Mr Obama is a hopeful sort of chap

Mr Obama has praised Mr Mandela. Mr Obama has said that Mr Mandela is an inspiration to the world, kind words as Mr Mandela lies on his deathbed. Mr Obama’s well timed visit to South Africa enables Mr Obama to say the nicest things about Mr Mandela, his love for humanity and Mr Mandela’s yearning for justice, Mr Mandela’s principles, and so forth, and so forth. Why, Mr Obama even spoke on the telephone to Mr Mandela’s wife.

Mr Obama is a hopeful sort of chap. He consigns drones to kill people he hopes are terrorists, he regularly starts or supports insurrections and revolutions in the hope that things will turn out for the best, and he organises the collection of huge amounts of data from people’s telephone calls and emails in the hope that this breach of civil liberty will prevent terrorism. The dispenser of drone justice and collector of human data and punisher of whistleblowers and invader of nations is not a protector of human liberty and will not be mistaken for one, even by a blind man on a foggy night in the old Blackwall tunnel. Mr Obama you are confused. Mr Obama you are no Nelson Mandela.