Audacity of hope?
Tomasz Zaborowski|Monday, April 11, 2011
If president Obama inspired something in American people it was hope. He himself had the audacity to hope for a kind of change, that would really transform our lives for the better. In his extraordinary book (Audacity of Hope published in October 2006) Barack Obama laid out a vision, that for many of us seemed even too audacious. Until 2008 election that is. His victory was like awakening to the American Dream. A black skinny guy with a funny name became our president. And if his book alone wasn't audacious enough to inspire hope for a change- that was It.
It's been 27 months since he took office and according to his latest approval rates our feelings got mixed. Certainly we have seen many changes, but for most of us, those changes were not enough. Or maybe we had our hopes set too high? I hope not.
As a reader of Mr. Obama's book I still remember a kind of humility and sober self reflection that he expressed and which I've never seen before in any other politician. He seemed at least to be very much conscious of the traps and murky waters that most politicians must wade into and he seemed prepared.
So why the change that had happened -happened not in reality but in our judgment of his actions?
I think that president Obama is repeating the mistakes of president Jimmie Carter, who also became president as an outsider, with the same promise of change and as much as Obama does, he also believed what he was preaching. As a consequence he wanted to be successful in each and every issue he was faced with and he wanted to face them all. Ironically to expect anything less from a president would be strange, but to be unable to accept his inevitable stumbles would be even stranger. Of course Obama made his share of mistakes, but despite of all of them we did not plunge into economical depression (economy is actually recovering), American losses in the wars fell significantly and on international scene America is once again acting in alliance rather than in defiance. There is no question that after George W. Bush the progress was bound to happen, but nobody would say that Obama's successes were mere improvements on Bush's and Chaney's policies.
Let's face it, we expect Barack Obama to be president for at least another 18 months, so it would be unwise to wish that his mistakes will cause him to loose next election (and ironically that is exactly what republicans want). What I would wish for Obama to do is to read his own book and ask himself some tough questions.
I hope he knows why it is better to respect new democratic movements, than to protect cooperating with US dictators, even if it is seems risky. This is the only way to gain trust of the people and their respect towards USA is immensely important, if we are to build good relations in the future.
Here in America I wish Obama had some real success in budget negotiations and by that I mean working out a compromise not only with the republican controlled congress, but with public opinion as well. We need to know what exactly is the plan for reduction of deficit, creation of jobs and eventually reduction of national debt.
In the wake of latest world events I also hope Obama will fulfill his claim to Nobel Peace Prize, by leading the world community into empowering the UN to be able to confront global threats and disasters efficiently. Whether we like it or not, globalization is a fact and with each passing day it means more than it meant a day before. Beside climate there are many issues that require immediate worldwide attention and somebody has to take the lead.
The sooner the world community will be able to react quickly and effectively to unexpected events- like those in the Middle East, Libya or Japan- the better. (At the moment this hope seems feeble because if NATO operation in Libya fails, it would be disastrous for UN and NATO prestige).
Maybe my hopes are way too audacious and maybe I am just a dreamer, but these are the hopes that Mr. Obama did inspired in me with his book, and since he became president and until he remains in his office I expect him to keep his words.
Tomasz Zaborowski
Dodaj komentarz
• I like Obama but i want to know finally where he was born?
Monday, April 11, 2011 | Gordon
• Final answer for Gordon: Obama was born in U.S. Did you get this, Gordon? I bet, you did not.
Monday, April 11, 2011 | ser
• Audacity of hope is a fuel for the masses. I would suggest to the author another book that I can call Audacity of Knowledge written by Thomas Sowell of Stanford University called “Basic Economics”. There you will find in layman’s terms explanations why what our government is doing is counterproductive. This book was translated into many different languages, one of them being polish: “Ekonomia dla każdego, czyli o czym każdy szanujący się obywatel, wyborca I podatnik widzieć powinni”. I hope that reading of that book will inspire Mr. Tomasz more than what he read before. Other book that I would suggest (same author) is: “Black Rednecks and White Liberals. Good reading.
Monday, April 11, 2011 | AS
• AS -thank you for your suggestions. \"Audacity of hope\" was written for the masses- true, but it was not the only book Iv'e read. And by the way- did You read Audacity of hope? And if so- what exactly is there that You disagree with?
Monday, April 11, 2011 | Tomasz Zaborowski
• "since he became president and until he remains in his office I expect him to keep his words"......
really ?? u still believe in this crap?Damn man, wake up....
Monday, April 11, 2011 | Well "done"
• Podziwiam wiare w ten utopijny system. Zawsze jednak myslalem, ze nie wchodzi sie 2 razy do tej samej rzeki. Potrzebna jest zmiana na lepsze i to szybko bo inaczej American Dream bedzie kolejnym haslem bez pokrycia.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 | Nie-za-Obama
