Obama ready for new challenges

"So, vote for the issues that for too long have been marginalized. Vote for a future where we can utilize the power of government to improve the lives of all Americans. Vote Obama."

by Sarah Gaither

(November 4,Washington, Sri Lanka Guardian) The term “change” has been bandied around a lot in this election; that is no insight. The immense response on both sides of the partisan spectrum shows that it has struck a cord, even while remaining loosely defined.

I believe that, despite its dialectical cheapening, mockery and overuse, change remains a most relevant principle. That is why I support Barack Obama.

It’s about more than just “someone other than Bush” and more than difference for the sake of difference. It’s about adapting to a redefined world, wherein U.S. military may have become increasingly irrelevant, U.S. financial foundations have become shaky and U.S. hegemony has met true challenge.

Though the United States excels at waging war, the goal of which has been inflicting mass casualties, we are not well suited to waging insurgency warfare. It requires a winning over of “hearts and minds” that is hindered by U.S. unpopularity abroad and high civilian casualty rates.
This story is also true of economics. American jobs are being sent overseas, and our financial sector has been shown to be immensely fragile. If something is not done differently, there is no question that it will happen again.

Rather than the brittle unchangeability of the Bush administration, we need a president like Barack Obama who is willing to adapt to these new challenges instead of blindly insisting on doctrine. To do otherwise would be ignoring the lessons of the past eight years and of history as a whole.

At the domestic level also, we must reconsider old ways of thinking. Despite being one of the wealthiest countries in the world, our education system remains below mediocre. To fix this, we cannot just cut teacher pay and place more unfunded mandates on schools, as advocated by McCain.

The same is true of health care. As the ranks of uninsured Americans grow, preventative care continues to be neglected and people are bankrupted by unforeseen healthcare costs. We must develop a plan that goes beyond McCain’s proposed issuance of a $5000 health insurance credit.

Regardless of today’s outcome and wherever the future of our country may lie, it’s critical that we, as citizens, remain involved. As Obama has emphasized in both his life and words, true progress comes from individuals working to positively affect their communities — despite what Rudy Giuliani may say.

So, vote for the issues that for too long have been marginalized. Vote for a future where we can utilize the power of government to improve the lives of all Americans. Vote Obama.

Reach columnist Sarah Gaither at opinion@dailyuw.com. - Sri Lanka Guardian