We traveled to Lebanon on Thursday/Friday. Learned in Frankfurt airport about Barack Obama’s big victory in Iowa. Great news!! Got to Beirut and discovered my bag hadn’t. So I’m sitting here in one of Bill’s shirts waiting for the bag, which Lufthansa promises will turn up this afternoon.
Once again, dealing with this seven-hour time difference gives me just a tiny taste of how disorienting any sleep deprivation can be. It therefore seems clear that prolonged and systematically applied s.d. regimes, such as U.S. operatives have practised against detainees in the colonial wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and against detainees in Guantanamo and elsewhere, can cause severe damage to a person’s sense of her/himself and thereby considerably corrode the independent human personality… And that is, after all, the aim of all torture.
(I am NOT claiming that the slight disorientation I have suffered is at all commensurate with the mental incapacitation suffered by the US government’s detainees. Of course, it is a known risk, that I have voluntarily and knowingly assumed. And it is already almost past. But experiencing it is a good reminder of the reality and gravity of the much bigger problem.)
But back to Obama– a much happier thought. I have already read a lot of commentary about his victory. One of the main points I’ve noted is that the engrossing contest within the Democratic primary process in Iowa succeeded in bringing out huge numbers of new participants in the complicated process of the party’s caucus system.
That is great news– including, that it is a great portent for the general election that will take place November 4. Getting a strong turnout in the polls November 4 will be key to a democratic victory. And it is, of course, an excellent portent for the health of US democracy looking into the future, too.
Turnout for the Democratic caucuses in Iowa was 239,000. Perhaps this was the greatest number ever? I’m not sure. But anyway, it was far, far higher than most people’s expectations. It’s a high figure, too, if you remember that people had to commit to turning out on a very cold night and to spending several hours participating in the whole caucusing system. Much more complicated than simply casting a single primary ballot, which is all the Iowa Republicans had to do… And for them, the turnout rate was, I think, less than 100,000.
Another item I picked up was that Obama did better than Hillary among all groups of women in the state, except for women over 65. That’s interesting, because Hillary has tried to position herself as very much the choice for women. In Iowa, there is only a tiny sliver of African-American population, so if we take a “demographic-likeness” view of voting, then Obama had little “natural” base for his campaign there. What he proved instead was his ability to transcend many different kinds of demographic boundaries.
What does Obama represent, for me? I still have the excitement for him that I had when I went to see him in person at the end of October. I realize he is not everything I would like to a candidate to be. I wish he could speak more constructively on the Palestinian issue, the need for a complete withdrawal from Iraq, and the need for a universal health-care system. But after eight years of harsh Bush partisanship I like Obama’s willingness to try to transcend a position of strict partisanship. I really like that he is not just a re-tread of disappointing times past, as Hillary is. I like that his youthfulness could draw more Americans into active participation in the political system. I like his “difference” from the same-old-same-old that has stifled American politics for so long.
I have to say that I also really dislike Hillary trying to “claim” all of Bill Clinton’s experience and record as President as somehow also accruing to her “experience account” while also presenting herself as a person of independent accomplishment… And also her convenient omission of the fact that the one thing her husband did explicitly– if not entirely constitutionally– entrust to her care during his presidency, namely an overhaul of the health-care system, turned out to be a disastrous failure and a setback to the campaign for decent health-care; and the cause of that failure was in large part her gross mismanagement of the reform project.
So Obama’s victory in Iowa looks really exciting to me. I hope he can take some good momentum forward to the next primaries, in New Hampshire and South Carolina. (S.C. will be a good test of whether he can attract some solid support from white folk in the south and not just in demure, well-meaning Iowa.)
By the way, the main thing I came to Lebanon for is this conference at AUB. Then, I’m going to Syria.
24 thoughts on “I’m in Lebanon; thoughts on Obama, etc”
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Sponsored by
The Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdel Aziz Alsaud
Hummmmm
Opening Ceremony, Gefinor Rotana Hotel, Rotana B, Level C.
Ms. Latifa Al Busseir, Representative of Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud, Comments
The story behind the establishment of this center at AUB and a parallel one at AUC is interesting. Immediately after 9/11, Prince Al-Waleed, whom we could describe as one of the modernizing and uber-capitalist forces in the Saudi royal family (as opposed various other, much more retrograde forces within it), tried to make a donation of $10 million to New York City to help with efforts to repair the city and its people after the devastation of the attacks waged against it by some of his compatriots. But then-mayor, Rudy Giuliani, immediately announced that he refused to accept money from any such source. (This continued a long tradition of US political figures grandstanding in a very racist way about how they “refuse to touch Arab money,” as though it is tainted purely by its racial associations?)
So Prince Al-Waleed said Fine, then he’d use the money instead to fund centers of excellence in American studies in the two well-established American universities within the Arab world, as a way to increase understanding between the US and the Arab world.
I think that was a great response.
Sadly, the generosity of his funding for the centers doesn’t extend to providing honoraria for participants in their conferences. Still, I am grateful to have the basic costs of the trip covered in this way.
(His father, btw, was the leader of the four pro-Nasser “republican Saudi princes” back in the 1950s-60s. I met him in Cairo in February last year. A fascinating historical figure.)
There is a story about Rudy Giuliani and donations made after 9/11.
I don’t know how truth in this story, but let read it:
“We had a very good meeting yesterday. Very good,” said Giuliani
, adding that he was “very, very grateful” for al-Thani’s generosity. It was no cinch, of course, that Giuliani would take the money: A week later, he famously rejected a $10 million donation from a Saudi prince who advised America that it should “adopt a more balanced stand toward the Palestinian cause.”
More about Al Waleed to those who don’t know him
A documentary about Al Waleed– Billionaire, Prince, Businessman presented by Riz Khan – who wrote his book.
The documentary was made first when Riz Khan had just met him and he then decided to write a book on him. The documentary tell many things about him,
A very interesting conference. Ideally, I would have loved it to be a 3 ways conference arguing the American Middle Eastern Experience as a colonial venture by involving three different contingents: an American one, an Arab Nationlist/Leftist one and an Islamist. It would have been more informative, as a similar one could be imagined for French North African Empire during or after the Algerian Revolution. Still, this is better than nothing. I did note that Norm Finkelstein presentation was the only one to be followed by comments from another speaker: an attempt at moderation?
immediately announced that he refused to accept money from any such source
False. He accepted the money then gave it back when Alwaleed used the ensuing media attention to opine distastefully on I-P issues (offensive most of all to Palestinians, affiliating their political grievances to nihilistic suicide terrorism.) Salah correctly notes that Giuliani has accepted plenty of cash from Arab donors.
as though it is tainted purely by its racial associations
Quite unfortunate, a bit like crowing over “influential Jews” bankrolling think tanks and op-eds.
Ayb ya Helena, you are in Beirut without me!
KDJ
H, if you are inclined, perhaps you could make time to visit the tent of the Lebanese detainees at ESCWA/Khalil Gibran Gardens-the families WOULD LOVE to meet you-and you would be deeply moved by their work-I helped them recover the boards of their family members during my doctoral research-YOU MUST MEET ABU TARRAF-he is ADORABLE…so old….and his life has been tormented waiting for the return of his son…taken by Al-Saiqa at 16.5…H, you would LOVE HIM…he IS LEBANON…
I will never meet a more INNOCENT and ADORABLE person in my life….
FYI 12k miles roundtrip to Lebanon adds 3 tons of C02 to the atmosphere per passenger [trips to Lille, Spain and domestic flights within the US would tack on at least another 5 to your personal acct just from air travel, twice the global average]
Isn’t it possible to do all this conferencing via the internet?
OK, then, Vadim, let’s everybody stay home and nobody ever go to visit another country. Americans already know more than they need to about what is outside their little piece of the world anyway.
I guess I’ll have to cancel my plans to visit family and friends in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria this coming April. After all, being able to spend time with people face to face is vastly overrated. I sure hope I can get a refund on the air fare!
Vadim, you are right that Giuliani did originally accept the money but wrong in your characterization of al-Waleed’s subsequent remarks. CNN reported them thus:
The prince offered his condolences to the people of New York, but after the ceremony he released a statement suggesting the United States “must address some of the issues that led to such a criminal attack.”
… The prince’s statement said the United States “should re-examine its policies in the Middle East and adopt a more balanced stand toward the Palestinian cause.
“While the U.N. passed clear resolutions numbered 242 and 338 calling for the Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza Strip decades ago, our Palestinian brethren continue to be slaughtered at the hands of Israelis while the world turns the other cheek,” the statement said.
You may judge this to be “distasteful opining”, as I suppose Giuliani did. Most people around the world would disagree with you. I think there was nothing inappropriate in using the opportunity to call for the US to adopt a more balanced policy in the Middle East– something which imho needs calling for at every available opportunity until it actually happens, because guess what the killings and collective punishment are still continuing, today.
I would not have used the same, somewhat exaggerated–and confused– language al-Waleed used. (“The world”, or more specifically the US government turns not “the other cheek” but “a blind eye” to the quite illegal violence the Israelis continuously mete out to the Palestinians.)
But Rudy was grandstanding… so what else is new?
What was good was having the money used instead to support these two centers dedicated to increasing international understanding. Gosh, Rudy Giuliani could sure use a bit more of that!
I’m assuming your remarks re the carbon footprint of the AUB conference were tongue-in-cheek? I’ve never seen you making note of the carbon footprints of the huge numbers of Americans who go to Israel for various reasons– or, much more consequentially, the vastly larger carbon footprint of the US occupation force in Iraq and other US military adventures around the world.
FYI 12k miles roundtrip to Lebanon adds 3 tons of C02
Oh yah very valid point here vadim, you counting Helena’s trip CO2 emission, did you recall your Ramble here:
Salah, Gulf states per capita CO2 is high because of gas flaring .
How many fighters, Hercules and other warplanes and ships in the Arabian Gulf?
How many CO2 emitting due to support transports those huge troops and military bases in the Gulf States?
Most importantly is Iraq, main one how many Military trucks, fighters and warplanes over Iraq per/hours how much CO2 emission can you calculated and tell us pleas?
Or what your estimations for those troops from US to the field and from field to US CO2 emitting?
BTW, How much GWB trip to Gulf States and ME CO2 emission causing Vadem?
You may judge this to be “distasteful opining”
The opinions alone aren’t distasteful. But imagine a wealthy pro-lifer offering a multi-million dollar check to the victims of an abortion clinic bombing, then using the platform to lecture us on the evils of the practice that “inspired” the attack (see also Jerry Falwell, who sees God’s warning to homosexuals and feminists in the attacks)
That Al Qaeda shares some of the same goals as the Palestinians doesn’t mean Al Q’s behavior should shape the political process in any way. Saying “your policies caused this” after a terrorist attack is thuggish and exploitative. Moreover, it’s horrible PR for the Palestinians, whose goals now seem congruent with Al Qaeda’s in the eyes of millions.
“Most people around the world” would agree that using violence to coerce opinion is wrong, and borrowing the threat of terrorism to exact “even handedness” is just that.
Shirin, one of the things we Americans “need to know” is how our indulgence in gas-guzzling air travel adds to the entire world’s global warming problem (see Helena’s many recent posts on the topic). So sorry if that “inconvenient truth” intrudes on your holiday schedule! Maybe you should apply your fare refund toward an inexpensive webcam instead?
I’ve never seen you making note…
Consider them noted! I’m all for a greener (and far smaller) US military. Israel isn’t among the top 10 US air travel destinations so I’m unclear why you picked them out for special attention (now THAT’S tongue in cheek!) But yes, it is deeply hypocritical for anyone to call for carbon austerity and then jet off for a ski trip, a European vacation, a business conference or any other non-essential fossil-fuel driven journey.
Or is “Queering the Migrant Female Body” the sort of lecture one *must* experience in person?
Or is “Queering the Migrant Female Body” the sort of lecture one *must* experience in person?
Vadim,
After looking at the abstract, I think that this is something that must be seen to be believed!
That Al Qaeda shares some of the same goals
It’s all “Al-Qaeda”
Now Al-Qaeda massages on the cell pones!! Can you believe it? very very scary
The most advanced state in this world launched war on Iraq and with all her technology can not targeting or locating those terrorists and locating those devices (like cellophanes) who sending those massages??
Very surprising looks terrorist group have technology far beyond US or Israelis with specialty in all of electronics skills when attacked the Iraqi Nuclear reactor near Baghdad before 26yeras June 1981.
Well, Vadim, your sudden concern about Middle East travel and CO2 footprints noted, I still believe that this world would be a far better place if every American were required to travel to – and preferably to live in – other countries at least a few times in their lives.
Deepest sympathy Helena
I have yet to take a trip that involves changing planes at the Black Hole of Frankfurt where my luggage shows up on the onward leg on the same plane.
But if you pick the right computer case there will be a crafty pocket that takes a shirt, a pair of socks and underwear.
Why are you ignoring the fact that Obama, like all the major candidates, is completely controlled by the Lobby?
Didn’t you know? We control everything. Well, everything except for the Kennedys. They’re controlled by the Papist Lobby.
Didn’t you know? We control everything. Well, everything except for the Kennedys. They’re controlled by the Papist Lobby.
Well, controlled or not, he certainly likes the Lobby and its policies a lot. In march 2007 he spoke to the AIPAC, and this is how he described his audience (of AIPAC members):
Last week, this event was described to me as a small gathering of friends. Looking at all of you here today; seeing so many of you who care about peace in this world; who care about a strong and lasting friendship between Israel and the United States, and who care about what’s on the next page of our shared futures, I think a small gathering of friends fits this crowd just right.
source: http://obama.senate.gov/speech/070302-aipac_policy_fo/index.php
Unfortunately Obama is an American Exceptionalist eager to use an expended military, but competently of course. There is no relief in sight to US imperialism.
I simply cannot understand the excitement about Barak Obama, especially among people who are involved in foreign relations issues, and therefore ought to know better.
On Iraq, he has voted in lockstep with Hillary – at least on the votes he did not somehow manage to ducj out on by not being there (this habit of ducking controversial votes, by the way, is something he carried into the U.S. Senate from his days in the Illinois state legislature).
He has stated on a number of occasions that despite the fact that he opposed attacking Iraq from the beginning, he very well might have voted in favor of it. On at least one occasion he described his position on Iraq as identical to George Bush’s.
He has announced his intention to significantly expand the military. Why would the United States need an even larger military than the oversized one it has now if it is going to withdraw from Iraq and refrain from attacking and occupying additional countries?
If Hillary is a hawk – and she is and always has been – then Obama has been trying to outdo her. He would not merely use military force to bring ENEMY countries into compliance with U.S. wishes, he would even use it on allies.
As chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on European Affairs Obama has done exactly nothing. He has not held a single policy hearing. And he has never bothered to visit Europe.
Obama’s take on “why they hate us” – and his solution – is, if anything even more lame and clueless than Bush’s “they hate us for our freedom”. Obama believes “they hate us” because they only hear about us from our enemies, who naturally say only bad things (it apparently has not occurred to him that the policies and actions of the United States might have something to do with others’ attitudes). Therefore, he plans to send hordes of fresh-faced twenty-somethings around the world to spread the GOOD news about America. Further, in cities in the Muslim world he will set up “America Houses” which will woo the affections of Muslims by offering – gasp of amazement! – internet cafes. Apparently, despite spending a few years of his childhood in a Muslim country, he is unaware that the internet has reached most of the Muslim world, and in most major cities internet cafes are like Starbuck’s in the United States. Ah yes, and these America Houses will also offer English instruction.
I just can’t see Barak Obama as the American Savior in any way, shape, form, or dimension. He is mostly sizzle with very little steak, and even the small bit of steak does not look very appetizing.