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For Obama, No Opportunity Too Big To Blow
Contrary to countless reports, the debacle in Copenhagen was not everyone's fault. It did not happen because human beings are incapable of agreeing, or are inherently self-destructive. Nor was it all was China's fault, or the fault of the hapless UN.
There's plenty of blame to go around, but there was one country that possessed unique power to change the game. It didn't use it. If Barack Obama had come to Copenhagen with a transformative and inspiring commitment to getting the U.S. economy off fossil fuels, all the other major emitters would have stepped up. The EU, Japan, China and India had all indicated that they were willing to increase their levels of commitment, but only if the U.S. took the lead. Instead of leading, Obama arrived with embarrassingly low targets and the heavy emitters of the world took their cue from him.
(The "deal" that was ultimately rammed through was nothing more than a grubby pact between the world's biggest emitters: I'll pretend that you are doing something about climate change if you pretend that I am too. Deal? Deal.)
I understand all the arguments about not promising what he can't deliver, about the dysfunction of the U.S. Senate, about the art of the possible. But spare me the lecture about how little power poor Obama has. No President since FDR has been handed as many opportunities to transform the U.S. into something that doesn't threaten the stability of life on this planet. He has refused to use each and every one of them. Let's look at the big three.
Blown Opportunity Number 1: The Stimulus Package When Obama came to office he had a free hand and a blank check to design a spending package to stimulate the economy. He could have used that power to fashion what many were calling a "Green New Deal" -- to build the best public transit systems and smart grids in the world. Instead, he experimented disastrously with reaching across the aisle to Republicans, low-balling the size of the stimulus and blowing much of it on tax cuts. Sure, he spent some money on weatherization, but public transit was inexplicably short changed while highways that perpetuate car culture won big.
Blown Opportunity Number 2: The Auto Bailouts Speaking of the car culture, when Obama took office he also found himself in charge of two of the big three automakers, and all of the emissions for which they are responsible. A visionary leader committed to the fight against climate chaos would obviously have used that power to dramatically reengineer the failing industry so that its factories could build the infrastructure of the green economy the world desperately needs. Instead Obama saw his role as uninspiring down-sizer in chief, leaving the fundamentals of the industry unchanged.
Blown Opportunity Number 3: The Bank Bailouts Obama, it's worth remembering, also came to office with the big banks on their knees -- it took real effort not to nationalize them. Once again, if Obama had dared to use the power that was handed to him by history, he could have mandated the banks to provide the loans for factories to be retrofitted and new green infrastructure to be built. Instead he declared that the government shouldn't tell the failed banks how to run their businesses. Green businesses report that it's harder than ever to get a loan.
Imagine if these three huge economic engines -- the banks, the auto companies, the stimulus bill -- had been harnessed to a common green vision. If that had happened, demand for a complementary energy bill would have been part of a coherent transformative agenda.
Whether the bill had passed or not, by the time Copenhagen had rolled around, the U.S. would already have been well on its way to dramatically cutting emissions, poised to inspire, rather than disappoint, the rest of the world.
There are very few U.S. Presidents who have squandered as many once-in-a-generation opportunities as Barack Obama. More than anyone else, the Copenhagen failure belongs to him.
Research support for Naomi Klein's reporting from Copenhagen was provided by the Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute.
115 Comments so far
Show AllYet, Nader and McKinney supporters warned against Obama the fraud at least two years ago. But no one, including The Nation, listened.
hear hear
Saying Obama blew it implies that he erred. Obama didn't err, he has been true to his role as the best fund raising machine the Democrats have ever had. His pro-corporate agenda attracts boatloads of corporate campaign contributions.
Obama is the new Hoover, not the new FDR.
The idiots ("progessives") who got Obama elected blew it.
The Nation? Useless bunch of idiots.
hear hear & hear.
You and Raydelcamino are absolutely right. And if the powers-that-be were not sure that Obama would deliver, he wouldn't have been the nominee. Need I mention Kucinich & Dean. Obama had been groomed for years to assume this role of chimera & deceit. As you say, Nader & McKinney supporters weren't fooled, but so many other votrs were because Obama had the right appearance, glibness and credentials.
The only way out of this is to get money out of campaigning, and several states have enacted a public finance option with the help of Public Finance Campaign and Public Campaign Fund headed by Nick Nyhart. If individuals in every state worked toward introducing a public finance option, it would be a big step in the right direction.
"so many other votrs were because Obama had the right appearance, glibness and credentials."
And virtually none of the media had any clue that he was a fraud. Only after he was elected, was it judged safe to speak of his corporate connections and subservience to mainstream political machines.
Ardath Bey: You are correct. And Ms. Klein has nailed Obama as a failed leader in this terrific article.
What happened to the need to wean America off of foreign oil as a national security imperative
It is still a great sound bite.
Sadly thats all that comes out of his mouth.
Then there are the secondary failures within each of these opportunities for real and meaningful change that Obama also squandered, each of these opportunities could have provided a compelling reason to shove the blue dog democrats toward a less conservative, more progressive and visionary stance; all three opportunities toward that goal are also lost.
Another lost opportunity was to cement the republicans in their already unviable positions on the economy and social change. A line could have been drawn beyond which further attempts toward corporate welfare with no strings attached could have been rejected, instead to federal purse strings were slashed wide open to benefit greedy corporations that could give a rat’s ass about any causes beyond their own bottom line.
Finally Obama could have done much to erase the rapidly growing cynicism toward his own now empty promises of “change you can believe in” had Obama actually stood up for real change.
Opportunities like these that Obama has squandered are very rare occurrences. The likelihood that fate will give Obama more chances to bring real change to the Federal government is very very small, as is the likelihood that Obama’s presidency will be viewed by history as a success.
naomi missed the point. there was a green vision. but
it was green as in money to all his large campaign
donaters who transformed him from barrack obama
to barrack obomba otomma big business chump. malcom x
would have bitch slapped this pimp from ny to la!
between rahm emanuel and obama they destroyed and
squandered any opportunity to rebuild this country
to compete any longer. 2012 can't come fast enough.
at least with bush you knew it was all about the
powers that be. it seemed on some levels that
he would be different but clinton redux is our
reality!
"malcom x would have bitch slapped this pimp from ny to la!"
You damn sure got that right.
Blown opportunity #4: Health care reform. We really could have had it, and now what we face is an insurance industry bailout, and uncontrollable power to the industry to raise rates to the stratosphere for all of us who will be required to buy it.
Sioux Rose
BLISS: Blown opportunity # 5: Continuing the bloodthirsty tradition of the make-war state by doing NOTHING to amp down militarism or use skillful diplomacy to gain leverage over energy deals. (These, of course, would be less germane and necessary were steps taken to invest in vital forms of renewable energy.) Instead, with money in scarce supply (for positive things like health care and domestic programs), it's thrown AT the military and all those over-paid private contractors who think they are a legion of 007 warriors granted the license to kill.
# 6, anyone...?
Blown Opportunity #6: Failure to keep his promise on transparency and honesty to the people. Some say he did keep his promises for the big guys who are our enemies.
Blown Opportunity #7: Failure to pull out of the Clintonian triangulation habits.
Just a thought but it's too sickening to describe so sorry for being too brief on mine.
Actually I think he has done things - he has worsened the situation. For instance by pushing sales of armaments to both Pakistan and India. And then claiming we have to stay in the middle east to keep them from fighting each other.
Joe
Yes, peace, another blown opportunity, a big one, but re the skillful diplomacy, I'm not even sure if or where any diplomacy was required, other than big apologies. I'm wary of straw man threats that feed the fear that feeds the beast.
Blown opportunity #8. Forcing the government held banks to renegotiate mortgages under some Federal authority with someone like Elizabeth Warren heading the agency.
Blown opportunity #9. Merely that if these initiatives had been taken over the past year then consequently we would not be staring the Greater Depression in the face.
You just covered 5 thru 25, Sioux.
stop tearing Obama down! Stop it! He was better than McCain! So what the wars are raging! Obama is better than McCain! He won the Nobel Peace Prize and said that the UHC bill is good. We need to stand with Obama. Don't forget the tears on election night 2008!
Obama beating McCain was indeed fortuitous for it has disabused many from thinking one could effect real change merely by voting for the Democratic Party
I agree. If we didn't have the real Obama, people would still be pining for the promise of an Obama.
He was an illusion to get over. He is a learning experience and provides a teaching moment. The trick now is to keep the backlash from turning to the right.
Joe
YEAH THIS IS TRUE. IF ANYTHING CAN STIMULATE THE CHANGE NEED FOR A THREE OR FOUR PARTY SYSTEM. WHAT WE HAVE NOW CAN! COALITIONS AND A PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM AS WELL. TWO CHILDREN CAN'T HAVE THE
PAIL AND SHOVEL IN THE SAND BOX ANY LONGER! THEY NEVER LEARN HOW TO PLAY WELL
WITH OTHERS! OUR SYSTEM JUST DOESN'T WORK!
Dude, please share whatever it is you are smoking...
Cholera would be better than McCain; 0bama may be worse.
McCain would at least have had trouble getting the cooperation of a Democratic Congress, and Palin --- well, Palin would have been like a set of big, round, concentric circles on the administration's butt.
Don't forget the betrayal of the tears on election night, Owl! -- the betrayal of each and every desire that went under the now-tarnished name of Hope.
The 0 bill provides for near-universal insurance fleecing, not universal health care.
If we're to stand with 0bama, he has to distance himself from Cheney.
Meanwhile, the Nobel Committee could have served peace better by reinventing dynamite.
I'm beginning to believe Barack's become a Scandinavian Bombo Eruption (apologies to ladies of the Northern Lights).
I guess ex-cokeheads make lousy Presidents.
The guy was always a sellout. It's easier to rise when you have no priciples to defend and fight for. A smooth turd floats to the top faster.
"I guess ex-cokeheads make lousy Presidents."
We already knew that from GWB. It's deja vu all over again.
who are you calling "ex" cokehead?
Okay, I admit it. Everything was, is and will be my fault. I have no ideas or interest in anything but my own agenda. I have no concept that there might be a world outside of my interests. I know beyond doubt that fixing what I want to fix the way I want to fix it when I want to fix it is the only solution to everything wrong in the world. I don't see myself as being short sighted, narrow visioned, selfish, self centerd, greedy, uninformed or even rightious. My beliefs are simple and simply the correct and only workable beliefs around. And I love to call people names and demean them. It makes me feel important and empowered. The trouble is, most of my ideas don't work and won't work beyond the first test plot. Damn, I try so hard.
Now, since I've taken the responibility for all bad things perhaps there might be more interest in ideas and solutions rather than name calling and pissing and moaning. Keeping in mind that no matter what is done, it will change. The hard part will be not going back to the easy way.
Oh no! First Amy Goodman, and now, Naomi, not you too! Please, please, please, let the "Dopenhagen" crap go, come back from "the Bella of the Beast" and use your considerable writing and analytical skills on something more worthy of them.
You and everybody else there got punked by every DLC corporate stooge from Al Gore to Barack Obama. Your and the rest the feelings and genuine needs of the world's majority of humanity don't matter a bit and never will till you put some fat-cat heads into guillotines (or find away to electronically loot their money accounts).
Poet
I think I disagree Poet. I believe Naomi Klein and Amy Goodman are spending their time fruitfully commenting on Copenhagen. First, the destruction of the biosphere may be the most important unifying survival issue of all in this century. It encompasses human rights, economic inequality, the need to attend to peace. Second, the machinations in Copenhagen clearly illustrate that we cannot expect change from high level initiatives. Third, some of the attendees give us hope, showing us that we have brothers and sisters all over the world who are struggling for their survival. Without Amy's coverage and Naomi's commentary, we would not know of them.
Joe
"First, the destruction of the biosphere..."
As a biologist I have to disagree. The biosphere is not being destroyed, we are collectively carrying out an uncontrolled experiment. I frequently discuss with my colleagues the types of organisms that are likely to survive and flourish. These organisms will form the basis for exploiting the ecological niches that will be opened up after the current extinction event.
What % of you-all are arguing for the survival of the humans?
(You will pardon the emphasis on a narrow part of the spectrum, I hope. They're sort of a hobby of mine.)
TheProf - I agree that it is an uncontrolled experiment and that ecological niches will be opened up as a result of species or population demise. Very much the way roaches and rats will move into an abandoned home.
The current rate of species extinction is very high. Species diversity is being lost in many areas. Dead zones are expanding in the ocean. No doubt certain very adaptable species will fan out and fill the empty niches...as have humans. But when that happens, eventually the overblown species will eat and pollute itself out of house and home. For example, fish and marine life are declining because of human caused acidification, pollution and overfishing, which in turn will affect human nutrition, especially in poor coastal areas.
So maybe "destruction" was the wrong word. Perhaps "impoverishment" and "non-sustainability" are better words. Or - perhaps watch out! we have no idea of the cascading effects of what we are doing.
And I admit that I do put a high value on human life. But that's rather natural. A sparrow puts a high value on sparrow life and works very hard at it. But I see human life as closely intertwined with that of every plant and animal on earth.
Joe
.
Naomi Klein would make a wonderful replacement for Stephen Harper. What's a good party that she could join in Canada to lead?
Her father in-law is an icon within the NDP and they sure could use a dynamic leader that truly believes in what the party stands for and will be fearless in advocating those beliefs unlike their current leader who only believes in himself.
I didn't know about her father-in-law but I'll bet that she could light up the NDP in a heartbeat. Isn't the NDP a third party in Canada? I hear that the main opposition to the conservatives in Canada is looking a lot like the Democratic Party here in the USA.
Your read on both parties is accurate. Her father in-law is a former leader of the Ontario NDP and ambassador to the UN as well as a tireless advocate for human rights. His father is a former leader of the federal NDP.
We don't really have a two party system in Canada like our southern neighbours. Although only the Conservatives or the Liberals tend to get elected. Unfortunately our liberals which are supposed to represent the left of the spectrum operate much like the right wing conservatives led by Harper. For instance, here in BC our liberal party recently got elected on a sham platform that espoused a balanced budget and no tax increase but then initiated a new tax that will switch several billion in expenses from businessess to citizens, primarily low and middle income citizens. This was done as a means of saving the budget which they claimed ater they were elected was in far worse shape than they had known, even though evidence surfaced that they knew all along and kept that info from the consituents. They also are responsible for the 2010 olympics in Vancouver which is costing the province billions all for the sake of helping businesses. Meanwhile homeless people are being forcibly moved from Vancouver to the north so the world will not see Vancouvers dirty problems. It's a bullshit business first attitude that is screwing people. Arguments are being made that it's better to pay more for a cup of coffee than it is to have no job and no coffee, which is apparently what will happen if we don't get the new tax. It's all a sham but thankfully people are starting to clue in I hope...
Oh dear! There are no good parties in Canada these days. There are herds of "useful idiots" in thrall to the same toxic Friedmanism/Thatcherism that blew the humanity out of the American and British systems. These days for sure, TINA.
I don't think that Obama really cares about how many opportunities he squandered away. I wrote his campaigning team a letter of concern about my county returning red so fast and they coolly reply "Oh, we'll fix it", whatever that means. Unless Diebold actually plans to deliver for him in 2012, I think he's repeating former President Carter's fate.
I'm sure you are right, he will share Carters fate and his place in history.
President Carter has integrity, and has continued his efforts to make the world a better place, speaking the truth about Israel's slow-motion holocaust against the Palestinians, and spearheading the drive to eradicate the Guinea worm in Africa. Thanks to President Carter, the Guinea worm, cause of horrible human suffering for centuries, is close to being completely eradicated. Carter is a giant; Obama is not. They will NOT share similar places in history.
From a NY Times story about President Carter's campaign to end the suffering caused by the Guinea worm:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/26
/international/africa/26worm.html
"For untold generations here, yardlong, spaghetti-thin worms erupted from the legs or feet — or even eye sockets — of victims, forcing their way out by exuding acid under the skin until it bubbled and burst. The searing pain drove them to plunge the blisters into the nearest pool of water, whereupon the worm would squirt out a milky cloud of larvae, starting the cycle anew.
"The pain is like if you stab somebody," said Hyacinth Igelle, a farmer with a worm coming out of a hand so swollen and tender that he could not hold a hoe. He indicated how the pain moved slowly up his arm. "It is like fire — it comes late, but you feel it even unto your heart."
"Now, thanks to a relentless 20-year campaign led by former President Jimmy Carter, Guinea worm is poised to become the first disease since smallpox to be pushed into oblivion. Fewer than 12,000 cases were found last year, down from 3 million in 1986.
"Mr. Carter persuaded world leaders, philanthropists and companies to care about an obscure and revolting disease and help him fight it. His foundation mobilized volunteers in tens of thousands of villages to treat the drinking water the worms live in.
He is a better ex-president than he was a president.
Joe