By David Rahni, New York 

As the country will soon settle down after what is perhaps one of the most tumultuous theatrical elections in modern times, it is time for serious introspection and also retrospection, as we look forward to the future.

The promising prospect of electing a president, raised fully by Caucasian maternal grandparents, the offspring of an international African male student of the fifties from Kenya and a white American mother and a candidate with ivy-league credentials, is more imminent than ever. Obama displays superb healing oratory skills, but has an abridged political portfolio with no specific plan for CHANGE. Obama is as good as, if not better than other contemporary presidents, and certainly far superior to the soon to be ousted and hopefully prosecuted Bush, whose ideologically driven dogma coming to him through his "connection" to god and feeling it "in his guts" has divisively taken the nation and the world for that matter, several giant steps backward.

Bush's ideologically driven foreign policy-presumably to expedite the return of Jesus while appeasing to the oil and other mega-corporations-and manifested through unilateral preemptive wars of aggression in Iraq and Afghanistan, the mushrooming of the federal government budget, especially the spending segments on military and homeland security and the use of the misnomer nation building, has accrued an enormous debt for future generations. This is more excruciating for the Middle Class taxpayers, as the return dividend is disproportionably lower than the cost. The corporate and Wall Street deregulations, excessive tax cuts, and lack of oversight with greed has now led the nation and the world into an unprecedented financial hole amounting to tens of trillions of dollars in debt. They have collectively contributed toward a socio-paradigm shift paving the way for the expectation of fundamental socio-economical change by government and the nation. The imminent election an unorthodox candidate, Barack Obama, is testimonial to the nation's unity in such taxing times.

The emerging consensus is that the majority of Americans expect the new administration to substantively assess each project on its own merits and eliminate or consolidate programs, and institute more regulatory oversight and tax levies of financial and giant corporations to ensure that our government and the nation do not once again become hostage to economic terrorism, and unjustified or unauthorized military adventurism. The people further will demand realignment our stature worldwide to a more efficient defense and military expenditure as the last possible tool in support of a multilateral and balanced proactive foreign policy. A reaffirmation of the government to uphold the civil and constitutional rights of every citizen is also a MUST, before the healing process of building up confidence begins.

If there is any consolation for the nation, one could cite the notion of all of us as a diverse nation coming together and united, standing up and taking charge of our own destiny. The eminent election of soon to be President Obama is an example of the unity which will take us through this turbulent period.

About the author: David Rahni is a professor of chemistry and environmental science at Pace University, and adjunct professor of dermatology at New York Medical College (www.DrRahni.com)
 

... Payvand News - 11/03/08 ... --