I just received the following email from a Swedish cousin of mine, Jan-Olof Andersson:
Are you nervous now Carl! What about the heart beat? I really, really hope that our candidate will win. BARACK OBAMA!
If Obama wins today, the greatest immediate benefit to our country will probably come from our more positive standing in the world's eyes. There will be an immediate sense of good will from overseas that should help us in many ways. And, unlike Bush after 9/11, I sense that Obama will take advantage of that and build on it.
The economic crisis will, however, prove to be more intractable. Things are only going to get worse for a while, and that will be a true test of Obama's administration.
One more thing: One of the best things to come out of this may be that our sense of ourselves as a nation will change. We will have done something really amazing, in overcoming our 'original sin' of slavery and racial discrimination by electing the first African-American President. Who knows where that will take us?
I suppose this could also be a turningpoint to the (from media uphaussed??) economic crisis.
ReplyDeleteBut to me I feel it means a victory for the sustainable society-thinking, for social developement, environment and "international solidarity thruogh local actions"
I hope my feelings are right.
Cousin Janne