Americans have earned the world's respect. Their sweeping vote for Barak Obama is a vote against those who have written off the United States as a hopeless case of how the mighty are fallen. By voting for “change” and putting a deserving man who happens to be black in the White House, Americans have in a way exorcised the madness of 9/11 from their collective psyche. The Obama win is far bigger than the Osama sin. America has recovered. The maddening wound of 9/11 has healed. Suddenly, Iraq, Afghanistan and sub-prime seem not so insurmountable, not because Obama is president but because the American people have risen, positively this time. Since Sept. 11, 2001, the United States has not been itself because Americans were justifiably outraged and President George W. Bush was unfortunately the one available to express it globally. He raved, he lied, he charged, he bombed, he maimed, he tortured, and he disregarded every voice of reason as he trampled upon the tragedy of 9/11 and reduced it to an excuse to wage his war on most everything else but terrorism. Nonetheless, the world moved on, prospered even, accepting Bush's America as the unavoidable bully on the block, essential at times to keep the other thugs cowed down but mostly loathed, as bullies are wont to be. But when the US revealed the depths to which its capitalistic acumen had sunk, dashing the dreams of generations of people young and old around the world who had invested in the course of prosperity, America's fall from global esteem then appeared complete. Its credibility seemed irretrievably lost. Until Nov. 4 changed all that with a landslide verdict by Joe not quite that Plumber, Janet, Jameel, Jaspreet, Jinx, Gay, Goh and Diego who all stood up and asked to be counted in shouldering the burden of Bush's legacy. It was the night of America's true power, democracy's finest hour. Generations to come will draw inspiration from this day racism truly died in the US and its death knell was sounded everywhere else. Americans chose Obama not because he's black, half-black or white-like inside but because there's something about him that exudes their combined decency, courage, genius and grit. And Bush is now not all damned. His presidency made Obama's happen. Perhaps that's the saving grace in his legacy. Yet Obama may not turn out to be the president Americans have in mind, given his inexperience and the mammoth challenges he faces at home and abroad. But his presidency will definitely inspire millions of people around the world who believe in taking the path less trodden and thinking out of the box. That faith alone, coming from the people of the most innovative and powerful nation on earth in these hardest of times, will do to keep alive the dream everywhere of a happier tomorrow. So if you run into an American – and there are so few of them in Saudi Arabia these days – do stop and shake their hands. They're a great people. – SG __
