Obamalamadingdong

[Sources used are TV and radio so no links, I’m afraid]

We’re getting ever closer to history truly being made when Barack Hussein Obama takes the reigns as president of the United States – my that’s a fine set of words, innit!

However, as many suspected, a nation has decided to both get moving with a plan that only the outgoing Bush would tolerate and test Obama on the international front before he even has his feet under the table. The tactical master and bull in a china shop that is Israel is beating the hell out of Gaza because some rockets have nearly killed people. Somehow they think that killing hundreds of Palestinian civilians is proportional to the miniscule number they have suffered in comparison.

As many an objective observer has said, you can’t justify it by saying that Hamas are hiding in heavily populated areas because Gaza is one big heavily populated area! There are no serene tracts of rural idyll in which Hamas might seek sanctuary and all that nonsense – this isn’t Afghanistan.

Also, as many a sage neutral has observed, everyone knows that this will be resolved somehow via talking so why delay the inevitable? It would stretch the realms of sanity if Israel seriously thought they could just extend their actions long enough to wipe out Hamas and permanently stop missiles from flying out of there. And now we see, as tiresomely predictable as ever, the Lebanese militants joining in.

So here we are, with Obama swamped in a country drowning in debt and recession whilst the main region it’s supposed to have any clout in – in a direct, getting their hands dirty, level – is starting, once again, to slide into conflict. If the right things aren’t done, the whole region could be sucked into it. But I can only hope that those in the thick of it understand the risks and will make the necessary detours to avoid Armageddon.

He will be (ably?) assisted by his VP in this matter, of course. If Biden is clueless on this then you’d have to assume everyone else would be given his huge experience in such delicate matters. I’m afraid I’m just not well informed enough to just his past record in detail but from a distance you have to be grateful Obama picked him for VP at this tense time.

Obama’s $800bn package to invest in the long-term future of the US is broadly sensible. The infrastructure, both steel and concrete and electronic, has been neglected for an embarrassingly long time. This investment is simply so they can catch up with the Koreas, Frances and Germanys of this world. Universal access to broadband has got to be a minimum goal for every country for whom it can be within reach.

I think, too, that the contrast between the sublime impression of Obama embarking on a brand new presidency set for a more sensible course and our little Gordon Brown already losing steam barely 18 months into the job is starting to tangibly hurt him. Brown just has the air of a dour accountant who gives me the feeling that he’s just a little over confident of his abilities. Exceptionally clever though he is, running a nation – and more importantly a democratic nation with diverse views – is just not his bag. Chancellor I could buy but I never sensed he was really cut out to the be the PM.

But I don’t want Cameron’s Tories in either! Oh Blow!

Fuller thoughts on Presidential and UK politics

I'll deal with the US first:

On analysing the polling patterns, it's looking more and more sewn up for Obama and the debates are going his way. The residual tactics of the GOP seem nasty, desperate and are old hat - I really think the public are sick of dumbed down discourse.

 

The VP debate had Palin looking like a cocky local station news anchor, winking in the "see you tomorrow at the same time" way and faking her folksiness to painful effect. I suspected she'd try this hideous flannelling tactic she used so effectively in local politics to this national forum and it failed as badly as I thought it would.

 

Sure, pundits can pundit on about "holding her own" and "beating expectations" but the US public are clearly horrified by this useless, misguided VP pick. She made statements such as "we need more oversight and regulation" but then next minute talk about government "getting out of the way" and so on. She seemed oblivious to the contradiction - but I don't think the US public is.

 

McCain has judged this whole campaign quite appallingly and certain key plays have gone very wrong - not least the "suspension" of the campaign. Palin sucks at least as hard as Quayle but McCain is nowhere near as strong as Bush Snr was. You combine that with the context in which the republican president is currently less popular than scabies and he's got a (surely) unassailable uphill battle.

 

Meanwhile, in the UK, Gordon Brown survived conference season and has just completed a reshuffle. Absurdly, for someone trying to show strength and new ideas he's brought PETER MANDLESON back into the cabinet. You read that upper case right. Frigging Mandleson - who is having a kidney stone removed, incidentally. Staggering is probably the best word.

 

So the Tories are resurgent if you believe the media, though I can't truly believe that there's any real swell of warm feelings towards them so much as they've had time to thin out previous Major/Thatcher staff and the bad memories aren't as severe.

 

It's a shame because Brown could have done really well - especially if he'd followed through on the "listening" promises he banged on about when he took over (remember those speeches?). Now, the country seems destined to be at the mercy of the most "expediency"-driven Tory party in history with some proper right-wingers in the mix that have not yet garnered attention.

 

The economy is tanking and I can't help but blame Labour and the US administration (corrupt beyond belief and prostrate at the altar of all powerful corporations) for the whole thing. Many were warning of this for about 5 years but nowt was done. Which is usually the way and, although i don't see armageddon hoving in to view, I do think it's going to be a very very rough ride for a good couple of years. But I'd rather be going through this in the UK than the (almost) safety-net free US. I really fear for the millions who are going to suffer hideously due to this exhibition of how dark, amoral and dangerous unfettered capitalism really is. I've always believed the system was this bad but it seems to be a revelation to many right-wingers over there.