As with most of you, I keep looking for a positive view regarding the elections. Primarily, I just want to get them overwith and start getting this country on the high road to a better future. I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels this way. Nicholas Kristof, NYT Op-Ed columnist had some interesting and hopeful things to say in a recent article, "We're beginning to get a sense of how Barack Obama's political success could change global perceptions of the United States, redefining the American "brand" to be less about Guantanamo and more about equality. This change in perceptions would help rebuild American political capital in the way that the Marshall Plan did in the 1950s or that John Kennedy's presidency did in the early 1960s."
Colin Powell, in his endorsement of Obama said that, "the new president is going to have to fix the reputation that we've left with the rest of the world." It's not about admiration, it's about cooperation that is and will be essential to deal with the challenges of the 21st-century. As Mr. Kristof says, "you can't fire cruise missiles at the global financial crisis.
Mr. Powell continued by saying, "an Obama election will also not only electrify our country, but the world." And this can already be seen. In a 22-nation survey by the BBC it was found that Obama was preferred to McCain by four-to-one over all. Nearly half of those in the BBC poll said that the election of Obama, an African-American, would "fundamentally change" their perspective of the United States.
Europe is, indeed, intoxicated by the possibility of restoring amity with America in an Obama presidency. As The Economist put it: "Across the Continent, Bush hatred has been replaced by Obama-mania."
I do agree with Mr. Kristof when he says that Obama's skin color is a bad reason to vote for him or against him; substance should always trump symbolism. And yet if he is elected, as so many of us hope, it may be a way to restore our global influence and achieve at least some of our international objectives -- in part because the world is concluding that Americans can, after all, see beyond a person's epidermis.
Now, isn't that a beautiful thought to hold on to?
Sylvia's world in thoughts and pictures
I miss you Sam!!
I miss you Sam!!
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What Can I Say?
I'm interested in almost everything. Use to like to travel, but it's too expensive now. I take Tai Chi classes, swim, volunteer in a Jump-start program for pre-schoolers. I'm an avid reader and like nearly everyone these days I follow politics avidly. I'm a former teacher and Special Projects Coordinator for a Telecommunications company, Assistant to the President of a Japanese silicon wafer manufacturing company. Am now enjoying retirement -- most of the time. I have two daughters, one son-in-law and two sons scattered all over the country. No grandchildren.
5 comments:
Wonderful! I'm getting so excited I can hardly stand it. I have so much hope for our country. I still have that little black cloud of McCain hanging out there but I do so hope for an Obama election.
I had read that also and felt encouraged by what Powell said in his endorsement. We will know soon who Americans are.
I now have hope for the future my grandson will face as he grows up. I am aware that anything can happen, but there does seem to be hope now.
I am so mistrustful of the Republican after all their shenanigans, that I a afraid to celebrate victory too early.
I am 100% with you all the way! We recently moved back to Hawaii after 34 years in Illinois so we do have a tie with Obama. We have traveled quite a bit and everything we've heard out in the world tells us that people will think Americans are prejudiced and want more of the aggressive sort of Bush politics we've had these past 8 years. I really worry. There is still so much prejudice out there and I've already been disappointed twice.
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