Reading Tea Leaves

It is highly embarrassing for the left supporters of Barack Obama to be feverishly searching for good works from his administration. One friend of mine sees minor nuances in Obama's statements about Israel/Palestine as signs of hope rather than seeing the backing of the most fascist Israeli government to date as a sign of the same old policy. It's very much like reading tea leaves. If it weren't for the animal rights movement, they would probably be reading entrails. The problem is that there is nothing there to point to. Health care? Looks like Obama will make it worse. The environment? No substance. The economy? Total capitulation to finance capital. I call this Obama denial. The longer they take to awake from it, the longer it will take to rally the millions who really do want progressive chance and believe that we can. The Obama administration is a cul de sac, a dead end. Time to do a U-turn and face reality.

Obama's Peace Prize

Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Barak Obama makes about as much sense as awarding it to Teddy Roosevelt (who never met a war he didn't like) and to Woodrow Wilson (who played such a decisive role in shoring up white supremacy in the United States).

It is particularly galling for it to be awarded now, as the United States fails to take a strong stand against the coup regime in Honduras and as the United States pressured the Palestinian Authority into abandoning the Goldstone Report. Add to that the continuation of the wars of occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan, the totally irrational focus on Iran, the continuation of petty measures against Cuba, and a whole litany of "business as usual" affronts to peace and justice, and the prize is just a bitter joke.

Since the deadline for Obama's nomination came about 2 weeks after he took office, it is clear that awarding the prize to him is a totally political act and one devoid of any real content. As Naomi Klein said on "Democracy Now," it cheapens the prize and drains it of significance.