Obama’s debut
Marek Jurek
The directions of the new presidency were already outlined in the inaugural speech. And even earlier. One of the two pastors whom Barack Obama had invited to say payers before his swearing in was Gene Robinson, the first pastor who openly admitted to his homosexuality and who was elected bishop in the Episcopal community. As one can see in the liberal culture a politician should not express religious opinions when he defends Christian orthodoxy but when he questions it his opinions are very much welcomed. The inaugural speech foretold bigger trickle-down economics and generally bigger budgetary expenses (together with a thousand billion plan to prevent the effects of the financial crisis). In the international politics the first declaration of President Obama suggested leaving the neo-conservative politics of President Bush – preventive wars against the challenges recognised as threats to the national security. President Obama announced that he did not want to see competitive value for the freedom of individual in the national security. He spoke about America as a multicultural country: country of Christians, Muslims and followers of other religions. He addressed the whole world with this message: to the West, to the world of Islam and to Africa. His allegedly rhetorical statement sounded meaningful, ‘For the world has changed and we must change with it!’ The change began on the second day after the swearing-in. On the 36th anniversary of the verdict of the American Supreme Court concerning abortion President Obama stated that he included abortion to human rights. And at the same time he took the decision about financing abortion programmes abroad. President George W. Bush refused to finance the UN population agency (UNFPA), especially because of its supporting the communist China where abortion rapes are conducted on women just before the natural delivery. The new president also abolished the national interdiction to finance abortion death centres and he is going to abolish the right that allows medical doctors to refuse killing unborn babies. There comes even worse time for the civilisation of life, the more that instead of international protests against these activities, which damage human rights, you can expect international support for them.
The global ambitions of Obama can make Central Europe be on the periphery of the American politics. G. W. Bush was not only the president of war against terrorism but also the son of President G. H. Bush who had finished the cold war victoriously; who defended the Polish borders during the unification of Germany and earlier for many years – as vice-president – he supported Ronald Reagan in his fight against communism. G.W. Bush himself declared in Warsaw ‘No more Yaltas!’ and confirmed that by his involvement (especially accepting the Baltic countries into NATO). The new president is a riddle. Time will show how the relations between involving America’s powers into world conflicts and containing conflicts aiming at building global security mechanism will develop. Will the policy of defending the free world against such countries as China or Russia be replaced by the policy of building the New World with them? One of the first places Barack Obama is going to visit is Moscow. Anyway, he will go there before he comes to Warsaw.
"Niedziela" 7/2009