Re-Reading Obama's Inauguration Speech
Ahmed Hany
January 27, 2009
President Obama avoided details when he gave out his first official speech as a president of the US. Even he avoided his administration´s priorities in the foreign policy. He talked about broad strategic lines that will formulate his policy.
Addressing the economic crisis he said frankly that control over the free market to prevent irresponsibility and greed will be taken. This means taming capitalism in its home. What he feared most was the profound feeling that America´s decline is inevitable and that next generations must lower its sights. Therefore, he patronizes himself as the savior of the American dream, one of the pillars of the strength of the US. His job will be more than creating jobs.
To achieve his strategic goals he will amend the internal American systems. He insisted that he would correct only the programs that do not work. In other words, his corrective steps will take a while to be seen after he and his team reassess the internal situation. However, he decided to modernize the educational and health systems.
Then the new US administration will take reformist steps internally to save its next generations and their dreams. To achieve this resetting foreign policy priority is needed. However the same strategy that was launched during Regan and Bush legacies in 1980s is kept, which is the twenty first century would be an American century. Leading alone in a unipolar system or being on top of multipolar system is the difference between using military power or soft power. As a democratic, he chose Clinton´s tactics of soft power. This clears why he gave the top diplomat post to Hilary Clinton.
His statements about his global strategy cleared his intentions of withdrawing from Iraq and stressing on Afghanistan. The term responsible withdrawal from Iraq means gradual withdrawal while building the Iraqi security forces and infrastructure. Does this mean closing the chapter of creative chaos theory?
This is not the only question that Obama speech raised. He stressed on the mosaic nature of the American society when he was talking about foreign policy not about reforming internal policies. This meant that he was sending a message to the world and especially to ethnic minorities that the legacy of the Anglo-Saxon America was over. In other words, he says that the Americans represent the world not only European races and that is why they will continue to lead. He simply wants to tell the world that America is for all. One notices that he talked about the American mosaic society and leadership in the same paragraph. Does he mean that if America is for all then all should be for America? Did he mean all really?
When he described the mosaic society, he started using religions to define the society. He said that America is formed from Christians, Moslems, Jews and Hindus – and nonbelievers. Then he talked about different languages and cultures. In fact, this paragraph raised many important questions about his views. The message to the Islamic world is that you have a part in the American culture.
One of the important notices is that he used the word irresponsible when he talked about managers who caused the American economic crisis and used the words corruption, deceit and silencing others when he talked about some who came to power in the Islamic world. However, he opened the door for those regimes if they would start reform as he promised that he would extend a hand for them. Does he choose to use corruption and minorities to press on the Islamic world to reach a compromise? Does he put measures that allow the US foreign policy to put American interests first? In other words, the French foreign minister was one of the activists of human rights. When he took the post, he simply said that human rights mean food, shelter and security before free opinions to give his policies a room to contain human rights conflicts.
When he talked about terrorism, he mentioned that every problem should be dealt with using the proper method to solve it. Will the concept of using armies against terrorism be revised?
Obama´s statements about religion did not mention Buddhists. Does he consider the Chinese Americans foreigners? Does he stress on the American strategic frontline in Central Asia between India and China as stated in different American strategy studies?
He promised that he will help poor nations and asked his wealthy partners to do the same. He talked about environmental policies. He ended his speech by telling that sixty years ago his race was not allowed to be served in restaurants. In fact it is thirty years not sixty years. Dr. Martin Luther King led civil rights campaign in 1963. Racial chaos erupted in the US in 1967. Dr. King was killed in 1968. Why does he choose sixty not forty or thirty to date to civil rights?
He did not talk about Russia, China and Latin America. What he did not talk about is not less important than what he told in the speech.
The answer of the previous questions lies in the global Western and specially the American strategy since the fall of the ex-Soviet Union. The West found that an enemy is needed to continue united. Western strategists led by the then British Premier Margaret Thatcher, suggested that Islam should be the enemy until the mid of the twenty first century. Then historical reconciliation between the West and Islam may be sought to stand united against China that predictions gave it fifty years to be competitor for the world leadership. Although it was proved in Kuwait Liberation War that Israel could not protect Western and American interest in the region, it was needed to make the Islamic World more hostile to the West so that having an enemy would become an easy job.
What went wrong were choosing Islam meant choosing something without borders. Therefore, the West needed an ugly face to falsely represent Islam. Al-Qaeda was present. The weak Islamic and Arabic media could not correct the picture of Islam. Phase two, was direct control of energy resources to put limitations to the development in China. The Chinese could achieve more than expected and Russia returned earlier than expected. Phase three, was reconciliation with Islam and phase four was alliance with Russia. The bad policies of G W Bush Jr. extended the empire and threatened its global strategy.
Obama will continue in the same strategy with different policies. Creative chaos will be present when other methods fail. Ethnic minorities will be used to tame countries. When he tells that mosaic America without Buddhists that believes in justice and ready to extend a hand is for all he meant that, he wanted all to support the American leadership to contain China peacefully.
He did not talk about Russia to give more time for his aids to respond to the Russian initiative of cooperation and to revise the American anti-missile shield in Central Europe. His alternative to extending NATO eastwards is the partnership with Russia. He did not talk about Latin America, as his relations with Latin America will be much affected by Russia. He is nearer to the European views that cooperation and not confrontation with Russia is the sound policy.
He activates his role in Africa while beefing up his forces in Central Asia to stand against China.
He appointed George Mitchell an ex-Senator and the engineer of the Irish-British peace as a representative for the Middle East. He is from a Lebanese origin. Obama said during his campaign that the Israeli security is something sacred. Even he chose sixty years period and not thirty to mention historical changes against racism in the US to adjoin this with Israel creation. However, he did not define what Israel. The Arabs have chances that their initiative that gives Israel security and opens the door for its integration to be applied during 2009.
To leave Iraq, he should talk to regional powers and especially to Iran to keep Iraq stable and to ensure security for Israel after the eight years of Bush´s legacy and after the sixty years of Israeli anti-humanity crimes. In fact, reconciliation with the Islamic world means downsizing Israel. Arabs should define a unified strategy to apply resolutions and to end the Arab-Israeli conflict during this year. Details of a just and permanent peace are known to everybody.
How to integrate Arabs´ interests in the global strategies not to have conflicts is the challenge of our strategists and politicians. It is not an easy task at all, as the Zionist Lobby in the US will be too active to change the path of the new American Administration. The better relations the Arabs have with global forces will be reflected in Washington´s decisions. Dividing roles between Arabs within an integrated strategy regionally and internationally is the way to achieve goals. However, for God´s sake the Palestinians should unite at any cost.
Addressing the economic crisis he said frankly that control over the free market to prevent irresponsibility and greed will be taken. This means taming capitalism in its home. What he feared most was the profound feeling that America´s decline is inevitable and that next generations must lower its sights. Therefore, he patronizes himself as the savior of the American dream, one of the pillars of the strength of the US. His job will be more than creating jobs.
To achieve his strategic goals he will amend the internal American systems. He insisted that he would correct only the programs that do not work. In other words, his corrective steps will take a while to be seen after he and his team reassess the internal situation. However, he decided to modernize the educational and health systems.
Then the new US administration will take reformist steps internally to save its next generations and their dreams. To achieve this resetting foreign policy priority is needed. However the same strategy that was launched during Regan and Bush legacies in 1980s is kept, which is the twenty first century would be an American century. Leading alone in a unipolar system or being on top of multipolar system is the difference between using military power or soft power. As a democratic, he chose Clinton´s tactics of soft power. This clears why he gave the top diplomat post to Hilary Clinton.
His statements about his global strategy cleared his intentions of withdrawing from Iraq and stressing on Afghanistan. The term responsible withdrawal from Iraq means gradual withdrawal while building the Iraqi security forces and infrastructure. Does this mean closing the chapter of creative chaos theory?
This is not the only question that Obama speech raised. He stressed on the mosaic nature of the American society when he was talking about foreign policy not about reforming internal policies. This meant that he was sending a message to the world and especially to ethnic minorities that the legacy of the Anglo-Saxon America was over. In other words, he says that the Americans represent the world not only European races and that is why they will continue to lead. He simply wants to tell the world that America is for all. One notices that he talked about the American mosaic society and leadership in the same paragraph. Does he mean that if America is for all then all should be for America? Did he mean all really?
When he described the mosaic society, he started using religions to define the society. He said that America is formed from Christians, Moslems, Jews and Hindus – and nonbelievers. Then he talked about different languages and cultures. In fact, this paragraph raised many important questions about his views. The message to the Islamic world is that you have a part in the American culture.
One of the important notices is that he used the word irresponsible when he talked about managers who caused the American economic crisis and used the words corruption, deceit and silencing others when he talked about some who came to power in the Islamic world. However, he opened the door for those regimes if they would start reform as he promised that he would extend a hand for them. Does he choose to use corruption and minorities to press on the Islamic world to reach a compromise? Does he put measures that allow the US foreign policy to put American interests first? In other words, the French foreign minister was one of the activists of human rights. When he took the post, he simply said that human rights mean food, shelter and security before free opinions to give his policies a room to contain human rights conflicts.
When he talked about terrorism, he mentioned that every problem should be dealt with using the proper method to solve it. Will the concept of using armies against terrorism be revised?
Obama´s statements about religion did not mention Buddhists. Does he consider the Chinese Americans foreigners? Does he stress on the American strategic frontline in Central Asia between India and China as stated in different American strategy studies?
He promised that he will help poor nations and asked his wealthy partners to do the same. He talked about environmental policies. He ended his speech by telling that sixty years ago his race was not allowed to be served in restaurants. In fact it is thirty years not sixty years. Dr. Martin Luther King led civil rights campaign in 1963. Racial chaos erupted in the US in 1967. Dr. King was killed in 1968. Why does he choose sixty not forty or thirty to date to civil rights?
He did not talk about Russia, China and Latin America. What he did not talk about is not less important than what he told in the speech.
The answer of the previous questions lies in the global Western and specially the American strategy since the fall of the ex-Soviet Union. The West found that an enemy is needed to continue united. Western strategists led by the then British Premier Margaret Thatcher, suggested that Islam should be the enemy until the mid of the twenty first century. Then historical reconciliation between the West and Islam may be sought to stand united against China that predictions gave it fifty years to be competitor for the world leadership. Although it was proved in Kuwait Liberation War that Israel could not protect Western and American interest in the region, it was needed to make the Islamic World more hostile to the West so that having an enemy would become an easy job.
What went wrong were choosing Islam meant choosing something without borders. Therefore, the West needed an ugly face to falsely represent Islam. Al-Qaeda was present. The weak Islamic and Arabic media could not correct the picture of Islam. Phase two, was direct control of energy resources to put limitations to the development in China. The Chinese could achieve more than expected and Russia returned earlier than expected. Phase three, was reconciliation with Islam and phase four was alliance with Russia. The bad policies of G W Bush Jr. extended the empire and threatened its global strategy.
Obama will continue in the same strategy with different policies. Creative chaos will be present when other methods fail. Ethnic minorities will be used to tame countries. When he tells that mosaic America without Buddhists that believes in justice and ready to extend a hand is for all he meant that, he wanted all to support the American leadership to contain China peacefully.
He did not talk about Russia to give more time for his aids to respond to the Russian initiative of cooperation and to revise the American anti-missile shield in Central Europe. His alternative to extending NATO eastwards is the partnership with Russia. He did not talk about Latin America, as his relations with Latin America will be much affected by Russia. He is nearer to the European views that cooperation and not confrontation with Russia is the sound policy.
He activates his role in Africa while beefing up his forces in Central Asia to stand against China.
He appointed George Mitchell an ex-Senator and the engineer of the Irish-British peace as a representative for the Middle East. He is from a Lebanese origin. Obama said during his campaign that the Israeli security is something sacred. Even he chose sixty years period and not thirty to mention historical changes against racism in the US to adjoin this with Israel creation. However, he did not define what Israel. The Arabs have chances that their initiative that gives Israel security and opens the door for its integration to be applied during 2009.
To leave Iraq, he should talk to regional powers and especially to Iran to keep Iraq stable and to ensure security for Israel after the eight years of Bush´s legacy and after the sixty years of Israeli anti-humanity crimes. In fact, reconciliation with the Islamic world means downsizing Israel. Arabs should define a unified strategy to apply resolutions and to end the Arab-Israeli conflict during this year. Details of a just and permanent peace are known to everybody.
How to integrate Arabs´ interests in the global strategies not to have conflicts is the challenge of our strategists and politicians. It is not an easy task at all, as the Zionist Lobby in the US will be too active to change the path of the new American Administration. The better relations the Arabs have with global forces will be reflected in Washington´s decisions. Dividing roles between Arabs within an integrated strategy regionally and internationally is the way to achieve goals. However, for God´s sake the Palestinians should unite at any cost.