Wherever The Votes Are
Right from the word go, from the very moment he's sworn into office as the next president of the great United States of America, Barak Obama will set his visionary sights upon solving the problem that has vexed a stream of American presidents from Jimmy Carter onward. This is a problem that eludes salvation. It's like a one-hand clap. It requires two genuine partners in an effort to reach consensus; one that requires equal effort on each side.So good luck Senator Obama. We've heard the determined promises before, but we're ready to hold our breath and hope along with you. Except that you're promising to do more than hope. You're offering a solemn pledge that it will be your first and foremost objective to play a leading role in finally settling one of the world's most intransigent dilemmas. You'll be a busy man, Senator.
Thinking of taking up residence there, to be right on the scene at signal moments to guide the process along? To know at first hand what it's like to peer uncomfortably around you wherever you go, hoping there won't be any potential terrorist out there devoted to the "struggle" to achieve martyrdom? To look on as Palestinians attempt to manoeuvre around interminable road blocks?
You'll see both perspectives and learn to appreciate how priceless security of personal safety is, living in a country where you don't continually anticipate disaster. Where freedom of movement is assured, without being stopped by military personnel who may identify you as a possible malcontent and much, much worse. Rent a deserted house in Sderot for a week, get to know the terrain.
Perhaps you'll wonder why the Palestinians don't recognize that it's not quite in their best interests to support those terror-inspiring and hell-bent-for-Paradise militias as the most cogent and certain way to achieve a state of their own? You may find it puzzling that they're not quite up to connecting the dots, to perceive why it is that Israel posts sentries and guards to protect its citizens, while denying Palestinians entry to well-paid jobs in Israel.
Perhaps you'll feel ashamed of your demonstrated disingenuousness, promising one thing, backtracking speedily to explain an "undivided Jerusalem" for the Jewish state as an historical and religious prerogative when you really meant to express your abhorrence of a barbed wire fence separating the two-solitudes residents of that fabled and ancient city of the Jews.
Barbed wire fence; barbed tongue explaining an inconvenient lapse of judgement in foreseeing the consequences. You're either for, or you're not; you simply cannot be all things to all people. Take your position and guard it. Mean what you say, and say exactly what it is that you mean by what it is you say.
And for heaven's sake, don't you have anything better to do during a heated political campaign to achieve the highest office of the land, than to desert the geo-political scene for a transitory and unfortunately egotistical effort to persuade Americans you're their man through the auspices of a European and Middle East background stage?
Merely on the basis that you can provoke excitement outside your country by the extraordinariness of representing the first African-American who appears at this juncture to have achieved a real inside chance of success?
Labels: Political Realities, United States, World News
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, July 23, 2008
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