The election of Barack Obama as President of the United States can best be described by reprising the headline of one of my recent columns — ‘What a world! What a joy!’
I had, of course, expected him to win in a landslide even before world financial markets came unstuck, but, when I watched him give his acceptance speech, I was suddenly struck by the fact that this man is black. And this is America. And a black man has become President. Watching the tears streaming down Jesse Jackson’s face and the disbelief and jubilation on the black faces in the crowd, I realised that it was a seminal moment in US history.
For, before that, I hadn’t really focused on the fact that Obama was black. I noticed it, of course, but the reason I loved him and knew he would win was because he was smart, young, sensitive and inspirational. That he was black was hardly relevant. But, in reality, it was. Indeed, while many are celebrating what Thomas Friedman so aptly described as “the end of the Civil War”, it is important to recognise that this is not the same as the end of racism (whether in the US or anywhere else in the world). One of the media commentators pointed out that Obama won fewer votes in the South than either John Kerry or Al Gore, both of whom lost their bids in the previous two elections. This points out that there is still plenty of good ol’ prejudice to go around.
But Obama’s victory undercuts all those black people who would say that prejudice is what keeps them down and, importantly, all of those outside the US (myself included part-time) who believe(d) that America is a conservative, narrow-minded bully who only gets its way because of the size of its economy.
Well, welcome to America. Welcome to all of us. And welcome to a new world.
Let’s also recall that in Obama’s acceptance speech, when speaking about the challenges ahead, he mentioned two wars, a messed up planet, and a financial system that is falling apart in that order. Now, for such an organised man, it is hard to believe that this order does not reflect his priorities. So, while he will doubtless fight the most blazing fires first, it is clear to me that America — and the world — finally has a leader who understands the importance of the environment. I have no doubt that Al Gore will be a senior adviser to President Obama, and that things like the Kyoto protocol, energy-saving cars, and, given American (and global) ingenuity, who knows what else, will be coming our way soon.
For, another great thing about Obama is that he knows — and he spoke about it — that the only way to get things done in a sustainable way is to talk to everybody, particularly people who disagree with you. Clearly, America will be much more engaged — genuinely — with the rest of the world, from Europe to Asia to Africa, not simply reflecting the new president’s roots, but simply reflecting the plurality of mankind.
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It ain’t going to be easy — hey, nothing valuable usually is. Engaging in Pakistan and Afghanistan will be a tough task — as a starting point, the President needs to build a team of Muslim clerics and intellectuals to advise him on what concerns Muslims everywhere. Once he has convinced the Islamic world that he is committed — and his very election has already started that process — he should (will) visit these troubled spots to confirm this. Institutions like the USIS, which were neutered by Ronald Reagan back in the 1980s should — and will — spring back to life, reopening America’s dialogue with the world.
The newly aggressive Russia is, of course, another problem, and, in my view, an even more difficult one. The good news is that falling oil prices and an imploding Russian economy may offer an opportunity to build a new bridge of peace.