I Don't Know

London man participates in
bikini waxing contest for charity,
almost loses a testicle.

I don’t know what is going on. I doubt that anyone does. I wonder about President Obama, and although I still like and support him, he is doing things that I seriously do not like. But I wonder about this a lot. Perhaps it is the case that in many respects he is helpless and might want to do things differently but for political or economic or other reasons cannot. For example, does Obama himself really believe in this senseless, useless, even ridiculous “war” in Afghanistan? And even if he does not believe in it what can he do? Can you imagine what the neocons and right-wingers would do if Obama did the sensible and right thing to do and withdrew our troops? He would immediately be branded as weak, not experienced enough, anti-American, and even cowardly. As in Vietnam, they would say we could have won if it hadn’t been for Obama and blah, blah, blah. They would raise such a ruckus it would surely end his Presidency. Thus it is he couldn’t realistically end it even if he wanted to do so. The entire military/industrial/political complex would rise up and crucify him. And this would mean he would be unable to complete any other goals he might have in mind. Would he like to end the “war” immediately or does he believe in it? I don’t know.

I am especially angry and upset with Obama because he has not done anything to bring Bush/Cheney and their criminal administration to justice. This infuriates me. But here again, what would happen if he tried to bring them to justice? His critics would immediately say it was just political (even though it would obviously be a criminal matter rather than political). They would say it was revenge, or an attempt to destroy the Republican Party. They would argue that it is unprecedented, no previous administration has ever before tried to investigate and punish their predecessors (of course no previous administration was ever confronted with confessed war criminals who actually boast of their criminal deeds). Perhaps Obama would like to bring these criminals to justice but realizes just how risky and virtually impossible that would be. On the other hand, perhaps he actually approves of what they did and doesn’t think they deserve to be punished. I, of course, do not know. In any case, as in the case of Afghanistan, he is practically powerless.

Similarly, with respect to this horrific oil spill business, he might want to punish BP severely, fine them until they go out of business, throw them all in the slammer, or whatever. But how can he do that knowing the crucial position they occupy in Britain where their pension system depends importantly on BP, to say nothing of the British economy in general. Here again, I don’t know what Obama would like to do, but it doesn’t matter because in very important respects his hands are tied. BP is too big to fail, unfortunate, but true. I don’t know how Obama truly feels about this, perhaps he is furious because of being so helpless. But perhaps he doesn’t believe they deserve to be severely punished and is caught now trying to placate the victims while at the same time letting the guilty off the hook. I just do not know.

Then there is the situation with Israel. I am absolutely opposed to our uncritical support of everything they do even when they are committing acts so blatantly illegal and even horrifying. I cannot (or at least do not want to) believe Obama truly supports this near genocide, but he seems to support everything they do no matter how awful, unpopular, or illegal. He claims to support the Palestinians in their desire for a state of their own and the right to manage their own affairs. But time after time he continues to side with Israel. Of course it is true that the Israel lobby is powerful, and it is also true that the Jewish vote and financial support are significant, so here is another case where Obama cannot do what he may want to do, but on the other hand, maybe he is doing what he wants to do. I do not know.

Paradoxically, President Obama is said to be the most powerful person on earth, but he is often powerless. But it doesn’t even matter what he may personally believe or feel because in any case he cannot practically do anything about it. In fact, the most powerful people on earth are not even in the administration but still have the power to control it, which they do. So here I am, wanting to believe in Obama, trying to continue to support him, wanting him to succeed, and trying to believe that he would really like to do what I would like him to do, but I don’t know. What a way to run a railroad!

I guess I also continue to support him because he is basically “the only game in town.” The party of NO has been so despicable as to be beneath contempt. And most of his critics are so predictable, petty, and often absurd, to say nothing of usually being completely ignorant of that of which they speak, they are not worthy of a second thought. In this context Obama is still a giant being set upon by Lilliputians and the demented. Long live Obama! (I think and hope).

LKBIQ:
We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities.
Oscar Wilde

TILT:
There are an estimated 22,000 species of ants.