THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE

American politics is a fascinating soap opera. Political careers are as resilient as Dynasty, and those 1980’s drama shows which ran for years, were. Indeed the Bush, Clinton monarchy which has defined U.S. bipartisanship for nearly 20 years is quite dynastical. But Washington, following the trend in Hollywood, could be moving towards reality dream shows such as the Obama phenomenon.

This guy is a hit, especially amongst the 70% of Americans who think the U.S is going in the wrong direction and some are even comparing him to the Kennedy of our times. But with his abstract promises of change, and his youthful cult-like following, there is something about him which doesn’t make him quite presidential.

When one looks beyond this phenomenon, things just don’t add up. Apart from the obvious facts that he shares his second name with a tyrant of the later 20^th Century, is son to his estranged Kenyan father, went to school in Indonesia, and was raised in Hawaii, he also lacks considerable experience. All these unspoken facts are building up an 800 pound gorilla in the room which no-one is talking about. Hillary picked this up in one of her debates and accused the press of wearing padded gloves when questioning Obama in press conferences.

Students, groupies and Obama fans queue for hours just to be swooned by one of his speeches. But as many live concerts and tours he might do, questions still remain. Who exactly is this guy? What is his connection to the convicted Chicagoan political fundraiser Tony Rezko and why did he not outright reject his Church minister’s award to Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam and a known anti-Semite and racist, who has entices hatred. When it comes down to it, what does he mean by hope and change which is as abstract as Bush’s doctrine of freedom?

Besides, if he were to become President, America will be returning to a typical political swing which Obama supposedly wants to end. His record is as liberal as Ted Kennedy’s. In response to the conservative administration, he may be resorting to a pendulum swing towards the far left which in turn will have conservative backlash in the midterms. So much for the end of bipartisanship!

Whether she wins or loses, Hillary is the balance to the pendulum and the safe bet to the impulsive and “pop” support of Obama. Ironically, the people voting for her are women over 65 and the unemployed which are the same people who watch daytime soap operas.

A SUMMER TO REMEMBER...
A Look at the American 2008 Elections in the last days of the Civilisation's Summer

The study of civilizations shows a cyclical and repetitive pattern which historian Max Dimont describes as the spring, summer, fall and winter periods. In the spring, a civilization emerges with new concepts. By summer, it peaks and by fall, it becomes tied to the materialism on which it peaked, leading to an eventual decline into winter.

Contrary to Shakespearean theatre, the winter of discontent was not in Elizabethan England, but was rather in 20^th century Great Britain (which ironically was another Elizabethan era). While the sun set on the British empire, the spring of opportunity emerged across the Atlantic to usher in the 20^th century as the American century.

Now that the American century is over, is this century the fall of the American empire? Has the summer of liberty and economic freedom finally come to an end? No doubt the undisputed title of the United States as leader of the world is now somewhat disputed. It is a world in which traditional values of democracy and freedom are being replaced by new and non-absolute ideas.

It is a meshed world where China is now capitalist, terrorists are now elected officials and Kyoto is no longer just a place in Japan. And it seemed for a time under the Bush administration that American principles of freedom and liberty were becoming too vague for a world that has changed since 1776.

With terrorism, the war in Iraq and a lack of leadership on climate change and global affairs, the autumn leaves are beginning to fall on Washington. Doubts over the future of America have lead to what some have called ‘a broken-government’.

But with the 2008 election, unlike the hopeless 2004 one, there is an air of hope again and the candidates reflect a need for change in a world that is always changing. The material aspirations of the American dream and the polar opposites of Church and State, individual and government, environment and economy, no longer fit the rest of the world’s definitions of success. Policies of unilateralism, denial of climate change and stereotypes of Texan oil tycoons have done little to ease this.

From Obama to Clinton to McCain, the excitement of their campaigns and the enthusiasm of the electorate show that the next election is a do or die pitch for a future in which America keeps the lead, through adaptation and innovation. While the race will be closely contested, the real winner here will be the American electorate and the idea that democracy is strong and can adapt. The candidates are out on the streets, citizens are canvassing outside subway stations. The leaves might be falling on Washington, but no-one is ready to say ‘the summer affair is over’.