Americans Are Crazy

He may be brilliant, hardworking and gifted. He may have calmly changed the face of his country and kept his promises to fight tooth and nail to impose fair and just reforms while at the same time avoiding playing into the hands of populism. He may have done all this and yet he’s still going to be punished by his fellow countrymen.

The world’s largest democracy has just come out in favor of the saddle-riding Republicans, which it had previously dismissed in the 2006 mid-terms and the 2008 presidential election. George Bush’s two terms as president left the country completely in ruins. Only two years ago, the Republicans were seen as the ones to blame for this apocalyptic situation. They were accused of having amassed abysmal deficits by immorally handing the reins over to unscrupulous financiers, which in turn created the most serious economic crisis in 80 years. They were also blamed for leading America into two wars which have permanently dented the country’s image abroad.

The situation is farcical and, above all, deeply unfair. Barack Obama is being punished by those responsible for the circumstances that he has inherited! U.S. politics is certainly irrational. We can see proof of this statement in the words of former CIA agent and neo-conservative Republican Reuel Marc Gerecht*: “With control of the House [of Representatives], we can guarantee that we will block everything for the next two years. It’ll freeze everything and we expect to beat Obama [in 2012].” The most extremist Republicans will play this card to paralyze the country in order to make the current president seem responsible for everything that could not be achieved, and thus regain the Oval Office. To let such a situation occur, in a period that requires mobilization from all sides, with the sole aim of taking power is a strange strategy. This atmosphere of permanent campaigning, with its dirty tricks and shabby calculations, is completely suicidal for the country. Not to mention the abhorrent ultraconservative members of the tea party, who relish the kill that already looms over the black man in the White House.

Obama is not a magician and Americans apparently have a short memory — or a selective one. After the magic momentum of 2008, the functioning of this unparalleled democracy has once again escaped all logic. Even if this penalty is far from catastrophic for Obama, the whole situation says a lot about America.

* Editor’s note: The above quote, accurately translated, could not be verified.