Obama-mania and why? Because we can...

Bill Maher, a popular 'leftist' political commentator in humour called Barack Obama America's most boring black man but admitted that in matters of state and politics, he's merely Michael Jordan playing on a team with absolutely lousy players. And I agree...

I've admired the man since reading his book, The Audacity of Hope, in 2007. Even though I am miles away from the United States in India, watching this man is more interesting than the hara-kiri that stalwarts of our political system seems to be committing in broad daylight unabated. Ask the people of Mumbai what they thought of the government when the bomb blasts took place. Dismal... as usual!

But I digress...

I'm no political analyst but just watching a person and his loved ones tells you a lot about the man. And his wife is one serious tough woman, I mean! After all, your world is shaped (your influences) by people who love and HATE you!

Well, for one... he's a part of the Democratic party... the left, the left, the left (my favorite, as it stands for freedom and flexibility at least in terms of ideals) in a world neatly split down the middle, bipartisan in nature, that is distinctively American. And then we have the 'right'... the Republican party that has been in power forever and a day now.

And it seems, people haven't gotten over that Republican mindset yet! You say you want change, but you don't have the guts to make a change in your own lives for that's where it begins... in your thoughts, perceptions and actions! Maybe you'd stop whining so much then...

I'm sorry to say that the American government under the Bush administration for the past eight years seemed JUST LIKE our government in India that have been crafting their own doom through sheer stupidity. The only difference is that we as Indians have learnt to co-exist with this situation of 'dumbing down' (and tuning out) while the American citizens won't!

And that is laudable... BUT you have to give the next guy (Obama, that is) a chance and some time to do his thing regardless of whether he's Democrat or Republican. I don't see anyone else who has the balls to stand and deliver at this point. Just detractors who can't see past their nose unable to focus on building a better future.

Honestly, since what you feed your mind with will either leave you behind or take you forward... it's just annoying to see these people indulge (rather pretentiously) in character assassination! I write this with an unbiased approach as I would criticize the President for doing the same...

Think about it: Don't you want him to be 'right on the money'? Won't it 'change' your lives for the better?

What's the point of all the goddam negativity, thanks to the nonsense in the past? Do you find it that hard to 'move on'? Considering the fact that the phrase 'move on' is characteristic of being American...

Bottom line being - Help Obama build a new future... or get out of the way! And when it comes to Bush, history won't be kind to 'him' much like any other President... be realistic, please!

Why I write this is because this morning I chanced upon an article that listed people's reactions to Obama's desire to talk to school kids accusing him of possibly indoctrinating these young minds with tenets of socialism... and that is apparently a 'bad' influence?

As opposed to the one who was reading a nursery book upside-down while the Two Towers was under attack... oh please!

Are you so ignorant to assume that your beloved kids would be interested in politics, far less the ideals of socialism? It isn't considered 'cool' by the young ones as yet!

What nonsense is this? Is this how you treat your President? Is it that you won't change or you can't change?

Even though he's a learned man who has passed through the portals of two very prestigious Ivy League schools known for being among the top three colleges that are most selective in its admissions. For those of you who don't know (or aren't too academically inclined), he studied at Columbia University & then Harvard Law School...

What should that tell you?

If that isn't being educated enough to talk to your kids about 'education' and perhaps pointers for the future, then nothing/ no one else is.

And then we still have morons from the mainstream getting honorary degrees while the President wasn't denied one from some dumb university on the West Coast sometime back. And now this...

Has the world gone crazy?

See, I think the reason why you find this Presidency rather disturbing is because you can't deal with CHANGE... change that involves downsizing at every level in order to build up again with new priorities... be realistic enough to understand that it doesn't happen in a day but that it will... and soon!

For if it does happen immediately, then it's a miracle... and for all practical purposes, you have to make your own miracles! Much like we Indians have been doing for a long time without the help of our government...

My dad used to always use this saying: "Better to be a silent fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt!"

And every time I see Obama being made to feel like an idiot (of course having nothing to do with his political strategy which I can accept when it does), thanks to some Republican leaders... I wonder if cynicism and stupidity has become a way of life in the United States (much like India)! Fact sometimes seems stranger (and harder to accept) than fiction...

This doesn't befit a culture that encourages and chooses to live out the adage 'being the best of the best' in every way no matter what... that believes in adapting and improvising at every stage [read: The Great Depression]... and that almost every other culture or country looks up to!

Stop for a second and think about what it takes to be an American...

And in closing, I draw on the words that Kennedy himself once said: Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.

And if you agree... that's your starting point to a better and brighter future! It's your call really...

For the folks who like comedy, listen to this stand-up piece by Carlos Mencia (an immigrant, if you will) that should put things in perspective about what it takes to be an American...