Reflections by comrade Fidel
THE SERIOUS OBAMA
Bolivarian President Hugo Chavez really made a clever
remark when he referred to the “riddle of the two Obamas.”
The serious Obama spoke today. Recently, I recognized
two positive features in his behavior: his attempt to make healthcare available
to the 47 million Americans who don’t have access to it, and his concern for
climate change.
What I said yesterday about the imminent threat to
the human species could sound pessimistic but it is not far from reality. The
views of many Heads of State on the ignored and neglected issue of climate
change are still unknown.
As the representative of the country hosting the
United Nations High Level Meeting on the subject, Obama was the first to
express his opinion.
What did he say? I’ll refer to the substance of his
remarks.
- He said that he recognizes that the threat on the
planet is serious and growing.
- That history will pass judgment on the response to
this environmental challenge.
- That there is no nation, big or small, that can
avoid the impact of climate change.
- That there is a daily increase of the high tides
lashing against the coastlines while more intensive storms and floods are
threatening our continents.
- That the security and stability of every nation are
in danger.
- That climate has been placed at the top of the
international agenda, from
- That these can be significant steps if we are all united.
-That we understand the seriousness of the situation
and are determined to act on it.
-That we were not there to celebrate any progress.
- That much remains to be done.
- That it will not be an easy job.
- That the
most difficult part of the road is ahead of us.
- That this is happening at a time when to many the
priority is to revitalize their economies.
- That we all have doubts about the climate
challenge.
-That difficulties and doubts are no excuse to act.
- That each of us should do his share so that our
economies can grow without endangering the planet.
- That we should turn
- That we should not allow for old divisions to
jeopardize the united quest for solutions.
- That the developed nations have caused most of the
damage and should thus take responsibility for it.
- That we shall not overcome this challenge unless we
are united.
- That we know that these nations, particularly the
most vulnerable, do not have the same resources to combat climate change.
- That the future is not a choice between economic
growth and a clean planet because survival depends on both.
- That it is our responsibility to provide technical
and financial assistance to these nations.
- That we are seeking an agreement that would enhance
the quality of life of the peoples without disturbing the planet.
- That we know that the future depends on a global
commitment.
- But that it is a long and tough road and we have no
time to make the journey.
The problem now is that everything he has said
contradicts what the
The hundreds of military bases set up in scores of
countries in every continent; their aircraft carriers and Navy fleets; their
thousands of nuclear weapons; their wars of conquest; their military-industrial
complex and their arms trade are incompatible with the survival of our species.
Likewise, the consumer societies are incompatible with the idea of economic
growth and a clean planet. The unlimited waste of non-renewable natural
resources, --especially oil and gas accumulated throughout hundreds of millions
of years and depleted in barely two centuries at the current rate of
consumption—has been the major cause of climate change. Even if the unfriendly
emissions of the industrialized nations were reduced, which would be
commendable, it is a reality that 5.2 billion people on planet Earth, that is,
three-fourth of the population live in countries that are still in various
stages of development and will therefore demand an enormous input of coal, oil,
natural gas and other non-renewable resources that, according to the consumption
patterns created by the capitalist economies, are incompatible with the
objective of saving the human species.
It would not be fair to blame the serious Obama for
the abovementioned riddle of what has happened until today, but it would not be
fair either to have the other Obama make us believe that humanity could be
preserved under the prevailing rules of the world economy.
The President of the
It would also be fair to concede that no other
President of the
Fidel Castro Ruz
September 22, 2009
6:14 PM