The world's reaction to Obama's win

[MattZ]

Well that just about made my day.

[Spawn's dad]

Almost real enough to be cool.

[MattZ]

Almost real enough to be cool.

 

I dont know, man. The people in the crowd are looking up at them. Seems real to me.

You're probably right though. Man, I really hate that the internet forces you (me) to approach every cool thing with a degree of skepticism. Sucks.

[Spawn's dad]

This pissing on your cornflakes moment sponsored by Post Cereals.

[Sir Stewart]

This pissing on your cornflakes moment sponsored by Post Cereals.

 

I'm still eating the cornflakes until the piss is proven to be real.

[MattZ]

I'm still eating the cornflakes until the piss is proven to be real.

 

Thanks BT. I knew I could count on you.

[MrRain422]

My brother posted this Nigerian newspaper article on his blog:

 

Significance of Obama’s victory for Africa

By Oyewale Oyepeju

 

Published: Thursday, 6 Nov 2008

 

 

Americans are on the verge of making a remarkable statement and changing the course of history as they elected the first African-American president. For a moment, the world stood still for a man of honor, a man who had demonstrated a good understanding of today’s problem as it affects the common man. What makes Obama presidency significant is not because he is black; it is because he is one of the black men in the world with dignity, conscience, a sense of patriotism and direction.

Obama’s model of change has restored the hope of the common man, he has demonstrated a good understanding of the problems that the average American faces and exhibited how best to

tackle these problems.

 

 

Is it his tax plan for an even distribution of wealth or his plan to stimulate American economic growth that is not worth appreciating?

 

 

In a world widely dominated by the capitalists, I think Obama’s plan will go a long way to make the much anticipated effect as regards even distribution of wealth among Americans. With an Obama presidency, we will see a different America that will fully take back its place as a world leader, making it a country that will experience a real change in all ramifications.

 

 

What lesson can Africa learn from the Obama victory? In a continent where politicians play to the gallery, engage in political gimmicks without the interest of the common man at heart, having Barack Obama as the American president should be the beginning of an end to the mess that has been the hallmark of governance in our beleaguered continent.

 

Imagine the sheer patriotism and passion that characterised the presidential campaign. Who will ever know that a ‘common’ plumber will be the centre of attraction during the U.S. presidential campaign? The lesson from this is that it is time our leaders had the interest of the common man at heart; Leadership is not by writing and formulating policies that cannot have the desired effect or by making promises that we all know cannot be fulfilled at any point in time, all because those that make the promises have no intention of making themgood to start with.

 

Our leaders should know that modern governance is beyond godfatherism, personal interest or launching programs that lack the required bites. Africans at large should see an Obama

presidency as a reason for a change in our individual orientation, a change in the way we think.

 

Most of our problems actually started from our different homes, as a person’s upbringing usually determines what manner of leader he will become in future. What manner of leadership will come from a child who was brought up in an environment characterised by unusual corruption? Our leaders should emulate the American system, the excuse that the systems has been in existence for two centuries doesn’t hold water; rather, having the right set of people at the helm of affairs

is the secret.

 

Yet, Africa is blessed with talents –– professionals that have made their mark in their respective fields, but despite all that, we are still faced with fundamental problems. We have idealists and impressionists at the helm of affairs and until the status quo changes, we will still go by the demeaning tag ‘developing nations.’

 

I also watched keenly the support that Obama enjoyed fromAfricans back home since the day he made his intention known. Indeed, the Obama phenomenon is like a bug that had bitten all of us –– from his native home in Kenya to Nigeria, Obama is widely celebrated. I’m sure some of us did not put so much energy or faith in our respective national election as we did to the American presidential poll.

 

I actively participated in every issue during the long and unrelenting campaign, and I would have donated to his campaign organisation were it not for the fact that donations are not welcome from non-Americans.

 

In terms of stock-taking, inasmuch as we support Obama, of what significance is an Obama presidency to Africa? Can an Obama presidency solve our electricity problems, improve our

education sector, have a meaningful effect on our economy? After all said and done, I don’t think an Obama presidency will bring about the change that we so much desire in Africa. Rather, it can only spur our leaders on to bring about the desired changes. What do you think is the message he passed

when he rejected donations from Nigeria? He is obviously telling us that we should use our money to solve our national problems.

 

It is disheartening that a professor that knows the value of education will encourage people to pay millions of naira for table reservation for a fundraiser when the nation’s education sector has been in a state of decadence for such a long time, with no one showing the slightest interest in revamping it.

Where is our sense of patriotism?

 

These are people that condemn the education sector, they are the ones that will tell anybody who cares to listen that Nigerian graduates are not employable. It’s time the people up there realised the need to give back to the society that made them, instead of throwing our collective wealth carelessly around, or sending their children to better equipped overseas schools because they have lost faith in our education sector. As leaders, they owe this country so much, else the products of our condemned education system will end up being the armed robbers next door.

[cryptique]

The whole time I was reading that, I was expecting information on how I could become rich by helping to transfer funds out of the country.

[austrya]

The whole time I was reading that, I was expecting information on how I could become rich by helping to transfer funds out of the country.

 

OMG, so was I.