As posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at www.chedet.com on November 6, 2008 5:41 PM
1. I would like to add my congratulations to the millions that Barack Obama must have received for his great victory for the Presidency of the United States of America.
2. Only a few years ago I thought it was impossible for a black man to become President of white United States, the country where the blacks used to be the slaves of the whites.
3. But attitudes have certainly changed radically among the white people. Their support for Obama is overwhelming.
4. There are many reasons why Obama managed to break through white prejudice. But President Bush has contributed much towards the acceptance of black Obama.
5. The Presidency of George Bush Junior must go down in American history as the worse ever. Arrogant, narrow-minded, autocratic, inconsiderate and totally uncaring for the views of others and even of his own countrymen, Bush created a demand for change as no other US President had ever created.
6. There was a lot about wanting to have Obama come in but there was more about wanting to have Bush and his ilk out. And McCain as the Republican candidate simply increased the desire of the Americans to have nothing to do with anyone even remotely identified with Bush.
7. Obama made such a contrast from Bush that the voters must have felt they were voting against Bush as much as for Obama.
8. But Obama is also unfortunate. To be different from Bush in attitude and foreign policy is not going to be too difficult. But Obama is coming in at a time when the US and the World are experiencing the worst of economic and financial crises. While he might succeed in changing foreign policy he is not likely to be able to solve the economic and financial crises, not in the near future certainly.
9. Bail-outs are not going to work. We have seen that already. Even partial or complete nationalization of banks and other financial institutions will not really help in turning things around.
10. Obama will be hard put to find a solution. He has five years. If he fails it is not going to be good for the new President. Certainly it will not be good for the first black President.
11. The world will be watching. It is easier to say change than to actually change.
12. I wish him the best of luck.
1. I would like to add my congratulations to the millions that Barack Obama must have received for his great victory for the Presidency of the United States of America.
2. Only a few years ago I thought it was impossible for a black man to become President of white United States, the country where the blacks used to be the slaves of the whites.
3. But attitudes have certainly changed radically among the white people. Their support for Obama is overwhelming.
4. There are many reasons why Obama managed to break through white prejudice. But President Bush has contributed much towards the acceptance of black Obama.
5. The Presidency of George Bush Junior must go down in American history as the worse ever. Arrogant, narrow-minded, autocratic, inconsiderate and totally uncaring for the views of others and even of his own countrymen, Bush created a demand for change as no other US President had ever created.
6. There was a lot about wanting to have Obama come in but there was more about wanting to have Bush and his ilk out. And McCain as the Republican candidate simply increased the desire of the Americans to have nothing to do with anyone even remotely identified with Bush.
7. Obama made such a contrast from Bush that the voters must have felt they were voting against Bush as much as for Obama.
8. But Obama is also unfortunate. To be different from Bush in attitude and foreign policy is not going to be too difficult. But Obama is coming in at a time when the US and the World are experiencing the worst of economic and financial crises. While he might succeed in changing foreign policy he is not likely to be able to solve the economic and financial crises, not in the near future certainly.
9. Bail-outs are not going to work. We have seen that already. Even partial or complete nationalization of banks and other financial institutions will not really help in turning things around.
10. Obama will be hard put to find a solution. He has five years. If he fails it is not going to be good for the new President. Certainly it will not be good for the first black President.
11. The world will be watching. It is easier to say change than to actually change.
12. I wish him the best of luck.
