Uri Avnery
25.10.08
King of the Planet
THE PRESIDENT of the
The President is not the sole ruler of the
world. There are other rulers too, albeit less powerful ones. His decisions are subject to many constraints
beyond his control. But there is no other person on earth whose decisions have
such an impact on our lives.
The eight years of George W. Bush can serve as
an example. The primitive character of the man, his low intellectual level, his
past as a born-again zealot - all these have influenced the state of the world,
from his failure in preventing 9/11,
through his bloody adventures in Afghanistan and Iraq, to the collapse of the
world economy.
But still, every one of us, the citizens of
the world who cannot vote in this election, has at least the right to say which
of the candidates he or she would prefer in the White House.
I prefer Barack Obama.
ELECTIONS ARE not beauty contests. A wise
voter must define the criteria according to which he intends to make his
choice.
For me, the main attribute, overshadowing all
others, is the ability to quickly recognize major changes when they occur and
draw the necessary conclusions without delay.
In the words of the ancient Greek philosopher,
"everything flows" - we know that the world does not stand still for
a moment. In our time, with the rapid pace of modern life, the changes are
quicker and more dramatic then they were 200 years ago. The development of
technology, the spread of the internet, globalization, climate change, the instability
of the economy, the currents of human migration, shifts in the world-wide balance
of power - these and a thousand other factors ensure that changes will become
more and more frequent and more and more radical.
The ability to adapt quickly to new situations
is a decisive requirement for a leader. After dealing successfully with the world
economic crisis, Franklin Delano Roosevelt reacted rapidly to
The President resembles the helmsman of a sailing-boat
who has to be ready at every moment for a sudden change of the wind and even
for a hurricane.
Which of the two - Barack
Obama or John McCain - is better suited for that job?
The elderly Republican, who sees himself as the successor of a long row of
Admirals and whose spiritual world is stuck in the middle of the 20th century, or the
(comparatively) young Democrat, a man of the 21st?
THE SECOND test, in my eyes, concerns the
character of the candidates. A person can change his opinions, but hardly his
character. A solid - but not exaggerated - self-confidence, self-discipline,
cool-headedness in a crisis - these will have a large influence on his ability
to carry out his duties.
We have seen the two in the great debates. One
should not pay too much attention to what was said there - everything said in
an election campaign is merely a tool to catch votes. But we saw how the two
candidates function under extreme stress. Obama
controlled himself admirably. His self-discipline did not falter for a moment.
He did not respond to provocations and he kept his cool at all times. McCain
was much less in control of himself.
The most important decision the two had to
make in the course of the campaign was the choice of a running mate. Since the
Vice-President can assume power at a moment's notice - and there is indeed a
significant probability that this may happen - the decision tells us much about
the decision maker.
Obama's decision was responsible and reasonable. He did not choose a brilliant
or charismatic person, but someone who is versed in the affairs of state and
could assume office without a problem.
McCain's decision was a scandal that cries to
high heaven. It suffices by itself to disqualify him from high office - not
because of Sarah Palin's opinions or her character,
but because she is totally incapable of filling the role of President.
The choice testifies to a basic flaw in McCain's
character. He chose her because of the needs of the moment - to revive a flagging
campaign and surprise the media, while appealing to the most primitive strata
of American society. He jeopardized the future of the country for momentary
expediency.
A person who is capable of making such a mistake
should not be in a position to lead the most powerful country and to command
the strongest military force on earth.
Moreover, the voter must ask himself or
herself: if the President suffers a stroke, like Ariel Sharon, or is
assassinated, like John F. Kennedy - would I prefer to see Biden
or Palin in the Oval Office?
As for myself, I shrink back from the very
idea of this primitive and venomous demagogue, Sarah Palin,
becoming the "Leader of the Free World".
A THIRD test is the ability to choose aides.
This, too, is an important attribute.
A strong leader, confident of himself, chooses
highly qualified assistants, people who are prepared to advance independent
opinions and contradict the boss to his face. A leader lacking self-confidence
surrounds himself with flatterers and yes-men, who tell
him only what he wants to hear. John Kennedy surrounded himself with the best
and the brightest. George W. belongs to the second category.
I judge Israeli leaders by this measure. Yigal Allon, a much admired
general and politician, surrounded himself with bright young men, who did not
hesitate to interrupt him in mid-speech and contradict him. Menachem
Begin was surrounded by people who agreed with his every word.
A strong leader invites disagreement, debate, brainstorming. A leader who only acts strong does not brook
any opposition. (Like the ultimate dictator, Adolf
Hitler, who broke out in fits of rage if anyone dared to contradict him.)
Politics is a profession by itself. Most
politicians have no profound knowledge of other matters, certainly not in the
areas in which they have to make fateful decisions - from economics to military
strategy. So the choice of the right advisors and the readiness to listen with an
open mind, to learn and to think anew are essential qualities. I have the
impression that Obama can do it. I am not so sure
about McCain.
THERE IS another important consideration to
take into account while making the choice: in a week and a half not only will a
president be chosen, but also a very large group of senior officials in all areas
of government.
In the American system, the new occupant of
the White House brings with him thousands of other office-holders, whose equivalents
in other countries belong to the permanent civil service. It is easy to imagine
the huge difference between those Obama would bring
with him and those who would come with McCain.
One should not forget the Supreme Court, which
plays a central part in the American system (as it does now in
WHEN ONE speaks about the election of a
President of the
The
George Bush came to the White House with
minimal knowledge about the world. John McCain does not know much more. True,
he was born in the American military ghetto in
In this respect, Obama
has an advantage unmatched by any previous president. He is the son of a black father
who came from
I MUST add a subjective remark. I belong to a
generation that grew up admiring
When we had grown up, we found out that it ain't necessarily so. We saw that the
The election of Barack
Obama, a man who is half black and half white and whose
convictions are liberal and democratic, can give us back some of our faith in
the
I do not entertain many illusions. I know that
even in the best of circumstances, one single person cannot turn such a huge ship
around and reverse its direction completely. But even small changes can be of
immense importance to the world.
Perhaps, some day, I shall regret every word I
have written here. Obama may prove to be a disappointment,
and very much so. We cannot know the future. Today we can judge only on the
basis of what we know today, according to our impressions and feelings today.
And these tell me: Obama.