The End of Empire?

What a relief:  the nightmare of the last 8 years is over, even though the legacies of these years will still be with us for quite some time, irrespective of what Barack Obama does.  But what a contrast we saw on display today.  Obama - Bush:  scholar v. frat boy, skilled orator v. mangler of language, multilateralist v. unilateralist, unifier v. divider.

It is almost a trademark of Obama's that he delivers speeches extremely well, and today was no different.  There was much to be liked about his speech, but I felt that there were aspects that left something to be desired.  First listening to the speech, then reading it, I struggled to pin down what left me less than happy about it.  

I finally concluded that, for my taste, Obama was too eager to sound the notes that one typically hears in Washington, DC.  Reclaiming world leadership when the first order is for the U.S. to catch up, regain some standing by demonstrating sincere engagement, a willingness for true give-and-take.  During the last 8 years, the world has not stood still, and while many will be happy to have a more cooperative United States, this is no longer a unipolar world.  The United Sates does not so much need to lead as to show a willingness to play along in a complex world.

The range of issues where collaboration rather than a simple claiming of the mantle of leadership is needed is awe-inspiring:  the Middle East (Iraq, Iran, Israel-Palestine), Afghanistan-Pakistan, the world financial and economic crisis (the need for a global new deal), the climate crisis -- to cite just some of the most pressing topics.

In many of these areas, there is a desperate need for a decisive break with a militarism that, while elevated under George Bush, has been deeply-ingrained in the United States for a much longer period of time.  The United States may possess overwhelming firepower, but this cannot and will not resolve the world's manifold problems and crises.  Empire needs to be repudiated, not just because it is unworkable and is rejected by the world's majority, but also because it threatens to undermine all of Obama's goals.  He needs to be mindful of LBJ's experience, who saw his "Great Society" dreams founder by the deepening Vietnam quagmire.

Obama's cabinet nominations beg the question whether the new President is prepared to challenge militarism and Empire.  We will see whether it is his him or his key advisors--Hilary Clinton, Robert Gates, etc.--who effectively call the shots.  We will see just how much Obama is his own man, and whether the neocons, the chicken hawks, the media armchair strategists manage to drag him in a more centrist or even conservative direction.

Many people, especially young people, were mobilized in unprecedented ways by the Obama campaign.  Ultimately, it will take bottom-up pressure to ensure that Obama stays true to his promise.