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Believe In Me: Barack Obama
A Kadir Jasin
[ANONYMOUS comments with not be entertained. When commenting, your real identity is preferred. But a suitable pseudonym is accepted. If you have to use anonymous, please print your name or pen name at the bottom of your message. Please avoid seditious, defamatory and libelous statements. Unrelated comments will not be given priority.]
TODAY, Jan. 20, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America, making him the first mixed parentage person to hold the post in 332 years.
He is half white and half black. His father was a Black African from Kenya and his mother a White woman from Kansas.
The 47-year old Obama won a landslide victory in the Nov. 4, 2008 presidential election, thanks in part to the unpopularity of the George W. Bush Republican presidency and the financial meltdown that occurred just months earlier.
Thus it’s both a boom and a bane for President Obama to take office at this critical juncture. He inherits a very sick US and global economy, and a string of disastrous foreign policy misadventures of his warlike predecessor.
So, what does his inauguration has in store for the US and world? A lot -- whether we like it or not. Briefly:
The economy
He has no choice but clear the mess created during the Bush two-term presidency. Just days ago he had asked the outgoing Bust Administration for the remaining $350 billion (RM1,260 billion) in the Wall Street rescue money.
So it can be expected that he will disburse the fund, which, hopefully, will send positive ripples around the globe. Even we in Malaysia need it given the state of economy and our stock market.
America and the world do buy we cannot sell, plain and simple. That an average of 6,000 American families are losing their homes everyday cannot be good news for us.
“I felt it would be irresponsible for me, with the first $350 billion already spent, to enter into a new administration without any potential ammunition should there be any potential emergency or weakening of the financial systems,” Obama said after meeting the visiting Mexican president, Felipe Calderon.
Obama’s Economic Policy Platorm
1. To restore fairness to the tax code and provide 95 percent of working Americans the tax relief they need. They will create a new "Making Work Pay" tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family;
2. To provide tax relief for small businesses and startups. He promises to eliminate all capital gains taxes on startup and small businesses to encourage innovation and job creation; and
3. To Fight for fair trade. He promises to fight for a trade policy that opens up foreign markets to support good American jobs. They will use trade agreements to spread good labor and environmental standards around the world.
Foreign Policy
Obama’s foreign policy platform states, among other things, that:-
1. Secure loose nuclear materials from terrorists – Obama and Vice Presiden Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden will secure all loose nuclear materials in the world within four years, and will negotiate a verifiable global ban on the production of new nuclear weapons material to curb the spread of nuclear weapons;
2. Pursue tough, direct diplomacy without preconditions to end the threat from Iran: Obama will present the Iranian regime with a clear choice. If Iran abandons its nuclear program and support for terrorism, they would offer incentives like membership in the World Trade Organization. If Iran continues its troubling behavior, Obama will step up our economic pressure and political isolation;
3. Renew American diplomacy: Obama will renew American diplomacy to meet the challenges of the 21st century. They will rebuild our alliances. And they would be willing to meet with all nations, friend and foe, to advance American interests.
On Israel
1. Ensure a Strong U.S.-Israel Partnership: Barack promises to strongly support the U.S.-Israel relationship, believe that our first and incontrovertible commitment in the Middle East must be to the security of Israel, America's strongest ally in the Middle East. They support this closeness, stating that that the United States would never distance itself from Israel;
2. Support Israel's Right to Self Defense: During the July 2006 Lebanon war, Barack Obama stood up strongly for Israel's right to defend itself from Hezbollah raids and rocket attacks, cosponsoring a Senate resolution against Iran and Syria's involvement in the war, and insisting that Israel should not be pressured into a ceasefire that did not deal with the threat of Hezbollah missiles. He believes strongly in Israel's right to protect its citizens; and
3. Support Foreign Assistance to Israel: Obama has consistently supported foreign assistance to Israel. They defend and support the annual foreign aid package that involves both military and economic assistance to Israel and have advocated increased foreign aid budgets to ensure that these funding priorities are met. They have called for continuing U.S. cooperation with Israel in the development of missile defense systems.
On Iraq
1. Obama will responsibly end the war in Iraq. Immediately upon taking office, Obama promises to give his Secretary of Defense and military commanders a new mission in Iraq: successfully ending the war. The removal of our troops will be responsible and phased;
2. Encourage political accommodation. Obama will press Iraq's leaders to take responsibility for their future and to substantially spend their oil revenues on their own reconstruction; and
3. Increase stability in Iraq and the region. Obama will launch an aggressive diplomatic effort to reach a comprehensive compact on the stability of Iraq and the region. They also will address Iraq's refugee crisis.
Trivia
The inauguration celebrations, how much will they cost?
The short answer, according to the US media reports, is more than $150 million (RM540 million) — the most expensive ever. (By comparison, George W. Bush's 2005 inauguration cost $42.3 million (RM152 million) and Bill Clinton managed with $33 million (RM119 million) in 1993.
And President Bush has to declare an emergency in Washington D.C. in order to supplement the $15-million (RM54 million) Congress has already allotted for security measures.
The reason? Obama received Secret Service protection very early in his presidential campaign and record crowds -- anywhere from 1.5 to 3 million -- are expected to converge on the US capital.
The Homeland Security Secretary, Michael Chertoff, to the Associated Press: “This will be the most security, as far as I'm aware, that any inauguration's had."
But at the end of the day, a US President is a US President. He will always be under the spell of the lobbyists, the big companies and, not to forget, the omnipresent and omnipotent Jewish-Israel lobby.
“I am asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about change in Washington…. I’m asking you to believe in yours.” – Barack Obama.
PS: The information is mostly from Obama’s official website.
[ANONYMOUS comments with not be entertained. When commenting, your real identity is preferred. But a suitable pseudonym is accepted. If you have to use anonymous, please print your name or pen name at the bottom of your message. Please avoid seditious, defamatory and libelous statements. Unrelated comments will not be given priority.]
TODAY, Jan. 20, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America, making him the first mixed parentage person to hold the post in 332 years.
He is half white and half black. His father was a Black African from Kenya and his mother a White woman from Kansas.
The 47-year old Obama won a landslide victory in the Nov. 4, 2008 presidential election, thanks in part to the unpopularity of the George W. Bush Republican presidency and the financial meltdown that occurred just months earlier.
Thus it’s both a boom and a bane for President Obama to take office at this critical juncture. He inherits a very sick US and global economy, and a string of disastrous foreign policy misadventures of his warlike predecessor.
So, what does his inauguration has in store for the US and world? A lot -- whether we like it or not. Briefly:
The economy
He has no choice but clear the mess created during the Bush two-term presidency. Just days ago he had asked the outgoing Bust Administration for the remaining $350 billion (RM1,260 billion) in the Wall Street rescue money.
So it can be expected that he will disburse the fund, which, hopefully, will send positive ripples around the globe. Even we in Malaysia need it given the state of economy and our stock market.
America and the world do buy we cannot sell, plain and simple. That an average of 6,000 American families are losing their homes everyday cannot be good news for us.
“I felt it would be irresponsible for me, with the first $350 billion already spent, to enter into a new administration without any potential ammunition should there be any potential emergency or weakening of the financial systems,” Obama said after meeting the visiting Mexican president, Felipe Calderon.
Obama’s Economic Policy Platorm
1. To restore fairness to the tax code and provide 95 percent of working Americans the tax relief they need. They will create a new "Making Work Pay" tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family;
2. To provide tax relief for small businesses and startups. He promises to eliminate all capital gains taxes on startup and small businesses to encourage innovation and job creation; and
3. To Fight for fair trade. He promises to fight for a trade policy that opens up foreign markets to support good American jobs. They will use trade agreements to spread good labor and environmental standards around the world.
Foreign Policy
Obama’s foreign policy platform states, among other things, that:-
1. Secure loose nuclear materials from terrorists – Obama and Vice Presiden Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden will secure all loose nuclear materials in the world within four years, and will negotiate a verifiable global ban on the production of new nuclear weapons material to curb the spread of nuclear weapons;
2. Pursue tough, direct diplomacy without preconditions to end the threat from Iran: Obama will present the Iranian regime with a clear choice. If Iran abandons its nuclear program and support for terrorism, they would offer incentives like membership in the World Trade Organization. If Iran continues its troubling behavior, Obama will step up our economic pressure and political isolation;
3. Renew American diplomacy: Obama will renew American diplomacy to meet the challenges of the 21st century. They will rebuild our alliances. And they would be willing to meet with all nations, friend and foe, to advance American interests.
On Israel
1. Ensure a Strong U.S.-Israel Partnership: Barack promises to strongly support the U.S.-Israel relationship, believe that our first and incontrovertible commitment in the Middle East must be to the security of Israel, America's strongest ally in the Middle East. They support this closeness, stating that that the United States would never distance itself from Israel;
2. Support Israel's Right to Self Defense: During the July 2006 Lebanon war, Barack Obama stood up strongly for Israel's right to defend itself from Hezbollah raids and rocket attacks, cosponsoring a Senate resolution against Iran and Syria's involvement in the war, and insisting that Israel should not be pressured into a ceasefire that did not deal with the threat of Hezbollah missiles. He believes strongly in Israel's right to protect its citizens; and
3. Support Foreign Assistance to Israel: Obama has consistently supported foreign assistance to Israel. They defend and support the annual foreign aid package that involves both military and economic assistance to Israel and have advocated increased foreign aid budgets to ensure that these funding priorities are met. They have called for continuing U.S. cooperation with Israel in the development of missile defense systems.
On Iraq
1. Obama will responsibly end the war in Iraq. Immediately upon taking office, Obama promises to give his Secretary of Defense and military commanders a new mission in Iraq: successfully ending the war. The removal of our troops will be responsible and phased;
2. Encourage political accommodation. Obama will press Iraq's leaders to take responsibility for their future and to substantially spend their oil revenues on their own reconstruction; and
3. Increase stability in Iraq and the region. Obama will launch an aggressive diplomatic effort to reach a comprehensive compact on the stability of Iraq and the region. They also will address Iraq's refugee crisis.
Trivia
The inauguration celebrations, how much will they cost?
The short answer, according to the US media reports, is more than $150 million (RM540 million) — the most expensive ever. (By comparison, George W. Bush's 2005 inauguration cost $42.3 million (RM152 million) and Bill Clinton managed with $33 million (RM119 million) in 1993.
And President Bush has to declare an emergency in Washington D.C. in order to supplement the $15-million (RM54 million) Congress has already allotted for security measures.
The reason? Obama received Secret Service protection very early in his presidential campaign and record crowds -- anywhere from 1.5 to 3 million -- are expected to converge on the US capital.
The Homeland Security Secretary, Michael Chertoff, to the Associated Press: “This will be the most security, as far as I'm aware, that any inauguration's had."
But at the end of the day, a US President is a US President. He will always be under the spell of the lobbyists, the big companies and, not to forget, the omnipresent and omnipotent Jewish-Israel lobby.
“I am asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about change in Washington…. I’m asking you to believe in yours.” – Barack Obama.
PS: The information is mostly from Obama’s official website.
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