As noted in the post below, what people seem to forget is that Obama is human. He will inevitably let people down, because “people will eventually diappoint you if you know them long enough.” (“Synecdoche, NY” – Fascinating movie)
I’ve criticized his pick of VP ( I never hesitate to mention that Biden received the Friend of Zion award from Israel). I’ve also expressed disdain for his choice for Chief of Staff (see previous post from Electronic Intifada). But in the end, they won’t make the final decisions. That is left to a man who has shown clear judgement in the past. But, still, I am reminded of what Presidential candidate Eugene Debs said early in the 20th century: “It is better to vote for what you want and not get it – than to vote for what you don’t want and get it.” Have I become, as one writer has termed it, a political “Judas, selling [my] ideals short for political gain?”
Below is an excerpt from a popular Middle Eastern professor’s blog who is, often times, quite “angry.” He brings up valid points. But what’s important is not to dismiss his criticisms, as a lot of Obama supporters do, but USE them. Be aware of them. Listen to them. Because it is this criticism, this disagreement that fosters change. But at the same time we must be sure not to blame all the injustices on some conspiracy that will constantly keep Arabs down, or keep Palestine or Iraq occupied, but instead turn to ourselves. How do we, as people, inform the public, and thus give Obama a platform on which he can remove support of Israel as an occupying force. In the end it’s easier to give up on change. It’s easier to say Obama is just like the rest of the politicians. It’s easier to back down and blame Obama for selling out, to give in to that self fulfilling prophecy, than to pressure him and ourselves to live up to the ideals set before us. So, to the author of the excerpt below, I welcome your Obama bashing. In fact, I demand that it continue. Because without it, we would be nothing more than sheep.
We have at least four years. While we shouldn’t be praising him as our saviour, we shouldn’t be prejudging him on decisions he hasn’t made yet.
oj
REMEMBER ME: OBAMA BASHING BEGINS HERE
It was a noisy night in Washington, DC. Cars were parading the streets and honking their horns all night long. People around were very excited and people walked the streets and yelled and shouted in joy. AlJazeera offices: now that was a different story. The chaos there could not hide the festive atmosphere. People took bets and they had a sheet with staff names. I asked who was betting on McCain: no one, they said but they were betting on when the results would come in with news of Obama victory. People were excited and emotional. As I sat with the three anchors listening to Obama victory speech, I would make critical comments. I could tell that people did not enjoy that and there was a white technician who was very emotional got really mad at me because I was being critical of Obama. I ran into Lawrence Korb (former assistant secretary of defence under Ronald Regan) and I asked him if he had endorsed Obama. He said that he did not do that publicly but that he was advising him on defense and national security policies. He said that there is a move to appoint Richard Halbrooke as Secretary of State. I said: but the man (in addition to annoying the hell out of me) is the biggest self-promoter in the world. I woke up to day and put on Fox News: yesterday, at the GYM I turned to Fox and the people in the GYM were about to kill me. Not Fox, they yelled. I said: are you kidding. They are hilarious and I will derive a lot of pleasure watching them this week and in weeks to come. Fox mentioned the headline of Al-Akhbar newspaper which referred to Obma as “the black Jack Kennedy”. I was not amused and I did not like that headline by Al-Akhbar at all. Why should the White Man always be a term of reference? He is not Jack Kennedy: and even though I don’t support Obama but he is much more capable and effective than Kennedy, and he did not use his daddy’s money to achieve victory, and Obama wrote his own words. The festive coverage of the Arab press is really bothering me and I tried to express that in my appearance on AlJazeera. I will write about that soon in Al-Akhbar. Those who supported Obama: you will be disappointed and you will remember my caution. Remember me when Obama will endorse an Israeli war on a refugee camp and on a Lebanese village, and he will call that justified self-defense. Remember me when Obama will mourn the deaths of Israelis and will celebrate the deaths of Arabs and Muslims. Remember me when he orders his first bombing campaign on some remote area of Pakistan. Remember me when he betrays the poor in favor of Wall Street. Remember me when he will betray the aspirations of black people in favor of the white middle class that is now the headline of the Democratic Party. Remember me when Obama will not fight for his health reform plan, and will he not deliver on many of his promises. Remember me when Obama will stick to his campaign promise of opposing gay marriage. Remember me when when Obama will continue to blame the failure of the American occupation of Iraq on the Iraqi people themselves. On Angry Arab: the Obama bashing has just begun and will continue unabated.
