Change. Yes we can.

I am full of awe.

and wondering
what will tomorrow be like.

Well it's election day and I like so many other non-Americans are looking forward to see how the next four years are going to play out for us. Will there be four more years of ignorant hell, or will be see a change. And by change I mean a change of venue. Instead of Iraq, it'll be back to Afghanistan. This may seem like a harsh criticism of an excellent candidate- actually it may see like a harsh criticism of the new soon to be president, but I know that the kind of person and official Obama is, would/or at least should, welcome criticism. Constructive though sarcastic it may be. The reality is that electing Obama is the best choice for a country/empire that is on the brink of several societal disasters. Of course some may read this as grasping at straws for an already doomed situation, or even worse putting the first Black President in a position to "fail" the entire country and thus the global economic structure. But there are so many layers of 'truth' and so many perspectives to take that any one possible future could be true. From my perspective as a privileged woman who is not an American I see an entirely different set of circumstances that might affect many many people. What I see when I hear the future president saying that he wants to go into Afghanistan and kill Osama bin Laden is someone who is looking to impress, someone who is wanting to correct the wrongs of a previous corrupt administration and be the hero in the eyes of his people. These are not horrible intentions, but what I think is that they lack is forethought. Sanctioning the murder of a terrorist, who would then become a martyr in the eyes of his followers seems like it would be cutting off the head of the hydra.

Now it's time for: A brief history lesson on Hercules of Ancient Greece.

Hercules, the son of a top God Zeus, was favoured by his father, but because he was only half-god, (his mother was a mortal), and for some other reasons (i think he pissed off some people, namely his step-mother because Hercules was evidence of her husbands infidelity), jealously etc, etc, he was given 10 tasks to complete so that he could earn his spot with his father on Mount Olympus. Well to make an even longer story short, there was this monster/dragon thing called the Hydra and it was killing people and creating all kinds of havoc and it was Hercules' charge to kill it and restore peace. You still with me? So Hercules went and chopped the things head off, not a big deal, it was hard but it's over, right? No! It's obviously not that simple, the thing grew back 2 heads! Now you've got double the problem, because every time a head was cut off 2 more grew in it's place. This will be the same problem with Obama's solution to bin Laden. To cut off his head you might have 2 even crazier cannons replace him. Hard to imagine, I know. But without proper forethought that is the risk you run. I'm not saying that Obama is going to jump willie-nillie into some kind of brouhaha, but to make such blatant statements on CNN! I don't care if American politics likes such brash statements. It is not acceptable to have such an unwavering sentiment out there. There has to be room to evaluate the circumstances based on new information and then to change plans accordingly. Making statements such as those does not play the game of politics properly nor does it best protect a country and it's people. Geez Obama, how about a little quiet time to think before you speak.

The other obstacle I fear for the American public is that after such a long period of sheer torture under the current administration that people will stop questioning Obama's policies and actions as they would have someone like McCain. He would have been under constant scrutiny by people who are very informed and by people who see how both the small picture and the bigger picture interplay. Obama may not be because he is a figure with the type of character many Americans and (I can say this) non-Americans have been hoping would sit in the Presidency. The issue then becomes growing complacent in our own hopes being achieved. And I'm not taking about the crazy critical fundamentalists out there, or anti-environment or racists who would attack him on grounds that really don't relate to his politics and his ability or method of governance. I'm talking about comedians who only poke fun at his wide smile or laugh, or journalists who write stories about how he spends breakfast with his daughters, or professors who only see his trade and tax policies as positive efforts to stimulate an economy. I don't think everyone will forget the need to be critical of a government with such power and global force, but it is definitely something everyone should be aware of come next year and we're all still celebrating; yet troops aren't returning home, medicine and gas is still to expensive, class is still a force that determines quality of education, and jobs are still be sent overseas.

I do not have unrealistic expectations of one man. I do not think Obama is a miracle worker. I think he is a change that needs to happen. One in the right direction, where America as a nation and Americans as persons will be able to re-imagine themselves not as a domineering powerhouse that hordes goods while others suffer, but as a one nation interconnected in multitude of ways with the entire world and all it's people.

To further show my support I want to link to Sam Cooke's amazing song A change is gonna come. Enjoy!