Un símbolo de esperanza

El Senador Barak Obama trae con su elección a la presidencia estadounidense este pasado 4 de Noviembre una gran esperanza; no solo a los Estados Unidos sino al mundo entero. No solamente por su color de pie que nos demuestra que las barreras del racismo estan empezando a romperse en un país predominantemente blanco, sino también por sus políticas más abiertas e igualitarias para con otros paises.

Es muy importante para las minorias el verse reflejados en un líder, el tener un modelo a seguir en puestos públicos y más aún como presidente de uno de los paises más poderosos del mundo. Pero el logro de la presidencia no ha sido del todo una batalla racial ya que Obama en muchos aspectos crecio como blanco en una familia de clase media y recibio educación privada en un colegio donde la mayoría era blanca. Culturalmente no pertenece por completo a estas minorias y esto a ayudado a la asimilación del candidato por parte de un gran número de estadounidenses.

Se podría decir que simbólicamente ha roto las barreras del racismo, pero su logro es mas que todo una muestra de tokenismo. Ha logrado subir al puesto más importante del gobierno porque sus ideas no difieren con aquellas de la cultura dominante, sus valores se han desarrollado alrededor de los mismos principios de la mayoría de ciudadanos estadounidenses y su imagén nos hace soñar con un mundo con opotunidades iguales para todos.

Ahora solo es cuestión de asimilar este símbolo de lucha e igualdad para lograr un cambio de perspectiva, para que las minorías se incluyan en la vida política del país y del mundo y poco a poco se vaya logrando cambios en el marco institucional para que no solamente sea un Obama, sino muchos otros líderes de grupos oprimidos como mujeres, asiáticos, latinos y homosexuales.

Not all foreign policies are born equal: McCain or Obama

I am an international student and a citizen of two countries deeply affected by US foreign policy in the last century: Colombia that lost Panama with US intervention and Guatemala that suffered the bitter fruits of the United Fruit Co. and US Army first psychological operation in the 1950's. Thus, I know that electoral choices in US affect the lives of countless people around the world.

We belong to different countries, yet the dramatic increase in commerce and international communications makes it difficult to isolate countries and their interests. "If there are connections everywhere, why do we persist in turning dynamic, interconnected phenomena into static, disconnected things? Some of this is owing, perhaps, to the way we have learned our own history" (Eric Wolf).

Along this line of thought, McCain will keep on pushing forward trade agreements with Latin America, while proposing to physically build a wall between Latin America and the U.S. McCain wants to make sure no more illegal immigrants come into the country for they take away jobs, lower wages, etc.

He does not contemplate any measure to alleviate the conditions of violence and poverty that force people to leave their countries of origin in search of better opportunities in the US.

Off course, these issues are the responsibility of those countries and the United States has no obligation to do something about them. In fact the U.S. government has treated Latin America as its “backyard” and acted there for domestic policy reasons and the global strategy effect (potential future threats). In the case of Guatemala, it was evident that it acted to secure US corporate interests in that country. Today, the 45 US interventions in Latin America during the last century are subtly being transformed into trade agreements and candidates have important differences in this regard.

McCain vacillates between upholding the values of freedom for all and dismissing the effects of US foreign policy on other nations’ freedom or ignoring the impact that his foreign policy has in the US domestic scene where at least 41.3 million Hispanics reside and maintain close ties with their lands of origin.

McCain’s proposed aggressive military policies overseas will continue to afflict American families with the loss of their young and the economic burden of wars fought on false premises like the presence of weapons of mass destruction.

For his part, Obama is willing to engage others and talk, even to those that are overtly antogonistic to the US. This trait, evident during the Presidential debates, offers hope for people and goverments overseas and can well be an important way to lift the heavy burden that the war in Iraq places on the American people.

Published in "The Ebbtide" - Shoreline Community College student newspaper - http://shoreline.edu/ebbtide/0809/article.asp?issue=4402&id=57

Presidential Elections 2008 - Why should college students be concerned about the coming elections?

The November elections are less than a month away and many of us have not started to make up our minds about who we are going to vote for, what values we are going to uphold or even if we are going to make our voices heard on Election Day. But guess what? Time goes by fast and the Wall Street crisis will directly affect students in many way, not to mention the very future of this country.

Being in school does not make us immune to government policies and decisions. Even if some of us are not yet part of the work force, may pay limited or no taxes or may not be thinking of buying a house - which happen to be hot topics in the current elections - most of us will be affected by the decision to continue or end the war in Irak, to develop alternative energy sources and to insure health services to all Americans.

Even as full or part time students somewhat insulated from adult responsibilities, the candidates have different projects that affect our lives as students. Evidently education is not a key issue in this campaign yet the candidates have views and policies that can benefit us either through incentives for teachers and students, students who want to be teachers, or by fighting Iraq to save democracy.

So get your butt in gear, study the candidates proposals, watch the debates and get ready to vote!