With American president-elect Obama, great expectations! [Archives:2008/1207/Community]

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November 13 2008

By: Maged Thabet Al-kholidy
[email protected]

Obama has won the elections to be the 44th American president and the first African-American president in the history of the United States. This historical episode has been of great interest to many people all over the world for many reasons. Surveys and interviews published in the media have reflected why Americans and most other nations -even Arabs and Muslims- celebrated the occasion of Obama's victory as 44th President of America. According to the media, most people think that Obama will be better for the Americans in particular, and for the whole world in general.

Americans expect Obama to find better solutions than those previously offered for the challenges that America faces, both nationally and internationally. The economic crisis that is threatening America was a dominant issue in Obama's propaganda, and it is expected to be solved with solutions that do no harm either American economics or the economical dominance of America over the world. After Obama's election campaign, Americans expect many reforms in the country's internal affairs. Infrastructure, in all its fields, will be one of his priorities. He will implement tax cuts for up to 95 percent of families. He has also proposed a near-universal health care system since many insurance companies restrict the health insurance they offer. Many other reforms have been proposed in many internal affairs.

Though some American politicians believe that ethnic discrimination will persist in Obama's reign, others think that Obama will help blacks to reach equal status with whites. Many Americans expect the end of black-white segregation and conflict.

Closing Guantanamo prison is also one of Obama's proposals. This reflects a project of peace in his policy. Guantanamo, which was one of the black spots in Bush's history, will be closed under Obama as a means of saving human rights and justice, even with terrorists who attack America, its forces or interests all over the world, as it is claimed.

On the international level, Americans as well as many other nations expect less political disputes between America and other countries. As Obama proposed, diplomatic negotiations with other countries will be the best policy to settle matters. Obama refers to the Iranian nuclear issue as an example of how negotiations will play an effective role, in this instance to end the file of the Iranian nuclear activities. Obama has also proposed a project of peace in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The American forces in Afghanistan and Iraq will withdraw. This gives hope not only to the Americans who are against war in Iraq, in particular, but also to the Iraqis who have gained nothing from this war but death and destruction. Although Iraq suffers from many civil conflicts, Iraqis welcome the idea of withdrawal of American forces from their country as they believe them to be the reason behind all internal conflicts.

The world has great expectations of Obama as the President of the United States of America. Though some of these expectations have been proposed by Obama himself, people believe that they will be achieved. Since the day of the elections, people are looking forward to hearing how Obama will implement all his promises and believe that he will change the world the moment he moves into the White House.

To have hope is something good. But should our hopes be open? I wonder, especially when such hopes give no time frame for fulfilling such great expectations. Let us hope, and then wait to see how and when each expectation will be achieved, wishing that Obama keeps his words and promises.

Maged Thabet Al-Kholidy is a contributing opinions writer form Taiz. He holds a Masters Degree from the English department at Taiz University and is the former editor of Taiz University's English-language magazine.
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