Conscience And Society
New America with Obama in the White House
AMERICA is great because of its people, but they often get deviated from the right path because of half-baked or even false information supplied by the information gathering agencies and media. Again, it is not exclusively the media or information gathering agencies that are at fault. The fault lies with those who do the final baking of the collected information and use them according to their set personal or party agenda.
The best example is the information on Saddam's WMD and his al-Qaeda link, which were all false, but Congress was duped into giving the "yes" vote that led to the Iraq invasion.
US writer Gore Vidal, a staunch critic of the US-led invasion of Iraq said in an interview given to El Mundo newspaper published on June 14, that it would take US "100 years to repair the damage" caused by President Bush. "We live in a dictatorship. We have a fascist government … which controls the media."
Gore Vidal said Barack Obama was "intelligent" and it would be a "novelty" to have an intelligent person in the White House. He is absolutely right; it would make a world of difference with an intelligent and honest man in the White House.
Barack Obama's entry into the White House
It's not only author Gore Vidal, but also the majority of Americans who appear convinced that they will see Obama go to the White House. With Barack Obama in the Oval Office, one should normally expect complete stoppage of all these unwise acts of Bush/Cheney. This would lead to the beginning of a New America. New America means an America with new vision, totally new approach to the world, new foreign policy, new non-discriminatory social and religious structure, and policies thereof. No more 9/11, no more Guantanamo Bay, no more Bin Laden-phobia, no more Islamophobia, no more undressing of airline passengers, total withdrawal from Iraq in about 6-9 months, return of all American forces back home through replacement of US and other forces by acceptable Muslim and other forces under UN command. Palestinian state
If Bush fails on his promise to establish an independent Palestinian state before he leaves the White House, then Barack Obama should do so within a reasonable time, say within a year or two: a Palestinian state within 1967 borders with small border adjustments. East Jerusalem should be the capital. Obama should clarify his statement that undivided Jerusalem would be the capital of Israel, as this appears to have come up in the press through misinterpretation. He might have meant Jerusalem that Israel held before 1967. Israel's capital
East Jerusalem with Noble Sanctuary was always a separate entity, different from the rest of Jerusalem, and it is certainly not a part of Jerusalem that Israel got when the UN voted Israel into a state. Israel unlawfully annexed East Jerusalem. So Barack Obama, who may be the next president, could have never meant the unlawfully annexed part as Israel's Jerusalem, which is not recognised by the UN. Obama also could not have meant to donate the entire East Jerusalem, which is a disputed territory as per UN resolution, to Israel. So, there appears to be a serious mistake in the interpretation of Barack Obama's statement in this regard. He may like to clarify his position at an appropriate moment. What is possible, and should change the whole picture, is Israel keeping the Western (Wailing) Wall within its capital in West Jerusalem. Jews must be allowed unhindered access to their prayer place through the Dung Gate. I myself visited the Western Wall through the Dung Gate, and it is possible to have this Jewish prayer place separate from the rest of East Jerusalem. Israel must not try to keep East Jerusalem under its command by force; it will be absolutely ungovernable by Israel. If Israel is interested in living in peace, it must agree to Palestinians having East Jerusalem as their capital. This may allow land accommodation in other areas and will quickly bring peace in the region. Dialogue the only way
Obama spoke of "dialogue" with enemies, which is the only way to bring justice and peace in the world. One has to find out with an open mind why so many wars are being fought even in this world of today, and why America is directly involved in practically all these wars. The fault lies with the incumbent in the White House. This position has to change, and this is where the Barack Obama's word "change" comes in. Obama's change
When Barack Obama speaks of "change" he should really mean it, regardless of what the Israelis or American-Israelis say and do. Today, America's enmity with a great part of the world lies in its blind support for Israel, which has been in occupation of the greater part of Palestine against the will of the international community. Nobody is asking America to abandon Israel, but America has to strike a balance, otherwise it will continue to lose heavily in terms of its friendship with the Middle East and Muslim and many non-Muslim countries around the world. Senator McCain
Senator McCain is undoubtedly a very wise politician, but he suffers from political fatigue, and is not a great orator either. Unfortunately, McCain is still supporting Bush's Middle East policy, particularly Iraq policy, which has been a disaster for the American administration and also for its friends like Britain and Australia. The chief executives of both Britain and Australia lost their jobs. The recent polls show that Bush's policy has been rejected by the Americans, but McCain wants to pursue it with a bit of twist which will not work. McCain's latest twist in the form of "League of Democracy" is another version of Bush's export of democracy to Iraq. This League of Democracy may revive the cold war in another form, with stronger opposition as both Russia and China are going to be bracketed together against it. This may also lead to the end of America's superpower status. Hillary up for vice-president
Hillary Clinton has suspended her bid for the White House and endorsed Barack Obama. Her assertion that "we together will be making history" leads to the assumption that she is ready to be the vice-presidential running mate. If selected, she will add considerable electoral strength to the Democratic bid for the White House, and Obama needs that in his fight against a heavyweight like Senator McCain. Democrats may have the White House for over a decade
Obama-Hillary could hold the White House for two terms and then Clinton would be the favourite to capture the Oval Office herself for one or two terms, thus practically monopolising the Oval Office for over a decade for the Democrats. If this happens, then they together can really make history and America could then make its position better in the rest of the world in about a decade, and may not need 100 years as predicted by Gore Vidal. New America
Obama has the vision that accommodation can be achieved through real dialogue with "enemies." A military solution is outdated and dialogue is the only way out. Dialogue may indeed strengthen America's position politically, as America can be a good friend, as it has long been, if it sheds its superpower ego, gives up its bad habit of interfering in the internal affairs of others, and abandons Bush's misguided foreign policy.
It's not only author Gore Vidal, but also the majority of Americans who appear convinced that they will see Obama go to the White House. With Barack Obama in the Oval Office, one should normally expect complete stoppage of all these unwise acts of Bush/Cheney. This would lead to the beginning of a New America. New America means an America with new vision, totally new approach to the world, new foreign policy, new non-discriminatory social and religious structure, and policies thereof. No more 9/11, no more Guantanamo Bay, no more Bin Laden-phobia, no more Islamophobia, no more undressing of airline passengers, total withdrawal from Iraq in about 6-9 months, return of all American forces back home through replacement of US and other forces by acceptable Muslim and other forces under UN command. Palestinian state
If Bush fails on his promise to establish an independent Palestinian state before he leaves the White House, then Barack Obama should do so within a reasonable time, say within a year or two: a Palestinian state within 1967 borders with small border adjustments. East Jerusalem should be the capital. Obama should clarify his statement that undivided Jerusalem would be the capital of Israel, as this appears to have come up in the press through misinterpretation. He might have meant Jerusalem that Israel held before 1967. Israel's capital
East Jerusalem with Noble Sanctuary was always a separate entity, different from the rest of Jerusalem, and it is certainly not a part of Jerusalem that Israel got when the UN voted Israel into a state. Israel unlawfully annexed East Jerusalem. So Barack Obama, who may be the next president, could have never meant the unlawfully annexed part as Israel's Jerusalem, which is not recognised by the UN. Obama also could not have meant to donate the entire East Jerusalem, which is a disputed territory as per UN resolution, to Israel. So, there appears to be a serious mistake in the interpretation of Barack Obama's statement in this regard. He may like to clarify his position at an appropriate moment. What is possible, and should change the whole picture, is Israel keeping the Western (Wailing) Wall within its capital in West Jerusalem. Jews must be allowed unhindered access to their prayer place through the Dung Gate. I myself visited the Western Wall through the Dung Gate, and it is possible to have this Jewish prayer place separate from the rest of East Jerusalem. Israel must not try to keep East Jerusalem under its command by force; it will be absolutely ungovernable by Israel. If Israel is interested in living in peace, it must agree to Palestinians having East Jerusalem as their capital. This may allow land accommodation in other areas and will quickly bring peace in the region. Dialogue the only way
Obama spoke of "dialogue" with enemies, which is the only way to bring justice and peace in the world. One has to find out with an open mind why so many wars are being fought even in this world of today, and why America is directly involved in practically all these wars. The fault lies with the incumbent in the White House. This position has to change, and this is where the Barack Obama's word "change" comes in. Obama's change
When Barack Obama speaks of "change" he should really mean it, regardless of what the Israelis or American-Israelis say and do. Today, America's enmity with a great part of the world lies in its blind support for Israel, which has been in occupation of the greater part of Palestine against the will of the international community. Nobody is asking America to abandon Israel, but America has to strike a balance, otherwise it will continue to lose heavily in terms of its friendship with the Middle East and Muslim and many non-Muslim countries around the world. Senator McCain
Senator McCain is undoubtedly a very wise politician, but he suffers from political fatigue, and is not a great orator either. Unfortunately, McCain is still supporting Bush's Middle East policy, particularly Iraq policy, which has been a disaster for the American administration and also for its friends like Britain and Australia. The chief executives of both Britain and Australia lost their jobs. The recent polls show that Bush's policy has been rejected by the Americans, but McCain wants to pursue it with a bit of twist which will not work. McCain's latest twist in the form of "League of Democracy" is another version of Bush's export of democracy to Iraq. This League of Democracy may revive the cold war in another form, with stronger opposition as both Russia and China are going to be bracketed together against it. This may also lead to the end of America's superpower status. Hillary up for vice-president
Hillary Clinton has suspended her bid for the White House and endorsed Barack Obama. Her assertion that "we together will be making history" leads to the assumption that she is ready to be the vice-presidential running mate. If selected, she will add considerable electoral strength to the Democratic bid for the White House, and Obama needs that in his fight against a heavyweight like Senator McCain. Democrats may have the White House for over a decade
Obama-Hillary could hold the White House for two terms and then Clinton would be the favourite to capture the Oval Office herself for one or two terms, thus practically monopolising the Oval Office for over a decade for the Democrats. If this happens, then they together can really make history and America could then make its position better in the rest of the world in about a decade, and may not need 100 years as predicted by Gore Vidal. New America
Obama has the vision that accommodation can be achieved through real dialogue with "enemies." A military solution is outdated and dialogue is the only way out. Dialogue may indeed strengthen America's position politically, as America can be a good friend, as it has long been, if it sheds its superpower ego, gives up its bad habit of interfering in the internal affairs of others, and abandons Bush's misguided foreign policy.
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