Socialism

Photo: Tim Stewart

It seems not all Americans take in the joke...

Happy birthday, Mr President. Happy birthday to you.

A mosca de Obama

Ontem, em entrevista concedida à emissora CNBC, o presidente dos Estados Unidos, Barack Obama, mostrou que sabe mesmo explorar sua imagem. Matou, ao vivo, uma mosca persistente que o atormentava, e pediu ao cinegrafista que registrasse o cadáver do inseto, que jazia no carpete.

Agora só falta fechar a base militar de Guantánamo, em Cuba; retirar as tropas do Iraque; recrudescer a guerra contra o terror no Afeganistão, localizar Osama bin Laden no Paquistão (ou não); proteger a Coreia do Sul de seu vizinho do Norte, comunista; e persuadir o Governo de Israel a aceitar a criação de um Estado Palestino. Sem falar nos problemas domésticos advindos da crise econômica e financeira criada na Era Bush, herdados por Obama.

É, Gafanhoto, considerando-se seus desafios, matar uma mosca ao vivo e de primeira, como se diz, é "peixe pequeno"...

A tortura e o "outro"

A imprescritibilidade da tortura na vigência do Estado Democrático de Direito emana da ojeriza da sociedade contemporânea por essa prática; alimentada pela cruedade humana, tão rica e vasta quanto perniciosa. Puta que pariu, alguém pode pensar. Mas é isso aí...

O ser humano é escroto, especialmente quando reconhece no "outro" um inimigo real ou potencial: seja o vizinho, a outra famiglia, a outra facção criminosa, o outro povo, a outra nação. A era Bush ensinou ao mundo sobre intolerância e belicismo, e estimula-se agora um questionamento da prática da tortura, com a divulgação pelo governo do Presidente Obama de memorandos da CIA, a ABIN estadunidense. Gostaram da comparação, meus quase sete leitores?

Dentro e fora dos Estados Unidos, a imprensa repercute as implicações da revelação de táticas - entre elas a prática da tortura - que, segundo oficiais da agência estadunidense, podem comprometer ações futuras. A maior parte deles deve acreditar numa perspectiva utilitarista da tortura como mecanismo de combate ao terror. Principalmente se, para evitar o terror imposto pelo "outro", puder-se usar do terror contra o outro povo ou a outra nação. É o que se chama em estratégia militar de deterrence, e pode ser assistido na TV sempre que o exército israelense mata centenas de palestinos na Faixa de Gaza, por exemplo. Deve-se não apenas inspirar o medo no "outro"; é preciso imolar o "outro" para lembrá-lo da superioridade bélica de quem impõe o terror para garantir os próprios domínios e pretensões.

Não sei dizer se isso é coisa do capitalismo ou da natureza humana; mas eu cresci acreditando que, no Brasil, para a Polícia a tortura era o único meio de investigação policial. Depois, descobri que, antes dela, tinha a caguetagem. Até que a Polícia Federal e suas operações, cujos nomes aposto que estagiários em agências de publicidade e redatores devem invejar, centradas em meses de investigação policial sem tortura, revelaram que a bandidagem do sistema DASLU/FIESP (e afins) tem agora quase o que temer. Graças à PF. E quase para além das graças do STF. Quase.

Lula lá...

"That's my man right here. Love this guy. He's the most popular politician on Earth. It's because of his good looks" - President Obama, on the day after April Fools, at the G-20 summit, as Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva approached him.

Only 78 percent of approval rating after the economic crisis

It is the end of the world as we know it

The severe downturn most countries have faced for the past few months is the worst crisis of capitalism, at least since Great Depression. As the nationalisation of the banking system takes place in virtually the entire Western industrialised world, the greed-is-good mantra of the free-market capitulates.

Neither governments nor the average citizens are aware of how to tackle the financial and economic issues properly, especially in countries in which the downturn is supposed to deepen in 2009.

One may claim that the President-Elect Barack Obama, the first African American who ascended to the White House, will be able to cope with some of the current financial and economic problems. Nevertheless, no changes will come without pressure for them. Aside from the fact that Obama has no previous administrative experience, which may indicate lack of proper knowledge on how to manage to, at least, bail the American economy out of the crisis, created by itself.

Undoubtedly, if one hah such expertise in order to technically predict what near future will be like, we could expect capitalism to thrive once again, sooner or later. Unfortunately, there is no expert willing to take a chance. Once and for all, "it is the end of the world as we know it".

The importance of Obama's election

The United States of America has faced changes over the past few months. Aside from the American financial crisis, whose effects are expected to have tremendous impact on the real economy worldwide, the election of Barack Obama is also greatly remarkable. On the 4th of November, he defeated the Republican senator John McCain and became the first African-American President-Elect.

In comparison to George W. Bush’s administration, the Democrat President-Elect also represents the possibility of changes. Bush has made all his efforts in order to accomplish his goals: defeating his enemies abroad. Therefore, the severe downturn America has been into proves his incompetence, especially when tackling non-aggressive issues.

Since the United States is a country in which the memories of racial segregation remain alive, the election of Barack Obama has made the ideals of Martin Luther King, Jr come true. In fact, Americans voted for Obama not because of the colour of his skin, but due to the fact they believed changes were possible and necessary.

The importance of Obama’s election will become even more remarkable when he takes office on January 20th, 2009. His great challenge will be managing to bail the American economy out of the crisis. Will the United States still be the most powerful nation and the greatest economy in the world by the end of his first term? Only time will tell.

Future is now

The greed-is-good mantra of the free-market's capitulation to the de facto nationalisation of the banking system in virtually the entire Western industrialised world is at the core of the worst economic crisis of capitalism since Great Depression. What might one expect from now on?

In a country founded on African slavery, the ascension of an African American to the White House is historic. Nevertheless, no one should expect that positive social, political and economic changes will come from Barack Obama without pressure for them.

On the other hand, climate change and global warming have contributed to food price inflation all over the globe. Starvation may be a chaotic scenario, but it is more and more likely. Meanwhile, farming is still subsidised in most developed countries, what makes fair trade infeasible.

In spite of Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip and Obama's administration's approach to it, just breaking the stifling conservative orthodoxy of George W. Bush's era would make liberalism a more viable ideological alternative for the ones who want to see real change.

by khalil@bendib.com