Change? We'll see about that

Being a Canadian does have advantages. For instance, we don't need to vote in next week's US presidential election. We won't get to be a part of history, but we will certainly be affected by whoever takes over for Dubya.

All signs point to Barack Obama becoming the next President. There would have to be a really horrific incident to keep Obama out of power next week, and looking at the contest objectively, it's hard to disagree that Obama and Biden will make a better tandem than McCain and Palin.

There's trouble on the horizon, though. Obama campaigned on “change” and hope for the future, catchy words that most people seem to think he invented. Naturally, being a popular politician, he's saying the same things as every other politician only he's better at delivering the lines in that patented Obama way. But what can Obama really do differently? Is he different? Will there be change and progress in the United States following his election?

Bubble bursting time - there will be no change.

I lost faith in Obama the second he denounced his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. In case you missed that incident, allow me to refresh your memory.

The story of Obama's pastor came out in the media in early spring. ABC News raked through file footage of Wright's sermons and found some “inflammatory” comments. Essentially Wright said what any normal thinking person would - the United States has caused it's own downfall by acting in an arrogant and imperialistic manner around the world. From South America to Iraq and Afghanistan, the American approach to foreign affairs has been one of consistent willful ignorance. Wright pointed out that the US was reaping the rewards of it's own brutality. September 11th was only the most obvious manifestation of the chickens coming home to roost.

As a reward for suggesting that the United States bears at least some of the blame for destabilizing the entire world, Wright was labeled a crackpot and unceremoniously dumped by Barack Obama. Wright really wasn't saying anything that some leading Americans have suggested, and he's in line with a great deal of international academics. It's really hard to kill millions of people starting in WWII and running through to present day Syria-Afghanistan-Pakistan without making some really bad enemies. It's hard to say one thing and do another for decades and not lose respect internationally.

This is where Obama is weak.

He said he'd renegotiate NAFTA in order to win votes in Ohio and Pennsylvania. He then said he didn't really mean it, not really... that was just politics, heh, heh. He claims to want to heal wounds and then turns around and says he supports US attacks in Pakistan, a sovereign foreign nation. He said the US can “win” in Afghanistan. He doesn't say much about Iraq.

Obama has said a lot of things that may come back to haunt him once he's in office. Only time will tell if he's really the agent of change America needs to remodel its crumbling empire. Let's just hope his memory isn't as conveniently selective as his fellow politicians. America needs a leader and Obama may indeed be the one to drag the US kicking and screaming into a world that desperately needs collaborative action. Obama has four years to make the attempt starting next Wednesday.

Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
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