Al Mustaqbal, Lebanon
A Coup d’état in
Every Sense of the Word
By Khairallah Khairallah
It seemed as if everyone on this planet wanted to take part in these elections and cast his ballot so as to convince himself that he is a partner in the coup d’état that took place within the sole superpower of the world.
Translated By Camille Abou Jamra
6 November 2008
Edited by Bridgette Blight
Lebanon - Al Mustaqbal - Original Article (Arabic)
What the United States witnessed was a coup d’état in every sense of the word! It was a positive coup as a matter of fact. We are in front of a new America at the domestic level first, an America seeking to reconcile with America. It seems that what happened was indeed a reconciliation if we take into account that Barack Hussein Obama, who many thought would not reach the White House due to his ethnic background and his father's name, Hussein, won the support of all social groups. The victory of Obama came as a rejection to all that George W. Bush represented in the past eight years, and who brought the only superpower to what it became today. As a fact, today’s George W. Bush America is an economic crisis that broke out every home. And because America is America, its deep economic crisis quickly reflected on the whole world, especially Europe. Among the consequences of the crisis was a significant decline in oil prices which would undoubtedly affect every state, especially Iran, Russia and Venezuela...
If it is required to conduct an objective analysis of developments in the United States, which led to a sweeping victory for Obama over John McCain, the first impression that can be said is that the United States shall be able to exit its economic crisis difficultly and slowly, and will, most likely, be able in the next few months to calmly address the consequences of the wrongful policies of the Bush administration, especially in Iraq. There is no doubt that oil prices would help in carrying out the necessary actions given that falling prices have positive repercussions on the domestic level. As soon as oil prices started to fall, the U.S. administration regained the initiative and the ability to enter into negotiations with countries like Russia or Iran from a different perspective. It would be the position of those who are capable of putting pressures with non-military means which may be more effective than the logic of force resorted to by Bush and the outcome of which was to lead various regions of the world into the unknown.
How will Obama deal with the world? On a practical level, there will be a great quest for change, accompanied by some apprehension. There will not be a direct confrontation, at least in the foreseeable future, with Iran, for example. There will be place for a dialogue instead. One of the winning candidate’s advisers said: Since we are talking with North Korea about their nuclear program, why can’t we do the same with Iran?
What’s confirmed is that the Obama administration would be able to engage in such a dialogue with Iran, but only out of a starting point stating that "the Islamic Republic’s" acquisition of nuclear weapons is "unacceptable," as per Obama’s adviser himself and who is from those who would have an important position in the new administration. He added that the United States would “use all means” to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. On the other hand, what brings fear from the Obama administration would be his Vice President Joe Biden, who would have a major role in shaping the foreign policy and who called, in a recommendation to the Congress, to divide Iraq, saying that such an action would lead to three provinces in the country, bringing calm to the Americans. This would easy the exit process which would be performed with the least amount of losses. What cannot be ignored, however, is that Iran itself is not far from the idea of dividing Iraq, especially since this could lead to a southern district bound to enter into the Iranian spectrum, knowing that the vast majority of Iraqi Shiites have started to realize the seriousness of Iranian influence and ambitions and has started getting ready, strong with their Arabian and Iraqi nationalist spirit, to confront the winds of power and greed blowing from Tehran,.
There are genuine questions regarding the policies Obama would follow in Iraq itself. What’s firm is that he wants the military out of there as soon as possible, but not at any price. In return, he will seek to focus on the situations in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. There is a growing feeling in Washington that the war on terrorism could not continue and achieve success if the prevailing situations in both Afghanistan and Pakistan remain unchanged. What’s more, many of Obama’s advisers are convinced that Pakistan is the back yard of “Al Qaeda” and that Pakistan is the origin of problems in Afghanistan.
After a few weeks, Obama will have to pick his options. Campaign slogans are one thing and reality is another thing. He will discover how impressive the problems left are by Bush, whether on the economic level or in foreign policy, i.e., in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Middle East in general, in addition to all what is related to the war on terrorism. All that we can say is that the new U.S. president knew how to behave, at least for now, and knew especially how to use the best consultants and how to show up, unlike Bush, with the appearance of who is trying to substitute confrontations and hasty decisions with dialogue. Would this help him make the required change promised to the Americans? What is certain is that the decline in oil prices that has occurred at a time when Bush was preparing to leave the White House will assist him in his task. In the end, it was clear that the United States, with its enormous economy, is controlling economies of the world and that what harms it undoubtedly reflects over the whole world. Globalization is now a reality. This may be the reason why the world was in its majority behind Obama, seeking change in the United States. This may be the first time in history that U.S. presidential elections raise such global concern. It seemed as if everyone on this planet wanted to take part in these elections and cast his ballot so as to convince himself that he is a partner in the coup d’état that took place within the sole superpower of the world. It is a coup that benefits the United States, first and foremost!
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November 7th, 2008 at 7:51 am
Using the term coup d’état here is rediculous. There was no sudden overthrow of the government. Obama was elected per our constitutional process. His election was not a consequence of policy positions since we really don’t know exactly they are. The fact of the matter is that if he attempts to impose an extreme left agenda he will likely be defeated down the road. Bush was a disaster for the Republican party as Carter was a disaster for the Democrats in the 70’s. The irony is that the Republicans deserved the lose but the Democrats did not deserve to win. I am proud to say I do not belong to either of them. Both are responsible for the problems in the USA.