In Thailand, as in US, no one buys offer of 'change' any longer

Every time an incumbent in American politics is seen to be doing what Eric Bahrt suggested, you know he’s in trouble. Barack Obama rode to victory for the American presidency on the 

promise that he would bring “change that you can believe in.” Americans, just like those who yearn for new experiments everywhere, decided to give Obama a chance over experience (Hillary Clinton) and a hawkish war veteran (John McCain) with no distinguishable policies to turn America around. But in the years since Obama was elected, no real “change” has come to America. Obama has been unable to get America out of the “subprime crisis”, and on his watch the United States has witnessed a drastic decline in employment, a steady weakening of the dollar and an ever-growing budget deficit. The only claim to fame may be in the area of foreign policy. At long last Osama bin Laden was hunted down and killed. Obama woke up and is now looking East. Hillary Clinton’s recent presence in Myanmar is not surprising given the vast and rich resources that country possesses. 

But these diplomatic successes will not be enough for Obama to bolster his hope for re-election. His scheme to tax the rich under the pretext of narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor is a non-starter at best, and it is likely to be rebuffed by the US Supreme Court as unconstitutional. What’s more, it could be seen as a direct attack on the presumptive Republican candidate himself, which is a dirty tactic. Mitt Romney may have paid less tax in proportion to his wealth but that is not a crime. Romney can run on an equal footing with Obama, whose chance depends on the state of the American economy, which Romney could claim is not of his making.

In American politics, more so than anywhere else and especially Thailand, false hope and broken promises will bring down a leader, and Obama is no exception. There is no more change that anybody can believe in.

Prachyadavi Tavedikul

Bangkok