Upload
mangeshnanoti
View
213
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
7/30/2019 The Journey of a Dream
1/2
The Journey of a Dream
I saw this picture (sans the translation) in my Facebook feed today. The creator of this picture wanted to
convey congratulations to the most powerful man on the planet. Observe the way he tried to do it.
Observe the close personal sentiment that is demonstrated. I have seen positive sentiments
overwhelmingly prevalent after Obamas reelection; indeed, Boston is overwhelmingly liberal and there
was no dearth of congratulations being offered to Obama after he successfully re-clinched the
presidency. The most unusual, most unexpected congratulations, I guess is this one. Coming out from
just another guy from the state of Maharashtra, India. A guy who most probably will never be affected
directly by Obamas Reelection and subsequently, his policies. Also, I generally have never observed
much interest in American elections as far as it goes in Maharashtras or Indias cultural Zeitgeist, but
this time there was a stark difference. The Globe, just like Maharashtra actually celebrated his
reelection. It goes to show more on how much the world appreciates the absence of George W. Bush
and his policies.
Even the most vituperative of Obamas critics will have to concur that theres something about the guy.
There is not just something different because of course. He is Americas first black president. He is the
wonder child. Hes the ultimate poster boy for the American dream and a Testament to American
diversity and acceptance. For a country that till 50 years ago had Segregation, I must say, Not Bad. He,
for a change gives off an air of a calm intellect and poise which is an extremely welcome change after
7/30/2019 The Journey of a Dream
2/2
what seemed like an eternity of the American Administration being stuck in Yeehaw mode. He is a
symbol of resilience in the face of incessant, often racist attacks from the American Right-Wing machine.
The liberals in this country seem pretty satisfied with the work that hes done , as they maybe should. He
has done a pretty decent job on controlling the great recession, ending a decade of war, introducing
healthcare reform, repealing dont-ask-dont-tell, support of gay marriage, and bringing in immigration
reform. Indeed he was, as Bill Maher put in his inimitable fashion, The maid after Led Zeppelin had been
in the room. But as a Progressive, I feel he still remains woefully lacking.
When Obama came into office, the world was reeling from a global recession, the likes of whose wasnt
seen on a global scale. The insatiable greed of Wall Street and the extremely corrupt influence of the
super wealthy like the Koch Brothers and Corporations like Goldman Sachs on the American political
process was one of the main reasons why we were in this mess. The Supreme Courts decision to uphold
Citizens United and allow basically unlimited money into politics and the Wholesale Purchase of
American Senators was another major factor. Obama had promised us campaign finance reform. He has
delivered none. Not a single financial criminal CEO on Wall Street who caused this global collapse has
been prosecuted, let alone convicted. He has been tougher on Medical Marijuana dispensaries and usersthan Bush was. He passed the NDAA which basically gives him the power of executing American citizens
abroad without trial, which he has. Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, a 16 year old American kid was killed in a
Drone strike. It was a Signature Strike, which means that we didnt know who we are executing before
we launched the missile. Obama has used more drone strikes that George W. Bush. He has been and is
using them extensively in Pakistan and Yemen. Not just the strike, the military now also indulges in
double tap where the people who rush for aid for the civilians injured after the drone strike are
bombed again. It shocks me that the leader of the civilized world has and does maintain a Kill List. So
much for Change we can Believe in.
I am glad that Obama won, the alternative would have been disastrous. There was a standing joke in theinternational community that if Romney were to win we will have to pack our bags. Romneys victory
would have negated all of what Obamas victory in 2008 had achieved. It would have spelled victory that
superstitiously loony, old-school, Ultra-Conservative, warmongering part of the country who just claim
to stand for traditional values or American Exceptionalism or returning the country to its true
owners. It would have rung a death knell for Climate change activists and Supporters of Gay rights and
womens reproductive rights. It would have indicated to me that I am not welcome here. Not just as a
visiting student or an aspiring citizen, but a person whos not exactly similar to the countrys winning
ideology/desired ethnicity. It would have meant an extension of the same policies that led America to
this mess, but even more right-wing than what they were. No sane person wants to live through that
once again. And I am glad that the American people indicated as much.
- MANGESH NANOTI No part of this document may be reproduced without the owners explicit permission. Unaltered
Sharing if this document is encouraged and allowed under GNU Public license.