Monday, November 17, 2008
Saturday, November 08, 2008
American Politics Redefined
Tuesday November 4 has been etched in the annals of American history as the date when American democracy finally came of age. The atmosphere was electric, the euphoria was fully justified !! Barack Obama has just made the second moon landing in American history. One big step for Obama and one giant leap for America!! The world was waiting to celebrate.
Watching CNN that night was like watching the festivities of New Year's eve. We saw cheering crowds across all date lines .- It was a night of singular honours and firsts! In the coastal town of Japan called Obama, memories of the pain of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were wiped out by the symbolic victory of Obama town crowned as President-elect of the United States of America. The town roared in a victory chorus. The Japanese have had the last laugh as they captured the White House without firing a single shot - in accordance with their post Second WW non-aggression philosophy. Obama became the first town to win a presidential election. The Chinese were ecstatic. Even the reclusive North Korean leader, Kim Il Sung had his latest picture published to show that he was still alive and ready to dialogue with President Obama. In Indonesia, one primary school claimed victory as the only primary school outside the USA to have produced an American President.
As we headed west across the time zones, we came to Russia where, it was the first time an election victory was heralded in with a threat from the Kremlin. In next door in Iran, there was also a first - it was the first time President Ahmadinejad has made a complimentary remark concerning an American event. In the Kenyan village of Nyangoma-Kogelo it was a unique first - the first village in the world to produce the world most powerful political figure. The men were particularly proud of the ability of the village to scatter their seed to all corners of the world. All boys born that day were automatically named Barack and the girls, Michelle.
Back in the US, the import of the victory was a beautiful sight to see - personified in all kinds of emotions, a madly ecstatic crowd, imagine a weeping Jesse Jackson, a Colin Powell so charged with emotion you could feel the tears held up behind his eyes. It was the day! The significance of the victory is that anyone who works hard enough in the US will achieve his dream. Barack had a dream since his primary school days when he wrote an essay, 'I want to become a president'. The American social and political environment has matured enough to make all dreams possible for all those who care to strive. America has put its past behind it and has moved on to an era in which all have equal opportunity to express their full potential, irrespective of their demographic label. Indeed true to Dr. King's dream, America has risen up and lived out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
The road was long and arduous and full of a wide variety of enemy combatants. The enemy combatants came in all forms - from the overconfident matrons to the unbelievably naive and ignorant beauties. Some of these combatants later joined forces with the victorious army of Obama to capture the final objective.
As with all lunar events, the euphoria will die down, the honey moon will be over and then the hard work will begin.
For Barack Obama, the challenge is massive, there are great expectations from all corners of the world, even the Taliban it is rumoured, is expecting its goodies, howbeit crumbs, from Obama's sumptuous table. As Obama aptly put it, we can do it together. Yes, we can!! We trust that God will give Obama the wisdom to navigate successfully through this mine-ridden ocean of opportunities and threats.
Watching CNN that night was like watching the festivities of New Year's eve. We saw cheering crowds across all date lines .- It was a night of singular honours and firsts! In the coastal town of Japan called Obama, memories of the pain of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were wiped out by the symbolic victory of Obama town crowned as President-elect of the United States of America. The town roared in a victory chorus. The Japanese have had the last laugh as they captured the White House without firing a single shot - in accordance with their post Second WW non-aggression philosophy. Obama became the first town to win a presidential election. The Chinese were ecstatic. Even the reclusive North Korean leader, Kim Il Sung had his latest picture published to show that he was still alive and ready to dialogue with President Obama. In Indonesia, one primary school claimed victory as the only primary school outside the USA to have produced an American President.
As we headed west across the time zones, we came to Russia where, it was the first time an election victory was heralded in with a threat from the Kremlin. In next door in Iran, there was also a first - it was the first time President Ahmadinejad has made a complimentary remark concerning an American event. In the Kenyan village of Nyangoma-Kogelo it was a unique first - the first village in the world to produce the world most powerful political figure. The men were particularly proud of the ability of the village to scatter their seed to all corners of the world. All boys born that day were automatically named Barack and the girls, Michelle.
Back in the US, the import of the victory was a beautiful sight to see - personified in all kinds of emotions, a madly ecstatic crowd, imagine a weeping Jesse Jackson, a Colin Powell so charged with emotion you could feel the tears held up behind his eyes. It was the day! The significance of the victory is that anyone who works hard enough in the US will achieve his dream. Barack had a dream since his primary school days when he wrote an essay, 'I want to become a president'. The American social and political environment has matured enough to make all dreams possible for all those who care to strive. America has put its past behind it and has moved on to an era in which all have equal opportunity to express their full potential, irrespective of their demographic label. Indeed true to Dr. King's dream, America has risen up and lived out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
The road was long and arduous and full of a wide variety of enemy combatants. The enemy combatants came in all forms - from the overconfident matrons to the unbelievably naive and ignorant beauties. Some of these combatants later joined forces with the victorious army of Obama to capture the final objective.
As with all lunar events, the euphoria will die down, the honey moon will be over and then the hard work will begin.
For Barack Obama, the challenge is massive, there are great expectations from all corners of the world, even the Taliban it is rumoured, is expecting its goodies, howbeit crumbs, from Obama's sumptuous table. As Obama aptly put it, we can do it together. Yes, we can!! We trust that God will give Obama the wisdom to navigate successfully through this mine-ridden ocean of opportunities and threats.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
The Right Thing To Do
Vice President Dick Cheney did the right thing when he endorsed Senator McCain's candidacy a few days ago. Senator McCain has been a very strong supporter of the policies of the Bush-Cheney administration and it was therefore only fair that they give him their explicit support in his hour of need.
Dick Cheney however killed two birds with one stone as he tactfully overcame his personal dilemma - do you support your political buddy or do you support your cousin? In this single move, he supported both of them. What better endorsement do you need than that of the sitting vice-president of your country and party buddy. But by endorsing McCain he extended the burden of the political albatross to McCain's neck. By that one act, he strongly associated McCain with the Bush administration and their failed policies and also provided canon fodder to his cousin Barrack to finish off Senator McCain. This is one endorsement McCain would have preferred to receive discreetly without the news media even knowing about it.
Dick Cheney however killed two birds with one stone as he tactfully overcame his personal dilemma - do you support your political buddy or do you support your cousin? In this single move, he supported both of them. What better endorsement do you need than that of the sitting vice-president of your country and party buddy. But by endorsing McCain he extended the burden of the political albatross to McCain's neck. By that one act, he strongly associated McCain with the Bush administration and their failed policies and also provided canon fodder to his cousin Barrack to finish off Senator McCain. This is one endorsement McCain would have preferred to receive discreetly without the news media even knowing about it.
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