Obama and America's Renewed Progressive Leadership Posted by James Lamond

Ian Buruma writes about the incredible but ironic excitement and support for Barack Obama's election.  I say ironic because as Buruma says, "a black president or prime minister (let alone one whose middle name is Hussein) is still unthinkable in Europe."  After all is it likely to see a Turkish Chancellor in Germany, a Pakistani Prime Minister in England, or an French President of African descent any time soon? Most people would say no. 

So why is it that then that these same people, who very well would not have voted for a home grown version of Obama, are so ecstatic  and overwhelmed with Obama?

Burama says that:

Obama's election has demonstrated that things are still achievable in the US that remain unthinkable elsewhere. As long as this is so, the US, as the first among equals, can still be looked up to as the defender of our freedoms.

Europeans - and others - may regard China's rise with awe, and hope to find a modus vivendi with Russia. But without the hopes inspired by that extraordinary American republic, which represents the worst and the best of our battered Western world, we would all be much worse off. In their hearts, most Europeans know this. That is why they are going crazy over Barack Obama's election.

While there are for sure other elements involved, Burama basically says, the world has regained its faith and respect for America.

The US has had eight years of policies, rhetoric, and behavior from the government that has made America look backwards and out of touch with standards of the rest of the world.  From illegal detention and detainee abuse at Guantanamo to domestic wiretapping to the damaging our own rule of law standards, the Bush administration has deteriorated the progressive values that as traditionally made America the envy of the world.  With Obama's election the world now views America once again as a progressive standard bearer and a place where anything can happen.

While Obama has won the favor of many throughout the world and at home,there are systematic problems in US foreign policy that will not change in an instant on January 20.  These issues will take time and serious diplomacy to address.  There is eight years of damage to fix, and it won't be done overnight.

Comments

[Peace]

The best way that Obama can improve US-European relations is to approach the EU as an equal partner and not to view them as somehow inferior like the Bush administration. Obama also needs to discard the Cold War and Second War triuphalism which states whatever the US proposes is right and that the Europeans must follow its lead.

[Zathras]

There is no way to make this point without sounding more critical than I really mean to, but DA posters need to do a much better job of proofing their contributions. Just in the last couple of days I've seen a reference to ideas that "appeal to the populous," another idea described as "rediculous," and Ian Buruma's surname rendered as "Burama." Mistakes will occasionally happen when one is writing in haste, but if they are happening more than occasionally there needs to be either less writing or less haste.

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