Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Hegemony with a happy face

Let's be realistic: there is no reason to expect a radical break in US foreign policy – and Obama faces formidable challenges

Simon Tisdall
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday November 05 2008

"Expectations that Barack Obama will radically alter America's approach to the world are overblown. On many key foreign policy issues, the Democratic president-elect is part of the Washington consensus, not an opponent of it. No mould-breaker he. That fact sits uncomfortably with Obama's trademark promise of change.....

The latter case may be moving towards a solution. But Iran stands out as a formidable challenge and on this subject, Obama's stance is dismayingly hawkish. Obama says he wants to talk to "rogue" leaderships such as that in Tehran. But Iran is not likely to soften its approach just because the gun held to its head is in Obama's hand rather than Bush's. At the same time, Israel will be pushing hard for a firm line (meaning possible military action). These elections have not changed the awesome power of Israel's Washington lobbying machine........"

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