In an interview with Sputnik Radio’s “Loud & Clear,” ahead of President Obama’s seventh and final State of the Union address on Tuesday, McGovern asserted that the United States exists in a state of "perpetual war that Obama has pretty much guaranteed after his tenure."
While there had been "euphoria" surrounding Obama’s election in 2008, McGovern said, it was primarily an expression of national relief resulting from the departure of George W. Bush from the White House.
“I think it was a mistake to say that it was mostly because [Obama] was a black man and became president. No, it was mostly because the world finally got rid of George W. Bush – that was 90% of it,” McGovern said.
Author and activist Eugene Puryear said the US military’s intervention in Libya in March 2011 had "fantastic human consequences" and should be considered a "deep black mark" on the Obama administration.
"What you have seen now is that Obama, just like Bush, has continued the same policy of reckless intervention in pursuit of US imperial aims and … it was to the detriment of the people of Libya and really to the detriment of the people of Africa."
Obama entered office in January 2009 stating his intention to repair ties with Russia. Seven years later, the relationship between Washington and Moscow has only deteriorated.
“The United States feels that, on the international stage, everyone should be subordinate to them; the Russians do not feel the same way,” Puryear said.
“I think Obama was not able to overcome that basic antagonism between the desire of the United States to be the No. 1 leader in the whole world, and the desire of Russia … to play a larger role in global affairs, a more self-determining role,” Puryear said.
