After seeing the results of the election, I can’t help but feel renewed hope for the country that I once held in so high a regard. For the first time in years, I felt an inkling of the desire to go there again. So many bridges burnt the past 8 years, and the efforts involved in building them back up will no doubt be great. Is it possible to repair all that damage? I’m talking, mostly, about the international relations between the U.S. and the rest of the world.
I have never in my life seen so much hatred, and disdain, toward the United States as I’ve seen the last couple of years, from anyone of any nationality or age. Can that hatred be turned? I am hopeful, but the years to come will turn that hope into belief, or disappointment.
One might wonder why I even care about the election of a country of which I am not a citizen. I have friends there. It is a good reason. More importantly, though, I realize the impact the United States — especially when there is bad leadership involved — can have upon the world as a whole. Wars are waged, backed by invalid reasons, and the current economic crisis which affects the whole world is, at least in part, the result of such leadership.
Here’s to hoping.
I think one of the things that was most important for a candidate this time around was charisma. As ridiculous as that may sound at first, it’s absolutely essential to have someone who can smoothly communicate with other countries (as well as with our own people) to repair relations. We needed someone who could be diplomatic and reassuring.
Our international relations are in shreds. Our public is a nervous wreck on the verge of panic due to the economy. We need someone who can calm the tide, and start rebuilding bridges. I hope we’ve found that in Obama.
I don’t expect miracles from him – in fact I’m almost certain most of his 4 year term will be spent trying to return us to where we were pre-Bush. I don’t expect us to do much more than try to regain what we had, but if we can accomplish some of that – it will be a successful 4 years.
We need to begin returning to the great country we can be, want to be, and should be.
I think you’re right on there, yeah. I mean, seriously, George Bush is by the world collectively referred to as “the monkey”. I hope the bigger part of the reason for that reference is his mistakes rather than the fact he looks like, uh, a monkey, but nonetheless, I think Obama will be able to “gracefully” approach the world in ways McCain would never be able to, not to mention Bush.
One thing I would be curious to know is whether people in other countries see our newly elected president as a sign of good change as you do. Living here, it’s hard to know how the media in different countries is talking about this, and what the general public reaction overseas is. Hopefully, their feelings on it are relatively close to what you felt when you heard the news. Someone needs to do an international poll.
I actually read an article a few days ago about how ministers have been meeting with Obama even before he was elected president. Not sure where I saw that… if I find it I’ll toss it your way.