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I watched a discussion on France24 television between participants on World Affairs. The conclusion on President Obama: “He is playing a double game. On issues of Wall Street reform and foreign policy.” The latter certainly as it pertains to the Arab Spring, Palestinian issue for an independent state and our strong [military] ally Saudi Arabia representing the world Sunni community. This has been my conclusion for some time now, what do you think?
I can’t find a link for the France24 program, I’ll try to find articles with the same argument.
Obama Pulls a Clinton on Deregulation
Obama plays double-game as Egyptians continue protest
(Iran PressTV) Jan. 31, 2011 – US President Barack Obama, caught off guard by the people’s movement against the American supported regime, is now resorting to a fresh deceit in an attempt not to let Egypt slip away from Washington’s hold.
He has urged Mubarak to stop the use of violence and reverse its decision to suspend Internet and cell phone access as the country grapples with massive street protests. According to Press TV, Obama said in his first extended public comments on the Egypt protests said “The people of Egypt have rights that are universal … these are human rights, and the United States will stand up for them everywhere.”
Human rights activists and protesters have blasted the United States for being too indifferent in its comments on the situation. Earlier this week, US Vice President Joe Biden said in an interview that Mubarak, who has used power tactics to remain in power for 30 years, is not a dictator.
While Bahrain demolishes mosques, U.S. stays silent …
While Bahrain demolishes mosques, U.S. stays silent
(NcClatchy) – In Shiite villages across this island kingdom of 1.2 million, the Sunni Muslim government has bulldozed dozens of mosques as part of a crackdown on Shiite dissidents, an assault on human rights that is breathtaking in its expansiveness.
Authorities have held secret trials where protesters have been sentenced to death, arrested prominent mainstream opposition politicians, jailed nurses and doctors who treated injured protesters, seized the health care system that had been run primarily by Shiites, fired 1,000 Shiite professionals and canceled their pensions, detained students and teachers who took part in the protests, beat and arrested journalists, and forced the closure of the only opposition newspaper.
Nothing, however, has struck harder at the fabric of this nation, where Shiites outnumber Sunnis nearly 4 to 1, than the destruction of Shiite worship centers.
The Obama administration has said nothing in public about the destruction.
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Bahrain — and its patron, Saudi Arabia — are longtime U.S. allies, and Bahrain hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
Doctors who dared to treat protesters sentenced to 15 years in Bahrain
Saudi UN Address Endorses Statehood for Palestine
Last week SUSRIS provided a comprehensive report on the question of Palestinians seeking statehood at the opening of the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly and its impact on US-Saudi relations. [Special Report: Saudi-US Friction Over Palestine at the UN] It follows detailed coverage of speeches and op-eds, most notably by former Ambassador to the United States Prince Turki Al-Faisal, which warned of consequences for the Washington-Riyadh relationship. As the Palestinian request moves through the United Nations we are pleased to provide for your consideration the statement of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal at the General Assembly. You can find more on this important diplomatic drama in the SUSRIS Special Section “Palestine, the UN, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S.“
Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal delivered a statement issued on Monday to the 66th session United Nations General Assembly in New York in which he stressed the critical nature of ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to Middle East peace. “The Arab-Israeli conflict still predominates and overshadows all issues of the Middle East. No other regional conflict is more influential upon world peace,” he said.
When addressing the necessity of Middle East peace, Prince Saud highlighted the efforts by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to secure peace in the region and the lack of cooperation from the Israelis. “The Arab states have clearly expressed, through the Arab Peace Initiative launched by Saudi Arabia and adopted by the Beirut Arab Summit in 2004, their commitment to achieving just and comprehensive peace based on the rules of international law. However, we were not met by any reciprocal commitment from Israel.”
I think Obama’s deafening silence on all things that I hold dear is disgusting. Yes, he’s done a few of the things he campaigned about… a few. Just enough so that when me and mine start asking questions about Tar Sands, the enviroment, health care… we are told we aren’t smart enough to understand Obama’s brilliance.
What has Obama said on the Union Protests? What has he said about the ongoing attacks on Planned Parenthood? How can he not be onboard when it comes to clean air, drinkable water and corporate regulations? What did he say about Troy Davis? Does he know that people are homeless, dying from toothaches? Does he care anymore? Did he ever really?
This is from someone who GOTV for him once Dennis Kucinich dropped out of the race.
I bought into the HOPEganda.
How can he remain silent when now we not only have to deal with Republicans but now Teabaggers? Does he seriously expect me to swallow that we are anywhere for to protect freedom while my brothers and sisters are being coralled onto bridges and then arrested?
At least with Bush, it was a fair, out in the open fight. A fight with fists, broken bottles, tear gas, water cannons. We knew who we were up against.
With Obama… it’s more like Date Rape. We’re not exactly sure who we should tell or seek support from.
Obama is a double edged sword. Yes, the alternative would have been worse. We know that mantra. But look where we are headed anyways. McCain/Palin would have been a straight shot to destruction. At least with Obama we had the scenic drive to hell.
That scenic drive to hell is what has empowered the #occupywallstreet movement with the strength and popular support that it has been getting.
In 2008, we thought the problem was fixable within the electoral processes. The system was more broken than we thought, the actors defending the system were more venal than we thought, and the public was more complacent than we thought. I don’t know if Obama was aware of this when he was running, but my sense is that he found out with a shock when he started putting together his transition team and putting together his legislative strategy.
And remember that one does not have to lend one’s imprimatur to a movement to create change. Nor is one obligated to be a two-term president. The Obama presidency has in fact shaken us out of our complacency, put a stake in the ground for health care, put a stake in the ground for regulating greenhouse gases, put a stake in the ground for renewable energy, put a stake in the ground for collective bargaining, and put a stake in the ground for progressive tax reform. The compromises that he has made in order to do that is what anger us. Blame the Democrats in Congress. Blame Republican political short-sightedness.
The debt ceiling debate shook one hell of a lot of Americans out of their complacency. And #occupywallstreet is beginning to channel that anger into political action.
We are the change that we have been waiting for.
Tim Geitner has been as much a lightening rod for progressive dissatisfaction as Rahm, but I’ve always thought Tim Geitner allows Obama to claim the sane middle against the default crowd; he can also communicate with the have mores. Saw a quote iirc on kos where Obama told Wall St leaders in 2009 (?) “my administration is the only thing standing between you and the pitchforks”. just sayin’, but seems to me Obama with Tim Geitner is well positioned. any thoughts?
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"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."Just a note that Iran Press TV and Russia Today reflect their governments’ foreign policy (well hell, so do ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, and FOX). Their criticism should no more be taken as analysis than that of Fox.
In the best of times, foreign policy is driven by public opinion.
In most times, it is driven by whatever private interests own the government. It’s important to recognize the tough situation that Obama is in and not to jump to the conclusion of what his policy would be under other circumstances. He is constrained by the willingness of the Democrats in Congress to get his back. Guess that’s why he keeps looking over his shoulder.
And Obama has not yet weighed in, to my knowledge, about the #occupywallstreet movement. And would be wise not to.
Another thing to note is that the ability to talk to allies or to the power centers that prop them up (such as the Egyptian army) is a tool that should be abandoned without some thought. There is evidence that US contacts with the Egyptian army helped reinforce their decision to act with restraint.
The pathetic irony as a result of the assassination of al-Awlawki is that the US has a freer hand in putting pressure on Saleh to step aside. Saleh can no longer play the “either me or the terrorists” card quite as well.
The event that should concern folks interested in the democratic revolutions in the Middle East is the appointment of a Qatari royal to head al Jazeera. You might see their coverage of uprisings in the Middle East to be more restrained and aligned with national policy. Their Washington reporters seem to be being sucked into the Village and co-opted. Watching their coverage of #occupywallstreet will be very instructive as to how far they have been co-opted.