President Barack Obama takes the oath of office
as the 44th president of the United States.
The Daily Sun, Nigeria
President Obama: The World's
New Reference Point
"We wish him well as he begins
to shoulder the onerous responsibility of governing the country that has become
the epicenter of the universe."
EDITORIAL
January 20, 2009
Nigeria
- The Sun - Original Article (English)
The history that Barack Obama
made on November 4, 2008 after emerging as the first African-American to win
the office, will be given full expression today with his inauguration as the 44th
president of the United States. With this epochal event, the American
presidency will be significantly altered.
Today marks a turning point
in the history of America, and by extension the world. This is so because against
all expectation, Obama threw the bookmakers off balance and emerged as the
president of the most powerful country in the world. The man has since come to
symbolize everything that's possible, particularly in a place that rewards
merit and intellect.
The manner of Obama’s
emergence as president is such that for many years to come, the world will make
copious reference to it. Here was a man propelled to significance by nothing but
the power of conviction and his prodigious intellect. As an American, Obama
believes in the American dream. It was this belief and the burning desire to
rediscover it that made all the difference for him. With his triumph, the world
has come to appreciate the fact that big dreams, when matched with conviction
and courage, can indeed come true.
Given the spectacular nature
of his emergence, Obama has become not just an icon but an international symbol.
It is all of this and more that the world celebrates today, as Obama is inaugurated
as America’s president.
This marks a fresh dawn in
America. Having set aside age-old racial prejudices in the election of a new
president, Americans will expect Obama's government to put in place policies
and strategies that will change perceptions Americans have of one another. It
is a day that should break racial and institutional barriers so that the United
States becomes a more united nation. The elimination of these primordial
tendencies will affect the way politics is played in America for the better.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
His hand upon the bible used of President Abraham Lincoln,
President Barack Obama takes the oath of office.
The new day that Obama’s
presidency represents will be measured and felt in other ways, as well. With
his ascent to power on the wings of populism, Americans will look to the
government for solutions to the economic woes that have taken the globe by
storm.
Since the global financial
crisis began in America, the world expects that if the country applies the
right prescription, the recession will be overcome. This, in fact, is a major
and immediate challenge that the Obama presidency will have to address.
Beyond tackling America’s
domestic problems, the world will be interested to see what America under Obama
does in troubled areas like the Middle East, Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan, among
others. The charge of warmongering in places like Iraq and Afghanistan was one
of the greatest critiques of Barack Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush.
America used maximum force to
topple the government of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and the reign of the Taliban in
Afghanistan. Although Bush claimed that to do so was in the best strategic
interests of the United States, many thought that his approach was wrong. These
and perennial wars in the Middle East should engage the attention of Obama and
his team. Significantly, the man has assembled a team of experts who have what
it takes to bring the country to greater heights.
There is indeed much to
expect from Obama. He has an obligation to fulfill many campaign promises. During
the past two years, he persuaded Americans to believe and accept him. Now he
must put into practice the sparks of brilliance he has radiated during the
campaign. As he assumes office, he mustn't lose sight of the fact that the
world reposes tremendous confidence in him. Within informed and enlightened
circles, Obama has become the reference point. His name now symbolizes merit, intellect,
aspiration and conviction. His name and image now give hope where despair once
reigned. His presidency must therefore institutionalize these fine elements and
attributes in America. If it succeeds in America, the watching world will
likely borrow a leaf from the Obama country of Obama.
We wish him well as he begins
to shoulder the onerous responsibility of governing the country that has become
the epicenter of the universe.
[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
January 20, 6:35pm]
