The Great Speech

I've never been one of those zealot pro-Americans. Love it or leave it. America as center of the world. etc. In fact, I've always felt more at one with the European world then with my own country. But now, finally, we have a man who personifies all that this country is, but hasn't been for so many years.

If you haven't watched or listened to President Obama's speech from last Thursday in Cairo, Egypt, I urge you to spend 55 minutes to be truly proud of America and all she stands for. I think it will go down in history as one of the greatest overtures an American president has ever made to a sector of the world, in this case, the Muslim community. He is humble. He is respectful. At the same time, he is hard hitting and to the point. By putting his views out there and making a super salient case that is in everybody's self interest, he invites anyone to make a counter arguement. Beutifully done, Mr. President. Bravo.

What continues to drive me crazy, is the response his speech got in the U.S. mainstream media. All I saw were articles about how he uses the Internet so well to promote himself. Who gives a damn about that, man? Talk about the content!

On the other hand, I continue to applaud my country for having the strength and the fortitude to elect a black man as president of the United States. In some ways, I don't think it has really sunk in. We have an African-American holding the highest office in the land. It almost means that the days of racial discrimination are over. How can anyone now, point at the US and say, "You discriminate against minorities." Fine, if you believe that, go tell it to our black president. The symbolism alone could change the world. But guess what, on top of his physical characteristics, he's the smartest man ever to hold that office in my lifetime. What a combination. The man is taking the high road and remaining open to anyone who has another "way." If you can prove that another "way" is better then his way, I have no doubts, he will change course. No more hyperbole. No more party shanagins. No more power plays. Just a strict meritocracy of ideas.

I've heard fellow citizens say things like, "oh he's just another overly smart Harvard-type, who makes good speeches." So are you saying you don't want to have the smartest possible president you can have who values the rule of law, moral responsibilities and peace? That's like saying, "I don't want that guy to bat clean-up, he's too good a hitter." Clear your head and think anew. We all find it easier to fall back into old ways of thinking. America's self interest. Military might. Political wins. But those days are over (Thank God). Now we must think in terms of empathy, giving before taking and realizing that our own way of life is not the only valid way to live.

I would even go so far as to say that, Barack Obama's understanding of the world was symbolized and manifested in his ability and love for the game of poker. In poker, you absolutely must put yourself into the other person's shoes if you want to win. You must see the world through their eyes. If you don't, in the end, you will lose and in today's tumultuous world there is much more at stake then a few chips.