The Emperor insists he is well clothed

The Emperor’s Speech
Obama Defends Delusions – by Nebojsa Malic, September 24, 2011 – Antiwar.com

The speech Barack Hussein Obama gave before the UN General Assembly aimed to assure the world that the Atlantic Empire was still the world’s hegemon, strong as ever, and committed to persevere in the historical mission of ridding the world of things that weren’t nice. While meant to sound inspirational and even triumphant at times, it came off more as an attempt at self-reassurance, a plea to the world to ignore the observable reality and continue to accept the myth of Imperial omnipotence.

Meaningless Peace

Almost at the start, Obama began making excuses. He inherited the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said, but is about to end them “from a position of strength.” Those who have to say they are strong usually are not. And though he claimed both countries will soon enjoy a “normal relationship” with the U.S. as “sovereign nations,” Obama promised an “equal partnership” with Iraq and “enduring partnership” with the Afghan people – meaning that in practice, they won’t be rid of U.S. garrisons, drones, spies and bribes just yet, and maybe not ever.

So, in Empire-speak, “sovereignty” is entirely meaningless, and “partnership” means taking orders without question. File that for future reference.

The False Spring

The “tide of war is receding,” Obama proclaimed. Al-Qaeda had been “degraded” and Osama bin Laden is dead. Freedom is erupting all over the world, with the “help” of Empire and its allies. In Obama’s narrative, everything is part of the inevitable historical march of “equality”, from the civil wars in Ivory Coast and Libya to the “revolutions” in Tunisia and Egypt.

Never mind that the situation in Ivory Coast was not quite as simple, or that the popular revolts in north Africa all seem to have been at least partly driven by Imperial agents. Never mind that the UN authorized a no-fly zone in Libya, not a six-month bombing campaign and “regime change”. Forget about the Shariah Democrats or whatever the Al-Qaeda in Libya calls itself now, having been installed in power by NATO. When facts come up against the narrative, the facts lose.

Notice also the different standards for different places. The Empire wants governments in Syria and Yemen gone, so they are told to surrender to the protesters – or else. Yet in Bahrain, a major US naval base, the Empire prefers “a meaningful dialogue that brings peaceful change that is responsive to the people” and believes ” the patriotism that binds Bahrainis together must be more powerful than the sectarian forces that would tear them apart.” …more