I don’t know why I had completely absorbed myself in US politics over the past 12 months or so. After the last 8 years of the Bush tyranny reign, I had all but given up on believing that the United States of America - had any semblance of intelligence left. Sad.
It was with shock and awe that I would watch George W Bush mumble some sort of incoherant mumblings on the evening news. This… THIS is the leader of the ‘free world’? This bumbling chimpanzee was voted President. TWICE? Holy fuck. Can Americans truly be that stupid?
Bush’s reign will be remembered for the debacle that is the Iraq War. A war built on lies and deception. An invasion of a foreign country, no different to what Hitler did in Poland. Thousands of innocent lives lost for nought. On both sides of the guns. Death in daily doses and in living color on our TV screens.
Someone… anyone please inform me, what did Iraq have to do with the 9/11 disaster?
With great interest I, as an Australian born and bred, kept an eye across the Atlantic and hoped that my American friends would do the right thing and bring in a new man, a new voice, a new Party to power in this election.
Slowly momentum was growing for this young African/American man - Barack Obama. From out of nowhere he came onto the scene and wowed not only his country - but the entire world.
He was the one. Clear as day. The entire world could see this. But the question remained, would the United States see what was directly in front of them?
Rememebr, this is a country that voted Bush in twice. This is a country that seemed controlled by right-wing Christian zealots loonies. A country that wanted to ban stem cell research. A country wanting to teach their children that God created man. A country that came up with the term "Intelligent Design". A country that gave us… ladies and gentlemen… Sarah Palin!
Sarah Palin. Oh my God! (and as a devout atheist, I very rarely utter those words!)
And so today came.
I hardly got an ounce of work done all day. I was monitoring Twitter and riding every bump of the election with select online friends.
And then it finally happened… Barack Obama President Elect.
The United States of America arose from its 8 year slumber.
A nation and an entire planet can hope again.
Yes, they can hey?
Well done America! You finally did it!
Oh, and one more time:
Eat shit and die you redneck kook!
Thanks for not giving up hope. I actually started tearing up when they announced that Obama won. To say “slumber” is to be overly courteous. It was, in fact, a “long dark ride”. All the bullshit the Bush administration crammed down our throats finally made us gag. It’s finally over and it’s like there’s this amazing sense of optimism and hope. It’s impossible to describe even though I live here. It’s too big to describe. All I know is, we now have a lot of work ahead of us. We have to make right many wrongs and it’s not going to be easy but we have hope.
Cheers.
It feels so good that this country has picked the right man. Barack Obama is a decent human being, not just some political machine run by companies who are out to make a buck. Naturally there are many people who don’t share the enthusiasm, but for me it feels like… being forgiven. Like we’ve carried all this guilt and shame and should be stoned to death for it, but instead, Barack Obama has come up and given us a hug.
It’s weird to feel that way. To believe a leader can make each individual a better person just by being himself.
But I can get used to it.
Barack Obama is an African American, not African/American. The second implies mutual exclusivity.