Let’s grab a glass!

Hope has arrived, originally uploaded by lucien_dissake.

I would love to start this adventure by sharing with you my thoughts after the election of Barack H Obama.

I wished we had the opportunity to all be together on this day where we witness history unveiled. Barack Obama is the 44th President of the UNITED STATE OF AMERICA.

The past is prologue! After such an accomplishment, it might be useful to look back, and see how far we, as people, have come from, in such a short period of time.
As everyone who watched the clips of his speech at the democratic convention on the 27 July 2004 was, I was impressed; really impressed to witness a charismatic young skinny (just like me) eloquent African American taking over the scene. I doubt that four years ago, even Barack Obama himself could have hoped to become “the leader of the free world”. I certainly didn’t see this happening in 2008. It was clear at first sight that he was special, and that he would do great things one day… But to think that in just 4 years he would be able to build a movement that will tear down the wall that stood for so long between the “Negro” and his complete emancipation was just unthinkable.

I still remember the pain I felt that afternoon of November 2004, Ohio had finally fallen into George Bush’s column, and he had won back the White House. I couldn’t believe it. How can this be happening? Why does God allow this to happen? This guy is a fanatic (I was telling myself) who is blinded by the neo – conservative ideology. He divided the world with his doctrine of pre – emptive wars. He led the world to a tragic blood shed; talked about the axis of evil, yet for so many around the world George bush had changed how they view America. America had become the oppressor, the bully and quite frankly for some, desperate for a reason to hope for a better life, the face of evil!
A year before the election, one million got down the streets of London; and I was among half of a million in the streets of Paris. We braved the cold winter to say NO to the war in Iraq. All over the world similar images were seen, as many expressed their opposition to the war.
I watched two of the three debates between George .W. Bush and John Kerry. The superiority of John Kerry’s knowledge of the issues (War, Homeland security, terrorism, international affair, economy, education, health care...etc) compared to the incumbent president was as shocking as it was plain to see. Nevertheless the majority of Americans (it was not just an Electoral College victory, because George .W. Bush largely won the popular vote 52% - 48%) had decided that the future belongs to George .W. Bush. After such a decision, one wonders why without shame our Americans friends find it easy to denounce and reject the Palestinian’s choice, democratically elected Hamas! As we should all know by now people sometimes make strange decisions. We might disagree or dislike their choices, but we must remember that respect and tolerance are vital for peace. Bush’s philosophy and his party hit the wall; they run out of ideas and the old ideas were proven wrong. Typing these notes, I still can’t understand why the vast majority of Americans warmly embraced a leader who had given to them “The Patriot Act”, and wasted many young lives for an unnecessary war. Living this day, I can’t help but think that, all this had to happen for Barack Obama to be presented with this opportunity. The world had to endure 4 more years of George .W. Bush’s failures to have the chance to witness real and deeper change.

If I were standing at the beginning of time, with the possibility of general and panoramic view of the whole human history up to now, and the Almighty said to me, "Lucien, which age would you like to live in? Strangely enough, I would turn to the Almighty, and say if you allow me to see the end of the twentieth century and give me a few years in the twenty first I will be happy. I can still recall my parents debating during the end of the cold war years, arguing about the good and the bad of both sides. I am sure it would have been a defining moment for them the day the Berlin wall fell. Sadly my father didn’t live long after that. Thinking of him, I’ve always wished he felt that his short life was worth the shot, and that despite the fact that he did not get the chance to see to see us grow up; he had the opportunity to witness that the walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes, natives and immigrants, Christians and Muslims and Jews cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down. Not only have walls come down in Berlin, but in South Africa, the struggle of a courageous people defeated apartheid. In my dreams I hope that seeing all that rejoiced his soul.

This might not be remembered as the moment where the planet started to heal, but surely it is a defining moment for everyone living today, and for the future generations.

Barack will have a lot to learn, but as Bill Clinton put it: “Oh yes he can, Obama certainly can, Yes He can!”

I certainly enjoyed criticising America, and there are many reasons for that. The history of slavery, the double standard in the middle east, the financial and economic policies of the I.M.F and the World Bank that have destroyed many lives especially in the poor countries, and the support of dictators all over the world where it serves its interest.

For all its sins though, it is also fascinating to notice that at every defining moment (not without hesitation), America has always stood on the right side of the history. America went through a civil war that almost destroy its union for a moral issue; 100 years later the Negro went to the nation capital to cash a check, refusing to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. America stood with Europe against fascism, communism, and against Europe to end colonization, apartheid. America has shown again its audacity by finally judging a man not by the color of his skin but by the content of his character. Now let’s grab a glass and hope!

Watching Jesse Jackson crying, I am myself almost in tears and reminded of these words of Martin Luther King: “I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

God Bless you All!

Lucien Dissake