I was a passive voter, but a very active spectator in the historic 2008 US Presidential elections; a point in time in the history of civilization of this country, and possibly the greater world, which saw a sea change in how politics has come down on people yet so far. I am referring to the historic win of Barack Obama for the highest position in this country, and possibly the most influential rank in the world as it exists today. After several years, the vista of emotions, elation, happiness, surprise, excitement and placation that has enamored the people (like me) now, I believe would be an interesting page of life to flip back and re-experience! The pages in history might get less consequential, however it's impact on current society would exist ever.
Mr Obama made it. He proved the trend set since 1776 wrong. He wrote history. Being a man of only 47 years, and with zero political backing from his predecessor family, it was sheer his hard work, committment and the promise he showed that has brought him this glory. Whatever from this point onwards I would write in praise of him, would be just repeating what has been said so many times already.
However, what intrigues me more is not Mr Obama being elected, but the people. The people who are broad-minded, liberal enough to think straight at a time when the country is in deep trouble - be it military expenses and resources, energy problem or to add salt to the wound, the recession. I absolutely appreciate the people to have had thought straight - to have had picked the right guy at the right moment, and being unbiased by the legacy that has reigned since the past 250 years.
I am amazed, even after all the criticisms over the commonplace people here for not being politically aware, not taking enough interest in the nation's problems, they have for the first time answered that they do care. And that, they do have the capability to bring in CHANGE when it is needed. It is a very unique quality that has characterized this country so many times in other realms, especially in science and technology. They have been the trendsetters; breaking free the shackles of pre-nurtured customs.
I still dream of our people back in India this way. I wish we would become politically and socially more aware at the least, even if we personally aren't able to make any substancial contributions. We should at least contribute to taking the decisions for India which cater for its own betterment - may be pick a more deserving person, be it politics, administration, sports or technology.
If they can do it, we also can do it!
Mr Obama made it. He proved the trend set since 1776 wrong. He wrote history. Being a man of only 47 years, and with zero political backing from his predecessor family, it was sheer his hard work, committment and the promise he showed that has brought him this glory. Whatever from this point onwards I would write in praise of him, would be just repeating what has been said so many times already.
However, what intrigues me more is not Mr Obama being elected, but the people. The people who are broad-minded, liberal enough to think straight at a time when the country is in deep trouble - be it military expenses and resources, energy problem or to add salt to the wound, the recession. I absolutely appreciate the people to have had thought straight - to have had picked the right guy at the right moment, and being unbiased by the legacy that has reigned since the past 250 years.
I am amazed, even after all the criticisms over the commonplace people here for not being politically aware, not taking enough interest in the nation's problems, they have for the first time answered that they do care. And that, they do have the capability to bring in CHANGE when it is needed. It is a very unique quality that has characterized this country so many times in other realms, especially in science and technology. They have been the trendsetters; breaking free the shackles of pre-nurtured customs.
I still dream of our people back in India this way. I wish we would become politically and socially more aware at the least, even if we personally aren't able to make any substancial contributions. We should at least contribute to taking the decisions for India which cater for its own betterment - may be pick a more deserving person, be it politics, administration, sports or technology.
If they can do it, we also can do it!
5 comments:
Really? I figured a lot of pro-Obama votes were actually anti-Republican ones. In which case, the change, as great as it is, is not that unthinkable.
sure. pro-obama votes have to be anti-republican. but the interesting part is why they are so :) and not biased by the color of the skin of whom they are going to vote!
So ... you're saying something along the lines of elect Mayawati, then we can show that India has come a long way, right?
I don't agree with all this hoopla of "oh we have matured so much as a country, we've elected an African-American to office". That in itself is racist. Period.
@ Kartik,
nopes. I don't agree. It's not about "electing an African-American to office" its about "electing whoever deserves the office, unbiased by other factors". The whole point I am making is that choosing a person based on what s/he deserves does indeed indicate a lot of maturity. Of course, race is such a sensitive issue, you can always add that hue to anything and everything if you want to! And you just did it above. The same fact can millions of interpretations. However as I see it, I see maturity in the people.
And as long as Mayawati goes, if she would have deserved her post and got elected, I would have written the same blog indicating "our" maturity. Unfortunately she exploits the very caste factor, which tells us how deserving she is, leaving aside her other qualities (read sarcasm here)!!! And even more unfortunately enough, we still elect her!!! How do you answer that?
FYI, Mayawati doesn't use caste as her trump-card... her whole platform is built *against* the caste system and on empowerment for Dalits.
And as far as "exploiting" casteist politics goes, 87pc of the African-American community voted for Obama. That's more than the percentage in that community that votes democrat usually. For an analogy, consider the state props. about gay marriage - the african-american demographic voted overwhelmingly *for* defining marriage narrowly and thus outlawin gay marriage. But of course, that is against what every single democrat has ever espoused.
So you see, it wasn't all about the issues, much as you might wish to believe.
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