Will Obama Change the World?
The economic crisis seems to have coincided with another equally, if not more dire crisis; that of climate change. In the eyes of many the economic crisis is of far more importance than Climate Change and I am hoping that our Planet does not take a 2nd place in making an attempt to save capitalism as we know it. To my mind these two issues are entirely related and I believe it is crucial that the world solves both in a simultaneous and synergistic manner before our Earth renders us completely redundant.
When Obama was elected I heard a reporter refer to him as the "most important person in the world" and it occurred to me that the days that the President of the USA is labeled as such are certainly numbered. And it may indeed be Obama himself who helps to facilitate such an important event.
It's certainly interesting that he and his family are black.
He and they will have been subjected to what I believe to be one of the World's greatest and most devastating evils; Racism.
Racism is, and has been responsible for many of the worst sins to have been perpetrated in our world.
I often hear people say, "I'm not racist". To this remark such people often add.qualifying statements like "as long as (blah blah blah)". This blah blah blah usually is something that interprets down to meaning "as long as those people act the same way I do".
As soon as someone says "I'm not racist as long as they (do/act such and such)" my eyes glaze over as I write them off as being racist.
An ability to dismiss or fail to understand and respect another person's culture is at the very heart of racism. A desire to assimilate other races is a symptom of this horrible condition.
Indeed if you would like to better understand racism take a holiday as a bystander to the life of a sucessful colored friend. I say successful as if you pick someone whose life may be superficially similar to your own you will be better placed to make comparisons. You would be very surprised I'm sure.
That Obama and his family will understand racism is paramount in my view. In this world where serious changes are needed and our very survival is threatened having an USA President who is not racist is extremely important.
Developing countries are going to be firing many of the shots in what is to become our new world order. And perhaps Obama will understand and integrate this.
I wonder if, in a mere few years time that the USA President will be referred to as only 'one of the important World Leaders'. And I wonder also if Obama himself may help integrate a new sense of global cooperation amongst diverse and emerging cultural entities.
This, I believe represents one of his greatest challenges.
And I sure hope he's not a 'coconut'!!!*
Dare I imagine that the end of cultural imperialism may be within view?
Keep posted.
*"coconut". This derogatory term is used here in Australia to denote an Indigenous person who is in a powerful position who 'kowtows' to the dominant white culture; becoming an another arm of dominant culture with little regard for their people or for their cultural sensitivities (an assimilationist). An Indigenous person who feels 'they've arrived' into the dominant culture and disregards their roots. Brown or black on the outside but white inside.
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I hope President Obama is not a 'coconut'.
4 Comments
Post a CommentRacism is a terrible plague which, although somewhat better...still exists on a huge scale. I hope our country can come togther and do away with many of the issues it is faced with! Nice write!
Well, only time will tell what Obama will accomplish when he becomes the new American president. Congress is the one with the real power and when their members don't work together little gets accomplished--despite what the president may promise the people. I think paid lobbyists for just about every major special interest group has most of America's politicians in their back pockets, so do the American people, or even their newly elected president really have all that much say? I wonder. . . I also wonder about the potential for possible assassination attempts on Obama's life. You are right--racism exists and there are extremists that might use that as an excuse to try and kill the first black American president.
I've been fascinated by the "take" on Obama's victory around the world. Yours is (of course) especially interesting. I'm afraid cultural imperialism is too deeply ingrained for one person to have much effect on it.
They call them "Uncle Toms" here in America. I think he will not favor his own race. He's half white. I've read a lot of things written by poor blacks who think he will settle some kind of score. I don't think that will ever happen.