Obama's Impossible Task

It seems that the Democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama, is very optimistic that if he wins the election he will be able to improve the image of the USA abroad. The matter is not that of a slight of hand, cuteness or cleverness. It is a matter of constant policies and facts/events that cannot be changed unless the Americans change their perception of the region, and [it dates] not only since Bush the son and his “dear” father, but rather since the beginning of the last century.

Only once the United States seemed to be taking the side of justice. That was in 1956 when the tripartite aggression [Suez War], by France, Britain and Israel took place against Egypt. Then-President Dwight Eisenhower stood against the three countries, thus siding with the Soviet Union, despite the other countries were its allies. However, that was within the context of the capitalist camp under the leadership of America.

There were two reasons for that stand for justice. Firstly, to avoid letting the USSR from taking singlehandedly the Arabic and Islamic public opinion, which was at its apex of enthusiasm to support Egypt, and which regarded the aggression against Egypt as an aggression against all Arabic and Islamic countries. Secondly, because the USA had started an operation to clear this region, Africa and the whole world from old colonialism in order to replace it in preparation for imposing itself as the sole pole [superpower] on the earth. This aim became reality in the beginning of nineties of the last century.

Obama might be sincere in his wishes and intensions, but it is known that in these interconnected and complicated matters, good wills and aspirations are not useful. The image of America that the Democratic candidate wants improving has already become very hideous in the whole world. Improving it needs the systematic change of the American perception of this region and its people, civilization, culture, religion, tradition and conventions.

The problem is not the conduct of a Republican president or the mistakes of a Democratic president. It is in the American perception of this region, which was, and still is being, formed by the reports and writings of the orientalists who started arriving in this East when the Ottoman Empire started becoming the sick man, and when European countries started preparing themselves, particularly Britain and France, to inherit the sick man, who, before the spread of illness, had arrived at Vienne, in the heart of Europe, brandishing his sword.

This East is still in the American imagination-–even after having become a part of it, following the occupation of Iraq-–composed of human herds, lazy peoples, mere corruption and debauchery, despotism, persecution, oil and incredible weapon deals. These have been stated in the reports of intelligence officers, who have been coming here, masked as orientalists, archeologists and social scientists, since the time of “Assassins.” Similarly, they see this East as a repository for terrorism. That is why [the West assumes] the dealing with it [this East] should only be through force and the West has to introduce “democracy” into here willy-nilly by all means of fear and terror.

That is why, even if Obama was sincere, and even if he won the American presidential election, he will not be able to do anything. If he wants to do anything to improve the image of his country in the Middle East, he will have to change the perception of the Americans in this region. He will also have to remove from their imaginations what they have read in the reports of the intelligence officers of the West who arrived in this part of the world after the ailment of the Ottoman Empire in preparation for its apportionment.