American problem

Two score years ago on April 4th 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. He who sacrificed his life to make his famous dream come true died when he was only 39. Just a day before he delivered his remarkable speech "I've been to the mountaintop" when he said at the end following words:

Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

These words inexplicably foreshadowed his death. And delivering this speech he really sounded like a prophet. But not all his prophecies were realised.
People still aren't nowhere near the promised land. All discrimination laws were repealed and anti-discrimination statutes are implemented. There is no place for segregation in education, transport and other public services. One can see black people in all areas of human endeavour from entertainment to politics to academy. All these achievements over the past forty years mark the transformation that American society underwent.
However this transformation is not completed. America is still bitterly divided along the old racial lines. Many African-Americans see Mr. Obama as fellow black guy and vote for him because of colour of his skin while many white Americans vote for him hoping to prove (at least, to themselves) that they torn apart their racist past. The issue of race was raised during this campaign only to make louder voices demanding the solution of this issue. It gives away a deep trouble in American society.
Solution can't be found during one electoral campaign. Serious decisions can't be made during political fight because in political fight one who shouts louder gets more attention. Now this attention is grasped by populist orators and hateful preachers. And so those people who want to make a difference should shift away from populist message and come down to earth, to lay men with all their anxieties, grievances and prejudice.
There is only one solution - changing the mindset. It means something that can't be done by politicians no matter how skilled they are, by academicians no matter how smart they are, by civil rights advocates no matter how assiduous they are. It should be done by people, by ordinary Americans. When we will stop taking into account colour of skin of our neighbours, friends, partners, people around us and beyond, then we will come to the solution. When we will get rid of our subjective assumptions and fears, then we will come to the solution. When we will understand that we all are brothers in battle with barbarism, inhumanity and prejudice, then we will come to the solution. And when we will come to the solution, we will be a little step closer to the promised land.

Clinton comeback

So, yes, we are entitled to follow the Democratic race for another couple of months. After Hillary won popular vote both in Ohio and Texas, it seems that we will even be forced to wait till August and the Democratic convention to know who will secure the nomination.
John McCain won in all four states that voted yesterday and was endorsed today by President Bush. Now Mr. McCain can focus on uniting Republicans behind himself t get ready for the final showdown in November. The victory of Mrs. Clinton guaranteed that Democratic candidates will continue fighting each other and thus making life easier for John McCain.
Mr. Obama was heavily criticised by Mrs. Clinton in the past few days. He was pushed to the wall by questions over his dealings with Tony Rezko, a businessman and a donor to his campaign, who is currently under trial over fraud charges. Also a leaked memo on NAFTA spelt bad news for Obama. In this memo a senior Canadian official says that one of the Obama's economic advisers has said to him that Obama's criticism of NAFTA was "just politics". The issue of NAFTA is very important for such states as Ohio where the free-trade agreement is blamed for big job losses. Once more the question was raised about the Obama's campaign: there's real difference between speeches and deeds, isn't it?
So we return to the core issue of this election: can a messianic message and lofty rhetoric substitute experience and substance? Here in the UK people know, for certain, they can't. Inspiration is very important, indeed, I shall say that we really need it (especially, from Gordon Brown because he really likes to figure the details rather than grasp the spirit). But they should go together - inspiration and policy. This mixture - vision and substance, insight and seriousness, rhetoric and policy, words and deeds - is what we need from our politicians in the hectic life of modern world.

US Election - race goes on

Now Hillary has everything at stake in Texas and Ohio on March 4. If she don't win there by huge margin, her hopes for presidency will be completely dashed. Yet it seems harder now taking into account Obama's 11 victories and his unstoppable momentum. Her lead in Texas has shrunk to several points, while in Ohio Obama narrows the gap too.
In order to maintain her positions Hillary has gone tough on Obama on recent rallies. She has once again praised her experience over Obama's inexperience, underlined her substance vs. Obama's abstract wording and even mocked Obama's prophetic style.

What will be the result of this bitter Democratic contest? While Democratic candidates scorn, sneer, and gibe at each other, Ralph Nader has entered the race. All this coupled can seriously undermine once well established lead of Democrats over Republicans (confirmed by the last Senate election results). In this fight it is the Republican candidate, John McCain, who can emerge as the winner. While excited by the Democratic contest, Obama's inspirational speeches and urgent demand of change, we should answer the following question: is McCain's possible win utterly undesirable for us who are not US citizens. Many people are exhausted by sometimes mad and stupid, sometimes arrogant and assertive Bush Administration but McCain is different. His stance over climate change has made him a considerable support even amongst liberals and also he criticised the Republican policy of tax cuts that was unquestionable since Reagan's era. But what seems his most important asset is his experience in foreign policy and national security. And these are the areas that should worry us as non-US citizens.
Here John McCain is on the right side of debate. He understands the current threat from Islamic extremism and he is in a good way stubborn and resolve to fight it and win. He understands an important role played by US allies and in the first row by the UK. For sure he will treat our special relationship as we deserve after our support in Afghanistan and, more importantly, Iraq. So then it will be up to our Lefties if they will put up with such a strong and confident Republican figure. I hope that his win might bolster our defence spending and army development while at the same time lead to the greater confidence of the West in the looming battle with extremism and fundamentalism of all kind that employs murdering of innocent civilians as means of reaching political objectives.
We shall see how this race will develop but whatever will be the result in November I hope that this display of democracy in action gives a good example to some countries in the world how modern people should govern themselves.

Rendition scandal

Today Foreign Secretary David Miliband told MPs that British territory was used by two CIA rendition flights. It came after confident denials by then Prime Minister Tony Blair and Jack Straw in the last year. Mr. Miliband actually was forced to apologise over misleading Parliament. He said that Her Majesty's Government hadn't had any information about it before yesterday due to some errors in American bureaucratic machine. As soon as these problems were tackled, US officials informed ministers on this issue.
What seems to me absolutely stunning in this story is that the UK Government doesn't know what is happening on its own territory. As far as I know, Diego Garcia, an island in the Indian Ocean where CIA planes landed for refueling , is still British Overseas Territory. Yet it seems that the US can do whatever they want on their base situated on the island while not notifying their British partners. Just imagine that they could use torture on British soil and the UK government wouldn't know anything about it. It is absolutely unacceptable that it takes an US official to notify ministers on what is going in their land.
The so-called 'special relationship' has to be reconstructed on fair basis, providing that Britain's voice will be heard in corridors of Washington and Britain won't be obliged to sign up to another military venture of the US. Having overstretched army right now fighting on ground in Iraq and Afghanistan we just can't afford to be embroiled in another 'quick and victorious ' war.

Obama's Yes We Can Message

These days people all over the world are following the US primaries' season. I also keep my eye on progress. Having spotted this viral video featuring song performed by will.i.am and various artists in support of Obama I couldn't help but watched the infamous New Hampshire concession speech when he delivered Yes We Can message (see below).



Obama genuinely seems to be the most inspirational and gifted orator without doubt in this campaign. Yet the question is who will better run the country. Of course, this ability is not determined by the insightful and brilliantly delivered speeches but by substance and experience. It seems to me that Obama is on the wrong side in these points. As Gerald Baker writes in Times Obama's policy proposals strike the chord with the far-Left wing of the Democrat party. His wife, Michelle, said on this week that during this campaign it was the first time she felt proud about America. So she is about as patriotic as your fellow European could be. This is quite unusual in the USA, it must be said.
What worries me most about Obama is his foreign policy proposals. While making fair judgement about faltering American image in the world, he derives from it wrong conclusions. America must show leadership and resolve, unifying her allies to fight the common threats. Yet Obama proposes some kind of strategic retreat and suggests giving decision power to the obsolete and ineffective UN. Without doubt Iraq War was a great mistake of Bush administration but when the US are already in, it is quite unreasonable to go away leaving Iraq in the mess of possible civil war (now effectively stopped by the 'surge') and vulnerable to attacks from neighbouring Iran.
Our fight with terrorism is the question of our survival and being 'soft' does not greatly enhance our chances for victory. As American own history has showed, freedom and democracy are values worth to stand by. As FDR said Yes We Can Win on behalf of American people to Hitler's challenge, so today's world leaders (and American in the first line) should say on behalf of their people Yes We Can Win to fundamentalist challenge.