What the world expects from Barak Obama
Saturday, 1 November 2008
Enayet Rasul
Although the hard boiled critics find hardly anything positive these days about the USA for itself and in its relation to the world-- not only for now but also in the past-- a really objective and non sentimental analysis is bound to lead to the finding of many good things that had been initiated and accomplished by the USA . The leadership role in the world for right reasons in the last century was held mainly by the USA among the big powers.
America fought the two world wars and specially in the last one its might and commitment saved the world from the clutches of abominable fascism, racism and slavery. The American quest for global peace and security dates back to the first world war when one of its illustrious Presidents, Widrow Wilson, dreamt of the League of Nations (the predecessor of the present United Nations) to maintain global peace and security and dispense justice to peoples round the world. It was under his single-handed and firm leadership that the League was born but had to be aborted from the older powers in Europe not coming on board to embrace warmly and fully the visionary US President's ideas and ideals.
The unfinished business of the League of Nations was finished mainly again by US initiative after the second world war through the formation of today's United Nations (UN). The UN is kept afloat by mainly American will and American resources. Some cynics are prone to describing the UN as a stooge of the US. But any unemotional study will show that the world with the United Nations to put a brake or watch over so many and diverse wicked intents, is better off than without being one. Besides, none can pooh pooh off the great works done by UN agencies--globally-- from feeding people to rendering all kinds of developmental assistance.
It is impossible to describe in the space of this column the many hundreds of good things that trace back for inspiration, guidance, funding and leadership to America. For example, the Marshall Plan which was financed almost entirely by the US after World War II, aided in a very major way the recovery of shattered European nations and Japan from the ravages of the war. US developmental assistance in the post World War II period was the main source of aid in that period to many countries of Asia and Africa for their sustenance and the building up of their economic capacities or infrastructures.
The memory of the world specially of the Muslims, ought not to be so dim as not to recollect or appreciate the saving of their fellow brethren at Kosovo from mass genocide by another former President, Bill Clinton, when all that the Islamic countries did at that time was talk about the issue. President Clinton took great risks and swam against great opposition and odds to vindicate afresh American idealism or American commitment against inhumanity in all its forms by intervening militarily in Kosovo to save the lives of millions of Muslims.
That great act of rescue of Muslims by the USA was about a decade ago in 1999. But only about ten years from that date, the image of the USA has tarnished today like it never had in the past. The name USA today stirs all kinds of ill feelings around the world. The USA today is blamed for all the things which are not going well in the world from lack of peace between countries or peoples to the very dangerous decline in the world's environment. USA, the once vaunted defender of rights of self determination of peoples, of democracy and human tights, of anti colonialism , is now perceived by billions of people across the world as very hypocritical and acting grossly and contrarily in relation to its stated objectives. They point to the unjustified US invasion of Iraq and move to control its oil resources, the blatant US disregard of the Kyoto protocol to save planet earth from environmental catastrophe by the incumbent US government and other proofs, to say that the USA is the world's most despised country for grabbing other people's lands and resources and pursuing policies very inconsistent with the right aspirations of the rest of the world.
Thus, the main expectation of enlightened and saner sections of people worldwide from an Obama presidency would be the moral rebirth of America. Generally, America has been a force for the good in the past. Right thinking people round the world would want it to revert back to that role. And indeed there is a need for such a role. Some analysts say that the world is increasingly becoming a multi-polar one. But there are also dangers inherent in this situation. If the emerging powers are not found inspired or guided by the same degree of sobriety, adherence to international law and morality and other positive attributes expected from a responsible and responsive great power, then international peace and security will be stressed so much the greater than that time when the USA was a superpower but it was also playing out its role in the desired and approved manner in the world scene.
Barak Obama as President will prove to be a blessing for USA and the world if he can steer his country back to the moral high ground where it once stood tall before the gaze of the world.
Although the hard boiled critics find hardly anything positive these days about the USA for itself and in its relation to the world-- not only for now but also in the past-- a really objective and non sentimental analysis is bound to lead to the finding of many good things that had been initiated and accomplished by the USA . The leadership role in the world for right reasons in the last century was held mainly by the USA among the big powers.
America fought the two world wars and specially in the last one its might and commitment saved the world from the clutches of abominable fascism, racism and slavery. The American quest for global peace and security dates back to the first world war when one of its illustrious Presidents, Widrow Wilson, dreamt of the League of Nations (the predecessor of the present United Nations) to maintain global peace and security and dispense justice to peoples round the world. It was under his single-handed and firm leadership that the League was born but had to be aborted from the older powers in Europe not coming on board to embrace warmly and fully the visionary US President's ideas and ideals.
The unfinished business of the League of Nations was finished mainly again by US initiative after the second world war through the formation of today's United Nations (UN). The UN is kept afloat by mainly American will and American resources. Some cynics are prone to describing the UN as a stooge of the US. But any unemotional study will show that the world with the United Nations to put a brake or watch over so many and diverse wicked intents, is better off than without being one. Besides, none can pooh pooh off the great works done by UN agencies--globally-- from feeding people to rendering all kinds of developmental assistance.
It is impossible to describe in the space of this column the many hundreds of good things that trace back for inspiration, guidance, funding and leadership to America. For example, the Marshall Plan which was financed almost entirely by the US after World War II, aided in a very major way the recovery of shattered European nations and Japan from the ravages of the war. US developmental assistance in the post World War II period was the main source of aid in that period to many countries of Asia and Africa for their sustenance and the building up of their economic capacities or infrastructures.
The memory of the world specially of the Muslims, ought not to be so dim as not to recollect or appreciate the saving of their fellow brethren at Kosovo from mass genocide by another former President, Bill Clinton, when all that the Islamic countries did at that time was talk about the issue. President Clinton took great risks and swam against great opposition and odds to vindicate afresh American idealism or American commitment against inhumanity in all its forms by intervening militarily in Kosovo to save the lives of millions of Muslims.
That great act of rescue of Muslims by the USA was about a decade ago in 1999. But only about ten years from that date, the image of the USA has tarnished today like it never had in the past. The name USA today stirs all kinds of ill feelings around the world. The USA today is blamed for all the things which are not going well in the world from lack of peace between countries or peoples to the very dangerous decline in the world's environment. USA, the once vaunted defender of rights of self determination of peoples, of democracy and human tights, of anti colonialism , is now perceived by billions of people across the world as very hypocritical and acting grossly and contrarily in relation to its stated objectives. They point to the unjustified US invasion of Iraq and move to control its oil resources, the blatant US disregard of the Kyoto protocol to save planet earth from environmental catastrophe by the incumbent US government and other proofs, to say that the USA is the world's most despised country for grabbing other people's lands and resources and pursuing policies very inconsistent with the right aspirations of the rest of the world.
Thus, the main expectation of enlightened and saner sections of people worldwide from an Obama presidency would be the moral rebirth of America. Generally, America has been a force for the good in the past. Right thinking people round the world would want it to revert back to that role. And indeed there is a need for such a role. Some analysts say that the world is increasingly becoming a multi-polar one. But there are also dangers inherent in this situation. If the emerging powers are not found inspired or guided by the same degree of sobriety, adherence to international law and morality and other positive attributes expected from a responsible and responsive great power, then international peace and security will be stressed so much the greater than that time when the USA was a superpower but it was also playing out its role in the desired and approved manner in the world scene.
Barak Obama as President will prove to be a blessing for USA and the world if he can steer his country back to the moral high ground where it once stood tall before the gaze of the world.