as patricians get more powerful, they do more and more destruction, death/maiming.
in ancient times with bows and arrows, spears, fire, etc., patricians cld only kill/destroy so much.

modern ones with missiles, bombs, tanks do much, much more damage.
that’s why obama is more ‘evil’ that bush.
the next manager of the ruling class’ affairs will do even more crimes and the next one even more.
expect use of dirty bombs also! tnx bozhidar balkas

While I agree with rg the lg points, I’d prefer not to frame them as cynical – which means they can be dismissed out of hand, and I think that the points are valid and should not be.

While Obama didn’t start the Iraq occupation, nor the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, nor the American system of corporate capitalism, nor did he begin rendition or Gitmo, nor on and on and on…
He nevertheless is responsible for their continued existence. And that role is the role of President of Empire. He is, afterall, president of the American Empire. He ran to be president of the Empire…slogans and marketing gimickry aside. He is not an agent of change, and he will not be MADE to be by the people who live within arbitrary borders of the USA.

Aside from some minor tweaking and roll back to pre-Bush, he has taken on the key and substantive policies that all of his predecessors have taken on – to rule and police the world. Arguably this begin early on in US history, but was upon us with a vengence post WWII. NSC 68 is a place to begin to see the articulation of this double-downed version of the Munroe Doctrine and American Exceptionalism.

Obama may move a tad this way or that, mostly, as I’ve stated elsewhere, this is a frustrating game of bait and switch whereby he says one thing and does the opposite. He has consistently used this method of Empire rulers to some effect early on in this administration, but he did this throughout the campaign season as well. He’ll continue so long as it provides a level of appeasement.

But the larger picture is the unraveling of Empire. It is happening, somewhat imperceptibly, but it is happening. There is no wall to knock down ala Soviet Union collapse; but there is the constent test of power which we know cannot be sustained militarily, but must be given by others. First the American people must give their power to others – elected officials; and then so-called allies and foes must willing view and act as if the US has real power. That is being questioned both on the economic front and on the geopolitical and hegemonic fronts.

The end may come, “not with a bang, but a whimper” but the long emergency of US domination has begun its decline and with it the power of the Presidential Emperior.

It means that the empire can do whatever it damned well pleases.

I keep suggesting that you read your history … not the apologetics taught in the schools, nor the pablum taught in the colleges and universities in the undergraduate course. Why?

Even though W Bush had lousy grades in history … he did learn enough to make sure that every stinking thing he did while in office had a precedent! Went to war with no declaration? Torture? Arrests without cause? All of it, sadly, had been done before.

This empire of OURS is based on the constitution, at least most of the time … and that constitution is often not worth a damned unless you are part of the socialistic upper class, or simply wealthy … the rest of us don’t matter … never have, never will!

Unless we start a revolution … but then the leaders will be bought off. It is called co-optation. So here is my question: How much is your set of principles worth? Not much, I suspect. They seldom are … and almost NEVER at the risk of imprisonment, or for less than the keys to the upper class. That is the magioc of capitalism … if it can not defeat you, it will buy you.

Cynical? Who me?

Yup …

RG the LG