– IMAGINARY  EXPECTATIONS

 

The new elected president of USA Barack Obama, on 11/2008, was welcomed in USA and all over the world with unprecedented excitement and expectations. There is a say that higher the expectations the bigger is the disappointment.  The changes that USA can do, such as reconsidering the deployment of anti-missiles system in Eastern Europe, the reception of Georgia to NATO, the change of strategy in the “war on terror” by shifting more troops to Afghanistan and changing the tactics, which cause unacceptable civilian casualties (see – Kandahar 11.03.08) and negotiation with Iran are all imperceptible in the short term.

Right now the main issue is the American disturbed economy. Heeling USA economy is a long, painful process and substantial improvement is not right behind the door. In Democracies, influenced by modern media, there is a short memory and no patience for long process. Almost all the media and much of the public are expecting fast results “here an now”, which no body can provide – not “superman” and not Barack Obama.

Generally speaking the real changes that USA presidents implemented for the good or for the worse were fully understood only years later. The fool implications of Bush administration will be judged differently over time and so will be the judgment of Obama’s deeds.

We can assume that Obama will change the basic approach of USA toward international conflicts from confrontation and patronization toward negotiation and reconciliation but there is no guarantee that the new approach will do better in solving international and domestic problems. It can be, as well, used by USA opponents for manipulations, diversion and buying time.

For the moment Barack Obama has an excellent starting point – he has large public support, a stable majority of his democratic party in the congress and USA is in such deep crisis that it is very hard to make it even deeper. The basic initial steps to stabilize the economy were already done by the leaving Bush administration.

It seems that the main obstacle for Barack Obama are the unrealistic expectations that no human being can fulfill.

 

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