Reflections
by comrade Fidel
A SCIENCE FICTION STORY
I very much regret to have to criticize Obama knowing that there are
in that country other could-be presidents worse than him. I am aware
that that position in the United States is today a major headache.
The best example of this is the report in yesterday’s edition of
Granma that 237 US members of Congress, or 44%, are millionaires.
This does not mean that every one of them is an incorrigible
reactionary but it is extremely difficult that they feel like the
many million Americans who do not have access to medical care, who
are unemployed or who need to work very hard to earn their living.
Of course, Obama himself is no beggar; he owns millions of dollars.
He excelled as a professional and his command of language, his
eloquence and intellect are unquestionable. Also, he was elected
president despite his being an African American, a first time
occurrence in the history of his country’s racist society, which is
enduring a profound international economic crisis of its own making.
This is not about being an anti-American as the system and its huge
media intend to label its adversaries.
The American people are not the culprits but rather the victims of a
system that is not only unsustainable but worse still: it is
incompatible with the life of humanity.
The smart and rebellious Obama who suffered humiliation and racism
in his childhood and youth understands this, but the Obama educated
by the system and committed to it and to the methods that took him
to the US presidency cannot resist the temptation to pressure, to
threaten and even to deceive others.
He is a workaholic. Perhaps no other American president would dare
to engage in such an intense program as he intends to carry out in
the next eight days.
According to plan, he will take an extensive tour of Alaska where he
intends to address the troops stationed there. He will be visiting
Japan, Singapore, the People’s Republic of China and South Korea. He
will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) and
that of the Association of East Asian Nations (ASEAN). He will hold
talks with the Prime Minister of Japan and His Majesty Emperor
Akihito in the land of the Rising Sun as well as with the prime
ministers of Singapore and South Korea and the presidents of
Indonesia Susilo Bambang, of Russia Dimitri Medvedev and of the
People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao. He will be making speeches and
giving press conferences. He will be carrying with him his nuclear
briefcase, which we hope he will have no need to use during his
hasty tour.
His Security advisor has said that Obama will discuss with the
president of Russia the continuance of the START-1 Treaty set to
expire on December 5, 2009. There is no doubt that some reductions
of the enormous nuclear arsenal will be agreed upon, albeit this
will be of no consequence to world peace and economy.
What is our distinguished friend planning to discuss during his
intense journey? The White House has made its solemn announcement:
climate change and economic recovery; nuclear disarmament and the
Afghan war; and, the risks of war in Iran and in the People’s
Democratic Republic of Korea. There is plenty of material to produce
a science fiction book.
But, how can Obama unravel the problems of climate change when the
position of his representatives during the preparatory meetings of
the Copenhagen Summit on the greenhouse effect gas emissions was the
worst among those of the industrialized and rich nations, both in
Bangkok and Barcelona, because the United States chose not to sign
the Kyoto Protocol and the oligarchy of that country is not willing
to really cooperate.
How can he contribute to the solution of the grave economic problems
afflicting a large part of humanity when at the end of 2008 the
total debt of the United States --including that of the federal,
state and local administrations, the businesses and
families—amounted to 57 trillion dollars, that is, over 400% of its
GDP, and that country’s budget deficit reached almost 13% of its GDP
in fiscal year 2009, an information that Obama is certainly aware
of.
What can he offer Hu Jintao when his openly protectionist policies
have been aimed against the Chinese exports and he is demanding at
all costs that the Chinese government revaluates the Yuan, an action
that would adversely impact on the growing Third World imports from
China?
The Brazilian theologian Leonardo Boff, who is not a disciple of
Karl Marx but an honest catholic among others who are not willing to
cooperate with the imperialism in Latin America, has recently said
that “….we are risking our destruction and the devastation of
life’s diversity.”
“[…] almost half of humanity is living today under the poverty
line. The wealthiest 20% are consuming 82.49% of all of the riches
on Earth while the poorest 20% are living on a tiny 1.6%.” He
also quotes the FAO as he warns that “…there will be in the
upcoming years from 150 to 200 million climate refugees.” And
then he adds that “humanity is consuming today a 30% above the
regenerating capacity…the planet is giving unmistakable signs that
it can stand it no more.”
What he says is true, but Obama and the US Congress have yet to find
out.
What is he leaving to us in the hemisphere? The shameful problem in
Honduras and the annexation of Colombia where the United States will
set up seven military bases. They also established a military base
in Cuba more than one-hundred years ago and remain there by force.
It was in that base where they installed the horrible torture center
widely known around the world; the same that Obama has been unable
to close, yet.
I hold the view that before Obama completes his term there will be
from six to eight right-wing governments in Latin America that will
be allies of the empire. Likewise, the US extreme right will try to
limit his administration to one term. Once again there will be a
Nixon, a Bush or the like of a Cheney in the White House. Then, the
meaning will be clear of those absolutely unjustifiable bases
threatening today the South American peoples with the pretext of
fighting drug-trafficking, a problem created by the tens of billions
of dollars that organized crime and the production of drugs in Latin
America receive from the United States.
Cuba has shown it only takes justice and social development to fight
drugs. In our country, the crime rate per 100,000 people is one of
the lowest in the world. No other country in the hemisphere can
exhibit such low rates of violence. It is known that, despite the
blockade, no other country can boast our high education levels.
The Latin American peoples will resist the onslaught of the empire!
Obama’s trip seems a science fiction story.
Fidel Castro Ruz
November 11, 2009
7:16 p.m.
http://www.cuba.cu/gobierno/reflexiones/2009/ing/f111109i.html
Print out Fidel's reflection: one page, Word format:
http://www.walterlippmann.com/fidel-castro-on-obama-a-science-fiction-story-11-11-2009.doc