Despite what you might think of the song and this rapper's eloquence, when's the last time you heard a popular song about how great the president is? I'm sure more than one rap/pop song feature digs on how much Bush let everyone down, but it's been a long time since the US ever had a president that was 'cool' to the young generation; one that has created anything but indifference.
The video is here if you want to have a look.
Apart from the fact that I think it's pretty amazing how much people my age are talking about politics, it got me thinking about the fact that this kind of thing could only happen with a political system like the one in the US.
For a few years now everyone's been complaining non-stop about George Bush and Tony Blair, and yes they're both (almost) out of the picture, but what did Blair get replaced with? Certainly not Britain's version of Obama. I know I'm part of the young generation, so I have a bias here.
If you look at the voting records from last November in the US, the amount of young people that came out to vote is astonishing. This election year gave me a new found respect for the way the US government works. That is to say, no matter who is in the government - the members of the House and Senate, the American people still get to dictate (more or less...let's not bring up Gore's election here) who's going to be the number one in charge. The system's not perfect (again...Mr. Gore...) but no system ever is. I suppose my point is that even if the young generation in the UK did start to rise up and call for change, who can we follow? No matter what, we still have to hope and pray that the party members pick the right leader. Sure you can say that they're the ones who know what's going on and understand what's needed, but sometimes what's needed is someone to inspire change, not someone who has been intrenched in old politics for years and was probably part of the problem in the first place.
We're in an economic downturn right now (in case you've been living in a cave for the past few months...just look at any news source - it's story number two after Gaza/Israel these days) and aside from some miracle plan to switch it into an upturn, what we really need is someone to provide some optimism and inspiration to get us off our lazy arses and doing something about it instead of sitting at home panicking.
Throwing stupid amounts of money at the problem doesn't seem to have gotten anyone anywhere yet and at the end of the day everyone's going to have to tighten their belts and re-prioritize what's important in life, even if that means taking jobs you never thought you'd have - like all these new jobs Obama plans to create that certainly won't have fancy executive titles and cushy offices. Whether or not Obama turns out to be our man stateside, at the very least he's created an amazing amount of drive in a generation that previously wouldn't have dreamed of going to the polls in such numbers.
I just hope that my US peers stay motivated to work through these inconvenient times, I hope Obama does turn out to be our man, and I hope that the government in the UK can find their own way to get the people moving.
3 comments:
Here is a theory. Obama was able to run his campaign with very little support from the Democratic Party. He raised his own funds, set his own agenda, crafted his own message and foillowed his own strategy. Admittedly he is the extreme case of a party outsider winning the nomination and the election.
But the reality is that in 2000 McCain was a Republoican party rebel (then!) and almost won the nomination; Clinto was not the #1 choice of the Democratic establishment in 1992 and there are many other examples of upstart candidates in US Presidential politics.
Contrast that with the UK. As the Prime Minister is not popularly elected, but selected by his party, the only way to develop a career is within the confines of the party. Not surprisingly the UK produces one grey figure after another. There are exceptions - notably Tony Blair. However a very unusual set of circumstance opened the door for him - a long series of defeats by the Conservatives and the unexpected death of a very popular leader (John Smith). Oh and a very surgical out-manouveuring of his rival Gordon Brown.
So the UK system is designed to produce establishment politicians who have devoted years and years to attending commitee meetings and generally sucking up to the party bigwigs. Only in very, very rare situations do 'mavericks' come to party leadership - Blair and Churchill being the only two examples that come to mind in the past 70 years!
That is why I have always been much more interested in US politics - the characters are much more colorful. Whether or not you agree with them or like them, you have to be fascinated by Nixon, Reagan, Clinton, Kennedy - only Churchill can match these life stories for drama.
And, to your point Marianne, occasionally the US system can throw up a person who is so ouside the mold and so distinctive that he or she can make many people stop and pay attention and be inspired. We'll see what happens from here on!
For better or worse, Obama has already met at least one of the key requirements for greatness - be in charge at a time of great peril and great challenges. Washington, Lincoln, FDR are our heroes because they overcame great challenges. But first you need the challenge. Check one for Obama!
Obama was also the first candidate to explore new means of spreading his message via the internet. And in doing so, he nailed attaining the internet-absorbed generation y. Having been completely entrenched in new media prior to teaching english in thailand, my peers and i focused on how his message went viral through the internet medium.
Marianne, you bring up a great point, and that is the flexibility of the US's system. It's incredible to me how quickly we can make an extreme change like this: from Bush, a Republican conservative with deep family ties in politics; to Obama, an African American Democrat with so little experience on the national political scale.
I've heard people say before they don't vote because they don't think their one ballot matters, but I think this election has truly invigorated people into believing again that individuals can make a difference. Such a huge turnout coupled with the historical significance of the election has electrified people on both sides, and I think it has made politics more relevant in daily life.
One of my favorite quotes from Mark Twain is this: "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness."
Considering his Kenyan father and childhood in Hawaii (not your typical US state), I think Obama is more what I would call a "world citizen," especially when compared to Bush, and I'm extremely interested to see how a more well-rounded worldview will affect his actions in office, especially with foreign policy.
To me, it feels like the world is holding its breath, waiting to see what happens, and today is the day it begins.
Post a Comment