Barack Obama's International Identity Politics
Barack Obama's Cairo speech Thursday, by design and billing, was an address to the Muslim world. And in substance it hit all the requisite points, less shifting U.S. policies than better explaining them--on Israel, on nuclear proliferation, on the spread of human rights, on the war against Islamic radicals.
But the speech also contained themes that transcend U.S. relations with Islam, and which are clearly going to be central to the next four, if not eight, years of American foreign policy. Obama, using himself as an example, was continuing to lay the groundwork, first begun in Europe, to build a global identity among the world's peoples. After a discussion of his own upbringing, as a Christian from a family that includes Muslims, who lived in Indonesia and visited Africa before arriving in the Arab world, Obama made this appeal for an emerging global commonality:
For we have learned from recent experience that when a financial system weakens in one country, prosperity is hurt everywhere. When a new flu infects one human being, all are at risk. When one nation pursues a nuclear weapon, the risk of nuclear attack rises for all nations. When violent extremists operate in one stretch of mountains, people are endangered across an ocean. And when innocents in Bosnia and Darfur are slaughtered, that is a stain on our collective conscience. That is what it means to share this world in the 21st century. That is the responsibility we have to one another as human beings.
This is a difficult responsibility to embrace. For human history has often been a record of nations and tribes subjugating one another to serve their own interests. Yet in this new age, such attitudes are self-defeating. Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail.
That last sentence, given humanity's consistently bloody tribal history, seems particularly ambitious. Compare this to the optimistic foreign policy frames the United States has projected for the last two decades. George H.W. Bush spoke of a "new world order," which, quoting Winston Churchill, imagined a globe where strong nations embraced ideas like "justice and fair play" to govern the world stage. (The idea lost currency as the United States, predictably, tended to interpret justice and fair play--in Iraq, Israel and elsewhere--according to the traditional realpolitik.) His son, George W. Bush, imagined a similarly idealistic world governed by clear dividing lines between good and evil, democracy and Islamo-facism, the philosophies of the Occident and the extremes of the Orient. In the latter Bush's vision, the U.S. was the hero, bringing freedom and justice to a messy world. (On this point, be sure to read Spencer Ackerman's post on how these definitions backfired on Bush and worked against U.S. interests.)
Obama envisions a different framing altogether. [More after jump.]
He acknowledges the existence of bad actors, and pledges to use violence against those who promise violence. He also admits to the deep cultural differences that define the globe. But from that starting point, he insists on a common global identity that is far more powerful than the differences. This vision, as I have touched on before, does not elevate the United States as the protector of transcendent values, but rather lowers America into the great pool of nations and peoples, where everyone operates on the same level with a God-given set of responsibilities to understand each other and work together for collective improvement. The political leader who has spent a lifetime moving between cultures envisions a world where tribal differences are trumped by common humanity and practical necessity. In some ways, it is as idealistic a vision as the ones proposed by Bush senior and junior. Time will tell if it is more successful.
It is notable that Obama ended his speech with three quotes, one from the Koran, one from the Talmud, one from the New Testament, each describing God's instructions for all people to work together and get along. Of the three, the quote from the Koran is the most eloquent. “O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another.” It is, in a poetic verse, an apt encapsulation of Obama's radical idea--that despite our differences we are meant to find common purpose.
So can it be done? Well, Obama is saying to the world, look at me: the son of a Kenyan and a Kansan, the Christian man with a Muslim family, the black Hawaiian teenage stoner who rose through the traditionally white Northeastern Ivy League to lead the world's most powerful country. I've already done it. You can too.
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"Well, Obama is saying to the world, look at me: the son of a Kenyan and a Kansan, the Christian man with a Muslim family, the black Hawaiin teenage stoner who rose through the traditionally white Northeastern Ivy League to lead the nation's most powerful country. I've already done it. You can too."
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Yes Michael he DID IT, alright. With the help and assistance of the most corrupt political machine in the US in Chicago, IL. And, with the help of the most corrupt "community organizing" machine we have come to love called ACORN.
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Perhaps the self-professed "Community Organizer" will go to the streets of Tehran, Gaza Strip, or even to the cave's within the borders of Afghanistan/Pakistan to "preach" his message of "one world order". Perhaps he can even fullfil the prophecies professed in the Bible, Koran or Torah and create a new religious book of his own.
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Obama is a farce. A "charlatan" of the old and new testaments within our own Bibles. He IS the anti-Christ. He is the demononic Devil in flesh. -
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When I voted for President Obama on November 4th, it was moments like this that I was hoping for. What many past presidents failed to realize was that you needed to learn how to walk before you could run.
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sacredh Says:
Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 11:33 am
"When I voted for President Obama on November 4th, it was moments like this that I was hoping for".
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Did you also get that little twitch up your leg, that feeling of euphoria? Or was it simply the warm flow of urine, trickling down your leg in amazement that for the first time in American history we finally did elect a mad-man? -
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That little twitch going up my leg was your hand looking for lunch pal.
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I loved the whole piece until the last sentence. I'll get over it though.
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I too saw Obama's massage that "we're all in this togather" as a vital one and one that is in sharp contrast to his predecessors. If you haven't read NonZero by Robert Wright, I recommend it as an interesting analysis of why the "One World" view is unavoidable as much as people wish to resist it.
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I also take exception to the notion that this:
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His son, George W. Bush, imagined a similarly idealistic world governed by clear dividing lines between good and evil, democracy and Islamo-facism, the philosophies of the Occident and the extremes of the Orient.can in any way be listed as comparable (as opposed to sharply contrasting) the Obama worldview. To simply use the word 'idealistic', does no justice to the binary, black/white my-way-or-the-highway worldview that informs GWB's thinking and the way it contrasts to the "all-men-are-created-equal but live under sharply different circumstances" assumptions behind Obama's worldview.
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We all have ideals that guide our thinking but they are not necessarily ideals as much as they are simplifying assumptions. To put it succinctly, Obamas simplifying assumptions offer a much more realistic model of the world that we actually inhabit than anything that GWB and the neocons had any hope of approaching. -
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Sacred, you know good and well that Rusty eats fear for lunch. The "Devil" is out to get him. The "Mooslums" are out to get him. The "DFH's" are ruining the country!!
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I thought the right was supposed to be tough? His posts sound like the biggest pu$$y in our Sunday school class that was scared a demon was going to jump into him. God did we have fun with that guy. Some things never change. -
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I am limiting my Swampland time and comments in the hopes of finishing my book before my sabbatical clock runs out, but I am very much enjoying your recent reporting, Michael. (also the tweets, tho I miss the poetry...)
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It is, in a poetic verse, an apt encapsulation of Obama's radical idea--that despite our differences we are meant to find common purpose.
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So can it be done?
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Can it be done? Who knows?
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What I can say is that humanity's greatest collective challenge is global climate change. Based upon Obama's failure to lead in any meaningful way on that issue, is that, regardless of whether "it can be done," it isn't being done, it isn't likely to be done, and, if it is done, we going to be lead by Obama. -
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Wow Rusty . . . pretty ballsy statements. Also completely off base and more than a little straight up, old school mentally ill. Next you'll be screaming "he's a witch, burn him." Well argued. Also, do you really think ACORN and the Chicago Machine forged/ faked 10 MILLION ballots. Because that's how badly Obama trounced Old Man River.
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Anywho . . . sacredh: I'm with you. Completely. The calm, rational answers Obama gave during the campaign have translated into methodical, reasoned policies and statements once in office. No vitriol, no bellicosity, maybe a touch of hubris but not of the "you're either with us or against us/ Mission Accomplished" variety. If he keeps up this pace, and with a little luck, America's gonna continue on an upswing . . . and the rest of the world just might join us.
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rusty - already nuts - has completely lost his freaking mind. And all because our country - on the strength of 53% of American voters - elected a left-of-center president.
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Dude, they have meds for what ails you. Go get some...now.
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The anti-Christ? Seriously? You are a scared, ignorant, little person. Unfortunately, for the GOP and the conservative movement in general (and our country - it's not healthy when one half of our two party system is completely bonkers), you are a perfect example of "the base". Does your worst nightmare involve ACORN GOTV volunteers coming to your door and handing you a stack of Obama campaign literature? I can understand if it is because any organization that can somehow manufacture the 9.5M votes that put Obama over the top v. McCain must have awesome and unbridled evil powers. -
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"I thought the right was supposed to be tough? His posts sound like the biggest pu$$y in our Sunday school class that was scared a demon was going to jump into him. God did we have fun with that guy. Some things never change."
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Amen to that. Even bad a$$ Dick Cheney - the GOP's "savior", he of the five deferments -- sounds like he soils his pants daily in fear that some scary Mooslem is going to sneak up behind him and give him a nasty wedgie. -
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joyo, just posted poem for Sunday delinquency. http://twitter.com/michaelscherer/statuses/2030986530
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grazie, Michael. Very good stuff. Reminds me of the story of Job, which always baffled me. (Why was it OK for G_d to destroy his family to prove Job's piety? Because later on G_d gifted Job a Fiat, oops a new family!)
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If there was a Swampland "Hall of Fame" for Comments, I would nominate #1 Rusty's post as an all time classic.
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I'd certainly give sacredh's comeback at #5 an honorable mention.
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Rusty
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No matter what anybody tells you, for the sake of the Democratic Party, never EVER change. -
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Yesterday spob supported a wingnut who said that Gay marriage was a threat to illegitimacy in the African-American community because Blacks are homophobes who wouldn't wanted to be associated with marriage since it would be a Gay ritual. Today we get rusty's schizophasia.
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I'm with sgwhiteinfla, let them continue to rant. It brings the sane people to the Democratic Party. -
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So, one of my friends has this female pit bull that was used in fights, to warm up the actual fighting dogs. So as you might imagine, it's pretty traumatized.
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It'll go long periods of time being a decent dog, being friendly to people, eating treats, all that stuff.
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But then, periodically, it will freak out and sh*t all over the f--king apartment.
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Kinda what rusty reminds me of right now. -
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Cliff: Thanks for that post. If the neighbors wonder why I start grinning and then bust out laughing while I'm on the lawn tractor today, I'll blame it on you.
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"And when the first Muslim American was recently elected to Congress, he took the oath to defend our Constitution using the same Holy Koran that one of our Founding Fathers -- Thomas Jefferson -- kept in his personal library. (Applause.)"
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That's my congressman. I think of certain Physicians and smile at the memory. -
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It is, in a poetic verse, an apt encapsulation of Obama's radical idea--that despite our differences we are meant to find common purpose.
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So can it be done?
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It was actually more daring than that: he was saying we must find a common purpose in order to solve our most deadly challenges, such as nuclear attack and disease.
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rusty, that is one of the funniest things I've read in ages. "Demonic Devil in flesh"; Limbaugh and Colbert couldn't have dreamed that up. I sincerely thank you for sharing your hilarious jokes with all of us here on Swampland. -
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This was not just an address to the Muslim world. The President spoke of values of tolerance - pointing a finger back at Americans. This may be the first draft of The Obama Doctrine - setting the tone for future diplomatic relations. .....................
http://thefiresidepost.com/2009/06/04/the-seven-points-of-obamas-cairo-speech/
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The political leader who has spent a lifetime moving between cultures envisions a world where tribal differences are trumped by common humanity and practical necessity.
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Why are people so surprised that Obama posseses this type of world view? Anyone who spent a significant amount of time overseas during their formative years would immediately find communion with the above statement. Finding common ground where it would seem non-existent is the central survival technique for children and young adults who are forced to grow up in cultures vastly different from their own. It's the hallmark of the third culture kid (including myself), and Obama is one of them. -
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I suggest that you all read the late Samuel P. Huntington's "The Clash of Civilizations." Common ground? It simply will never happen, and to be honest, never should happen. People are inherently different, with their own religions, cultures, languages, and world experiences. They will never be reconciled.
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