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In four days, the lone Superpower on the planet will vote for its new leader… and the world watches eagerly, awaits results anxiously while it desperately tries to defend its financial fortress from the global economic meltdown that’s closing in around it. I, myself, have been burning the worldwide web, looking for some comfort from news articles and political expert opinions on the 2008 US Election, keeping an eye for possible redemption from the financial crisis from heaps and heaps of reading materials about the two contenders, Senators Barack Obama and John McCain! Without a doubt, the financial crisis had been making a hole at the bottom of everybody’s purse at the moment, and presumably throughout a considerable period in the near and distant grim future. And so, the world holds its breath, as it once again, looks to the West and hopes for the best.
The considerable endorsement articles I’ve read rang some sort of bias on different levels, while some were coupled with indiscreet ideological partisanship; still others are peppered with insults emanating from frustration and dismay from the present economic state and international image of the United States of America. From among a sea of candidate endorsements, I found one that’s refreshingly unbiased, or at least, the least biased among so many:
http://www.economist.com/printedition/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=12511171
The article above is very well-thought of and very well-written. It points out both the weaknesses and strengths of the two candidates, side by side. It does not endorse Sen. Obama in a frenzied, politically charged fanatism nor does it lambast Sen. McCain unfairly and maliciously. Instead, it points out how Sen. Obama rose from an unknown, inexperienced presidential hopeful into the very embodiment of hope and change that America needs amidst this tumultuous time - organized leadership that overcame huge challenges from the start of his campaign, rigorous and disciplined pursuit of his goals and that of his followers, willingness to listen and learn from the most brilliant minds to the smallest member of the society to come up with a political platform that could work for everyone, calm and cool confidence in the face of aggressive adversaries, and the willingness to extend a hand of reconciliation to turn foes into allies (It was joy to watch him embrace the Clintons during his many rallies, which undoubtedly added to the pride of reconciled Democrats, electrifying them to charge for victory come Election Day.) - all of which are necessary quality of a leader as America, and the world, faces a challenge that it has never faced before.
Admittedly, I was an ardent supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton during the Democratic primaries, and I proudly remain to be a Hillaryite, even after the Democrats decided that she was too consumed by her desire to be the next American President that she went on a spontaneous combustion towards the end of the primaries. I maintain that she has what it takes to be a great leader, too, just like Bill Clinton... only maybe better. But after the primaries, watching Sen. Obama's steady evolution into a leader that the world by and large can appreciate, I was won over. This is not to say, however, that Sen. McCain is a totally worthless candidate, because he is worthy, too... or was, as shown by his sterling records as a soldier and a maverick senator, that is, until partisan politics sucked the better of him in the course of the presidential campaign. The biggest and probably the worst self-destructing compromise he could ever do in his lifetime is choosing a nincompoop that is Sarah Palin for a running mate at a time when the American VP Office could mean flourish or perish for the global community! Some of these issues were detailed in the Economist endorsement, which I believe, is a worthwhile read for those who haven’t made up their minds and for those who have but could do a bit of reassessment of their decision before finally casting their votes.
Although, like the Economist, most of the global community, myself included, do not have a vote in the US Election, the far-reaching effects of the present global financial crisis that originated from Wall Street, and therefore, must be abated from Wall Street, show more than ever before that whether Americans like it or not, the rest of the global community has a stake in their Presidential Election! And, their decision is a key as to how the free world will proceed forward after getting a good beating from the financial crisis. It will be tough, but through wars and adversaries, America has shown its resilience many times before. And through the help of its allies, it has risen to become the lone Superpower in the free world. Unlike many, I do not have a big problem about that... because which developed country in this planet has as much tolerance and offers as vast an access to opportunities to as many peoples in the world as the United States does? It is still one of the few developed nations where citizens from less fortunate nations can labor without being looked down to inhumanely, or spitted on like a piece of crap on a daily basis, or persecuted unjustly for their faith or sexual orientation, or even beaten to death like an unworthy animal. There are subtle (and sometimes, not-so-subtle) shows of intolerance, that's for sure, especially during the Bush era, but foreigners may still take refuge from American policies of co-existence. Sure, they usually put their own interests in the forefront, but who doesn't? Indeed, America does have good things that could be worthwhile for the world to learn. Therefore, Americans should be able to figure this one out, too. There is only one difference between their past and their present circumstances – now, they stand as a part of a whole, which is the global community. It is the inability to grasp this new reality for the United States of America that makes ultra-conservative, inward-looking, global know-how-deprived, and intellectually-challenged like Sarah Palin absolutely inadequate to become the nation's Number Two! But, alas, Sarah Palin, thankfully, does not represent Americans of today, not even the majority of Republicans. (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/31/us/politics/31poll.html?_r=1&oref=slogin)
The shocking occurrence of 9/11 and how the Americans of this generation came together to stand for their country against the barbaric act of terrorism, I believe, is a defining moment for the United States of America – as a Nation. The 2008 Presidential Election is proving to be yet another defining moment for the United States of America – this time, not just as a nation, but also and more importantly, as a vital part (or leader, if the Americans still want it) of a free global community, whose very existence today is the result of democracy that the United States of America itself had ardently spoused for the last so many decades. While it is true that the free market that it created proved to be an imperfect one, the repercussions of its excesses and unwarranted deregulation, everyone in the world is enduring today, it did introduce a new way by which members of the global community may interact and grow as one. Leaders of nations that are key players in the global economic architecture of today coming together to confront the challenges of the present financial crisis is an indication that the world is ready to grow as one community. Sadly, it takes a financial catastrophe to make this happen. But, no matter, at least now, we see ourselves as one community. And now, this community looks to America in this crucial moment, when its sustainable existence is in peril.
As an individual who looks up to America as a generous provider of a lasting gift that is an excellent Academic training, and as a frequent visitor who revere America for its embrace as it reveals eagerly how absolutely exciting it can be to be in that melting pot where everyone is accepted as an important ingredient of a blend, I am forever grateful. I would like to believe that the Bush doctrine with all its short-sightedness and lack of intellectual ingredients in its policies, both local and foreign, is just a temporary glitch in the American psyche. As I enjoy America's gift of topnotch education and spreading America's message of hope in my own country, I continue to pray that this tradition of hope remains alive in the American soil for others to enjoy in many generations to come. And this, I reckon, depends on how America votes in four days’ time.
Therefore, I say, “vote wisely, America!”
