U.S. POLITICS

Reflecting On Race Barriers

Obama's breakthrough provokes a global race to capitalize on, and build on, his win.

By Christopher Dickey | NEWSWEEK
Published Nov 15, 2008
From the magazine issue dated Nov 24, 2008

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  • Posted By: jimgreen @ 11/21/2008 11:58:49 AM

    As Indians, we're rather amused by all the excitement in the US and the rest of the world at the election of a minority to the office of the President. In India, we had a woman Prime Minister in the '70s, a Sikh President in the '80s, a lower-caste (equivalent to Negro in the US) President in the early '90s, a Muslim President in the late '90s, and right now a woman President, a Sikh Prime Minister, and a Christian leader of the governing party. In addition, we have had a Jewish Chief of Army Staff in the '80s, and now two Christian defense secretaries (the equivalent of this last would be a Hindu defense secretary in the US). In India, we simply take this for granted becuase we have been a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-lingual nation for so long. So for Reteurs to label Ms. Mayawati as 'India's Obama' is about 30 years too late; we had our Obama moment 30 years ago. Indeed if Obama had been born in India, he would have been elected in the '60s.

  • Posted By: markci @ 11/17/2008 1:29:58 PM

    *** I'll give him his first 100 days before passing judgement, as I do with any president. ***

    Gee, a whole hundred days, eh?

    • Posted By: Doc Howl @ 11/19/2008 11:55:36 AM

      Yep. I don't expect miracles in 100 days, but I do expect to see some progress.

  • Posted By: Glenno @ 11/18/2008 8:40:20 PM

    thats true. When the American Empire collapse we can hopefully move towards international law under UN, rather than global dictatorship under US

  • Posted By: Therese in NV @ 11/17/2008 11:19:57 AM

    Nations turning to Obama as a world leader? People from all walks of life around the world caught up in the Obama mystique and claiming kinship to follow him? A New religion starting and flooding churches "Obamismo" exalting Obama instead of God, Heavenly Father, Allah, Jehovah, Yeshua, or however you term our earthly creator? If this doesn't scream the beginning of prophecy fulfillment of the latter days, I don't know what does? You don't have to be a bible thumper to read the proof in the newspapers and on the internet. The European Union is calling for a One-World Government, and One-World Religion, We currently have three major monetary currencies used in all countries, The Euro, The Yen, The Dollar. Currently, the European Union countries and the United Nation are calling for One currency. Our military is currently being forced to serve under the United Nations. When our military and all nations's military's come under U.N. control; all we have to do is wait for Israel to be attacked from the North unexpectedly. Everything else is falling into place.

    • Posted By: summer4077 @ 11/18/2008 3:29:35 PM

      Since when does our military serve under the UN? There's this little thing called IRAQ that the UN didn't approve of. The UN pretty much serves under the US, not the other way around. There are currently many many forms of currency in the world market. If you want to argue end times based on currency, then we're probably moving AWAY from that scenario--the dollar used to be #1 until the past decade or so, now it's challenged by the others. People have argued about the end times for centuries--when the Plague struck Europe, WWI, WWII, when the UN was founded and the Jews back in the promised land...they swore THAT was the end.....It's not gonna happen.

  • Posted By: melomelo66 @ 11/18/2008 11:13:30 AM

    should try to be inspired by his hard work and untiring believe in the core decency of human beings and work hard themselves to change their countries. We can't just sit on our asses waiting for him to do it for us. Stop pressuring the guy and let him do his job for the American people. He is HUMAN, he will make mistakes like everyone what 's great about him is is humility to learn from them and his intelligence and insight to seek second opinions ....LET HIM BE!!!!!! and stop creating unreasonable expectations of him!!Instead move ur own asses and BE THE CHANGE THAT U WOULD LIKE TO SEE!!!!!

  • Posted By: lee226 @ 11/18/2008 6:32:16 AM

    Forget the media, most people in the world know he is just a man, but a brilliant one, and he will do better than most but he will also make mistake. This is just a moment in time when everyone is ejoying some hope for the future...it helps for now and reality will set in soon.
    Never the less I think hope makes people act and think better about the world.

  • Posted By: Aditya Mookerjee @ 11/18/2008 12:57:19 AM

    If African Americans and Africans can be proud that one who they count among themselves can be The President of the United States of America, then in what manner are they free from racial prejudice, or any prejudice? I have a blog which people who read Newsweek may appreciate. it is at adityamookerjee.blogspot.com . Perhaps you may like to read the blogs.

  • Posted By: lisarae38 @ 11/17/2008 11:21:37 PM

    I am and was a true Obama fan from day one, but the man is never going to make it out of the gate with this weird ass junk being placed on his plate. He is just a MAN, who loves his country and is soon to take the oath to serve it. He just happens to be black! Big deal! Give him a chance to proove himself. The bar has already been placed way above his head, first by the fools and the disaster he will be replacing and

    repairing! Second by every single ignorant racist ***! Im not talkin white people, Im talkin ignorant racist






    idiots, there is a difference! ANYTHING this man does, tries to do, or could have done will be judged on a

    different scale than ole holy roller McCain would have been if he were in this position.
    American society and the world leaders are setting Obama up for failure, and he isn't even sworn in yet! Let the man have a chance!

  • Posted By: OrangeBicycle @ 11/17/2008 7:31:56 PM

    Therese, you're really reaching for some of those aguments.

    And since when is there only three currencies? That's something new. I wish I could've handed a random dollar or euro wherever I went when I traveled abroad.

    Canadians might be insulted, you just claimed their currency didn't exist.

    Our military serves under the UN? Since when? Didn't we go to war with Iraq WITHOUT UN approval? Hm... It seems history is not as I see it.

    "Obamismo" was not something real, just a term for how people are currently feeling created by some guy. It's not REALLY being spewed out in a church.

    No one wants one religion, no one would be able to agree on how to interpret it anyway.

    As for the "One-World" government/currency every government moves in this direction when they hold any type of cooperation with another government, doesn't mean it'll really happen.

  • Posted By: getareallife @ 11/17/2008 1:47:17 PM

    Hey Therese in NV, if you want to blame somebody for the new world that is coming, blame Bill Gates/Internet. I thank him for it. When are you people going tgo realize that we all share the same DNA. If the Aliens from another world...then maybe... just maybe I will be on your side (without the relgious dogma). The only way anything is going to get fixed IN THIS WORLD is if we all work together.

    Try and put your fears aside and the think about the bigger picture. We can't go back and you're tooafraid to go forward. Do you think that because that you are American that you are better than others around the world? Bible thumping...that's what your doing , using it as a shield to justify every wrong thing that religion has done for millinea. Get real!!!

  • Posted By: marley07 @ 11/17/2008 11:57:50 AM

    Check this out......

    http://www.infowars.com/?p=5938

  • Posted By: rcvann @ 11/17/2008 9:20:20 AM

    No person could live up to the hype that the world is placing on Barraks shoulders. I just wish him the best because we're going to need it.

    • Posted By: Doc Howl @ 11/17/2008 11:21:52 AM

      I'll settle for basic competence. Barack Obama isn't some messianic savior, it's just the media painting him that way.

      I'll give him his first 100 days before passing judgement, as I do with any president.

  • Posted By: cooned @ 11/17/2008 9:53:49 AM

    Obama has become an icon by harnessing the world's collective hatred for Bush. People call him a great speaker, but most of the inspiration he has dished out has not been for people to raise themselves, but only to reconfirm that our old leaders are bad and we need change. He is the ultimate appeaser in a time when people are looking for someone to blaim but do not want to look in the mirror and see that the people themsleves are half the problem

  • Posted By: kennyk567 @ 11/16/2008 9:33:15 PM

    By far the most unique and smartest Obama Memorabilia I have come across is the Obama Model Airplane. The FL company that is creating this plane recently launched their KSFBOA series which is 12??? span by 12??? length. See their http://site.obamaplane.com/

  • Posted By: anOPINIONATEDsob @ 11/15/2008 6:29:25 PM

    You would think that after all this religion we would have gotten beyond color by this point in human history. With the very survival of the human species at stake over this century, we had better get a grip on reality pretty damn soon or color will have little effect upon our extinction. Anyone who fails to understand how serious this issue is has not been paying attention to the signs the planet is giving us, and once again, color is not the issue but intelligence is. If we continue to be ignorant racists then we will simply perish and another life form will rise to rule the planet. We are but the latest in a long line of successors who rose and fell for failure to adapt to reality.

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