the final year…

I went to the Watershed again this morning (yes, this MORNING!) to see Greg Barker’s “The Final Year”… a documentary film about the Obama Administration and, in particular, his foreign policy team (the clue’s in the title!).
From the outset, I was aware that watching was going to be something of a torture… the entire audience knows the terror that awaits: the Trump horror show is about to start.
In particular, the film focuses on John Kerry (Secretary of State), Samantha Power (United Nations Ambassador), Susan Rice (National Security Advisor) and Ben Rhodes (Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting) plus, to a lesser extent, Barack Obama… and they all come across as caring, compassionate, principled, determined and devoted individuals (I was particularly impressed by Samantha Power).
Obviously, not everything related to foreign policy went swimmingly well over the Administration’s final 12 months (Syria remains a massive stumbling block), but there were some significant milestones, such as climate change, Cuba and the Iran deal.
The film largely avoided the count-down to the presidential election… but it was sad to watch the disbelief, despair, devastation and frustration of the film’s key players as the final result emerged.
Whatever one’s political background, I think it would be generally agreed that the Obama Administration captured a worldview, an attitude, an approach to international affairs… but, with Trump’s election, this has now disappeared.
I suspect that it would be very difficult/impossible to make an equivalent document at the end of the Trump Administration without Donald Trump insisting on taking on the out-and-out starring role!!
Overall, I found it an uplifting film to watch – a reminder that not all politicians have belligerent, nationalistic tendencies - but, at the same time, when the current President’s policies frequently feel as if they’ve be conjured up on his Twitter account on a daily basis, it feels only natural to be in regular state of despair!

Amid the ‘devastation’ (if you’re Trump supporter, I suppose the word would be ‘triumph’) of the election result, Obama was asked about his legacy… I thought his reply was both interesting and optimistic. He indicated that amongst his most powerful experiences/memories were his encounters with enthusiastic, dynamic young people throughout the world… and he felt that THIS was the thing that gave him the hope and confidence – that these focused, passionate people would be the leaders of the world in twenty or so years’ time.

Let’s hope he’s right… and that they don’t all become power-crazed and self-obsessed in the meantime!