The Obama Syndrome: Surrender at Home, War Abroad
VIEW EVENT DETAILSLuncheon presentation by Tariq Ali, author and historian
What has really changed since President Bush left the White House? Very little, argues Tariq Ali, apart from the mood music. The hopes aroused during Obama's election campaign have rapidly receded. Ali delivers a withering series of charges: at home, a Wall Street bailout and thwarted hopes for healthcare and financial reform; abroad, the "war on terror" continues, and more troops to Afghanistan and more drone attacks in Pakistan than under President Bush. The Pakistani British author and historian suggests that President Obama's inability to shift the political terrain even a few inches in a reformist direction will pave the way for a Republican surge and triumph in the not-too-distant future.
Tariq Ali has written more than a dozen books on world history and politics including The Obama Syndrome, Pirates of the Caribbean, Bush in Babylon, Clash of Fundamentalisms, as well as five novels in his Islam Quintet series and scripts for the stage and screen. He is a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio and has contributed to various publications, including The Guardian and the London Review of Books. Ali studied philosophy, politics, and economics at Oxford University. Book sale after program.
What has really changed since President Bush left the White House? Very little, argues Tariq Ali, apart from the mood music. The hopes aroused during Obama's election campaign have rapidly receded. Ali delivers a withering series of charges: at home, a Wall Street bailout and thwarted hopes for healthcare and financial reform; abroad, the "war on terror" continues, and more troops to Afghanistan and more drone attacks in Pakistan than under President Bush. The Pakistani British author and historian suggests that President Obama's inability to shift the political terrain even a few inches in a reformist direction will pave the way for a Republican surge and triumph in the not-too-distant future.
Tariq Ali has written more than a dozen books on world history and politics including The Obama Syndrome, Pirates of the Caribbean, Bush in Babylon, Clash of Fundamentalisms, as well as five novels in his Islam Quintet series and scripts for the stage and screen. He is a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio and has contributed to various publications, including The Guardian and the London Review of Books. Ali studied philosophy, politics, and economics at Oxford University. Book sale after program.
Event Details
Mon 28 Mar 2011
Club Lusitano, 27/F, 16 Ice House Street, Central Hong Kong
HK$450 Asia Society members/Full-time students; HK$550 non-members (priority to members). For registration, please contact [email protected]