Obama and change

My experience with politics as an observer has made me cautious, perhaps excessively, about politicians overall. Therefore no matter how impressive they might seem, I generally refrain from personally endorsing any of them, especially before seeing their actions. What I can say now is that I see Obama as a first-class politician who deserves to lead the US and can do so at least as successfully as his Republican opponent Senator John McCain.

Obama is not a descendent of African-origin slaves in America. However, he gets his skin color from his Kenyan immigrant father who married a white American from Kansas. The main reason that I think Obama's intra-party victory is encouraging for both the US and the world is the following: In a world full of injustice and grievances, Obama's life story offers some hope and inspiration for the majority underdogs. And that's good for world peace.

Racism is considered the original sin of the US. Starting with Native "Indian" Americans and continuing with black slaves heartlessly imported from Africa, racism has been an ever-present element throughout US history. (Obviously, one should not dismiss anti-white racism of late, either.) Of course not all Americans were or are racist. The US has come a long way in its quest for human rights. That includes a vicious civil war, assassinations and many other forms of socio-political turmoil. It was only a few decades ago that blacks finally achieved equal democratic rights in this country thanks to the courageous civil rights movement.

The fact that there is affirmative action law in effect which provides some protective privileges to the minority black population proves that the system implicitly acknowledges racism is still a phenomenon in the country at the societal level, although it has diminished considerably: The newer the generation, the less bigotry. It is no accident that Obama, who is a new-generation black politician, is apparently immune from anti-white sentiments and that young whites represent an indispensable portion of his enthusiastic constituency.

Race is truly not the sole factor in defining Obama, but his achievements despite racial obstacles are remarkable. Merely the fact that he is the first black person with a high chance of success in winning the presidency proves his famous slogan of "change" true.

Frankly I doubt Obama will be able to radical change the usual way of business in Washington, but his presidency might accelerate change towards more multiculturalism. Embracing multiculturalism is the key for peace within the US and the world. That's why I am very comfortable with the idea of seeing Obama as the next president of the US.

A US government and nation with enhanced inner peace would present a more mature and reasonable outlook on the rest of the world as well. A black American president who has the blanket support and sympathy of the world's underdog is an asset, especially at a time when the rift between the rich and the poor, developed and underdeveloped, poses serious threats to international stability. One can assume anti-American violence would diminish and US credibility in spreading freedoms would be improved.

Obama's rise is not the end of racism. Bigotry continues to show itself in many ways. For example, although it is politically impermissible publicly to criticize someone merely because she or he is black, unfortunately that's not the case when it comes to Muslims. Anti-Obama bigots feel freer to raise the issue of his father's religion and Muslim name. Obama vehemently denies he is a Muslim, given emerging Islamophobia in American society, especially in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. If it weren't for the political climate, Obama would most probably speak proudly about his father and Muslim-convert brother's cultural values as well.

I hope Obama can use his attribute of being the son of a Muslim father and a Christian mother effectively to overcome some of the prejudices about Islam in the US. That's also an invaluable asset for improving much-needed Muslim-Christian dialogue and understanding in the world, a strategic necessity. But I don't expect him to do that before he secures the White House.