Humanity must face today challenges that can reach points of no return: letters to President Barack Obama and to the NGO

Humanity must face today challenges that can reach points of no return. In dealing with this kind of processes potentially irreversible, to postpone the adoption of measures would be an intolerable and guilty irresponsibility: the deterioration of the environment; the human tragedy of the refugees and emigrants; the demented actions of the so called “Islamic State”; the war in Syria… and the daily genocide of thousands of persons dying of hunger while 3 billion dollars are invested in armament and military expenditures… With a reasonable part of this amount, global sustainable development could be implemented. 

It’s a real human emergency to act, applying all knowledge available in order to stop and reddress the present trends. 

For all these reasons, I publish the letters recently written to the President of the United States, Barack Obama, and to the NGos of the United Nations. 

We are drafting at present a Joint Declaration requesting to convene without delay an Extraordinary Session of the UN General Assembly –with the consensus of all the countries, because global threats require global actions- in order to adopt measures on the most pressing issues mentioned above, as well as a “road map” for the refoundation of a United Nations System capable to deal with the new possibilities and dangers of the digital era and the anthropocene. The Joint Declaration will be published as well in the next weeks.

Read letter to President Obama

Read letter to NGO

President Obama: Don’t Repeat in Syria the Tragic Error of Irak

For years –with the terrible outcome of the unlawful invasion of Iraq in my memory and heart, and later given the obscene spectacle of Gaddafi’s assassination– I have continuously insisted that a re-founding of the United Nations it is both indispensable and urgent. Another attack, without awaiting the report of the UN’s inspectors –as was the case in Iraq with the concocted lie suggesting that Saddam Hussein’s regime possessed “weapons of mass destruction”- would once again constitute a blood-stained affront to the United Nations’ jurisdiction. 

“There is only one emergency exit: a re-united United Nations!”, I insisted a few days later. And on February 13, 2012: “Syria? The Only Solution: a Unanimously-supported United Nations”. I then proposed a “re-founding” of the United Nations in two stages: an immediate one in which the General Assembly would unanimously appoint a spokesperson to establish the appropriate contacts with the al-Assad government to reach the pertinent agreements, thanks to the immense authority with which he would be vested. In a second stage a General Assembly would be constituted with 50% of its representatives from member states and the other 50% comprising representatives drawn from civil society. In other respects, the present Security Council, in which there would be weighted votes but no veto powers, would be joined by a Socio-economic Security Council and an Environmental Security Council. 

The Western countries –due to global ambitions for hegemony that promoted plutocracy and the markets- has lost its authority and legitimacy. It lacks political and moral leadership. Europe, frightened, intimidated, with a security system dependent on others, obsessed with risk premiums and ambiguous “economic upturns”, hasn’t known how to play the “major role that it should in the recent crises, confrontations and upheavals” (August 24, 2013). 

President Obama: take action with the United Nations. Only you, with the actual and virtual participation of the peoples, can repeat in your second mandate the achievements of President Roosevelt… but this time taking into account the people, the peoples. 

Don’t intervene without information from United Nations –and not from other discredited intelligence channels- indicating those who are responsible for this conflict. And don’t intervene without the approval of the Security Council. It would be a great deception and another act of irresponsibility to attack Syria with missiles launched from aircraft carriers to demonstrate to its government the strength of the West while ignoring the “collateral effects” –that have never worried the “great lobby”- and without really knowing who that will benefit (because so little is known about the “opposition” and what is known isn’t to be trusted). 

Before shooting, Mr. President, look at who is urging you to pull that trigger. Think of the “people” on both sides. And don’t do it. President Obama: today you have the opportunity to prompt a significant turning-point from oligarchy to democracy, from a culture of dominance, imposition and violence to a culture of conciliation, alliance and peace. From force to words. 

Take advantage of it.

The President of the United States and the First Lady in the House of Slaves of Goré, Senegal

It is very striking that those who today appear at the “no return gate” in the House of Slaves are the President and First Lady of the United States. 

The most horrifying offenses committed against human beings are just left to our permanent memory. We now see that black people embody such powerful worldwide symbols like Nelson Mandela, imprisoned for 27 years for his dark skin, and the leader of the most powerful country on Earth. 

Those painful memories are left behind but they should always be kept alive to guide our daily behavior. 

In July 1992 I wrote a poem in the Island of Goré, a place declared as World Heritage by UNESCO: 

His last

glance 

before lying down 

in the hold. 

His last 

look 

through the narrow 

doorway 

 at the island 

that land 

of his 

now sailing 

through waves of indifference 

towards unknown shores. 

We still hear 

today those sobs, 

still see 

the last traveller’s glance 

uprooted 

brutally 

from his land, 

from his home, 

from his shores. 

They were sold 

by weight. 

We must 

pay the debt. 

This is the true debt of our past. It must inspire future paths.

Excellent opening speech of President Obama in his second term

Luckily, in the midst of so many somber realities and expectations, President Obama appears as the leader of  the yet most powerful country of the Earth, who can start the "new beginning", the historical inflection from force to word.

Despite harassment of the Republican Party on which lies the military, financial, energetic and media "great domain", he has now the moral authority at a global scale that would allow him to replace the democratic principles where "globalizers" placed trade laws; ethical values that were replaced erroneously by the “market”.  And he could undertake the reconstruction of a democratic multilateralism, respecting "all peoples" -as stated in the Charter- and not only to the most prosperous and powerful. Obama could also tackle the great socioeconomic, environmental and security and peace issues adopting measures at national and global levels involving all the inhabitants of Earth, as far apart today, so unequal, so confused, so many needy...

Here are some of the paragraphs that I consider interesting to note:

“Together, we discovered that a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play”.

“Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable…”.

“…We have always understood that when times change, so must we; that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges”.

“For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it”.

“We understand that outworn programs are inadequate to the needs of our time”.

“We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations…”.

“The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it”.

“But we are also heirs to those who won the peace and not just the war…”.

“We will renew those institutions that extend our capacity to manage crisis abroad”.

“We will support democracy from Asia to Africa; from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom”.

“Peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed describes: tolerance and opportunity; human dignity and justice”.

“Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity; until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country”.

“For now decisions are upon us, and we cannot afford delay”.

“You and I, as citizens, have the obligation to shape the debates of our time — not only with the votes we cast, but with the voices we lift in defense of our most ancient values and enduring ideals”.

Obama, another opportunity to clarify the directions of a future respectful with the young and succeeding  generations, in order to straighten up the injustices caused by the extreme greed, due to the absolute power blindness rather than genuine democracy.

Obama: His reelection, global hope

The lack of leaders, especially in the West, is overwhelming. Only President Obama can reunite the United States that the whole world needs for the great historic turning point that lies on the horizon.

Former Portuguese President Mario Soares is one of the few high-level political leaders from the key years in the democratic reconstruction of Europe and the world who continues in his watch tower, inspiring changes based on his profound experience and ethical values. A few weeks ago he wrote an “Open Letter to Barack Obama" in which he sent his best wishes for Obama’s reelection: “If your Republican opponents are returned to power, the results would be far worse than Bush Jr.’s second term. This cannot happen. It is not a simple election; it is about the future of the West and the world".

On several occasions I have written in my blog about Obama’s “solitude” in global governance ("At Last, Disarmament", 9.10.09; "Without a Single Republican Vote", 5.04.10; "President Obama is playing his cards. Europe is pulling back", 7.02.12; "Hollande and Obama, could be...", 7.05.12)... And it’s just that, despite the immense (military, media, financial and energy) powers in the hands of the major figures within the Republican Party, Obama has finally achieved one of the dreams of all of the Democratic presidents since Harry Truman: Medicare for all Americans (40 million of whom could not get healthcare through insurance companies). Although it sounds improbable, Mitt Romney has promised to repeal that law immediately!... and many Americans, accustomed to looking out solely for their own interests, won’t refuse him their votes for that reason. They forget that Republican party presidents were the ones who abandoned the United Nations, replacing them with groups of oligarchs (G7, G8, G20); and who refused to sign the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child; the International Criminal Court, the Law of the Seas; ... and who decided to invade Iraq based on lies, resulting in millions of displaced people and thousands of deaths and injuries.

A few of the disgruntled, such as Jonathan Schell ("El País", 28.10.12) believe that “the Obama of 2008 won’t return. He has left forever". I believe that he wisely “left” when needed during moments of harsh Republican harassment, but that he has “returned” when the circumstances warranted doing so. Despite the immense power of the pro-Republican communications media, Obama continues to be the choice of young people and of the most humble and vulnerable. Especially the immigrants, for whom he has implemented profoundly humane policies and whom Romney has treated with such contempt.

Obama will undoubtedly continue his policy of creating jobs with FED incentives, which has produced such positive results to-date. And he will regulate the possession of weapons, while developing energy policies and protecting the environment with the special care expected from the (still) most powerful country on earth. For years the Exxon Mobile Foundation and other oil companies deceived the world concerning climate change (see "The Truth of the Denial" in Newsweek, 13 August 2007).

The wise decisions that Obama has already adopted to decrease immense military spending have been harshly attacked by the United States’ “hawks” –American Enterprise Institute, Heritage Foundation and the Foreign Policy Initiative- with their joint declaration "Defending Defense" last June (see Jim Lobe’s blog at http://www.lobelog.com). We shouldn’t forget that the major part of the 4,000 million dollars invested daily in military spending and weapons (which is truly scandalous when at the same time there is a silent genocide of 60,000-70,000 people who die of hunger) comes from the U.S.

Paul Ryan is even more radical than Romney, and both know the U.S. well from their perspective. But their knowledge of the world is dangerously lacking. With them, relations with Europe will be jeopardized and the inadmissible ambitions of Israel vis-à-vis Iran will become a reality. Iran has too many oil reserves (and don’t forget that Iraqi oil is already to a great extent in the hands of major U.S. oil companies).

The Mormon business empire, with assets valued at 30,000 million dollars (according to Política Exterior’s weekly report, 23.07.12) should (as should others) increase its currently precarious social programs.

Despite the real estate bubble, hedge fund loans, the financial depression of 2008... Obama was able to head off the severity of the recession with stimulus packages capable of initiating the recovery that is so appreciated by part of the U.S. electorate.

The present American administration has taken into account the new labor model, with profound changes in the very nature of employment (due to de-localized production and computerized automation) and workers. This should prove to Europe that the answer can’t be found in austerity, which only compensates financial institutions, weakens the middle classes and dismantles the social safety nets achieved with so much effort in the past.

"Strength and moderation" were the qualities attributed to Barack Obama on the editorial page of "El País" (15.09.12). Instead of the raised fist of the policies of dominance, so characteristic of the U.S., Obama has offered an outstretched hand. With four more years and with possibilities for demonstrating citizen power that were heretofore inexistent, the U.S. president could begin implementing genuine democracy at the global level. A “globalization” based on the contrary of his predecessor Reagan: ethical principles; multilateralism; concerted efforts; cooperation. In that event, the “American dream” would become the dream of all of the world.

During a second term President Obama could do many things that humanity desires and to which he has already alluded: re-founding the United Nations system; achieving peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; sustainable development, replacing exploitation of the poorest countries with international cooperation; amicable attitudes in relations with the Russian Federation, Turkey and India; rapprochement and dialogue with the Islamic nations; a friendly balance with China... for that “new beginning”, for that new era that he announced a few months after his first mandate.

If Obama is re-elected, with Hollande in Europe; with efficient leaders in Latin America; with willingness to devote the much deserved aid to Africa... the presently darkened horizons would be illuminated.

Hopefully the desires of the majority of Americans and of the immense majority of the world’s citizens will be fulfilled.

Then we would finally be able to rid ourselves of the last evidence of a system that is still crippling Europe and commence a new era in which we could achieve (and I never tire of repeating this, because this is my dream) the formidable prelude of the United Nations Charter: "We the Peoples..." All human beings, equal in dignity, determining their own destiny. A world led by a U.S. President of the black race. What an achievement!

Hollande and Obama… could be…

Europe requires radical changes in order to overcome the fiasco of the last throes of neoliberal globalization and to inaugurate a new model to facilitate growth, while at the same time avoiding excesses and preventing “bubbles”. 

A system that will take into account the world as a whole and that is aware that the domination and exploitation of the resources of others –some taken by force, as in Iraq and more recently, Libya!- have come to an end. From now on the international cooperation so strongly advocated in the 1960s and 1970s (and then replaced by pure and simple exploitation) must become a reality. 

A systemic crisis requires a systemic solution. An unprecedented situation requires an unprecedented solution, a quote from Maalouf that I like to repeat. 

Let’s look at the global scene: CELAC, which represents the emancipation of Latin America and the beginning of its revival; India; Turkey; Russia… Africa… China… The West –in which the United States has diverged from the European Union’s sole policy of austerity- has suffered the most, because it collaborated the most in instituting globalization and in replacing ethical values for those of the stock markets, in speculating and in de-localizing production, and in developing a war economy of colossal proportions. 

New times –mechanization, robotics, working with computers, longevity…- for a new economic system… and a new life. Too many things have changed for us to continue to rely on “traditional” economic solutions.

To start with, Hollande should “make an about face” with respect to the situation in Europe. And once reelected, Obama should promptly proceed to re-found a democratic multilateral system. 

At the local level, democracy. Democracy at the regional level. Global democracy through a totally renewed United Nations system. As in 1948 when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights illuminated the path to the future, a Universal Declaration of Democracy is now needed to make the transition from force to words and from a culture of violence to a culture of dialogue. 

Perhaps Hollande and Obama will be able to initiate the great changes that the West and many other countries urgently require.

Blog in French

Presiden Obama playing his cards. Europe is pulling back

Despite continual hounding from the Republicans, the “great (military, financial, energy and media) domain”, and strong lobbies that (as in the case of Palestine) have sometimes forced him to backtrack, President Obama is wisely playing certain cards that will surely enable him to achieve a more active and discernible position in the U.S. and worldwide:

-Health care for millions of Americans who had no access to basic social security services. The victory in the Medicare case, which all of the Republicans voted against, is truly a milestone that so many administrations have sought to achieve since 1945.

-300,000 million dollars for public works and incentives to create employment. “Create good jobs, encourage new industries, build infrastructure to support a vibrant economy and promote energy independence,” as quoted in the January 26 International Herald Tribune, are the objectives of this currency issue whose positive effects have already been felt in the last few weeks.

-Change of the U.S. administration’s principal focus from the Atlantic to the Pacific. In my opinion this is a wise decision that will have extraordinary impact in the not too distant future.

-Reduction of nuclear armament and, more recently, a strong reduction in military spending. Among others, the United States’ new “strategic guidance”, released at the Pentagon on January 5, envisions a redefinition of the superpower’s role in Europe (Weekly Report in “Política Exterior”, January 23, 2012). Washington’s decision to focus its attention on the Asian-Pacific region, cut the Pentagon’s budget by 500,000 million dollars in the next few years and reduce its military bases in Europe is very important in the short term. And in any case, the U.S. retains the symbolic value of underscoring its transatlantic ties, deploying significant parts of its missile defense shield in Turkey, Romania, Poland and Spain.

The Weekly Report likewise emphasized that NATO will continue to be Europe’s principal defense organization, underscoring the lack of political will in Europe to assume greater autonomy in the areas of security and defense.
According to Lluis Bassets, the decisions outlined above mark “the end of an era” (“El País”, January 11, 2012).

It’s true that President Obama hasn’t kept some of his promises or has done so only partially. There are still 170 prisoners at Guantanamo and there has been no urgent re-founding of multilateralism, despite the fact that he knows this is the only way to meet our current challenges, and that the groups of plutocrats initiated by Reagan and maintained by Bush are only making the situation worse.

In addition to these recently-played “cards”, it’s worth underscoring the new approach to relations with Moslems that involve excluding military intervention in Iran, despite constant incitement from Israel and Saudi Arabia’s appearing to consent.

In conclusion, President Obama is taking steps in the right direction… while Europe is pulling back to the point that the markets are appointing governments without holding elections.

"Without a Single Republican Vote"

With much difficulty and a few concessions, President Obama was finally able to pass a reform of healthcare legislation, where many generations and several former U.S. presidents had failed. The law increases access to healthcare to over 30 million U.S. citizens who cannot afford private medical insurance. But it is sad to admit that the immense influence of insurance companies has created a situation in which the more fortunate show little solidarity for those who aren’t.

I am quite perplexed and rather ashamed of blind obedience to party politics. “Party discipline” must be limited by conscience and by respect for values and human rights, which are so often on the tongues but less so in the hearts of those who, in order to preserve what they deem essential, should learn how to transform that which is not.

How was it possible, as was the case in Spain, to blindly vote in favor of the invasion of Iraq, based on lies, but as a “matter of discipline”, when I know for a fact that many who did so did not agree or had problems of conscience?

With these strict and obstinate conditions, bridges of concord and good governance will never be built between opposing groups in Washington or in Madrid.

But “representatives” of the people should be aware that in a few years the people –who are still so distant and so often ignored- will no longer accept incongruities of this nature, especially when they violate the most prized ethical principles.

People will no longer continue to observe in silence “what is going on,” “what they are doing"...

Let the parliamentarians of both here and there take note. Listen continually to your constituents, because if you don’t you will soon be “cut free”, having lost the links and support that citizens, disillusioned with the way laws are passed, can no longer give you... especially when they later discover that the essential rule of democracy is ignored: respect for the results.

And I say this because what is worse than having been passed “without a single republican vote”, is that some states governed by conservatives threaten not to implement the law. And the same situation exists in our own country with the “rebellion” preached by certain ultraconservative leaders.

A few years ago I wrote these verses about the “silent representatives of the people": "they merely seek / to remain / silent, / unnoticed, / pale, / in their stuffed / chairs. / They won’t lift / their voices / nor their eyes..."

I hope with all my heart that the “Obamas” in the world are successful and that once aware of citizens’ imminent reaction, parliamentarians will finally decide to vote on key issues according to the dictates of their conscience. Then they will learn how good that feels.