from the outside

Our presidential election has captured the attention of the world. And Obama’s victory has captured their hearts. And no better time then now.

Below is an excerpt from a post-election email from my dear South African friend. I think this letter is pretty telling:

"Obama's election was really cool. It lifted the morale of this 
country. People from different walks of life, including the most 
conservative South Africans were talking about it ... the US 
elections came at a time where we are going through a very 
interesting time in our politics … I think the world will be a little safer with Obama. The Iranians who Bush labeled as 'axis of evil' have 
welcomed Obama's election, Hugo Chaves was also raving about Obama's 
election, the Pope was one of the first people to congratulate him, 
the German chancellor was pretty excited about Obama's election, she 
said she knows that the relationship between the EU and the US will 
not be as fragile as its been under Bush and our very own Nelson 
Mandela said Obama's election was an inspiration and he believes 
he'll go on and become a good president.


 Anyway, the excitement is still evident here. This weekend was a voter registration weekend and a lot of people registered. The whole 
nation is saying, "Yes, I can!”

Currently, in one of my classes, I’m studying the recent history of U.S. relations in the Middle East and I’m realizing the grave implications of the negative reputation we’ve established in the last 60 years. Our cultural ignorance, inconsiderate national interest, and manipulative politics has put the American people in harm’s way—not to mention the livelihood of our global allies, as well.

When it comes to international relationships, we must approach the world holistically and creatively. We must make the effort to understand the cultures we engage with. And above all, we must value humanity—all humanity. We must grant dignity to all we come in contact with. And that’s where I believe our future president will excel.

The time is now to reshape our image—from the inside and, maybe more importantly, from the outside.

race in the Race

Did it really happen? Did America finally elect an African-American president? Are we really not going to be governed by an old white male? How comforting. It’s about time.

The polls are showing that race was not a defining factor in the election. And clearly, that is true. But what about for those where race was the defining factor?

What about the skinheads from Tennessee who planned to kill 88 African Americans and eventually our new president? What about those text messages I got telling all white people to report to the cotton fields in the morning, courtesy of President Obama? What about my peers who mourn that we have elected a “terrorist” as our president? What about the student at my university who flew a confederate flag with a swastika in the middle?

Race is still a factor. So how we do continue as a nation united? I’m afraid I don’t have any answers. But I do know we certainly can’t pat ourselves on the back and pretend that now all racism has been eliminated from America. We still have a long way to go.

a new hope

Whether you voted red or blue, tonight is a proud moment in U.S. history. As I watched President-elect Barack Obama give his acceptance speech, I knew this was a night to remember. For decades to come, this speech will be replayed in classrooms across the world.

I spent part of the night discussing the victory with my politically invested friends. But the best part of the night was spent with those friends, who would, for the first time, have a president that looked like them. And I realized the election of Barack Obama wasn’t as much about the change in policies in America but rather about the change in spirit of America.

Hope is a powerful thing. It’s stronger than any welfare system. It’s more productive than any assembly-line worker. It’s far more trustworthy than any politician. And once lost, it’s a hard thing to get back. But tonight, I saw hope restored. And with a new hope, I see America restored to its people.

your VOTE affects the world

titles or actions?

The Washington Post wrote a very telling story today on Liberty University students’ campaign for McCain. The article briefly touches on the point that most evangelical, religious right folk originally opposed McCain, in 2000 and in 2008—and with much fervor, too. But now, they are falling in line, again, with the GOP and claiming McCain as their candidate.

Why? Is it just because McCain is Republican? Did the religious conservatives even examine Obama’s stances? Or have they allowed the framing of Obama’s “pro-choice” stance or "socialists" economics to cloud all other possibilities?

But that’s actually not the topic I wish to touch on today. Although it is one that deserves more thought.

What resonated most with me in this article was one of the student activists’ comments. "My goal is not to make laws Christian but to make government as small as possible so you can be as biblically Christian as you so choose," says Meghan Allen.

The role and size of the government is a question I struggle with often in my politics.

In my ideal world, the Christian church and other faith communities would be so active in caring for the poor, seeking justice and helping the oppressed, as Isaiah writes in chapter 1 of Isaiah. However, due to a number of reasons, the Church has departed from that—at least on a grand scale.

So do we put our hope—or at least our efforts—into a system of this world?

Maybe that’s not the ultimate answer. I think I’ve read somewhere that Jesus is the only way. But maybe, in the meantime, we do support a form of government that looks closest to Jesus’ words in Luke 4 and Matthew 25. Maybe we support a government that “brings good news to the poor,” feeds the hungry, clothes the naked and cares for the sick.

Maybe that government won’t do such things in the name of Christ. But maybe that doesn’t matter. Maybe, just maybe, actions mean more than words or titles. Maybe we shouldn’t be scared of the titles given to policies, but instead focus on what those policies look like, and how they line up with the words of the Christ we claim to follow.

Yes on Prop 11

The California election has been bombarded by attack ads on both sides of Prop 8. And while it certainly is an important issue, what may stand to be even more impacting is Prop 11. This proposition addresses redistricting—a practice that often taints true democracy. And it’s a proposition that must pass.

Every ten years, maps outlining the borders for legislative districts must be redrawn to make sure each district is similar in size, in order to maintain equal representation. The state legislature is responsible for drawing up the maps for 80 seats in the State Assembly, the 40 seats in the State Senate and California’s seas in the U.S. Congress. Whoever is in office at the time of redistricting wins the jackpot because they can map out districts in a way that lend to their easy re-elections. Currently there is a 99% re-election race in the California legislature. This redistricting puts little accountability on our lawmakers.

Prop 11 will create a 14-member independent citizens commission to redraw the state legislative district maps based on strict non-partisan rules. Prop 11 will make the redistricting process transparent and considerate of already existing city and county boundaries.

With the next map to be drawn in 2011, Prop 11 is essential to keep our government fairly representative of California.

"the post-american world"

Recently, there’s much some controversy over a book Obama was photographed holding in his hand. Conservatives have raised concern over Obama’s reading of The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria. I’ve received several email forwards with captions below this photo reading “Revealing! Obama is reading The Post-American World, written by an Muslim” or “Post-America? This photo exposes Obama’s radical ideas and intent for this country!”

A handful of emotions come up when reading such emails. For one, America isn’t reading enough these days. If Americans were well read, this book would be on the top of the list as it is of key intellectual value to our society. And if Americans had read this book, they’d realize in no way is the book “anti-American.” Also, American conservatives should note that Zakaria is the editor for Newsweek International, a magazine often favored over Time by conservatives.

Second, claims that this book was written by a Muslim only shows ignorance and intolerance. While it’s a bit unclear as to whether or not the Indian-born author is a practicing Muslim, it’s important to note the extreme Islam that is manifested in terrorist behavior is not the norm. If the longtime American-resident is indeed a practicing Muslim, I doubt he is calling jihad upon his neighbors. This assumption that all Muslims equal terrorists only proves ignorance.

But what I want to give is a brief-synopsis of the book, in a hopeful effort to clear up misunderstandings. The Post-American World is about a new era, which is no longer dominated by America. However, it’s not the decline of America, but rather the “Rise of the Rest.” Because money makes the world go ‘round, economics is the root of this new trend. Now, other countries are able to compete at the same economic level as the U.S. These countries include Japan, China, India, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Russia, South Africa and others. While the U.S. still remains the military superpower, the global spread of capital, labor, innovation, ideas and information are beginning to limit the American influence world-wide. While some may see this “rise of the rest” as a threat to America, Zakaria praises the success of global capitalism (a cornerstone in the conservative ideology) and suggests that the superpowers in the UN embrace this shift. He suggests inviting these countries to participate in G8 summits, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

For America, the “rise of the rest” means that America will need to work a little harder. He argues that the U.S. has passed up some key opportunities in recent years. "[It] has had an extraordinary hand to play in global politics—the best of any country in history. Yet by almost any measure—problems solved, success achieved, institutions built, reputation enhanced—Washington has played this hand badly." His lenses are certainly tainted by the Bush doctrine and subsequent mess in Iraq. But he doesn’t pass all the blame on the recent administration’s poor decisions. Instead, he argues that since the collapsed of the Soviet Union in 1991, Washington has become “careless, arrogant and lazy.”

However, he notes that this rise of the rest is not to America’s detriment, if played right. Because countries are becoming more democratic, open and market-friendly, this shift could be beneficial. But the U.S. first must come to understand they will need to cooperate and even compromise with the rest of the world. It is not longer the global boss. He praises the America’s success in globalizing the world, but warns America to not forget to globalize itself.

While the title may raise alarm, it’s good read and one that represents a lot of current thinking coming out of today’s top think tanks and publishing houses. So, pay attention, America and start reading!