Few days ago, former US President Barack Obama released a string of statements about the events taking place in his country and rode the left’s wave and its noise, as if to say "the helpless is who he wont' tyrannize." Of course, the former president, as an American citizen, has the right to voice his opinion about the demonstrations and protests taking place in America, but it is unacceptable that he exploits these events politically, use them for the benefit of his party's agenda, explicitly try to undermine his rival party and hamper the chances of the competing party’s representative. Regardless of any candidate’s chances, the issue here has moral, legal, and constitutional dimensions, but it is also political.
Let us recall what the US policy was like in the last three years of Obama's tenure, when it was so vague and mysterious that it confused the political scene. This led to wrong signals being sent to its allies and enemies alike, which left the region in a state of confusion, especially in light of negative developments happening at the time and the difficulty of influential parties agreeing to shape the region.
American's engagement with the region’s issues was a cause for ridicule at the time. Its initiatives failed, from its support for the "Muslim Brotherhood”, to its attempt to further the peace process, passing through the collapse of its diplomatic efforts in the Syrian issue and ending with Iran's non-compliance to the nuclear agreement it reached with the West. This drove some to ponder on the promises of President Obama that he had made in his speech while addressing the Muslim world, and it became clear to them that it had been a public relations speech, for he could not make them a reality.
Obama published an article a few days ago entitled "How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change", in which he criticized racial discrimination and the administration of justice in his country, and demanded legislation that would curb these behaviors, which is good and crucial. However, how did he address these issues? Events no less ugly than what happened to the American citizen Floyd took place during his presidency. In truth, he did not implement any worthwhile reforms to police or criminal justice reforms during his time in office.
Since he was the first black president and was aware of and understood the complexities of this issue, it should have garnered his attention, and drafting legislation that deals with it should have been among his main priorities. However, he did not, and I imagine that if he had devoted part of the time that he spent discussing the nuclear agreement with the Iranian regime, he might have done something of value, but he was not concerned and remained focused on Iran, thinking that it would be a historical achievement, as his advisers have said.
An indication of Washington's declining position is provided from an important report that was issued by the Center for American Progress during his presidency, criticizing Obama's performance.
“Leveraging US Power in the Middle East a Blueprint for Strengthening Regional Partnerships” argues that Washington has interests in the region, especially after ISIS emerged and the refugee crisis hit Europe, and it stresses the need for the White House to abandon its crisis management approach and move to play an active leadership role; this means engaging in the region militarily, diplomatically and economically. To say nothing of other indications, like the fact that the imbalance of the administration’s foreign policy compelled experts and specialists to form a bipartisan joint committee tasked with reformulating the foundations of US foreign policy.
Ethics and values are one thing, and political gains are another. Advice, lectures, and theories have a significant impact on voters, without a doubt, but they turn into a guide for condemning you when your capabilities betray you and you fail to govern and miss the opportunity to act. This is what Obama is doing today.
Trump is in a better state than his predecessor. He made crucial decisions and redirected the compass so that it now points in the right direction, because he realized the dangers and challenges that the US and its security would primarily be faced with and harmed from, before its allies in the region. The point here is not to defend President Trump. His record is also loaded with excesses and missteps, and his popularity is declining today; rather as someone belonging to this part of the world, what concerns me is that whoever takes control of the affairs of the White House is aware of what is going on in our region, the projects and behaviors of the axis of evil.
Today, the US is suffering from its lethal disease, racism. Racism is a disastrous and narrow-minded social disease, and therefore the issue is much deeper than it appears. It's not about a black man being killed by a white police officer, but rather shaking off a sensitive age-old issue that explodes with every incident. Did democracy fail? Perhaps, but it seems that the issue is not limited to America. Crowds took to the streets of the cities and capitals of the countries of the world expressing their sympathy for Floyd and sending a message to their governments that criminalizing racist behavior is necessary. It has been festering over the past few years globally, as the means and tools of modern technology facilitate its spread. Mandela described it as a scourge on humanity's conscience. It is an interesting topic that requires us to take a pause and reflect upon it in an upcoming article.
