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The Forum > Article Comments > Beware of the Obama hype: what 'change' in America really means > Comments

Beware of the Obama hype: what 'change' in America really means : Comments

By John Pilger, published 17/11/2008

Obama’s first two crucial appointments represent a denial of the wishes of his supporters on the principal issues on which they voted.

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Well said John Pilger.
One point that I believe requires more attention is the line in the essay that ties Jihad with the Palestinian occupation. This point - absolutely correct in my view - could also include the point that the occupation of Palestine is itself driven by fundamentalist religious groups in Britian and elsewhere (including Australia) but (despite the powerful American Jewish lobby) predominately by the evangelical American right which of course see the Jewish takeover of Palestine as the precurser to the return of the Dark Invader himself - ie Christ. Then of course, all our self created problems will be solved, the guilty (whoever they may be) will be punished, the dead will rise, and we will all live happily ever after under the direct stewardship of the self-styled 'son of god' until of course we are all hauled up before the 'big fella' himself.
The misery and suffering of the Palestinian people, like that of the Vietnamese people (and many others) before, has no influence or standing when the world-wide religious lobby is in full stride in it's promotion of the latest 'imminent return' of the 'prince of peace' in all his glory.

When, as seems to be the case, some sixty percent of the citizens of the world's largest military power - a country with better access to teriary education per head than (I am told) any other country in the world - believe in the Genesis creation myth and the convoluted nonsensical prophecies allegedly contained in the 'book of all books' then there seems little hope that any one person regardless of the strength and basis of his mandate can do anything about our seemingly headlong rush to economic breakdown and collective self-immolation.
Posted by GYM-FISH, Monday, 17 November 2008 11:01:42 AM
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Pilger has built a long and successful career out of complaining about all the things he doesn't like. Never, as far as I know, has he attempted to explain how the kind of state he thinks is desirable could conceivably be achieved by any likely or possible changes to the current status quo. In terms of positive contributions to human progress I put Pilger slightly below John O'Brien's Hanrahan:

http://www.middlemiss.org/lit/authors/obrienj/poetry/hanrahan.html

"There'll be bush-fires for sure, me man,
There will, without a doubt;
We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
"Before the year is out."
Posted by Jon J, Monday, 17 November 2008 12:07:29 PM
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Why all the hype about Obama's ethnicity/race/minority status as indicative of major change in internal and external policies for the US? Pakistan had a female Prime Minister for a time, what difference did that make to the status of women in that country? Israel will still receive uncritical support no matter what outrages it commits and American policies will not change in regard to the ME. However, American power is in decline,in 20 years time the World won't care about US presidential elections. For those of us who don't give a rat's, that will be a welcome development
Posted by mac, Monday, 17 November 2008 12:50:31 PM
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When youre in the mire then anything will do tp get you out. You can only hope.

Before we start building up hopes about what the black knight in shining armour will do consider this. Ask what the black knighht will be allowed to do.

The Democratic lobby has always been strongly fascist and pro-Zionist. They are king-maker. They make the rules.They pull the strings. When you try going your own way like JFK then youll end up like him.

NOTHING will change.
The lobby is still there pulling the strings.They have hit pay gold.They have a mouthpiece who sounds great,looks great -the right colour - and is an icon the serfs and villeins want to trust to get them out of the mire that America has become.

Al I unduly pessimistic?
No. I study history.

socratease
Posted by socratease, Monday, 17 November 2008 1:08:48 PM
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Pilger's right. He hasn't caught 'Obama fever' like the rest of the elite media.

Of course Obama painted himselt as all things to all people. The realisation about his true position on Israel is just the start of things to come.

How many of those US christians knew he intended to use their money to pay for abortions in the developing world?

How many knew he intended to allow killing to further scientific experiments in health care?

I await the ructions among his blinded supporters when he doesn't close Gitmo and expands the unwinnable war in Afghanistan.

And after he raises taxes and ensures a deeper and more prolonged depression I wonder at the media headlines as his supporters in the media lose their jobs
Posted by keith, Monday, 17 November 2008 2:20:16 PM
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Now we have Obama, at least we can say the change was needed after Bush and Co.

Furthermore, the anger expressed by Pilger and Co might help to steer a learning Obama on the straight and narrow, as more expressed by scientific reasoning, rather than so poorly expressed by Bush with his imaginary Heavenly Father always by his side
Posted by bushbred, Monday, 17 November 2008 3:13:34 PM
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