Unlike others, I have no hopes from Obama nor do I feel any need to be happy about his election. Skimming through 1/4th of a more recent article of Tariq Ali helped me understand how excited he is at the election of the first ever Black President of USA.
However, one important fact Tariq Ali mentioned during a recent interview of Tariq by a seemingly small daily in Canada (I can’t find the link now) is a lot more interesting.
Tariq Ali, had rightly pointed out, during that interview that Obama’s victory should not overshadow the fact that Republicans have had a lot many more Black people in its top tier unlike the Democrats such as Colin Powell, Condoleza Rice and many others (can’t recall the names).
This coupled with the fact that, as far as policy is concerned, there is not much difference between McCain and Obama on any major issue shows how lame it is to be over-excited or unneccessarily be happy about Obama’s success.
The fact that Obama did manage to attract voters on the basis of a vague concept of ‘Change’ with no real policy and no clear emphasis on how different his views are from the war-mongering neo-cons shows how similar he could turn out to be (specially if another 911 sort of an event occurs) despite the fact that he does look very different with respect to looks, personality and IQ from Bush and McCain.
But, still Obama’s successful campaign has many lessons for us.
This song ‘If you are out there’ was sung by John Legend specifically for Obama’s 2008 Election Campaign is a very inspirational song, and is such a simple tool for motivating the voters.
Lyrics:
If you hear this message, wherever you stand
I’m calling every woman, calling every man
We’re the generation
We can’t afford to wait
The future started yesterday and we’re already late
We’ve been looking for a song to sing
Searched for a melody
Searched for someone to lead
We’ve been looking for the world to change
If you feel the same
Then go on and say
If you’re out there
Sing along with me
If you’re out there
I’m dying to believe that you’re out there
Stand up and say it loud
If you’re out there
Tomorrow’s starting now
Now, now
No more broken promises
No more call to war
Unless it’s love and peace that we’re really fighting for
We can destroy hunger
We can conquer hate
Put down the arms and raise your voice
We’re joining hands today
Oh I was looking for a song to sing
I searched for a leader
But the leader was me
We were looking for the world to change
We can be heroes
Just go on and say
If you’re out there
Sing along with me
If you’re out there
I’m dying to believe that you’re out there
Stand up and say it loud
If you’re out there
Tomorrow’s starting now
Now, now
Oh now, now
If you’re ready we can shake the world
Believe again
It starts within
We don’t have to wait for destiny
We should be the change that we want to see
If you’re out there
Ooooh
If you’re out there
And you’re ready now
Say it loud
Scream it out
If you’re out there
Sing along with me
If you’re out there
I’m dying to believe that you’re out there
Stand up and say it loud
If you’re out there
Tomorrow’s starting now
If you’re out there
If you’re out there
If you’re out there
If you hear this message, wherever you stand
I’m calling every woman, calling every man
We’re the generation
We can’t afford to wait
The future started yesterday and we’re already late
Filed under: Excerpts & Quotes, Politik , Elections 2008, If you are out there, John Legend, Obama, Tariq Ali, USA
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yeah right; nothing special to get excited about:
I agree BHO may not be true to his words,he is not tested even by his own democrats and this whole election was more favorable for him because majority of his votes were based on racial motivation,which as you know can make people blind!
Well said Dannish. Racial motivation seems to be the right term for such a scenario…
GH, no excitement really. But I am anxiously looking forward to 20th January..
I hope things get better too. But what Obama needs to do is not to succumb to administrative pressure. It is not about what he wants, but what the country wants. I am not saying that what the country wants is always right, but America is kind of based on those ideals and loosely based ethics (Keyword:loosely).
But what Obama totally needs to do it to arrest Bush ever since the confession of use of torture by the Bush administration in Gitmo has gotten out. I hope Obama will nail him and if not, I hope other countries do.
Sorry for the rambling.
Your hopes are totally unrealistic.
Obama would be doing the same kind of things as was done by earlier presidents of the terrorist state of America. Obama’s silence on the palestine issue should be an eye-opener for those who believed in hollow motto of ‘change’. On policy level, Obama and McCain are almost the same.
An organization chose Obama’s marketing campaign as the best of 2008 and it even defeated Apple computer’s marketing campaign.
Its a pity that in USA, people don’t get elect on what they stand for in terms of economic, foreign, and other policies but on the basis of how good their marketing campaigns were.
For the arrest of Bush, his real crimes need to be used against him as evidence.
I never had any hopes from someone like obama; one has to be realistic.
I agree to most of what you said, but I do think that Obama is a bit different than McCain, if anything, torture has been FINALLY outlawed. (Although solitary confinement is still permissible, even though I think it is torture.) McCain would not do that and he would let Gitmo continue. And Obama ordered troops to be out in 16 months and McCain and Palin would fight until every civilian is dead if they could.
But I do have some hopes for Obama. Not for a *revolution* as some people paint him to be. I know not to think that highly of him. And yesterday he did address the Palestinian and Israeli conflict(not in the best light, I will admit) but he did say that there needs to be peace on BOTH sides. How it is done and what will be done is what I fear, but it cannot be worse than when Bush tried to handle it.
I think I might be too idealistic and corny (because of Gitmo closing and the outlaw of torture) and I think you might be a bit more negative for the new presidency. I don’t think anyone expected him to do that many executive orders in two days. And after all, no more Bush is enough reason to party.
Didn’t mean to come off harsh if I did!