East African Saturday Nation: Obama policies give hope to the world

[book_worm]

In Summary

But even as we lay special claim to Mr Obama as a son of Kenya, we should not for a moment forget that he is American and vying for the US presidency.
That he made only a fleeting reference to Kenya in his speech should not be a cause of disappointment but a source of pride.
The domestic and foreign policies, economic and social, of a US president must be closely watched because of the impact they have on the rest of the world.

Many people in Kenya must have woken up in the early hours of Friday to catch a live broadcast from the United States of Sen Barack Obama’s acceptance speech for the Democratic Party nomination to vie for presidency.

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Obama's Speech
The whole world already knows of the links the first black man to have a realistic chance at the US presidential election has to Kenya.

They will have seen Sen Obama deliver a rousing and inspiring speech in one of the most seminal moments in the American political history. The son of a Kenyan, who could be the next occupant of White House, has already shifted American politics in ways unimaginable just a few years ago.

He was true to form at the biggest US presidential nomination convention of any party ever recorded, beaming his message of hope, change, renewal and fair play to rapt audiences across the US and all over the world.

But even as we lay special claim to Mr Obama as a son of Kenya, we should not for a moment forget that he is American and vying for the US presidency.

His message is directed to the American voters, especially those he needs to win, and the important policy pronouncements he delivered were for American ears— not those of Kenyan, African and other international audiences.

That he made only a fleeting reference to Kenya in his speech should not be a cause of disappointment but, in fact, a source of pride that even at such an event he found time to remember his roots.

An American leader, however, is also a world leader. Both his domestic and foreign policies, economic and social, must be closely watched because of the impact they have on the rest of the world.

The current US economic recession has impacted heavily on other countries, Kenya included. US military adventures have caused international security concerns that probably affect more countries than they do the US.

What Sen Obama promised on these issues should be far important to us than the fact that he did not overly play up his Kenyan or African heritage. He promised troops pullout from Iraq so that America may refocus its energies on hunting down terrorists.

He promised a foreign policy based on the US winning friends by projecting its global leadership through persuasion and diplomacy rather than making enemies through military misadventures.

This is the kind of policy that should earn him our endorsement. His Kenyanness is a secondary issue.

http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Editorial/-/440804/465514/-/qljgg8z/-/

[kwyjibo]

1. Apparently many Kenyans are under the impression that Obama is going to actively work for Kenya

and change their lives.

Interesting editorial:
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/blog/2008/01/the_kenya_conne.html

In addition to the pride that Obama has bestowed upon our country by having a successful political career in the most powerful nation in the world, many of us see a future President Obama as a godsend who would deliver our country from its miseries -- something our corrupt, tribalist leaders have failed to do.

Because of poor governance and the corrupt nature of the Kenyan political system, which gives the president absolute power to dispense funds, many Kenyans, particularly the poor and less educated, mistakenly believe that if elected president of the United States, Obama would have the sole discretion to write a blank check to end their poverty.