Obama paints future full of possibilities
23 Jan 2013 10:51 PM GMT
Global attention was focussed on the US on Monday, as Barack Obama took oath of office, to begin his second term as America’s president. That Obama can command attention is a known fact, and the American president proved it again on Monday. If he had used his middle class roots to reach out to people and ensure his entry to the White House in his first term, he began his second term by touching upon subjects like war, unity, economy and environment - issues that are on everybody’s minds.
There’s no denying that US policies – political, administrative and economic, affect the world at large and how Obama tackles the problems at home will go a long way in dictating global policies for the next five years. There’s a lot that the president will have to confront in his second term in office. The US economy is in a state of crisis. The president might have avoided the fiscal cliff by signing into law more taxes for the wealthy, but trouble is far from over for the super power. Increased incidences of hate crimes and shoot outs in the country has made it imperative that he reviews the cracks in the American society. The administration will also have to decide whether to give in to people’s demands to enforce tougher weapons law in the country, or to steer clear of disturbing the strong gun lobby in the country. Repeatedly hit by natural disasters, he has the difficult task of balancing the growth of science and technology in one of the world’s most advanced societies, with measures to conserve environment and maintain its balance. Then there are issues abroad such as Iran’s suspected growing nuclear power, the issue of withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, while ensuring stability in the Asian country and a host of disputes in Syria and elsewhere, that will affect America’s diplomatic policies.
In all of this Obama will face opposition from various quarters and he will have to use his skills of dialogue and logical thinking to take a decision that will work best for the US and the world. Hope defines the mood of the nation and the world at this point, hope that was held out by Obama,when he called for a united America and said, ‘America’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive, diversity and openness, of endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention. My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment and we will seize it, so long as we seize it together’. The people of US have proved their faith in him by electing him for a second term. Now he has to act on that hope he has given. And as he takes charge of the US, he must also remember his promise to the Indians, not just those in the US, who overwhelmingly voted for him, but those in India, to whom he has said that India figures in a big way in his plans for the future.
There’s no denying that US policies – political, administrative and economic, affect the world at large and how Obama tackles the problems at home will go a long way in dictating global policies for the next five years. There’s a lot that the president will have to confront in his second term in office. The US economy is in a state of crisis. The president might have avoided the fiscal cliff by signing into law more taxes for the wealthy, but trouble is far from over for the super power. Increased incidences of hate crimes and shoot outs in the country has made it imperative that he reviews the cracks in the American society. The administration will also have to decide whether to give in to people’s demands to enforce tougher weapons law in the country, or to steer clear of disturbing the strong gun lobby in the country. Repeatedly hit by natural disasters, he has the difficult task of balancing the growth of science and technology in one of the world’s most advanced societies, with measures to conserve environment and maintain its balance. Then there are issues abroad such as Iran’s suspected growing nuclear power, the issue of withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, while ensuring stability in the Asian country and a host of disputes in Syria and elsewhere, that will affect America’s diplomatic policies.
In all of this Obama will face opposition from various quarters and he will have to use his skills of dialogue and logical thinking to take a decision that will work best for the US and the world. Hope defines the mood of the nation and the world at this point, hope that was held out by Obama,when he called for a united America and said, ‘America’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive, diversity and openness, of endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention. My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment and we will seize it, so long as we seize it together’. The people of US have proved their faith in him by electing him for a second term. Now he has to act on that hope he has given. And as he takes charge of the US, he must also remember his promise to the Indians, not just those in the US, who overwhelmingly voted for him, but those in India, to whom he has said that India figures in a big way in his plans for the future.
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