SPIEGEL: "Change" is the slogan of this year's presidential election. Do you see any chance for an immediate, tangible change in the United States? Or, to use use Obama's battle cry: Are you "fired up"? Chomsky: Not in the least. The European reaction to Obama is a European delusion. SPIEGEL: But he does say things that Europe has long been waiting for. He talks about the trans-Atlantic partnership, the priority of diplomacy and the reconciling of American society. Chomsky: That is all rhetoric. Who cares about that? This whole election campaign deals with soaring rhetoric, hope, change, all sorts of things, but not with issues.
SPIEGEL: "Change" is the slogan of this year's presidential election. Do you see any chance for an immediate, tangible change in the United States? Or, to use use Obama's battle cry: Are you "fired up"?
Chomsky: Not in the least. The European reaction to Obama is a European delusion.
SPIEGEL: But he does say things that Europe has long been waiting for. He talks about the trans-Atlantic partnership, the priority of diplomacy and the reconciling of American society.
Chomsky: That is all rhetoric. Who cares about that? This whole election campaign deals with soaring rhetoric, hope, change, all sorts of things, but not with issues.
I shall say it once again here at ET. Pay no attention to what Obama says to get elected. JUST WORDS to get enough people to vote for him so he gets into the White House. What WILL matter are his actions once he is in. In the end, might makes right. Nothing has changed since the caveman.
I'm sorry, but beautiful loser-dom doesn't get anything done.
Whether Obama will get anything done is another issue entirely. We'll know next year. However, calling his campaign out for being hopeful and inspiring is just ridiculous. What, should we win over the electorate with a vision of guilt, suffering, and defeat?
It's not a problem that he's inspiring people instead of talking about the issues - inspiring people will make it possible to act on the issues, if he decides to do so. It also has the potential to pull the public opinion in general one way or the other, and change the nature of public discourse.
Sounds like Goodwyn's Law.
Look, this is a talking point, a spin from dKos and other pro-Dem sites to shut up all criticism and critical thought. But few critics talk about some ideological purity, and that's in fact a completely wrong frame. What matters is not the position in some sterile virtual ideological space, but the real-world consequences of some important decisions. In the real world, not being up to doing something on the economy or the environment IS a decision, too, and it is NOT one for status quo, but for letting things go awry -- which can overshadow or even undo any advances achieved in less important fields, or worse, bring back the Other Side in power in the worst of times.
Whether Obama will get anything done is another issue entirely.
I disagree entirely. If you think it is impossible to draw up any expectations on a campaigning politicians' actions once in office, then voting is a lottery for you.
However, calling his campaign out for being hopeful and inspiring is just ridiculous.
Uhm. On one hand, I don't think Chomsky calls it out for being hopeful and inspiring -- rather, for using empty words. On the other hand: it inspires what, exactly?
inspiring people will make it possible to act on the issues, if he decides to do so
So, should we believe that Obama will act purely on faith?... Back during the primaries, on these pages I read supporters of other candidates or Europeans following it more than me likening Obama supporters to a religious cult, but the above came most close for me to see why.
It also has the potential to pull the public opinion in general one way or the other, and change the nature of public discourse.
I agree that, in principle, such political stardom can be used to pull people in a different direction. But based on everything I know about Obama and his advisors, not to mention significant parts of the majorities likely to back him in Senate and Congress, I don't have very high hopes of it being used in the right way in the essential policy areas. I am guessing Chomsky is even more sceptical than me. Meanwhile, Chomsky is absolutely right that Europeans are completely deluded regarding his standing on foreign policy, which they shouldn't be had they really listened to Obama's Berlin speech. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
