Havana, Tuesday January 22, 2013. Year 17 / Issue 22 Obama: a fresh start or more of the same? Dalia González Delgado A CubaNews translation. Edited by Walter Lippmann. President Barack Obama’s agenda is full of unfulfilled promises. His new term, however, will be a chance to make a true change and leave behind the “face-savers” we’ve seen in the last four years. As usual, the swearing-in ceremony on the U.S. Capitol steps was high-sounding, albeit not as much as in 2009, when 1.8 million people gathered to celebrate the arrival in the White House of their first black President, who promised change at all times. Back then, Obama thanked the Americans for choosing “hope over fear”. This Monday, though, as he displayed his charisma, he was more restrained in what he said, perhaps aware of his limitations and a political situation that is growing ever more polarized, not only between Democrats and Republicans as much as between liberals and conservatives. Some pundits described the event as a “Hispanic show”, as if that way Obama could please all the Latinos who voted for him regardless of his failure to give them the promised migration reform. So Sonia Sotomayor, the only Hispanic justice in the Supreme Court, swore in Vice-President Joe Biden; Richard Blanco read a poem, and the parish priest preached a sermon that included a blessing in Spanish. “Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome every striving, hopeful immigrant,” the President remarked. His country is crying out for an overall law that provides legal status to nearly 11 million immigrants with no identity pepaers and solves border security issues. “A decade of war is now ending,” he underscored. “We still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war.” Yet, he was quick to point out: “We will support democracy from Asia to Africa; from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for peace.” A free translation of this phrase could be, “We wi “A decade of war is now ending,” he emphasized. “We still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war.” Yet, he was quick to point out: “We will support democracy from Asia to Africa; from the Americas to the Middle Eeast, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for peace.” A free translation of this phrase could be, “We will continue to kill people in the name of democracy; maybe not with ground troops, but using more sophisticated methods such as the drones. In order to “respond to the threat of climate change,” he wared that “the path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult,” but “America must lead [this transition].” The environmental policy moved center stage as the presidential race entered the home straight right after Hurricane Sandy, the effects of which are still felt by the poorest sectors of New York and New Jersey. Obama’s speech on Monday dodged the economic situation. All he said was, “An economic recovery has begun.” “We do not believe that in this country, freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few,” added the head of state, who wants to put heavier taxes on the rich but has done very little about it so far. “Our prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class.” Truth is, today the Americans are making a lower income than when Obama first took office. The average adult’s real wage is below what they made in 1968, and the economists predict that the current rate of unemployment will not return to normal levels until 2017. Master of Science Liliana Fernández Mollinedo, who teaches History at the University of Havana, told Granma that “now Obama has a better chance of taking firmer steps and being more consistent with all the promises he made during his 2008 election campaign. It remains to be seen whether he’s willing to do so and if he will have Congressional support, since power in that country is not centralized on the President and the decision-making process is quite complicated.” “As long as he’s willing, Obama will give precedence to his domestic agenda, on which the migration reform remains unfinished business,” holds the specialist from the Center for Hemispheric and United States Studies (CEHSEU). “We, the people,” Obama repeated time and time again, quoting the opening words of the U.S. Constitution, drafted at a time when the “people” was a limited sector of the population. That hasn’t changed. Be that as it may, the Americans decided to reelect their President and hope –they have no choice– that he will be as good as his word. We could give him the benefit of the doubt, but for the next four years we’re likely to see nothing but more of the same. b |
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