American author Paul Auster responds to Libération’s questions hours before Obama’s swearing-in ceremony.
Where will you be on January 20th, when Barack Obama will be proclaimed the 44th president of the U.S.?
In Paris, but watching CNN. If the French cannot wait, you can imagine how the Americans are. Yesterday, I took part in a literary television show and the other guests’ skepticism really concerned me. I felt anger rise when they suggested, as always, that Obama may not be “black.” I think the French have trouble understanding recent American history: segregationist laws were not abolished until 1964 and a single drop of black blood could then still seal your fate. I am totally enthusiastic about the new American president. I am also ready to bet on the fulfillment of all the promises Obama made that are in his power. In less than 2 years, there won’t be a single American soldier in Iraq. Our land is torn, the economy collapses, everyone feels the recession on a daily basis even if he’s not suffering from it. One just needs to wander around to observe numerous closing signs in front of shops, restaurants or other small companies. Even in Brooklyn, big as Paris and composed of a variety of districts, we see such signs in front of foreclosed houses, to be urgently sold. I do not think Obama is a providential man, but he is the one we need to avoid falling in entropy and total pessimism.
When was the first time you heard about Obama?
Like most Americans, on July 27th, 2004, during the extraordinary speech he gave as the Illinois senator candidate: “Well, I say to them tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America — there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America — there’s the United States of America,” he claimed. At that time, nobody knew about him. His speech totally carried me because, during the preceding 40 years, the United States had been living an ideological civil war with really concrete consequences. Also because it was articulated. We had long stopped being used to having a thinking political person, one who would not express himself through mottoes. We were are no longer accustomed to genuine political persons, unlike artifacts built by advertisers according to poll results. I will not deny either that I am very happy that the U.S. president is not only a writer, but a good one as well. Like everyone, I bought the autobiography he wrote when he was 33. Lots of political persons have their autobiography written by someone else, but this was not the case as he was too young and unknown. We see there that Obama is a man from everywhere and that it took him time to gather all the elements that constitute him. It is really interesting that he becomes the president of a nation that kept procrastinating.
In which ways?
Even though world news is available almost instantaneously, there is less and less curiosity about other cultures. This is obvious if we take popular movies as an example. Nowadays, not only do most American movies reach the screens of the entire world, but there are also fewer foreign movies than ever. Only 3% of published literature is foreign. In France it constitutes around 40% of what’s published. With l’Amant, Marguerite Duras remains the latest best-selling author in the United States. It’s been some time! As a student during the Sixties, I could easily find Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s books in French in a few big New York bookstores. I’m not sure it would be possible today. And I am very affected by the closing of the only French bookstore in New York, on the Fifth Avenue.
two things will bring america to its knees.
one is its industrial military complex that promotes wars for profits for the few.
the second is a privitized health care system that is about to be made universal health care coverage.
also economists that have phd’s and dont understand economics 101. spend more than you make and in time you have a two class system.
the middle class in america has been living on borrowed and printed money for over 25 years.
then you have a complete breakdown of society.
america is heading for third world status in the 21st century. a bankrupt country living on its past by borrowing huge sums of money.
america’s ego is caught up in its super power status. she can no longer afford it but her national ego will not give it up until complete meltdown of its economic system.
obama will actually increase the size of the industrial military complex to make jobs for americans.
what will look like a short term solution will be a long term failure and hasten the decline of american wealth.
much like reagan economics looked good short term now look at that long term outcome. economic meltdown.