ObaMania

It's a long time since I felt like talking, but then it's supposed to be a "Historic Moment" and It would be injustice to the media if I am unaffected by it.

I have had a look at some T.V shows and Print media and followed the obama trail whenever I could. The last being in Times of India dated 19Th Nov 2008 entitled "Why It Won't Happen" by ASHUTOSH VARSHNEY

I have wondered whether Obama will make a difference to India and the International order.

Two of Obama's main themes were supposed to be Change and Recovering the Economy from recession.

Nature of Change
----------------
I believe that positive changes, the one's that benefit people at large can come from new ways of looking at things. Changing details of implementation based on some old fashioned view can only have a marginal impact.

Old Wine in new bottle is not of much help. Any major innovation represents a break from the past. Take any innovation say the cell phone it's not conventional telephone. A major solution can come by looking at the roots not the leaves.

Obama's Intellectual pedigree comes from American universities. He is supposed to have specialised in international Relations. One inherits one's views from pedigree or develops it on his own or gets these views from peers. Please note that there are only two types here originators and inheritors. Advisers, peers etc mostly fall into inheritors category.

As far as I can tell there is no major new breathtaking view on "International Relations" from the American think tanks or for that matter Obama (Can't rule out for future.)

I personally believe that international relations should be based on "Love". This does not preclude punishment but the major theme is Love not Hatred.

Obama's pronouncements on ALQaida hardly differentiate them from Bush's pronouncements on the Subject.

The same holds for Economic Recovery. Everything remains the same. There has been no human or natural disaster of great magnitude, the producers all have their factories and farms intact, people have their needs intact, yet there is a global slowdown. As far as I can tell it is a failure of monetary system and needs a great Economist to come out with a fix.

Relevance to India
------------------
Obama is irrelevant to India because of two reasons. One is that there are no great reasons to believe that he will make our life any better(Some believe that actually he will make our life a little more miserable). Second and more important reason is that We should judge a Change or Change Agent(Obama claims to be one) by it's ability to solve our myriad problems.

Instead of bemoaning that it won't happen here ASHUTOSH VARSHNEY would be better of devising a political system that works.The real issues are not 'producing thousand Obamas or 'Where is the Indian Obama' or 'Is Mayavati our own Obama'..., but How we solve our problems. Rephrased We need 'a thousand winner solutions to our problems' ,'How can we change for the better','How to include the whole of India and the world for a better tomorrow' and so on


How good is Obama
-------------------
As of now Obama is a President Elect as such this may be premature. But then We go by available evidence. If the evidence changes we change our opinion.
Available evidence indicates that Obama might be great for Americans and particulary the Americans of African origin.
As for international relations or economic recovery it appears to be a change from tweedledom to tweedledee.

As for relevance to India it borders on irrelevant.

Having said that I must add that Obama has a great presence, great deal of charm and great oratorical skills.I do hope that he will keep the doors open to Change agents who will make the world a better place for everybody Americans, Indians and every other nation.