A message of hope from Down Under:
It is indeed a wonderful thing for the US to have its first black president. No African-American child need ever fear there is any limit to what they can achieve. Whatever you think of Obama’s policies and capacity to govern well — and I have my doubts — his election is a powerful symbol of America’s inclusiveness and opportunity. Which other big, rich, predominantly white society has elected a member of a racial minority to be its head of government? Not Australia.
So as we salute Obama, let’s salute America as well.
The left liberal caricature of America was always nonsense. The militarism of American society is vastly overstated, just as its profound willingness to make sacrifice for other people’s freedom is under-appreciated.
No further comment necessary, except to say thank you to The Australian foreign editor Greg Sheridan.
I keep getting asked by lefties who in full snark mode want to know “so whatdya think of President Obama!” tee-hee, har, har snicker snicker. Expecting me to lash out in some form of rightwing moonbattery, just as they have done to every Republican since 1980.
In response, I just say to these folks:
” Is this a great country or what?”
And their smile just falls from their face. Now they are forced to say the one forbidden thing they dare not breathe before, that this is indeed a great country and they are now forced to root for its success rather than hope for its downfall.
Obama is the President, and this is a great country.