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May 15, 2008 at 21:46:19

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Obama's Role Models: Bush I, Reagan & Kennedy - This is Change?

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By Kenneth Theisen (about the author)     Page 2 of 2 page(s)

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Why does candidate Obama want to increase the size of the U.S. military?  "I strongly support the expansion of our ground forces by adding 65,000 soldiers to the Army and 27,000 Marines," he says. Maybe he wants to send them to Afghanistan. Obama has promised to send at least two additional combat brigades to Afghanistan.

Supporting U.S. hegemony

Why in a April 24, 2007 major foreign policy speech did the agent of change explicitly reject "the notion that the American moment [he means global hegemony] has passed", and insist that the U.S. once again fill "the position of leader of the free world," while building "the first truly 21st century military...we must maintain the strongest, best-equipped military in the world." In the same speech he stated, "No President should ever hesitate to use force, unilaterally if necessary, to protect ourselves and our vital interests."  Whose vital interests – those of the ruling imperialists?

Targets Iran & North Korea

Further in the speech he argues, "[T]he world must prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and work to eliminate North Korea’s nuclear weapons program...In pursuit of this goal, we must never take the military option off the table."

Following in the footpath of George W.

Under Obama the U.S. foreign policy will change?  Then why has he refused to unconditionally endorse U.S. ratification of the treaty establishing the International Criminal Court? Which war criminals does he wish to protect from prosecution? Why has he not condemned the torture policies of the Bush regime and called for impeachment and criminal proceedings of those responsible?  Why does Obama refuse to call for an end to most U.S. economic sanctions against Cuba? Why has he not endorsed a ban on nuclear weapons in space? How is he different from the current leader who also refuses to do the above?

Middle East Peace?

He will have a different policy toward reaching peace in the Middle East, right?  Then why did he say on March 5, 2007, "We must preserve our total commitment to our unique defense relationship with Israel."  He also stated, "we should never seek to dictate what is best for the Israelis and their security interests" and that no Israeli leader should ever feel "dragged" to the negotiating table. In 2006 after Israel invaded Lebanon, Obama co-sponsored a Senate resolution defending the invasion. He has called for "fully funding military assistance" to Israel. Did he oppose the $30 billion arms deal that the Bush regime promised to Israel and the billions in arms that will be provided to Saudi Arabia and Egypt in a related arms deal?  Of course not!

While he has called for the strict enforcement of UN Security Council resolutions targeted at Iran and Syria, he has never called for the strict enforcement of similar UN Security Council resolutions targeted at Israel, especially those aimed at its illegal occupation of Palestinian territories.

Who does Obama represent?

None of the above should really surprise anyone. Obama did not get to where he is by threatening the interests of the actual rulers of this country.  While posing as an agent of change, he is actually catering to the real interests of the U.S. imperialists. But in his campaign he is also playing a powerful role.  There are tens of millions of Americans alienated by the political trajectory of the Bush regime.  Obama’s role is to play the "pied piper" to round up these people to follow in his footsteps to serve U.S. imperialism. He knows he can not do this by telling the truth, so instead he plays on people’s hope for change by sewing false illusions of what he will do as president.

We do not have to follow

But we do not have to follow and his real intentions must be exposed. Electing Obama, or Clinton, or McCain will not change the fundamental direction charted by seven plus years of the Bush regime.  We can not just hope for change, but we must act in our millions to actually create change.  Following false leaders will only lead us down the path to destruction. To see how you can create real change, see worldcantwait.org.

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worldcantwait.org

Kenneth J. Theisen is veteran activist of movements opposing U.S. imperialism, its wars and domination of countries throughout the world. He wrote his first op-ed piece against the Vietnam war when he was only 12 and has been writing on various (more...)
 

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Americans will be the losers in the change game by Joel S. Hirschhorn on Friday, May 16, 2008 at 4:53:38 PM
Orwell by Paul Thomasberg on Saturday, May 17, 2008 at 1:08:48 AM

 
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