Jumping on the Stars and Stripes Bandwagon
on From Banglatown to Bangladesh (Bangladesh), 06/Nov/2008 07:29, 34 days ago
This blog is supposed to be about Bangladesh. I promise that stories of saris, samosas, floods, rice paddies, and all the other stereotypical Bangladeshi images, will come. But today I am joining millions of others and choosing to comment on a topic that may not seem immediately connected to this small South Asian country: the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States of America. Apologies to those of you who are fed up with news of American political happenings, but bear with me, because it was here, sitting in the back of a rickety, three-wheeled, green and yellow CNG during a traffic jam, breathing in Dhaka’s pollution fumes, while speaking broken Bangla to its driver, that I became really excited about the potential for change Obama’s victory represents.During the hopes and hysteria of these last months I haven't been biggest the Obama fan. In the primaries, I half-heartedly leaned towards Hilary and her healthcare plan, and was sceptical of the political substance behind Obama's rhetoric. Since the Conventions my daily news briefing has largely consisted of scrutinising polls and predictions, and hoping that somehow the horrors presented by the prospect of Republicans in the White House for four more years– and of the not-too-distant possibility of Sarah Palin as President – could be avoided. I assumed that in reality I – with my idealistic notions of peace, equality and environmental sustainability - would probably never be truly inspired by a mainstream presidential candidate in the USA, andinstead adopted a stance guided by my fervent desire to ward off the Maverick Duo as I ticked the box by 'Barack Obama and Joseph Biden' on my absentee ballot.Today however, I am allowing cracks in my cynicism and am, as I have increasingly been since I’ve been in Bangladesh, truly optimistic about the ‘change’ the election of Obama represents. Over the last few weeks there have been telling reactions from Bangladeshis to the two fully-fledged Americans in my induction group (my own ‘Americanness’ generally varies according to context,mood, and how up I am for the often volatile reaction its announcement entails from others).There has been harsh criticism of Bush, the war in Iraq and his mishandling of‘the war against terror’, with the recognition that Bush does not represent Americans as a whole. At the same time, there has been excitable enthusiasm, with people crying ‘Obama bhalo!’ (Obama good!), smiling broadly, and waving their hands in the air. They believe, as I do, that the nature of American leadership has effects far beyond the Land of Plenty, and that having Obama in the White House means a change for the better.It’s easy to forget that it’s been less than 50 years since the Civil Rights Movement in the USA, at a time in which African-Americans were still fighting to ensure their right to vote in the country, let alone sit in the White House. While of course Obama's election does not signal the end of racial prejudice, inequality, or injustice in the States, it does show again that these can be challenged, and that – sometimes at least – these challenges can be successful. The mass mobilisation of organisers and voters in the USA – in ‘red states’ as well as ‘blue states’ (labels I’ve always hated) – demonstrates the influence, commitment and power of people when they are inspired. It challenges stereotypes of Americans as apathetic, and reaffirms my belief once again none of us have to accept the status quo. It’s a reminder that positive changes can happen, and that these come from individuals, coming together, and taking action: an important reminder relevant not only to the USA, but to all countries and communities.What change Obama will bring remains to be seen. I don’t think he’ll solve the USA’s problems, let alone those of Bangladesh or the globe. There are many of his policies I don’t agree with or don’t expect to be implemented. I know it was just over half of Americans that voted for him, and that’s only counting those who voted. But I do believe that the enthusiasm provoked by his call for change, and the connections formed by peoples across barriers of class, ethnicity, religion, nationality, age, culture and gender in the USA and around the world are things to be excited about. So when the driver of my CNG today turned around and said ‘Barack Obama?’, I said ‘Barack Obama khub bhalo!’ (Barack Obama very good!) and grinned. And when he said, ‘apnar deS kothay?’ (‘where is your country?’) I continued grinning as I said, for the first time in years, ‘America’. And so it was then, as I smiled with the nameless CNG driver, and he spoke at me excitedly in a Bangla I didn’t understand, that I jumped on the Stars and Stripes – and Obama - bandwagon. And it’s where I’ll remain, for now at least. Thank you to all of you who made this happen.