The Middle East on Biden 拜登担的中东 Does Obama's choice of running mate mean he's shaping up to be just another establishment candidate for the White House? 欧巴马的副手选择是否代表他即将要改头换面成为争夺白宫的主流候选人？ * Khaled Diab * guardian.co.uk, * Saturday August 30 2008 16:00 BST Not one to rest on his laurels, Barack Obama is already delivering on his promise of change – albeit in the wrong direction. He has changed his image from that of the sophisticated, sensible and sensitive "outsider" to become another establishment figure. 欧巴马不是位戴上桂冠就懈怠的人─他已经在实现他带来改变的承诺─虽然方向错误。 他已经改变了自己多智、理性、敏锐的「圈外人」形象，成为另一位主流代表。 Since his nomination, the formerly progressive senator has taken a sharp turn to the right, and morphed, in terms of rhetoric at least, into a "Republican-lite" candidate. With his selection of Joe Biden, who can best be described as a dovish hawk, the transformation seems complete, as the man resembles John McCain on foreign policy. 被提名後，这位曾经激进的参议员急速向右靠拢，并蜕变（至少修辞学上）成为 「淡共和党」候选人。欧巴马选择拜登（说好听点是个鸽羽鹰派，在外交政策上 与马坎相仿）後，转型似乎完成。 Although Biden is generally more enlightened and knowledgeable in foreign policy issues than the Bush administration, there are many parallels that do not bode so well. He supported the invasion of Iraq and his imperial swagger and arrogance is unlikely to go down well among ordinary Arabs: "It makes a lot of sense to change the map of the Middle East," he once said. 虽然拜登大抵上比布希政府在外交政策方面显得灵通些，但仍有不善的相似性若干。 拜登支持入侵伊拉克，且他的帝国主义的傲慢心态对阿拉伯世界来说不甚友善：他曾说 「改改中东地图是非常合理的。」 Interestingly, he claimed that: "Building a democracy that is based upon the notion of the rule of the majority is a disaster for us". But I'm confused, what other kind of democracy is other? 有趣的是，他宣称：「基於多数决来建造民主对我们来说是个灾难。」但我有些不解： 另外一种民主是哪种？ Unperturbed by the US's dismal record in the region, he talks a lot about "nation building" and has described Paul Wolfowitz, a major architect of the Iraq war, as an "idealist". To his credit, Biden has criticised the current administration's disdain for "soft power", pointing out that: "There is a need … to establish the soil under which the seeds of liberal democratic institutions can take root." 完全受美国在当地悲惨的纪录的影响，拜登谈了很多「国家设立」问题，并形容 伊拉克战争的主要推手Wolfowitz是个「理想主义者」。拜登也是有批评现在的执政政府 对「软力量」的忽视，并指出「必须要铺好泥土才能让自由民主制度生根。」 Being a political sceptic, I had not expected Obama to challenge significantly US foreign policy conventions – and I have warned against inflated expectations that he would somehow bring a "new dawn". 我这个怀疑论者从没期待欧巴马会大动作挑战美国外交政策的传统─我也警告别太过期待 欧巴马能神乎其技地生出个「新破晓」。 In the Middle East, opinion is divided over the significance of Biden's appointment. The general consensus among Arabs is that anyone would be better than the current Bush administration. An editorial in the Lebanese Daily Star remarked: 在中东地区，对於拜登这个选择的看法不一。阿拉伯人大致上的共识是任何人都会比 现在布希政府的好。一则黎巴嫩每日星报社论提到： The people of the region have endured nearly eight years of Bush's rudderless policy and ill-advised decisions … Most Arabs are now ready for a changing of the guard at the White House, regardless of who the American people might choose ... If the Obama-Biden camp edges ahead in the polls, the region's leaders had better start preparing themselves for a diplomatic grilling. 此地人们已经忍受了八年的布希无舵政策以及烂决策...多数阿拉伯人已经准备好看白宫 换一批人马，不管美国人到底选谁...如果欧巴马─拜登阵营在民调上领先，此地的 领导人最好开始准备迎接一场外交煎熬。 "[Biden's] views on certain regional issues, such as dividing Iraq along sectarian lines and his staunch support for Israel, have disappointed Arabs", a Gulf News editorial observed. "However, they trust that Obama is not a 'war' president. They also recognise that Biden is a sharp foreign policy man." 「拜登对於一些区域议题的看法，如把伊拉克按照派系界线分一分，以及他对以色列的 强硬支持，都让阿拉伯人感到失望，」一则波斯湾新闻报社论提到。「但是他们真的 相信欧巴马不是个「战争」总统。他们也知道拜登是个外交政策的内行人。」 Some were less flattering. "Obama's choice of deputy confirms … that the real change he is after is a personal one: to leap from his seat in the Senate to the presidential chair", Said Mahyo writes in the Third Power. 一些则不是太好听。「欧巴马的副手选择证实了他所带来的真实改变是个人的：从自己 的参议员位子跳到总统位子里」，第三权的Mahyo写到。 In a rare show of unity, Iraqis from across the political spectrum criticised Obama's choice because of their opposition to Biden's proposal to divide Iraq into a loose federation of autonomous states. 伊拉克人罕见地跨党派同声批评欧巴马的选择，因为他们反对拜登建议把伊拉克分割成 松散的自治邦联组织的提议。 Despite Biden's pro-Israel credentials and his self-described status as a "Zionist", there remain doubts in Israel, although Israelis have now warmed more to the Obama ticket. "Biden is a firm supporter of Israel, but the way he sees the US's role in the Middle East doesn't necessarily reflect Jerusalem's ideal of the ideal 'American partner'," Natasha Mozgovaya wrote in Ha'aretz. 虽然拜登支持以色列，且也自己认为自己是个「锡安派」，在以色列仍有若干质疑的 声音，而以色列已经往欧巴马靠拢。「拜登坚定支持以色列，但他对美国在中东应该 扮演的角色并非能反映出耶路撒冷理想中的「美国同伴」，Ha'aretz的Natasha Mozgovaya写到。 But he seems to tick the right boxes for many American Jews. Speculating on whether McCain would choose Joe Lieberman, perhaps the best-known Jewish politician in America, the Jerusalem Post noted: "While Lieberman is a favourite on the single issue of Israel, [Biden] is more in synch with Jewish voters on the broad range of domestic and foreign policy issues." 但他似乎对美国犹太人有很大魅力。在预测马坎可能会选李伯曼（或许是全美最有名 的犹太人）的时候，耶路撒冷邮报指出，「虽然李伯曼是以色列单一议题的首选， 拜登在国内和外交等广大议题上比较能贴近犹太选民。」 Debra Adler, an American Jew I know who has been involved closely with the Obama campaign, called Biden a "safe choice" and part of Obama's "attempt to place himself in the light of practical policy, rather than as the brash idealist many of us came to love." 我认识的一位在欧巴马阵营颇为投入的美国犹太人Debra Adler称呼拜登是个「保险 选择」，并是欧巴马部分「希望帮自己打上务实政策的灯光，而非是我们曾经喜欢的 大胆理想家。」 "That's okay by me," she added, "because the brash idealists are never successful, so I'd like to think that his inner-idealist is driving [him]." 「对我来说没事，」她说，「因为大胆理想家永远不会成功，所以我宁愿想说是他的 内在理想主义心理在驱使他前进。」 Of course, I realise that Obama's "outsider" image, his skin colour, his worldview, and even his name could prove to be a losing combination for him. But this poses the difficult question of how much a leader should follow popular opinion and various interest groups in order to get elected and how much he should challenge an unhealthy status quo. Many were hoping that Obama would have the courage to follow his convictions, and persuade the electorate to share in his vision. 当然，我知道欧巴马「圈外人」的形象，他的肤色，他的世界观，甚至他的名字都可能 是个败选组合。但是这形成一个重要问题：一位领袖应该要以多少比例跟随大众意见 和众多的利益团体才能够胜选，以及有多少是他必须要用来挑战已经生病的现状。许多人 希望欧巴马能有勇气实践他的信念，并说服选举人站在他同一边。 Hopefully, Obama, if elected, will start steering the US along a more enlightened course. But his presidency is likely to leave unchanged many US policies – such as the propping up of friendly dictators, the legalised corporate pillaging of Iraq and the unbalanced approach to the Israel-Palestinian conflict – that are detrimental to the region's future. 希望欧巴马（若胜选）能把美国导向更明朗的道路。但他的总统任期大概无法动到 许多会对中东的未来造成伤害的美国政策，如资助友好的独裁者，在伊拉克的合法 企业掠夺，以及不平衡的以色列─巴勒斯坦冲突的政策。 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/30/usa.barackobama 新闻来源: (需有正确连结) -- --

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