Nearly three months ago, this column sought to assure readers that Barack Obama was a moderate in the tradition of his most immediate Democratic predecessor, the fiscally prudent Bill Clinton. But this is ridiculous.
While it's one thing to borrow from Mr Clinton's neoliberal rubric, it's something else again to summon the apparatchiks of his presidency, from the former first lady - Mr Obama's new secretary of state - to his top economic advisers, who are returning to the White House after eight years in the political wilderness.
Some insiders even suggest Mr Clinton himself will be offered a prestigious post, such as ambassador to the UN. At this rate, the White House domestic help should put out a fresh litter box for Socks, the Clinton family cat.
Having won the presidential election with a mandate for change, Mr Obama has turned his Cabinet into a happening for Clintonista baby boomers and wannabes: Rahm Emanuel, the "beltway rottweiler" and a senior adviser in the Clinton White House, will be Mr Obama's chief of staff. Larry Summers, who served as Mr Clinton's Treasury secretary, has been recycled as the head of the National Economic Council. The new budget director, Peter Orszag, worked closely with the Clinton administration on economic affairs. Bill Richardson, Mr Clinton's energy secretary and US ambassador to the UN, has been tapped to be the commerce secretary, while Eric Holder, America's next attorney general and the first black man to hold the office, was also the lawyer who successfully lobbied Mr Clinton to pardon Marc Rich, a corrupt commodities trader whose wife just happened to be a major donor to the Clinton presidential library.
Sprinkled over the Cabinet selection process is the fairy dust of Robert Rubin, Mr Clinton's first Treasury secretary and neoliberal patron saint, who until recently had been celebrated by both Democrats and Republicans as the architect of the Clinton boom years. The presumptive Treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, is a Rubin acolyte, as are Messrs Summers and Orszag, as well as Austen Goolsbee, an adviser to Obama who will serve as the chief economist of the recently launched President's economic recovery advisory board.
Then there is Mrs Clinton, who has emerged from the ashes of a horribly botched campaign to become America's top diplomat. Her appointment as secretary of state will restore the executive brand of US politics into a Clinton caliphate.
Is this such a bad thing? The Clinton presidency, stripped of its commander in chief's wretched excess, was known for a clear-eyed competence and a willingness to work with the opposition to balance budgets, reform the welfare state, liberalise financial markets and strike historic trade deals - no mean feat in a bitterly partisan company town like Washington.
But seen through the gauze that's holding together our battered global economy, it is now clear that Clinton neoliberalism took a good thing too far. The first priority of the Obama presidency should be to bridle what had been a rogue financial system, and it's hard to imagine a slate of Rubin protégés bringing any real enthusiasm to the job. While it would be reckless to drop neoliberalism completely as a reference point for the journey ahead, Mr Obama could have at least recruited a Keynesian to his "team of rivals", as the beltway press insists on calling it - a Paul Krugman, perhaps, or Joseph Stiglitz, both recent Nobel Prize winners.
Nor does the likely arrival of Mrs Clinton inspire much confidence. If the president-elect was sincere about his pledge to reach across party lines, he had two highly qualified Republican senators from which to choose: Richard Lugar, the chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, and committee member Chuck Hegel. While both men initially supported the invasion of Iraq, they have been openly critical of the Bush administration's foreign policies and have advocated, as has Mr Obama, engagement with such problematic states as Iran and North Korea.
On no other foreign policy issue did Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton differ so conclusively during the primary campaign. One wonders if Mrs Clinton, should she still harbour presidential ambitions, could promote initiatives that would antagonise key electoral constituencies. Put bluntly, would Mrs Clinton, as secretary of state, faithfully shepherd a President Obama plan for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, a process that would certainly alienate the pro-Israel lobby?
Mr Obama has assured the American people that it is his vision that will inform his presidency, not the biases of Clinton residuals. That may be, but the reality of his new Cabinet suggests a sad estrangement from the freshness and integrity of his campaign.
As it stands, "change you can believe in", as Mr Obama famously pledged to deliver, is beginning to look more like "change you can see through".
sglain@thenational.ae
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Tesalam Aleik
Abdullah Al Ruwaished
(Rotana)
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit
As he spoke, Mr Aboul Gheit repeatedly referred to the need to tackle issues affecting the welfare of people across the region both in terms of preventing conflict and in pushing development.
Lebanon is scheduled to host the fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in January that will see regional leaders gather to tackle the challenges facing the Middle East. The last such summit was held in 2013. Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki told The National that the Beirut Summit “will be an opportunity for Arab leaders to discuss solely economic and social issues, the conference will not focus on political concerns such as Palestine, Syria or Libya". He added that its slogan will be “the individual is at the heart of development”, adding that it will focus on all elements of human capital.
Dunki
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Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Company%20Profile
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes.
Where to stay
The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.
Avatar%20(2009)
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
CHINESE GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID
1st row
Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
2nd row
Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
3rd row
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing)
4th row
Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
Sergio Perez (Force India)
5th row
Carlos Sainz Jr (Renault)
Romain Grosjean (Haas)
6th row
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Esteban Ocon (Force India)
7th row
Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren)
8th row
Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)
9th row
Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
Lance Stroll (Williams)
10th row
Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
arcus Ericsson (Sauber)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
More on Quran memorisation:
Tank warfare
Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks.
“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.
“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
