FALSE PROPHETS
Melbourne, Australia, Jan 22, 2013 -Barack Obama may have lost his black hair (turned
grey) during his first four years in office but he has not lost the missionary and visionary
oratory that once beguiled the world and let people believe he would usher in a new era of
Pax Americana based on the old dream of ‘Equality, Liberty and Fraternity.’
The Great Communicator II (the first one was Ronald Reagan) was sworn in for
his second term at the White House this week with the obligatory fanfares and flag waving
though amid rising public skepticism over fresh promises to deliver America (and the world)
from (some) of its evils.
But even great orators can fool people only some of the time but not all of the
time.
While the re-elected President laid out his program priorities for the next four
years investigative surveys, among them the Edelman Trust Barometer, found the majority of
the public, whether in America or elsewhere, no longer believe their leaders tell the truth or
are serious about tackling greed, corruption and the illicit market manipulations of corporate
interests and financial institutions that run our economies and our governments today.
(Edelman described the trust vote of those interviewed in 26 countries ‘pretty
pathetic’)
But our current governing ‘System’ which has made a few mega-rich and a lot
dirt-poor defends itself fiercely against criticism and sometimes even makes token sacrifices.
Once or twice the ‘System’ allowed itself to be fined for infringing market regulations, paying
much publicized fines which are so minute they may be compared to crumbs brushed off the
banquet table of these institutions.
Buoyed by the mass media, its propaganda serfs, the ‘System’ supports the
election of a chosen president who is then shackled to his benefactors and rarely has the
courage or the possibility to act against their interests. In return the ‘System’ protects his
integrity.
So when well known Afro-American rapper Lupe Fiasco during a concert
virtually called Obama a liar for his failed or foiled objectives and kept rapping again and
again the same song refrain….
’…..while Gaza Strip was getting bombed Obama didn’t say sh…t……”
He was marched off the stage by security guards during the Start-Up-Rock’
them Inauguration bash. Adios freedom of speech.
Nowadays our political leaders, among them Obama, have become like
advertising slogans. As anyone savvy knows their promises are lies. And so are the cures.
Uli Schmetzer is a former foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune and Reuters. He is the author of four books,
among them ‘Gaza.’ All are available on www.amazon.com.