There is a single moment that sticks in my mind about the 2008 US Presidential race. Maybe its not so significant, but if what it represents remains consistent, then the ideology executed in front of it will be far reaching in its effect. I’m talking about the moment that Barack Obama finished his election victory speech. He waited, thought about the moment, and then smiled. There is at least a 7 second gap.
His pause, before showing emotion, is very significant. Why? It signals his ability to contain himself, his ability to suppress ego (think what most men would do in his position), despite the temptation to go wobbly at the knees. This is a man who, when in front of 100,000 people, wasn’t grinning like some child whose most hated bully had been slapped in the face. He simply paused, absorbed the reaction, waited a moment and smiled.
The bit to watch out for is the last 10 seconds of the clip, although the whole clip is quite informative and worth watching.
The honeymoon will be over when the new elect President comes to tell America some truths:
- “Iraq” is Arabic for “Vietnam”
- Afghanistan can never be won, and Pakistan won’t be worth the effort (for the same reasons as Afghanistan)
- Their brand of capitalism will need serious welding to fix the banking/housing crisis
- Globalisation has permanently relieved the America economy of jobs
Click here for a high quality filming of the event and here for the script of the speech.
As for foreign policy, even Family Guy writers can’t write this stuff, they just copy and paste:
Possibly the best part of having Mr Obama as President, is that he’s going to open channels of dialogue with the Iranian Government. This can only be a good thing; as not too far in the future Iran might be nuclear capable, which is perceived to be an obstacle to international relations (even though its fine to break principles when cash is flashed).
Seeing a man who will clearly go on to be a great statesmen, I can’t help but look to the east and wonder where the great Muslim statesmen are. The leaders of Egypt, Syrian, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar fail to impress. A pity, since some of the greatest statesmen of history have passed through their lands.
May God have mercy on us all. Let us all be the change we want to see in the world. It sounds like therapy, but its what alot of people need to hear; yes, we can.