I’m not the most patriotic person in America. I don’t agree with the commonly-stated notion that America is the greatest country in the world. Not so much because America isn’t great, but because there are plenty of great countries on Earth. The rah-rah, blind patriotism that’s connected to America seems too simplistic for a global worldview that is so complex.
But last night, and into this morning, I felt patriotic. I felt like America is a great country. The 2008 election, a long battle lasting almost two years, is a monumental moment in this country’s history, and it established a new precedent for what is possible in this nation.
For the last eight years, America has roundly embraced the anti-intellectual, fear-mongering ideas of the Bush/Cheney administration. We’ve given tax breaks to those who already have tens of millions of dollars in their bloated bank accounts. We’ve cut funding for environmental and energy development. We’ve implemented the No Child Left Behind, possibly the worst educational policy in this nation’s history. We’ve cut civil rights with the Patriot Act. We’ve replaced a $350 billion surplus with trillions of dollars in debt. We’ve been fed the idea that the government is always out to get you (by the government itself, ironically), and that you’re better taking an every-man-for-himself approach. As a result of all this, and more, the economy is in shambles, and our worldwide image has been tarnished.
And — almost unthinkably — America’s choice to fix these problems is a man who was required to drink from his own water fountain barely 40 years ago. A man who, to this day, cannot belong to certain country clubs in America.
This is a big deal.
Putting John McCain in office would have been to ignore Bush’s eight years of failure, and it would have sent a message that America is uninterested in holding its government accountable. But instead, America opted for a new, bold direction. And I am proud to be a part of that.
Now, I’m not naive enough to believe that the election of Obama will solve every issue that faces the United States. There will be major challenges along the way, and the executive office will not be able to completely salve the wounds left behind by George Bush. It is a start, however.
It was interesting this morning to check the reactions from newspapers around the world about Obama’s win. I took a few screencaps, which you can click below to see the full image:
The immediate reaction from around the globe has been overwhelmingly positive, from France to Russia to China to the Middle East to South America. Polls have shown that citizens of foreign nations preferred Obama to McCain by nearly a 4-to-1 margin. With the economy becoming more global, and with other nations growing increasingly more powerful, this is incredibly important. In one swift move, the approval rating of the U.S. around the world has shot up. It’s difficult to underestimate the significance of once again having the respect of the rest of the world.
These instant benefits — the more favorable view of America in the global eye, the racial progress and the goodwill felt by so many who supported Obama — are hopefully just the first steps. The long-term benefits of an Obama presidency are harder to define, and are admittedly dependent on a number of factors. But I believe that those advancements will come. I believe that his plans for education, energy and the economy are good ones, and will be what guides America back on track.
I’m excited to see Obama’s push for new and better ways of providing energy. I’m excited to see those new innovations create jobs for Americans. I’m excited to see a President who will once again place value on an education for all American children. I’m excited to have a President who acknowledges the existence of the middle class and the struggles faced by those blue-collar individuals who work hard, but are not wealthy. I’m excited to live under a President whose first inclination in a time of international crisis isn’t to threaten military action. And frankly, I’m excited to be dumber than the President.
You may disagree with Barack Obama’s policies, but it’s undeniable that this is a pivotal moment in this nation’s history, and an incredible achievement for perhaps the most unlikely president America has ever seen.
We’ve come a long, long way. Let’s hope we keep going.
