obama receives will always be biased. How he deals with them will depend on his personal world view, about which we know nothing. To be realistic, beyond the euphoria of seeing this charismatic man supplant what is probably the worst US administration in its history, what we have seen to date has been a marketing exercise to achieve his election. Obama looks good. America and the world need someone who looks like this but we shall see what he can do. There are some critical test cases by which he will be judged, among them, his policies on Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, NATO and Israel/Palestine. I hope I’m wrong, but I confess that I am not hopeful. I wish I could be. Anthony Blair looked good too when elected, but there was rot in his heart. The American case is different, to be sure, but it’s the American mission that worries me. Perhaps I would be more optimistic for Barack Obama if it had not been for Colin Powell who seemed to be the articulate, liberal, fair-minded soldier and a potential presidential candidate – until he made his United Nations speech. Complete rubbish. If I could give President Obama a few words of advice they would be: “Remember Colin Powell.”'

Lees verder: http://www.redress.cc/americas/cking20081108