Obama's Success Has Made History. Will He Maintain Its' Importance?

The success of Barack Hussein Obama in the American presidential election has generated a new enthusiasm among people all over the world and who are looking to it as a ray of hope. In fact, this is an event of historical importance, as a black man will soon occupy the White House. It must be noted that the White House was built by black African slaves. They were among its staff until 1850, a period of over 100 years. After that, blacks have hardly been invited there. However, now Obama’s success in the American presidential election, black people has achieved a great success in the American politics, the same country where they were being sold and bought as slaves 143 years ago like any other commodity, and it was just 40 years ago where they earned voting rights.

As the most influential nation of the world has elected Obama as their new president, the nation has gained new hope. Actually, the change was a landmark in American political history, where the tradition of active public participation, equality, respecting the diversity and recognition of the majority has been established. At present, every one seems to be an aficionado of Barack Obama, even former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Neo-Conservative philosopher Francis Fukuyama. Now, even French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who is an important leftist leader of Europe, has also become one of his fans, and he is also delighted for Obama’s election as the new president of America. However, on the contrary to the positive reaction by the above mentioned prominent personalities of the world, the reaction of Indian policy makers was rather different and they are seeing it with the eyes of disappointment and suspicion, in the same way as two other countries, Israel and Georgia, have viewed it. Just like these two countries, Indian policy makers were also anticipating the win of the Republican Senator John McCain as America’s new president. The leaders of Israel and Georgia smell threats from the presidency of Barak Obama. Actually, they (Indian Policy makers) are totally misunderstanding the case, which will be discussed below.

The actual internal importance of Obama’s success is that he has freed the American society and politics from the clutches of bigoted and intolerant leaders. The logic behind Obama’s important achievement was the strategy adopted by him in initiating his election campaign from grassroots level, where he had promised to eliminate all social differences. Obama’s achievement was so important that even former Democratic candidates John Kerry and Joseph Hayden couldn’t achieve it.

The importance of Obama’s success is that he had given priority and importance to important burning issues of the country, like economic meltdowns and flat market condition etc. These burning issues were describing the treacherous insolvent policies of the current president, George Bush. Because of these policies, the American public was sensing that public health, social security, labors rights, progressive tax policies and most of all the public programs initiated by the former president of America Franklin Roosevelt, the New Deal had a lot to do with Obama’s election. Obama has announced that capitalism would not be pardoned. Moreover, he had said that capitalism would be wiped out from the country.

Now, Mr. Obama is going to take the command of a nation whose past has become a history, the nation which has lost its hope regarding their future. And almost nine out of ten Americans are of the view that in the past, their country was on the wrong path.

For a while, Mr. Obama will face many problems in the course of fulfilling his promises, but we have to be hopeful that he will eventually manage to achieve his goals and will leave his impressions on this important turning point in history. In a condition where so many crises, including global economic meltdowns, increasing economic crises, the unpopularity of a new liberal economic model, the decrease in the American hegemony on the geographical and political levels and the global natural crises etc that have simultaneously appeared on the global scene, Obama has come up with his view of the world at this historical point in time and has been elected president of the country. Because of all these conditions, all of the development works run under the leadership of the market, human needs and necessities should be given preference. In other words, it is a historical opportunity offered to Obama to takes steps like that of the “New Deal” which can revive the economy. And with positive public intervention, steps would be taken for improved public health and social security that can be initiated on a grand level. However, Mr. Obama can come under pressure from the influential lobbies of the country, including some of his own advisers, who are associated with the Chicago Free Market School of economics, and these people can intervene in the situation without damaging the new liberal policies. This may consequently revive the Casino Capitalism, and thereby increase existing public crises. Despite all these facts, for the sake of fulfilling all the promises made by him regarding public health, taxation, Social Security and more importantly his promised 200 billion dollar program for the development of the roads, seaports and bridges. In this way, Obama would be able to put away all the out-dated principles and eventually fulfill all his promises. It is also possible that Obama will approach things in a more progressive way, which may be different from the policies of the Republican Party and would be concerned with energy and climate change. He has promised that in the next ten years he would add 150 billion dollars to renewable energy sector. It is also possible that during the course of his administration, America will have less conflicting behavior about the Kyoto Protocol.

It is also hoped that civil rights will be important to him and torture will be declared illegal. In addition, the infamous Guantanamo prison will be closed. It is also possible that Obama would moderate the immigration laws and create some fluctuation in the criteria for attaining citizenship to provide relief to the 12 million people living in his country to get their papers. However, it is not yet clear that whether he would remove the “Patriot Act,” the act which intervenes on someone’s personal life.

The success of Obama in the implementation of the economic policies will depend on the basis of the appointments of his cabinet members. For now, it is said that two candidates have been submitted for the post of the Treasury secretary, one of whom is the president of the economical section of the World Bank, Mr. Laurence Summers, while another is the chairman of New York Federal Reserve, Mr. Timothy Geithner. However, neither of the two is in the favor of free regulation and the second is against altering decisions of the New Liberal Policies. Thus, it has become a challenge for Obama’s leadership to go ahead by overlook them, so he could follow the agenda running without market pressure.

Mr. Rahm Emanuel, who was earlier appointed by Obama, as the chief adviser of White House, has been ejected. Mr. Emanuel is a hardliner in the White House and is a former banker. He is the closest companion of Chicago Mayer Richard Deli, a controversial figure. Furthermore, the most regretful point is that Obama is aspiring to appoint some Republican members of his cabinet.

As far as the external and defense affairs are concerned, Obama is aspiring to appoint the less stubborn, less hostile and those who are of individual types, which resembles the opposite of the policies adopted by Bush and McCain. Mr. Obama wishes to withdraw the military from Iraq within 16 months. This would be a very important and appreciable decision. It can be hoped that America will not keep his considerable military force and advisers in Iraq anymore.

Mr. Obama wishes to deploy additional thousands of military to Afghanistan and desires to extend the war there. This would be a very unpopular unless done with the prior consent of Pakistan. It would be a grave mistake for Obama to assert that one-sided action would be taken up against Taliban and al Qaeda in Pakistan. Obama should have to keep himself away from doing such grave mistakes.

An important change in Global Geo Policy is possible with the change in the Ballistic Missile Policy by Obama under the policy of Iran, Russia and son of Star Wars. In the case of Obama initiating bilateral talks with Iran, stops the expansionism of NATO and the expansion of Ballistic missiles and can renew the Strategic Arm Reduction Treaty (SART), which is going to expire in the next year and along with this he would succeed in the reduction in the quantity of Atomic arm then he it would be a great step towards ending a great controversy, created by Republican Party.

Obama is of the firm belief that, unless America and Russia reduce their atomic weapons, they would not be able to give suggestions to other small countries including Iran and North Korea to dump their nuclear programs, and it would be a great step on the course of future.

As far as the Palestinian issue is concerned, there is not any expectation that he take any step on this matter shortly. It is Obama’s view that Jerusalem should be made the capital of Israel, which is impossible and shows his complete ignorance of the Palestinian issue. However, in the case of having any treaty with Iran, there would be a change in the Geo Ballistic policy of Western Asia.

On the issue of how he would deal with global issues will depend on the fact that whether he recognizes that the Neocon project of America has failed and that American power is declining by the day. In the lack of any clarity about the issue there would be Obama’s agenda which would lack the essential content of changes.

Regardless of all the above mentioned issues, the standpoint of Obama is undoubtedly progressive in which a more balanced and peaceful world can be established. Therefore, he should have to be welcomed. While the policymakers in India have a very cold and detestable attitude towards him, they sees it from the angle of their narrow-minded vision on the basis of his comment on the Kashmir issue and other steps taken up by Obama including the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty(CTBT) and for bilateral talks to have any treaty to ban the explosive, as they (Indian policy makers) think it as unnecessary. Practically, it is not expecting that he would be succeed in banning outsourcing by American Companies. It appears from his election campaign speeches that he would favors the Indian provision regarding the Kashmir issue. Recently, his election team had clarified that that Obama would keep the ideology of India regarding the Kashmir issue.

Furthermore, America is in support the Indo-Pak bilateral talk to bring out a final solution to Kashmir, and the same behavior would be maintained regarding other issues, which he would deal with in the same manner.

As far as the CTBT issue is concerned, the former prime minister of India, Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, himself agreed to the idea that India would put a one-sided ban on the nuclear tests after 1999, which would be based on the point that India would not be in need of considerable minimum nuclear reserves.

And India is of the opinion that it will not have minimum reserves on nuclear reserves. In the case that India truly agreed with the Global Nuclear Reduction issue, then it considers the CTBT and FMCT as necessary steps. What all of India needs is to take practical steps without having any special reserves regarding these treaties. Fact is that global nuclear reduction would make India feel it necessary to steps to CTBT and FMCT. India needs practical steps toward mentioning it without taking care of any reservations in this regards. It is at all unlikely that Obama will take any risks to put the Indo-American relation in danger of damaging the good relationship between India and Washington and would not follow on the hostile agenda on regional basis, which could cause pain to India. In fact, it is this mulishness of our policy makers that they are not sensing the increasing economic, political and strategic pressure of India on a global level and are thinking conversely.

India can positively get the assistance of Obama for establishing a global governing system and to make the UN a more democratic organization. A new capital system of the World Bank and IMF can be created through the Britton Wood II, and more equality based global economical system can be established and demands were made for the attaining of the uncompetitive Mutual co-operation for economic reserves. There should have been a demand of establishment of such systems that parochial thinking should be and short term demand should be avoided rather than broad-minded steps that should be taken. However, the question is whether our policy makers would dare to do so.