Tariq Ali on the Obama Syndrome 1/5

In this Perth Writers Festival talk, Tariq Ali argues that very little has changed since George W Bush left the White House -- especially when it comes to foreign affairs. Writer and filmmaker Tariq Ali has written seven novels and over 20 books on world history and politics (including The Clash of Fundamentalisms, Bush in Babylon, Pirates of the Caribbean , The Duel and The Obama Syndrome ). He has also penned a number of plays for stage and screen. He currently worked as an editor for New Left Review . Presented by the Perth Writers Festival, March 2011

[@goldmaple4360]

I am not a racist. I am a pragmatist. I am not against anybody. I want everyone to work collaboratively toward peace.

[@Mjhavok]

Thank you for posting this.

[@sheltercrow]

The U.S. has over 300,000 troops stationed abroad with no official war. That is empire.

[@monjiaitaly]

government can not create anything, they need to get out of the way and let americans do what they do best WORK.

[@AgainstNihilism]

The New Deal didn't get us out of the Depression it was actually World War II that got us out of the Depression. Not to say that the New Deal didn't accomplish anything though because it certainly did help a lot.

[@goldmaple4360]

I believe Obama has got a very tough job. He is privy to information not accessible to the public. I think he is doing a fine job despite attacks from the left and right.

[@mikecorbeil]

@simonliquify In Africa, and according to persons like Keith Harmon Snow, ConsciousBeingAlliance . com and AllThingsPass . com, and articles at GlobalResearch . ca, fe, China's business with African leaderships willing to work with China, rather than cowaring or kneeling before Washington, is fair and more than fair; providing good deals for states and also helping the populations, in addition (food, med, ...). China uses econ. while USA uses war to force partnerships. Huge diff!

[@mikecorbeil]

@copym3 The US officially has over 800 military bases established outside of the USA and so-called US territories, such as Puerto Rico, fe. Several years ago, the official number was 7xx, in the 700s, but I read over the past couple of years that DoD increased the official no. to maybe 850 or so. But, sev. yrs ago, reputable analysts said the real no. was at least 1,000. The US is adding another 6 or 7 in Colombia as of this yr, or last yr, too.

[@Shantou1]

@simonliquify Using that logic Canada is an Empire as is The UK with its rule over Ulster, Scotland and colonies in the Falklands, military in Afghanistan etc... US parallel to Tibet and Sinkiang is Hawai, Alaska,

[@monjiaitaly]

corporations are not the problem, it is corporations in bed with politicians. Businesses with government help that is the problem. I am so sick of people blaming rich businessmen for all their woes and lack of ambition. Without right business we would all be poor. It is governments incestuous relationship with business that is destroying america.

[@mikecorbeil]

@simonliquify And, didn't you notice when Tariq Ali spoke of evolutionary, ie, progressive, improvements, rather than being able to attain them all at the same time. Don't expect utopic worldwide corrections to happen. Corrections, if any occur or are made, won't all happen at the same time, and it's better to achieve some without gaining all that're needed (at the same time), than it is to achieve no gain at all. Progress is a part of human vocabulary for a good reason, ya know.

[@mikecorbeil]

@sheltercrow So which is it, "over 200,000 troops", or "over 300,000 troops"? Both are unacceptable, but there's nevertheless considerable difference between these numbers. Officially, the US has over 800 bases outside of USA and so-called US territories, like Puerto Rico, fe. But reputed analysts said, when the official no. was in the 700s, that the real no. was 1,000 or more, for foreign bases of the USA. And there're troops where the US has no real bases, yet.

[@ShaktipatSeer2]

5:00 skip intro bs

[@mikecorbeil]

@simonliquify China doesn't war to get what it wants and/or needs. War is the only thing Washington knows. Both are powerful govts, but China evidently has much better manners when dealing with others, and I haven't researched this, but everytime I've read about the imprisonment of people, China had a definitely better record of reasonable or good prisoner treatment; something that can't be truly said of the USA. China isn't aggressor, etc., while Washington most definitely is.

[@mozillanerd]

@simonliquify Used to be centuries ago before the european and american empires

[@mikecorbeil]

@Shantou1 Yes, Dalai Lama is a clown. I agree. He and family members worked for the CIA for what, a couple of decades or more. He's no better than the Pope of the RCC is and we know plenty about that to be able to know that it's not good. But as some Catholics seem to quasi-worship the Pope, we have many fanatics treating the Dalai Lama clown in the same way. He's their messiah, when they're not voting for Obama, we might say for analogy.

[@copym3]

@simonliquify For me all state are violent anti human constructions and should be overcome! They are violent to the degre that they are powerfull! So where chinas power is growing its ruthlessness and violence against people will grow! At the moment i think the people who have to suffer the most under the chinese goverment are the chinese people! Anyway I agree that a multi-polar world is better than one superpower who can strike as it wishes ;D

[@sheltercrow]

Sorry bad figure... "The United States has over 200,000 troops stationed in 144 countries and territories."

[@copym3]

@simonliquify but on a much smaller scale! the point is that that there is one global super power who is dominating the world and whos empire streatches across all countinents! Also the us invaded so many countrys and killed millions of zivilians! By talking about the modern method and the imperial behaviour of china you downplay all these huge crimes! china didnt invade vietnam or iraq or afghanistan .....! If china would have done this all would be crazy abou it! chine is no global empire !!!!

[@questi0neveryth1ng]

Tariq is an atheist. When you are ignorant of basic claims such as that it really discredits anything else you say. Though skepticism is generally a good thing, you must also be willing to accept factual arguments.

[@copym3]

@simonliquify I dont see a Chinese Imperium anywhere! China is a regional super power and a global player but it is much more concered with itself due to its history! The US has 800 military bases all around the world and invated many country after WW2 also it overthrough many goverments and so on! I dont see where china matches this at all! But china has done and is doing many bad things to critize! But all the china bashing coming from the us is just pure hypocracy! allthebest archi

[@goldmaple4360]

Tariq Ali is eloquent and I will give him credit for having his own opinion. However, he talks so much against United States, the British and Israel. He accuses all these countries as supporting terrorism and not being democratic. Yet, he continues to live in London, in England. If he is in favor of Palestinians and Arab countries, he should go live there. I do not like him, because he says one thing, and does something opposite.