Selected Global Reactions to Obama's Victory

by Dave Bennion

Published November 09, 2008 @ 09:33PM PT

I checked recently over at Global Voices for some global reax to Obama's election victory, given pre-election reports of massive worldwide support for Obama relative to his opponent.

First, Elia Varela Serra brought word from Kenyan bloggers.

Jami ya Keniia expressed her happiness:

Kenyans share the joy with all the Americans that voted Barack and all the world that supported in one way or the other.

I like the spirit of unity and love seen as Mccain conceeded defeat and as Obama calls on Mccain to help in the management of the great America.

Many can still not believe it. A friend once said to me, when Obama was still fighting for nomination in his party, that a black man cannot make it in a ["Wasungu"] country. History is made in a day and that history for Obama, Kenya and Africa is made today.

I had not really understood on an individual, life-lived level the effects of racism in America today until I began working with low-income migrants of color about two years ago.  Things are much worse than most people outside those communities realize.  I can only believe Obama's ascension to the White House will help change things for the better as the fact of a "President Obama" subtly changes perceptions and expectations within and among racial groups.

And for better or for worse, whether deserved or not, the world's eyes are always on the U.S.  Civil rights victories or setbacks are widely discussed.  This election will have an impact that extends far beyond the borders of the U.S.

But I've been around long enough to mitigate my optimism, and so have bloggers from abroad.

The Alpha Quadrant, who criticizes Nov 6 being declared a public holiday since "In the US, the election day was not even a public holiday," is one of the few bloggers that is not celebrating Obama's victory. In his opinion, Obama's victory is not going to bring change in Kenya:

There are still IDPs in camps by the way.

There's still the Waki and Kriegler reports that cannot be wished away.

There are still HUGE GAPING POTHOLES on a good number of our roads.

Poverty is still a major issue

Change? In Kenya? Nah? Just business as usual - with the usual over-indulgence of all things political. Boring!

(My best guess for "IDP": Internally Displaced Person.)

Next, Jillian York samples the Syrian reaction to the election.

Maysaloon spells it out for those who might praise America:

. . .

[W]hat has changed in reality with the election of Obama? Nothing, and these Americanists will concede this. Article after article, many say how wonderful he will be and how historic his election is. They then proceed to add the caveat that, in reality, little will change concerning America's position with regards to Israel, the Arabs and Iraq. But that isn't the point. They then proceed to tell you that this is irrelevant, because his election means "change" has come, Americana is back and we can all feel good about it again. So all that has happened is that America has made people ‘feel good' again, so that they stop caring about what it really does, since nothing will change in the Middle East on their own admittance. After eight years of reality, responsibility, guilt and shame, the United States' apologists can now sit back and take a drag of premium Americana hashish. Relax, everything is going to be ok.

Obama's campaign positions on invading Pakistan at the drop of a hat, pulling more troops into Afghanistan, and on completely ignoring any mention of immigration reform in the English-language press make me somewhat skeptical that he will bring significant positive change to the way the U.S. interacts with its neighbors.

But we can always hope, and work to make that hope a reality.