Three Cheers for Barak

February , 2016

 

Three Cheers for Barak

 

As someone who published a book some years ago in criticism  of American policy titled “Does Uncle Tom Listen or is He Deaf?”, and later emphasized condemnation of the occupation of Afghanistan  and Iraq and American support not only for Israeli security, but also for Israeli conquests, my testimony in favor of an American president  should be judged as objective.

When President Bush declared his intention to invade Iraq in 2003, I wrote him a letter through the U.S Embassy in Khartoum, in which, I said to him, your military will walk over the Iraqi army, and achieve a quick military victory, but that in the political and cultural context of Iraq, and the MENA Region, that victory will be followed by a cultural and political defeat.

I said that any action, which results in consequences which contradict its intentions, is mistaken. So call that invasion off. He did not listen, and the consequences now speak with a deafening loud voice.

Some do fault Obama for not living up to America’s clout in terms of hard and soft power.

When Obama  became a credible candidate for the presidency, I predicted that because of his color and cultural background, he will either be paralyzed by the “Establishment”, or be assassinated  by the Rightists.

It is a blessing that he escaped both and should be credited for eight undeniable achievements:

First: He rolled back Bush’s adventures, and wisely refrained from repeating them in Syria. Many in the Region hoped otherwise. Our MENA Region’s basic problems are internal. They generally maintain despotic socially unjust systems.  He reminded them rightly, that their problems are internal.

External involvement is no remedy. In fact, in the current challenges of shii and Sunni self–assertion, external involvement only helps sustain the outdated status quo, and provide the reactionary revolutionaries with cultural and political ammunition.

Second: He ended fifty years of futile Cuban boycott, which helped sustain the Cuban political system whereas change in Cuba is contingent upon involvement not boycott.

Third: he delivered the nuclear deal with Iran, a service to realism, and a shot in the arm to those who seek to marry their revolutionary convictions in Iran to Modernity, and International fraternity.

Fourth: through over extension noted by thinkers like Paul Kennedy, American finances reached the point where in every dollar of American expenditures, forty cents were borrowed money. His polices restored American solvency.

Fifth:  During his terms of office, America quenched its thirst for foreign oil, and even exported the product.

Sixth: He treated illegal immigration especially the Mexicans with generosity becoming America’s identity as home for plurality

Seventh: On two issues his awareness of the Islamic situation is meaningful. That the extremists who claim Islamic identity are a small minority among 1.6 billion Muslims. And that American Muslims are bona fide US citizens.

I add, that the current Al-Qaeda violence has much to do with US cold war policies, and Daesh violence is an offshoot of Iraqi occupation.

More to the point, the declarations of Mr. Trump are Music to Al-Qaeda and Daesh ears. They are all company to cultural Apartheid. They justify each other in a symbiosis of opposites.

Eighth: His Obama-care is a commendable departure from over sensitivity for socialist type policies. Capitalism in Northern Europe is smiling with a human face.

Ninth: Al though his emphases  on the need for gun control in America has been blunted by the powerful gun lobby, his declarations will someday be heeded, because the Nation will realize that the present gun promiscuity will continue to do more  harm to US citizens than any external foes.

Finally: I have attended Obama’s speech to a Cairo university audience in 2008. His words were reassuring about Peace in the Region. When he steps down this year he leaves the Region aflame with multiple war fronts. The Arab Israeli conflict will be temporarily off center stage because the Region is preoccupied with meaningless Sectarian wars.

The Israeli Right wing, thanks to American financial and military support, aborted the two states solution, laying the ground for a permanent future war. The traditional sectarian conflict will sustain their anachronistic war fronts, providing a golden opportunity for Al-Qaeda, and Daesh, to pursue their efforts to force the Region out of history.

The Israeli hubris, Al-Qaeda, and Daesh have all much to do with US faulty policies.

As an ex-president, Obama can do two things:

Frits:  employ holistic methods to reach a comprehensive analysis of the Region’s situation, and second: make himself Ambassador at large as universal Peacemaker. If he starts by genuinely admitting American responsibility for many of the Region’s troubles, his efforts will be received with a treasure of good will. It will even revive the old trust in American benevolence.

In office, geopolitical requirements have drawn the administration to greater concern with pacific issues, out of office Obama’s mission could that much benefit Africa and MENA Region and the so called greater Middle East.

Osama’s Performance in office, his scandal free terms of office, his down to earth approach and his unique identity among American Presidents qualify him for the role envisaged.

As I reflected upon Obama’s career I deemed it necessary, on behalf of many non- Americans who acknowledge the huge American potential, the basic goodness of the American peoples, but are antagonized by American policies, to portray Osama’s achievements, and to suggest that out of office he could be of great service to his Nation and to the World.

 

Written by

Al Sadig  Al Mahdi