As the speech itself acknowledges, a single speech can’t resolve things. But it is impossible to overstate how significant it would be if the vision President Obama expresses and aspires to in this speech is successful. The text of the speech is here, or here for translations into 14 other languages. It is worth taking the time to listen to and watch as well.
Every Monday morning during my radio show on community radio 4ZzZ FM, I chat with Peter Black, a constitutional lawyer, follower of social and political issues and obsessive user of social media. I don’t normally put links to those chats on this blog, but given that our talk this morning was all about the federal election, I thought it was worth putting a link to it on this occasion. You can have a listen to it by clicking on this link.
(0)Given I am now running as a Greens candidate, I suppose it is no surprise that I am indicating my agreement with a comment that Bob Brown made today. But I would also say that it isn’t any secret that I haven’t agreed with every public comment that Bob has made, and I would agree with the following comment about the schoolyard level nonsense regarding another possible leaders debate even if it had been made by Steve Fielding:
“What we’re seeing now between the two leaders is an absolute farce and people everywhere are rolling their eyes at Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard not having the maturity to get together to agree to the series of debates which would have enlightened the electorate,“It is a joke and a sad reflection on the optic and image driven nature of political media coverage in Australia. A couple of weeks ago, there was a three way debate at the National Press Club on important ICT issues such as internet filtering, broadband and wider communications policy. More... (6)
A couple of years ago I wrote a blog post about mountaintop mining in the USA. All mining has some impact, but the sheer destructiveness of this type of mining is astonishing – and that’s before you take into account the greenhouse impact of the coal. This article in the New York Times details the potential impact of a similar project in West Virginia. The significance of this proposal is that there is the possibility it may be stopped, or seriously curtailed, by the Obama administration, which would be a signal of a positive shift on this issue.
(2)Following are links to a couple of recent radio interviews I’ve done, plus an online one
More... (1)As I noted in my previous post, this week’s Newspoll saw the Greens register 16% support – the highest that party has ever achieved, comparable to the Democrats best Newspoll result of 17% back in 1990. History suggests it is unlikely that this peak will be maintained right through to election day (or even the next Newspoll) but it is part of a continuing trend of solid Greens results. I’ve written a piece expanding on this, and how the party might approach the challenges ahead, at The Drum/Unleashed on the ABC’s site – which you can read by clicking on this link.
(0)Contention over Queensland’s Wild Rivers legislation has been bubbling along for quite a while now. Unfortunately, as with many issues which become polarised, each “side” is focused on defending their position, which has meant that some important underlying issues are not getting the attention they deserve. I’ve just had a piece on this topic published at The Drum on the ABC’s website. It’s fairly long, so they published it in two parts – the first part is at this link and the second part is at this one. I should emphasise that the article reflects my personal views, and is not a formal view of the Greens, nor of ANTaR Queensland, who I am also involved with.
(18)Hip hop fans in Brisbane might be interested in tuning in to my radio show on 4ZZZ FM this Monday morning around 7:30am. I’ll be talking with the Gold Coast based duo Choose Mics, who are launching their debut full length album Beggars Can’t Be Choosers at the Step Inn in the Valley this coming Friday night as part of what will be a big night for fans of hip-hop/rap/urban sounds, with Brisbane’s The Optimen also launching their second album “The Out of Money Experience” as part of the same event. Even though there is a steady stream of musical offerings in Brisbane, a double album launch of this magnitude doesn’t come along every day of the week, so I’ll dedicate a half hour or so to exploring not just the words and sounds of Choose Mics, but getting a broader overview from them of the hip hop related scenes locally and nationally.
More... (2)Disclaimer: The inclusion of a blog or website in this list should not be taken as an endorsement of its contents by me.
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9 Comments, Comment or Ping
philip travers
Will listen a later time Andrew.But is it really fair to think what this man says is something worthy, whilst what is legislated and why it is legislated often appear somehow in the opposite camp!? F16s from the U.S.A. bombing Palestinian farms and illegal settlers taking the lack of law into their own hands around all this time of the Great New American deal in Speech.Two meanings there,maybe within his Speech as well.On other matters American Legislation,it looks like the GMO crowd have become so dominant they are into legislation banning the collection of organic seed.As I say,Australians find it impossible to look behind the scenes.DavidIcke.com
Jun 5th, 2009
kika
obama’s obvious friendship with the saudis will not gain the trust of the majority of people in the middle east.
his (so far) willingness to continue to send arms to israel says far more than his fine-sounding words!
Jun 6th, 2009
lorikeet
Yes, I think he is too much of an idealist for the real world – also a liar.
Will he set an example by being the first to get rid of his nuclear weapons? He’d be a fool if he did.
“America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire.”
Tee hee.
“Out of many, one.”
He’s just another globalist, like most Australian politicians.
“Moreover, freedom in America is indivisible from the freedom to practise one’s religion.”
Don’t they have sedition laws like ours?
He says oil and gas are not the important things. Who does he think he’s kidding?
Dear me! Why should be have to put up with all of this feigned middle-aged naivete?
He’s hardly going to go in there and tell them he wants to take them for everything he can get without anyone firing the odd angry shot.
Jun 6th, 2009
philip travers
Actually Andrew,I apologise I dont want to listen to the Obama Speech…I think he is such a bloody liar,that I have seen enough of them from the U.S.A. , it would only be a commentary on his Professionalism at that. I have seen all the body movements already.
Jun 6th, 2009
Yulia
This world desperately needs visionaries and idealists to lead us – the fact that the leader of the most powerful nation on earth clearly is both is a wonderful thing.
How can we possibly move forward towards a better world if we do not have a vision of what that would be before us?
I found the speech inspiring and full of hope – not in a “here we go this is how I’ll solve everything in one go” way but in a “this is what I believe, this is what I stand for and this is my end goal kind of way”.
He spoke truthfully and from the heart – and he fills mine with hope for a better future – one worth working towards and one worth handing on to the next generation.
Jun 8th, 2009
lorikeet
Yulia:
Don’t you think you’re being a bit naive?
Obama has clawed his way to the top of a major party, in a country very well known to be only out for itself, and capable of some exceedingly skulduggerous machinations.
I think he just wants to stroke their furrowed brows so he can get anything he wants without a fight.
There’s no chance of that ever happening. The people of the Middle East aren’t barbie dolls waiting for their hair to be combed.
Jun 9th, 2009
Sean McConnell
Hey Andrew, just wanted to get a bit of an update on your thoughts about Obama now that he’s failing the progressive world miserably and constantly capitulates to the irrational right wing in America. I mean, it’s all gone wrong hasn’t it? During the election I was quite pessimistic about both him and McCain, thus I was rooting for Nader, was I right? Is there any hope left for Obama’s presidency?
Sep 16th, 2009
Andrew Bartlett
Hi Sean.
Being a pragmatic type, the appalling electoral system they have in the USA means that I could never root for Nader. Florida 2000 showed the consequences of that.
That aside, I think it’s too early to dismiss what Obama might achieve. He’ll never manage what you or I would like to see, but he is still in a position to shift things much more in the right direction in some key areas.
I fear he won’t be able to shift things as much as is needed when it comes to climate change, even though it will be much further than what McCain could manage.
But given the USA’s system which provides a more genuine separation of powers, even if by some miracle Nader became President, he’d still be dealing with the same Congress, and for all sorts of reasons I think Obama has a better chance of getting Congress to agree to good things than Nader (or most other folks) would be able to.
Sep 16th, 2009
Lorikeet
I think the more that politicians screw the poor and lower income families, while giving out welfare to middle and high income earners, the further the voters will move to the left.
Liberals, Nationals and small religious parties in Australia should take note of the likely nett result of their middle class separatism/selfishness.
Lots of people seem to like Obama, but he seems to be doing the same as Rudd – giving out borrowed money all over the place – very often to people who don’t need a Stimulus Package because they already have plenty of money to spend.
Sep 17th, 2009
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