Aijaz Ahmad: What Would a Rational U.S. Foreign Policy Look Like?

In a two-part analysis for The Real News, Aijaz Ahmad considers the working assumptions behind U.S. foreign policy decisions, assumptions that can often seem intractable, the unchangeable "way of the world." Starting with "the most basic assumption of U.S. foreign policy...that the United States is, and must remain, the world's most powerful, preeminent country," and moving to the question of why the U.S. finds it unquestionable that it have military bases around the world, Aijaz offers a concise and coherent projection for what a "rational" American foreign policy just might look like.

Part I



Part II

'The presumptive Democratic candidate for President, Barack Obama'

More than the disingenuousness of his previous foreign policy statements, Barack Obama's speech at this year's AIPAC conference the day after securing the Democratic nomination for President highlights the inevitable rightward shift that his campaign, at least in tone, will continue to make as November approaches. Below, in two parts, Aijaz Ahmad unpacks Obama's statements to the Israel lobby.

No one ought to be surprised by Obama's unequivocal stance; as even Jon Stewart points out, "you can't say anything remotely critical of Israel and still be elected president." Of particular interest for us is the reaction of the Palestinian leadership to Obama's speech, notably that of Fatah negotiator Saeb Erekat. Erekat has the audacity to say that Obama's speech was "the worst thing to happen to Palestinians" since the Six Day War, thus completely obscuring his own Fatah party's comprador role in the years since Oslo, not to the deepening political and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Moreoever, as Aijaz notes, Gaza is likely to be conveniently forgotten when the borders of the putative "cohesive and contiguous" Palestinian state are drawn.

In the second video below, Aijaz further analyzes Obama's language at the AIPAC conference, which includes the suggestion that Iran, not Iraq, would have been the 'right war,' and a call for greater unilateral action, 'outside of the United Nations,' on the part of the United States. As Aijaz tells us, 'with liberalism like this, no one needs the neo-cons.' Videos are below.

AS the transformation of Barack Obama nears its completion, Uri Avnery finds that last week's AIPAC spectacle confirms in full even the most "extreme" conclusions drawn by John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt in their seminal The Israel Lobby, published late last year--a book that Obama had already denounced for its critique of the increasingly "special" relationship between the State of Israel and the US.
Part I


Part II

Ahmad on Pakistan, cont

Thanks to NE BFF J. Loose for alerting us to Aijaz Ahmad's latest interview with the Real News, in which he once again sheds light on the current political situation in Pakistan; here, Ahmed discusses the US government's dependence on the Pakistani military, a relationship that the US will maintain even, if necessary, at the expense its support of general Musharraf.

Aijaz Ahmed and The Real News

If you haven't taken a moment to check out the ever-insightful Aijaz Ahmed on The Real News, now might be a good time. He has two new interviews up today, one on the new IAEA report and another on General Musharraf 's political future, so make sure to have a look.

Well-Made World 22

Quote of the day--

"I do not believe that any true Muslim will make an attack on me, because Islam forbids attacks on women, and Muslims know that if they attack a woman they will burn in hell."
--Former Pakistani PM Benazir Bhutto on the prospect of violence directed toward her upon her return to Pakistan following eight years of exile. And yet, this, from the AP, about fifteen minutes ago.

We're doing our best to keep on top of developments in Pakistan--an as-of-yet official presidential election; Bhutto's return; continuing anti-Nato violence across Waziristan. For the moment, we respectfully defer to Aijaz Ahmad, and this two-part video interview from the Real News website, one of our favorite sites recently, where Aijaz is a senior news analyst.

Also, congratulations to new grandfather and fellow-traveler of No Empires, John Loose (see above!), as well as to Manya and Mark.