America Lives

I am not among those who see no difference between Obama and McCain, or between the different American presidents. Although it is true that the strategy doesn’t change: America will not turn to socialism, nor will she abandon her oil interests in the world.

But it is equally true that there are differences in quality. I could not possibly assert that Clinton is like Bush. The former, for example, led the way for many gains for the middle class and the poor. Also, during his presidency, the national debt did not approach the level that it did with Bush. But it can be said that Bush’s economic and political policies internally and abroad were among the major reasons for the dreadful financial collapse.

This does not mean that Obama will solve the Palestinian issue as we would like, but for the most part it won’t remain as it is. Perhaps there will be a withdrawal from Iraq. And perhaps there will be an effort to try and change the image of the U.S. administration, which has been jolted.

This is a beginning. But it is not the only reason for my happiness over Obama’s victory. There are other reasons:

1. Obama’s win is an indicator that American society is moving in the right direction. It’s true that it took 388 years from the docking of first ship carrying African slaves for a Black man to arrive in the seat of the Presidency of the largest country in the world. But it is also true that it succeeded. It didn’t happen but once before in an explosion of weapons when America gained independence from Britain, meaning the American Civil War. A war that began when 11 states declared their independence, which presented an opportunity to abolish slavery and develop the American nation.

2. Different classes, races, and creeds have chosen the direction of peace, a rare occurrence. They will quickly return to their original choice based on their interests.

3. The U.S. is a country of freedom, a country in which all cultures, races, religions and classes coexist peacefully. This does not mean it is a paradise. It means it is a Western success in the direction of peace and the democratic management of society.

4. This is where we have failed. We have a problem amongst the Kurds, the Shiites, the Baha’is, and on and on. Thus, we are not awaiting a Christian or Nubian president here in Egypt any time soon.