Obama: FALSE EXPECTATIONS OF CHANGE
arrive the day: Barack Obama became president of the United States and his inaugural speech long expected, showed that not many expectations for change that should be assumed, especially for the world-system. Obama
assumes that the U.S. decline is inevitable and that its decline as a world power is a consequence of a perspective or cynical view that has characterized the elements of power in the American system. No doubt the self subsumed in its approach, establishing a mea culpa that identifies some of the elements that have driven the cash decline of U.S. power: the excesses of the military apparatus, the resistance to accept change and an overly liberal of the economy. On the other hand, does what few presidents of the great power: to accept the hegemonic expectations as a nation can be maintained as it has attempted to argue so far by the factors of power. This acceptance is certainly a blow to the American way of life for all citizens and moved or driven - inside and outside the U.S., for that ideal or communicative matrix.
However, despite this pessimistic and realistic while the immediate present, takes the values \u200b\u200band key principles on which the American empire was built. The vision of manifest destiny, the strengths and ideals of the so-called "founding fathers" often crop up in the inaugural speech, seeking thereby to lift the mood and spirit of a society battered pride after the events of 11 September 2001. Obama is clear about the impact of the crisis, on the other hand means that it is not possible to resume the dominant hegemonic level was the U.S. in the context of post- End of World War II in 1945, but still on these considerations - in an attempt to emulate Martin Luther King-launches and idealistic speech reminiscent of the great works and buildings of the "founding fathers" and it takes the discourse liberal legal equality before the law in a multiethnic society like the United States, the keynote address at which assumes the diversity of human groups that make life - legally and illegally in the U.S., his words make sense to fill some hope to those areas as beaten and abused by the American right, with its policy of apartheid and segregation caused much damage internally, however it is just an idea. The approach about equality, justice, hope is just a litany in the context of the wild type of capitalism that developed in the U.S. and the current president has shown signs of wanting to help. Obama is in the prisoner's dilemma. Disagree with the liberal economy extended model, without restrictions based on speculation and has been ready to sink the capitalist world, but on the other hand, he is defending champion of this model. Makes it clear when a part of his speech says, "we will not apologize for our lifestyle."
no intention to change the discourse of U.S. power, even when aware of his own penalty and crisis. Continues to build his speech about the ideals of greatness and manifest destiny over which rose and spread, not only American society but the Western capitalist model. Obama has made in his speech the optimistic stance, trying to revive the ideals of the founding fathers and thus carry out the inevitable loss of global hegemony. Without knowing it, Obama is acting the same arrogance of the Romans at the height of their empire when they were gradually being penetrated by companies from Central Europe, which they considered "barbarians", unworthy of a citizen of Rome. Even in his own deterioration refuse to accept our own decline.
The 1st African descent in the U.S. President, accepted in his speech the idea of \u200b\u200bchange, but it is assumed with the traditional elements that are built and maintained the American empire. In that sense, the chances of seeing one Obama to insist on a change in conflictual relations promoted by the world-system and its structure outdated and helpless, are just false hopes. For the Arab world, for Latin Americans and the rest of the world, we see an American president less inclined to wars and conflict, but nevertheless to keep the procession with the hawks of war on which depends the economic apparatus of the USA. Finally a change in appearance or simply an appearance of change.
Dr. Juan Eduardo Romero
Historian
Juane1208@gmail.com
20/01/2009
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