6 janvier 2009 — Les événements mettent de plus en plus en évidence ce qui semble devoir être une orientation radicale de la présidence Obama, et une caractéristique de plus en plus marquée, renvoyant à une tendance historique des USA. Cette orientation radicale comprend deux composantes qui, elles aussi, prennent des aspects radicaux avec des événements qui favorisent cette orientation générale. La chose est résumée, notamment, par deux textes du Times, du même jour (aujourd’hui), qui sembleraient à première vue concerner la même question, et qui ne la concernent pas du tout. Dans l’un, il nous est dit que “le monde attend qu’Obama parle” (The world is waiting for Barack Obama to speak his mind»); dans l’autre, on croirait entendre notre soulagement puisqu’il semblerait qu’effectivement Obama se prépare à “nous” parler («The President-elect is said to be planning a big speech…»), – mais soulagement de courte durée. La phrase consultée jusqu’au bout, en effet, il s’avère que “nous”, qui attendons son intervention dans la crise de Gaza, “nous” ne soyons pas du tout concernés: «The President-elect is said to be planning a big speech exhorting his country to demonstrate a sense of national unity during the economic crisis.»
Dans le premier texte, Bronwen Maddox commence par le rappel implicite de la blague cruelle de Henry Kissinger en 1974, raillant l’absence d’une Europe comme acteur de la scène internationale (“l’Europe, quel numéro de téléphone?”), et elle le retourne contre les USA. Le sacrilège, sous la plume d’une journaliste du Times, trahit l’étonnement, voire l’agacement du silence du President-elect sur la question brûlante de l'heure, mais la question extérieure.
«If Europe wants to phone America on the Gaza crisis, who does it call? Not George Bush, who has two weeks left in the White House. And not Barack Obama, who has been mute on Israel’s military action, although the world looked to him immediately the conflict filled the screens. “Nobody at home in Washington”, ran one US headline on the turmoil.
»“President-elect Obama is closely monitoring global events, including the situation in Gaza, but there is one president at a time,” said Brooke Anderson, his chief national security spokeswoman. This is disingenuous. Even if silence is meant only as evasion, it will never be taken as neutral by the region, where officials pore over every phrase – or the absence of them – for clues to Mr Obama’s policy. It is astonishing, in a campaign that turned on foreign policy, how much he managed not to say on the subject.»
Il faut observer, ou rappeler ce que chacun doit savoir, que la transition entre Bush et Obama est exceptionnelle par l’exceptionnel implication du President-elect dans “les affaires”, ce qui a accéléré la quasi-disparition d’un Bush d’ores et déjà presque entré dans l’oubli. Cela semble constituer une considérable contradiction avec ce qui précède immédiatement, sauf que, bien entendu, nous ne parlons pas des mêmes “affaires”. L’“absence” d’Obama dans la crise de Gaza est non seulement une question de forme qui l’arrange (“il n’y a qu’un seul président en fonction, et ce n’est pas moi jusqu’au 20 janvier 2009”), d’autant qu’elle est démentie effectivement sur la forme par son comportement vis-à-vis de la crise économique US; c’est aussi une question de fond, parce que, effectivement, la seule chose qui lui importe, avec un sens de l’urgence qui s’accroît chaque jour, c’est cette crise intérieure. La particularité à cet égard, illustrant une autre crise, la crise endémique du pouvoir aux USA, est que ce président très majoritairement élu, immensément populaire et disposant d’une forte majorité au Congrès, doit s’employer à gagner les républicains à sa cause, – où l’on voit, évidemment que le “il n’y a qu’un seul président en fonction” ne fait aucun doute dans ce cas, et l'on sait de qui il s'agit…
«Barack Obama began work in earnest yesterday, twisting arms and stroking egos in Congress to garner support for a planned $775 billion (£525 billion) recovery plan for an economy that he described as “very sick”. On his first full day back in Washington since the election, the President-elect dispatched his daughters to their new school before heading to Capitol Hill to prepare for one of the most difficult inheritances faced by an incoming president.
»At every turn yesterday, he underlined the gravity of the crisis and the need for national unity. After speaking with his economic team, he declared: “The situation is getting worse. We have to act and act now to break the momentum of this recession.” Later, meeting with Congressional leaders from both parties, he said: “We are in one of those periods in American history where we don’t have Republican or Democratic problems, we have American problems. My commitment as the incoming president is going to be to reach out across the aisle to both chambers to listen and not just talk, to not just try to dictate but try to create a partnership.”
«In an effort to appease Republicans and some conservative Democrats worried about the growth of public spending, Mr Obama’s aides have disclosed that the package will include about $300 billion of tax cuts for middle-class workers and businesses. They also suggested that he would propose long-term “radical reforms” to rein in a federal deficit projected to reach trillions over coming years.
»Although the Democrats have majorities in both Houses, Republicans would still be able to muster enough votes to block or delay the spending programme which, they fear, heralds a new era of wasteful “big government”. Hopes that a Bill could be ready for Mr Obama to sign into law on January 20, the day of his inauguration, have dissipated after Republican leaders signalled that they would not be rushed into agreeing any deal until next month at the earliest.»
Relevant cette même absence du President-elect sur la “crise du jour” (Gaza), l’Independent observait hier que ce silence était parfaitement accordé à l’humeur générale aux USA.
«Mr Obama has not come under pressure to speak out on the crisis in Gaza however. “Almost everyone in Washington agrees that the timing of the latest crisis had at least one benefit,” the New York Times said yesterday, “It came before the inauguration of Mr. Obama.” Despite his staunch support for Israel — at one point justifying a response to Hamas rocket attacks — he “has raised expectations of a change in policy in the Middle East,” the paper said.
»A recent Pew survey reveals that US voters are far more worried about their jobs and the economy than foreign policy. And finding a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict comes bottom of US foreign policy worries. Mr Obama is still in his honeymoon period with a Gallup Poll indicating that his transition is more than weathering any criticisms it has endured since the election.»
Lassitude de ROW
Dans le premier texte, Bronwen Maddox commence par le rappel implicite de la blague cruelle de Henry Kissinger en 1974, raillant l’absence d’une Europe comme acteur de la scène internationale (“l’Europe, quel numéro de téléphone?”), et elle le retourne contre les USA. Le sacrilège, sous la plume d’une journaliste du Times, trahit l’étonnement, voire l’agacement du silence du President-elect sur la question brûlante de l'heure, mais la question extérieure.
«If Europe wants to phone America on the Gaza crisis, who does it call? Not George Bush, who has two weeks left in the White House. And not Barack Obama, who has been mute on Israel’s military action, although the world looked to him immediately the conflict filled the screens. “Nobody at home in Washington”, ran one US headline on the turmoil.
»“President-elect Obama is closely monitoring global events, including the situation in Gaza, but there is one president at a time,” said Brooke Anderson, his chief national security spokeswoman. This is disingenuous. Even if silence is meant only as evasion, it will never be taken as neutral by the region, where officials pore over every phrase – or the absence of them – for clues to Mr Obama’s policy. It is astonishing, in a campaign that turned on foreign policy, how much he managed not to say on the subject.»
Il faut observer, ou rappeler ce que chacun doit savoir, que la transition entre Bush et Obama est exceptionnelle par l’exceptionnel implication du President-elect dans “les affaires”, ce qui a accéléré la quasi-disparition d’un Bush d’ores et déjà presque entré dans l’oubli. Cela semble constituer une considérable contradiction avec ce qui précède immédiatement, sauf que, bien entendu, nous ne parlons pas des mêmes “affaires”. L’“absence” d’Obama dans la crise de Gaza est non seulement une question de forme qui l’arrange (“il n’y a qu’un seul président en fonction, et ce n’est pas moi jusqu’au 20 janvier 2009”), d’autant qu’elle est démentie effectivement sur la forme par son comportement vis-à-vis de la crise économique US; c’est aussi une question de fond, parce que, effectivement, la seule chose qui lui importe, avec un sens de l’urgence qui s’accroît chaque jour, c’est cette crise intérieure. La particularité à cet égard, illustrant une autre crise, la crise endémique du pouvoir aux USA, est que ce président très majoritairement élu, immensément populaire et disposant d’une forte majorité au Congrès, doit s’employer à gagner les républicains à sa cause, – où l’on voit, évidemment que le “il n’y a qu’un seul président en fonction” ne fait aucun doute dans ce cas, et l'on sait de qui il s'agit…
«Barack Obama began work in earnest yesterday, twisting arms and stroking egos in Congress to garner support for a planned $775 billion (£525 billion) recovery plan for an economy that he described as “very sick”. On his first full day back in Washington since the election, the President-elect dispatched his daughters to their new school before heading to Capitol Hill to prepare for one of the most difficult inheritances faced by an incoming president.
»At every turn yesterday, he underlined the gravity of the crisis and the need for national unity. After speaking with his economic team, he declared: “The situation is getting worse. We have to act and act now to break the momentum of this recession.” Later, meeting with Congressional leaders from both parties, he said: “We are in one of those periods in American history where we don’t have Republican or Democratic problems, we have American problems. My commitment as the incoming president is going to be to reach out across the aisle to both chambers to listen and not just talk, to not just try to dictate but try to create a partnership.”
«In an effort to appease Republicans and some conservative Democrats worried about the growth of public spending, Mr Obama’s aides have disclosed that the package will include about $300 billion of tax cuts for middle-class workers and businesses. They also suggested that he would propose long-term “radical reforms” to rein in a federal deficit projected to reach trillions over coming years.
»Although the Democrats have majorities in both Houses, Republicans would still be able to muster enough votes to block or delay the spending programme which, they fear, heralds a new era of wasteful “big government”. Hopes that a Bill could be ready for Mr Obama to sign into law on January 20, the day of his inauguration, have dissipated after Republican leaders signalled that they would not be rushed into agreeing any deal until next month at the earliest.»
Relevant cette même absence du President-elect sur la “crise du jour” (Gaza), l’Independent observait hier que ce silence était parfaitement accordé à l’humeur générale aux USA.
«Mr Obama has not come under pressure to speak out on the crisis in Gaza however. “Almost everyone in Washington agrees that the timing of the latest crisis had at least one benefit,” the New York Times said yesterday, “It came before the inauguration of Mr. Obama.” Despite his staunch support for Israel — at one point justifying a response to Hamas rocket attacks — he “has raised expectations of a change in policy in the Middle East,” the paper said.
»A recent Pew survey reveals that US voters are far more worried about their jobs and the economy than foreign policy. And finding a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict comes bottom of US foreign policy worries. Mr Obama is still in his honeymoon period with a Gallup Poll indicating that his transition is more than weathering any criticisms it has endured since the election.»
Lassitude de ROW
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