It is a new America to which I return after a long election week’s trip to Asia. This is not a political opinion but a historic one.
For those of us who grew up in the 1960s even grew up white in America it was the decade of the epic civil rights struggles. Dr King Thurgood Marshall Rosa Parks and others led a peaceful revolution so that African Americans could secure their already constitutionally guaranteed right to sit in any seat on a public bus or at a lunch counter study at the university of their choice or most importantly this week exercise their right to vote.
One election does not atone for hundreds of years of slavery a century of Jim Crow discrimination or literally millions of individual incidents of racial prejudice and bias – the job not offered the apartment not rented or simply the taxi cab that did not stop. However it is truly remarkable that the self-righting system at the heart of the American spirit could in Spike Lee’s words "do the right thing."
President Obama will have many challenges including the economic issues I have written about here lately (see blog post Towards a New Capitalism) but also national security international war and peacekeeping and social justice issues like affordable healthcare. However President Obama also represents an important catharsis for America. How many of us ever really thought or even dared hope that a man who describes himself as a "mutt" could be elected the most powerful man on earth?
For some like me the feeling is one of elation – a burden lifted a civil war finally ended as Tom Friedman has recently written a 150 years on. Free free at last. For others there will be questions of experience and competence and for others still since racism has not been banished from every heart by simple majority vote hatred. But for all of us there should be hope and restored faith in the American dream. For the concept of America well beyond the physical dimensions of the nation state is not a monopoly owned only by US citizens.
That the City on the Hill can still shine brightly and nobly is a reason for celebration.
Dear Tom It was a pleasure reading your opinion. I’m Israeli born 1951 M+4 choldren and 4 grandaughters and I do hope that the change will penetrate Israel and its surrouding and will move us all to a better world. I was in NY two weeks ago and felt “in the air” that the change is in the door. So many youngsters told me they are going to vote first time and so taxi drivers the hotle bell boys etc. The hope is enormous let’s hope the world will achieve it goals for our future. Best of all Yossi
Colour has a lot to do with what we see through our eyes but essentially what made history is the colour of change that we saw with our hearts. L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux
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Dear Tom Thanks for sharing your opinion. I am very proud to share with you that I vote for President elect Obama twice. The first vote was to nominate him and the second one to elect him the 44th president. The job ahead of the 44th President is a tough one. But together
I worry when CNN makes such a big deal of color. When the sole emphasis is on a racial hurdle that has been overcome I think people are missing what has really happened. Personally I believe you do get people of color and usually they will never ever let you forget it however Obama is not one of those. Obama is
Tom I am very impressed by President elect Obam’s cabinet choices. Please share your thoughts. Thanks. Shelly
Unsurprisingly this post attracted significant comment. I agree with the reply that “Obama is colorless.” This is what is truly historic. America has advanced to the point at which an African American can be elected because he is the most qualified candidate and not because of the color of his skin. To get to this point the Nation first had to leave behind a past in which a black man could never have been elected because of the color of his skin and then equally importantly a period in which black candidates put themselves forward largely because of the color of their skin (e.g. Rev. Jessie Jackson or Rev. Al Sharpton). Racism has not unfortunately been eliminated. But Obama is truly the first “post racial” President. One other writer asked me to comment on President-elect Obama’s cabinet choices. Without getting into a post-by-post analysis I must say that I am very impressed with the quality of the appointees. Our future President’s ability to choose motivate and then listen to such high quality advisers bodes well for his administration. My only worry is the managerial effort it will take to lead this high-octane cabinet.
Dear all I do share the fact that the balance of the current administration is negative but I also believe that it is mainly due to the fact that they have treated everything external with a lot of disrespect. It should be a signal for us in avoiding to engage in this type of attitude. I would also be very cautious when affirming that the rest of the world has adopted the new administration. The current set up shows that there will be no tolerance for any activity that “hurts” America and with the current economic context the limits are very narrow. Hence there will be some disappointment in the coming months for previous euphoric reactions. I wish you all a merry Christmas and the best for 2009!
As an Asian Obama’s victory is a symbol of hope that we can again have the inspiration that all things are possible in this world.