Obama

Anthony Barnett (London, OK): There is a lot of discussion about Obama's magnificent speech on race and America. In openDemocracy Kanishk Tharoor has a fine assessment and links through to it HERE. Elsewhere in UK blogland from NHS Doctor to Sunny Hundal to Gracchi, to an understated gloat that the speech 'won't work' on harry's place, there is genuine interest on the left. The British right seems less plussed despite efforts to project Cameron as the UK's Obama when his rhetoric seemed like a game, a sort of knights move that traditional Tories could play. Indeed they seem at a loss for words. Especially interesting as Obama explicitly highlights the point that his faith embraces a politically conservative self-help  tradition. There are two things to note, one tactical in US terms and a larger one that relates to the poverty of politics in this country.

Anthony Barnett (London, OK): I've been blogging infrequently because after going to New York last week I changed my mind about Obama and wanted to work out what makes him tick and what are the tocks behind the tick. It's just been published in our openDemocracy mothership,  it's long but my excuse is that it is packed with quotes from the man himself to help you make up your own mind.

Anthony Barnett (London, OK): I'm just back from a short trip to New York. I hope to write something about the Obama phenomenon. On the plane back with Tony Curzon Price we were reflecting on the hyper-sexualisation of girls in Britain and whether this should be a theme for OurKingdom (From 'No Sex please we are British', to 'Sex please we're British', to 'And you can drop the "please"'). Is it linked to the growing hysteria of politics in this country and is this exceptional as Eurostats suggest it is, or not - Sarkozy Burlusconi? Let us know what you think. Well, I opened the papers to find them in another bout. What are our leaders afraid of? Not the Sun, not still?