OK so the US elections have concluded and Obama won. The sigh of relief has been heard all over the world with people expressing such joy at his election. I have seen this in emails, conversations, TV, blogs, even facebook statuses and just about every form of media that exists. Obama is being hailed as this messiah that will be the answer to the US’s and the world’s problems. I have not done the research; I have not followed the campaign; I am not into politics; but I will make a few observations from my end and what I see has penetrated my bubble. I know a lot won’t agree and I know a lot will call me cynical, jaded, pessimistic or what have you… but I am not jumping on the Obamarama band wagon.
I really don’t think that Obama is the “be all, end all” solution that the US is looking for. He is now part of a system where he does not have absolute power but answers to another: congress and the senate. At least that is my understanding of how the US works as a democracy. The people vote for a government not just a person. And so the rest of the vote is just as important as this one person. Who gets elected into government as a collective system is much more important that just its one representative. Which is why the results of more democrats in congress and the senate is more significant an indicator than just the Obama win.
This brings me to my next point, how much of this election was based on voting for one person or voting for all those issues on the ballots and for the seats in the house? This election was not just about voting in a president but also about congress, about laws, about issues in each state and making them or breaking them. The amount of work and the awareness that had to be raised for people to really mobilize and understand that they do make a difference is much more significant to me in so many ways. The amount of money it took to get people to go vote and make their voices heard it is phenomenal. That is how apathetic Americans are today, you need to spend millions and millions of dollars to get a person to move off their ass and into the voting booth. This may be a sweeping generalization but it looks like Americans who live in the epitome of democracy needed to be taught that their voices count, their opinions do effect change and that a democracy doesn’t work without the people!
I also wonder and would love to see any research or any polls as to how many people voted against McCain (or even Palin) rather than for Obama? The difference is not subtle and is in fact essential to understanding what happened in this election. Does the rhetoric work? Did the campaign of hope really create hope, a hope that the US desperately needs? Or are people just not wanting more of the same last eight years and so anything will do? Is America really ready for change or is this just their best choice?
I honestly think this is not an election of foreign policy or what Obama will do to or even for the world but rather on homeland issues right in the backyards of the American people. Looking at America today and the recession it is in and all the issues its people are dealing with and the topics that the candidates had take stands on there is no way this vote was in consideration of the rest of the world. It was only in consideration of The US and the cities, and States within it. Foreign policy may have been something that was considered but it was not the essence of the campaigns and so for the rest of the world to be hailing it as this massive celebration perplexes me!
I am not sure what the next four years hold. I don’t really see much change in how the US views itself and how it views its place with the rest of the world. There will be no change there I think and that means there will be no change in policy, just a delay of the inevitable. This change can only happen when the peoples of America truly learn to look outside their windows and not point out Russia, but visit it, study it, understand it and respect it!
Looking around me and seeing Americans chanting “yes we can” every chance they get, patting themselves on their back, and being smug and self congratulatory is grating on my nerves at this point. I smile and say mabrook (congratulations), but really people it took you long enough! It’s about time they took responsibility for who they put in office, it’s about time they paid attention, it’s about time they went out and voted. For a country that proposes to teach democracy education to the rest of the world their track record of bullying, waging war, human rights abuses, ignorance, and condescension to the rest of the world is no example to set. And my hope is that the slogan “yes we can” is one of responsibility and accountability not just to themselves but to the rest of the world, which is watching, and not the response of yet another bully in power!
I am not a pessimist by nature, I want to believe that this is the catalyst that will start to shift the world to a better place with more understanding, with more respect, with more exchange, with more listening; A place with less anger, less frustration, less bullying, less fighting. But I will wait and see. He is only now forming his team and so far does not signal change!
November 8, 2008 at 10:22 pm
hi sally, i agree in couple of points w you. for instance that americans finally realized that their vote count, and that it is important to go and vote. this was demostrated by the inmense tunr out of people that actually went to vote. Now, about the world view of america and foreign policy i believe that there will be some changes…and i hope, all gear towards peace and fixing what the Bush adminstration has done over the past 8 years. I do belive that w this guys background it will help the middle east situation, and reduce the amount of hatred towards the US. I am from venezuela, and I can tell you that Chavez, for example, will stop some of the “rhetoric” against the US just b/c this guy is of African American (which by the way, i think it was LONGG overdue!!!). I am hopefull, and I think this guys although not messiah, he defenitly will bring a new fresh look at america and the way the world views america. Mabrook to them! let’s hope!
November 8, 2008 at 11:35 pm
did I ever mention that your tiny font hurt my eyes! what are you saving on,server space?!
on topic, Obama IS THE MESSIAH!
compared to the misery and bloodshed craziness that lunatic Bush has made,and compared to Mccain who is a Bush clone with new skin!
did you ever hear what Obama said about,disarming nuclear heads worldwide,the missile shield issue with Russia,weaponizing space,the Palestinian issue..All extremely positive to a point that it sounded too good to be true,like a Hollywood movie “now seeing a black president makes me feel like watching a Hollywood movie by the way”
problem is now that he is granted the office,I’m not sure if he will do as he says,he totally changed on issues like missile shield.
November 9, 2008 at 12:45 am
I am sure that Americans realize that it is isn’t just about Obama. The whole policy of the republicans lead by Bush was a disaster. We will definatly see some good changes as time goes on.
November 9, 2008 at 12:33 pm
yeah, I agree with mr.anonymous – the tiny font is rather unfriendly to my eyes too, so, would you consider the possibility of using a bit bigger one?
I like the notion whether people were really voting for Obama or merely against McCain-Palin team. A thought provoking question indeed.
And the last paragraph: yes, this is exactly how I feel. I hope, but do not believe yet.
November 9, 2008 at 5:16 pm
sorry about the font guys… urrr Im not so good at editing the fonts in the wordpress editor (blushing)
November 9, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Hello Shalabieh,
You’ve written a fairly lengthy blog on our new president, and many of the points that you’ve mentioned are themselves topics that may merit their own separate time and space within the Blog-sphere. But, the following is one perspective of a 1st generation, black man, born-American (my family is from Haiti, which holds the distinction of being poorest country in the western hemisphere) who also currently lives inside Amman, Jordan; but, has also lived throughout Iraq since the beginning of the Bush-led War.
No, Shalabieh! You’re not American. So, why should you jump on the “Obamarama” bandwagon? He is an answer to American problems. Your own government should be the answer to yours. But…isn’t that the whole point to the Obama/U.S. appeal, that despite the horrible 8 years that the globe has endured with our present U.S. administration (or the decades before that); and, despite the collapse of the global financial system; we are still an interdependent world who, much like people, need to continue forging relationships. We still should remain interested and jump on this bandwagon because we are all connected. Some would disagree, but I think being connected is a good thing.
What I think is at the root of your blog: our interdependency can be very unfair when one party of the relationship wields undo leverage to the point of manipulating it. At some point, the other party becomes disinterested and unmotivated to continue with the relationship – or, even worse considers killing the other. This is where America has sat for the past several years, wielding a lot of leverage in the form of our military and economic power and manipulating relationships. This is the other sense of what I get from your blog …you seem to say, “Wow, ‘democratic’ Americans finally got off their fat asses to do something they should have been doing for the past half a century. So What! It’s only more of the same, especially for those of us outside of America being infected (I’m sorry affected) by their whims.” WRONG!!
Obama represents a necessary correction to a way of thinking that belongs to an older generation of Americans who lived in, and in many cases created, the very fear that they were often running away from — the fear, “be prepared, they’re coming to get us.” I think many in my generation still think this way, but they exist mostly only as a residue of the past. My generation of Americans, which includes Barak Obama, is the product of a very tumultuous time in America. As a result, I think we willed Obama into being. He isn’t God or any Messiah (you kidding me), but he is a product of our own American creation. America reached what Malcolm Gladwell calls a “tipping point”, which in our case resulted in “a Barak Obama.” He isn’t as you say, just “the best choice” that America has made, he represents an entire internal cultural change in America; a new generation of Americans is coming to take charge. And, this internal change brings with it a complete shift in how we will build our domestic and international relationships.
To me he realigns us to…what I will call… America’s core competency – our functioning system of government; and, the promise that all the people who are a part of that system have a chance of benefitting and carving out their piece of prosperity – a customer-oriented system. Yes, this is primarily internal to the U.S. for now, but, Shalabieh, what is wrong with that? Ever since I’ve been living in the Middle East, specifically, inside Iraq, doing “democracy dialogues” and helping to establish provincial councils and democratic systems inside Iraq; even working with Jordanians, I thought DAMN! We need to get our house in order in the U.S. before we start selling this democracy-product to the rest of the world. What struck me is that we were force-feeding Iraq a very western brand of democracy. They wanted and in many cases already had a good version of the democracy product, but for some reason we had to package and sell it a way that Iraq wasn’t buying. This I called product-oriented system – the administration’s relationship was more with the democracy-product and less with the Iraqi people. It was a very costly way of doing business. It still stinks now. The success of our system of government (our core competency) comes from taking some time to really understand and consider what is ‘right’ for the beneficiary – what does the customer want; this is customer-oriented. I think this is part of what makes Obama a clear ‘tipping point’ for the U.S. I think Americans and the world want Obama to re-tune the U.S. internally first. Get the U.S. back to doing business the right way, and then participate externally. Electing Obama was just the first step in re-branding the U.S. – a key player in a very connected world – this is important.
I think our past administrations have led the world and many Americans to believe that the core of American power was its ability to punish and destroy – ala the use of military force and economic sanctions. What Obama brings as an individual is the reminder that diplomacy, information, and personal persuasion are instruments of power too, and that Americans have ALWAYS been capable of using them to our mutual (emphasis on ‘mutual’) global benefit.
At the heart of America is, yes…a bit of apathy; the barb-cue; the weekend; just ‘chillin’ with friends (who, by the way, happen to be from North American, Central American, South American, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the North and South Poles in big numbers – did I leave anyone out)…We don’t like chaos in the world. It screws with our weekend bar-b-cue. Everyone likes predictability in their lives. So, we elect administrations, who we think will spread the love and keep the global weekend going. But, as I said before, we realized that the ‘same ole’ bar-b-cue (America’s collective past) with that ‘uncle’ we are all so familiar with (lets call him ‘uncle George’) just aren’t funny or fun anymore. We grew up. We’re in charge. And, we’re kicking ‘em to a plush old folks home. We still love them. I think they meant well. We’re just now telling them to shut the hell up – we elected Obama.
Regarding your statement,”…and the topics that the candidates had take[n] stands on there is no way [that] this vote was in consideration of the rest of the world,” YIKES!! Wholly Hell… Are you kidding? Were you just having a personal “bad hair day” and just venting, because the point really couldn’t have been based on the campaign. I for one can personally tell you that it is because I live outside the states looking back in, that I voted for Obama. I especially liked what Obama and our Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said about Iran – American should engage Iran directly in talks. Gates suggested that we should create cultural exchanges with Iran. Man!! I would love to live in Iran. What I would’ve given to be back in the states at Columbia University when Iranian President Ahmadinejad was giving his speech. I expect that this new administration feels the same way about Russia. We don’t have to live in constant fear or threat of what we question. Obama himself – a self-proclaimed “mutt” – I think knows what it feels like to be misunderstood or questioned. I believe he will take the path of “seeking to understand, then to be understood.” So, I completely disagree with you when you say that there will be no change in policy. I think already those changes are being made. We are just waiting for the present administration to leave.
Sure, the elections weren’t just about just one man, but also about the seats in congress which he needs to help him pass laws. Power in the U.S. is not centralized in the president, as the past administration would have some believe. But Bush’s administration did show us the amount of influence one person can have. I have had Jordanians ask me if I though just a president can change the U.S. image, my response is HELL YES! It only took the current president 4 years to tarnish our image. It shouldn’t take that long for the U.S. to get our image back.
Times have changed. The baton has been passed to my generation of Americans: a generation who is much better informed (internet); who has been lied to and victimized by wars; who protested as their administration did little to engage global issues – HIV/AIDS, global warming; who protested as our administration sold arms to Israel while Israel seemed to wage a disproportional war in Lebanon; who wondered and fought against going to Iraq to fight a war on terror which our administration helped to enflame, but only to realize that we went to chase a black liquid (oil) which past its technological use as a form of energy 20-30 years ago; who in recent months watched the greatest financial system crumble and propagate that pain to the rest of the world; who watched Hamas, in Palestine, get democratically elected by its people, then listen to its government back-pedal and so ‘nope, that’s not what we meant by democracy’; and, who basically watched in shame as the world clasped its nose shut from the stink that our elected government brought on a pretty cool country.
Obama and his campaign aspires to millions of immigrants past and present, to include my parents in the late 60’s, and generation of Americans to be a part of the U.S. – a country that has evolved much further and quicker than many of its global peers – despite much of our past screw-ups. But, times have changed – a new generation is in charge now.
‘Yes we can; Yes we will’
November 9, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Shalabieh – bravo for the font, my eyes will be eternally thankful.
BlackMagic – the name of your president is Barack, not Barak.
November 10, 2008 at 7:30 am
Ok, so I agree with you on a few points.
No, Obama is not the answer to every problem in the US. And yes, we are voting in a government, and not just one representative. That said…
Obama is a huge step forward. The landslide election is illustrative of how people do believe that change is possbile. And that is very refreshing. I have never been very patriotic, but watching this election reminded me of what I do love about America.
States that are generally, or have always been red, were blue. For example, Indiana has never been blue in a presidential election until now. People are finally fed up, and are exercising their right to change the direction of the gov’t. If it took money, Palin, etc…to get them voting…all I can say is, it always has. Campaigns have always used money, and personal jabs to get votes. This is nothing new.
Additionally, the senate. Democrats now have majority rule, and this is hugely important. And, again, is illustrative of American’s desire to turn towards a more democratic favored gov’t. If people were voting against McCain, but were still favoring the republican party we would not see such a large number of deomocrats being voted into the senate.
I also don’t think people are voting against McCain. Until this election, and a poor choice for running mate, McCain was well respected among moderate democrats. I believe that people saw he was highly influenced by the far right, and made his views ultra conservative for them. That is why he lost.
If Obama isn’t the messiah…which at this point I think he is….then he is a change in direction. One that is needed for Americans to regain confidence in their country.
November 10, 2008 at 10:29 am
right! thanks!
November 13, 2008 at 2:43 pm
First Id like to thank everyone for their input and contributions. It is always good to hear other opinions especially opposing ones. Here are some responses to your postings:
To start with I never said I was American, or want to be. I am a proud Jordanian and I like living in Jordan. I am not the type who wants to immigrate to the west thinking there is the solution to our problems. I like to do my own thing to affect positive change in my community slowly and surely. I voted here and participated in which way I can to see the changes I want to see, and speak out in this blog and elsewhere.
What perhaps I am perplexed by is how the whole world is applauding and patting itself on the back as if much will change. I am a skeptic or as you say BlackMagic “Disinterested and unmotivated”. I will wait and see before I applaud. I think we have been bullied and bribed enough as a peoples and as governments.
You speak of an intercultural change in America, a new generation. That is great, but where was this generation throughout the past eight years? Where were the checks and balances to hold your president in check? Isn’t that what the Senate, what Congress and the Supreme Court are for? The people could have spoken a long time ago in my opinion. I don’t understand why now and why they are so happy with themselves now? Even in Jordan our government abdicated the Monarch and the monarch suspended parliament. The checks that are in place in our constitution were used (I’m not going to go into Jordanian history now- that is not our discussion).
I truly think America needs to look inwards before looking outwards. To that effect I strongly believe and have read numerous accounts stating the economic crisis facing the US and the world as the major reason Obama made it and local bills on the ballots secondary. I really don’t think people would have been as motivated to vote if their livilhoods, homes, and children’s welfare were not at stake. As important as Foreign policy is, please don’t insult me by saying it was the issue that made or broke the election. You are a traveled, even worldly American, yet the majority of Americans don’t hold passports and many have never crossed state lines, so how can this be their decisive factor?
Don’t get me wrong what has happened for America is great. I’m just not a cheerleader until I see actual change. I come from a place where I’ve seen players change all the time under different banners and slogans but the results have always been the same.
BlackMagic you also asked if I had had a bad hair day? No I didn’t I have great hair!
Rachel, change and this change is good. But lets see if he can walk the walk as well as he talks it.
Finally I would like to direct you to an American’s opinion in much better words than mine:
Uncritical Exuberance? Judith Butler’s take on Obama
http://angrywhitekid.blogs.com/weblog/2008/11/uncritical-exuberance-judith-butlers-take-on-obama.html