The Scoop on Obama’s Cabinet

Afshin Rattansi talks to DV co-editor Joshua Frank

by Afshin Rattansi / November 26th, 2008

Afshin Rattansi has for more than a decade and a half worked in flagship broadcast and print media around the world. In the UK, he has worked at The Guardian, the New Statesman, for every regional and national outlet of the BBC and a host of award-winning Channel 4 production companies. He is currently a news anchor at PressTV. His quartet, "The Dream of the Decade - The London Novels" is published by Booksurge in the United States of America. Read other articles by Afshin, or visit Afshin's website.

This article was posted on Wednesday, November 26th, 2008 at 9:12am and is filed under Afghanistan, Civil Liberties, Democrats, Empire, Imperialism, Interview, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Media, Middle East, Militarism.

6 comments on this article so far ...

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  1. craig said on November 26th, 2008 at 10:46am #

    Oh my God another Brit out to enlighten we benighted Americans. Gee, thanks ever so much. By the way, have you you checked out GB lateley or mulled over the fact that there are no black or brown members of pariliment anywhere in Europe?

  2. Erroll said on November 26th, 2008 at 11:21am #

    Craig seems to have viewed a different video than the one that I have just seen as the one who dared to criticize Obama’s selections as being not that of change but rather more of the same was Joshua Frank. It would appear that Craig takes umbrage at the fact that the British news anchor had the audacity to simply wonder if Obama’s picks for his administration actually do represent change or are Obama’s choices simply more centrist Democratic selections which will differ in very few ways from mainstream thinking, despite Obama’s claim that he represents a paradigm of change. One would also like to believe that Americans should not be immune from criticism, even if that criticism may originate [horror of horrors!] from a person who is not native to this soil.

  3. Shabnam said on November 26th, 2008 at 11:26am #

    Only those who hide the role of international zionism get on BBC. Despite the fact that Obama, a zionist puppet, was condemned to bring the war mongers of Clinton era back, yet resean behind it was left out. Clinton administration was the most PRO ZIONIST administration in the history of the US presidency and it was the precursor for Iraq invasion. Whoever does not include the role of international zionism to explain US foreign policy especially in the Middle East and Africa, and limits herself/himself to ‘American empire’ in order to divert attention from an important factor, zionism, then will not be taken seriously.

  4. mary said on November 26th, 2008 at 11:55am #

    For Craig’s enlightenment, there are biographical notes on Afshin Rattansi on http://www.afshinrattansi.com/ (Select ‘about’ and
    click on).

    There are many brown and black (as Craig puts it) MPs in the British Houses of Parliament. Yes the UK is in Europe.

    Press TV is Iranian owned and broadcasts from Teheran and does have a UK studio.

    What Joshua Frank has to say is very pertinent and to those of us who predicted Change, What Change? it is all too depressing. The list of incumbents getting re-appointed goes on and on.

  5. tony smith said on November 26th, 2008 at 2:20pm #

    Craig – I have been making the same argument. Everytime Europe’s support of Obama was paraded around as a badge of honor, I wanted to puke. Ask racial and religious minorities in Europe about their experiences. It ain’t pretty.

  6. Ramsefall said on November 28th, 2008 at 9:16am #

    Craig,

    I don´t see the importance of whether criticism comes from within/out the US. In fact, objectivity may likely contain more clarity from abroad. Anyway, the differences between US/UK culture are minute; driving on the left vs right, coffee vs tea, accent, Monarchy, some vocabulary and grammatical differences — who really believes that our government actually broke away from the crown?

    The pervasive problems arising in the US are sending shock waves around the world, thus anyone outside of US has a right to inject their opinion.

    ¨America¨ is in dyer need of enlightenment and should graciously accept it from whichever corner of the globe it arrives. Unilateral thinking along with corruption is bringing the nation to its knees. Perhaps the US should just be quarantined by the international community instead of attempting to collaborate and solve the problem communally.

    Way to keep your head in the sand, Craig — more of the same.

    Best to all.