To Be or not To Be for Barack Obama

image by: jurvetson

Bosnia is a country located in the heart of Europe, and a country that is deeply divided by medieval standards of public life and government. The country has a constitution that is incompatible with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Here, one's nationality decides all. In a way there is a certain similarity between nationality in Bosnia (ethnical origins) and race in America.

It's what divides many people – not all, but a large percentage. I hope that those two terms will someday be less of a factor. People in my country base their positions not by their competency and skill, but above all – thanks to their political preferences and ethnic origins.

Presently in Bosnia, there is much to do regarding ethnic nationalism, ideas of the consociationalism, and these theories are making it impossible for open demokracy to be established here. I consider this as nonsense and hope that Obama's nomination will prove it as such, at least indirectly. Ultra-nationalists and consociationalism lovers want to say the differences between people are something that should be put on the throne as the central heart of every political debate.

I couldn't resist the temptation to put here a few of my remarks on American Presidential Campaign. I know the question of who is going to be next American President is a question of the whole world - I mean the whole world, not just USA.

I would like for this guy to be the next president. The history of African Americans is the history of struggle and humiliation. The History of marginalization at its highest. Listening to the Obama's speeches on YouTube, and following the news about the campaign around the net – I find him way superior to his opponent McCain.

I could be a bit malicious and say one thing I dislike about Obama and that's his 20 years long consistency in attending the preaching of a morally very suspicious and discredited priest, his famous Reverend, which is basically true. But again, Obama is just a man after all. And the role that he is about to take is much bigger than himself, and holds a much greater importance.

Here is what one of my American friends thinks about this campaign: "The Democratic Party is the Left Wing of the Republican Party. Both political parties receive their funding from the same corporations and serve the same masters. The men behind the corporations run America and the lobbyists for the corporations make the laws, not the senators or congressman. The political power in the USA is controlled by the corporate elite. The politicians are just WINDOW DRESSING! It will take 20 years to undo all the laws and legislation that Bush signed into law. Also, the Supreme Court of the USA is a Republican controlled court where each jurist serves for life".

Maybe because I am from Bosnia, I must take a little different stand on this. So here is my perspective:
There are many reasons why I consider Obama's Nomination to be a breakthrough. One of the main reasons is that he comes from the minority population in his country. This fact talks a lot about the political ripening of America, and at the same time – of the whole world as well. In wider context – Obama's story means also a huge blow to the racial, national and religious prejudices worldwide. Barack's very nomination for president is a precedent in the world's politics which has potential to prove that the universal human values are of the greatest importance. Or at least, it can bring such a hope.

What it boils down to is that people should be voting for the ideas representing common good and benefits and not only for the people representing their race, religion, or nationality. In Bosnia, something similar happened when Željko Komšić of Croatian nationality was elected as the member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina thanks to the huge number of votes given to him by, what I think are, mostly people for whom nationality isn't everything. 

It is a sure bet that we can expect different turns and more interest for the real problems in world and in Bosnia as well, if a Democratic candidate wins the elections.

European incompetence and futility in trying to resolve Bosnia's puzzle is by now considered to be incurable. American Democrats are after all, the only significant political force ever interested in solving problems in a war torn country like Bosnia, and the nationalist and racism feasts that come along with it.

American Democrats are by "default" more interested in what is going on around the world than Republicans. It is impossible to deny that among the Republicans were some persons of quality, but that was too long ago. The fact that America has a chance to elect Obama, for Bosnia could mean also a possibility to build a more normal society, where the questions about one's ethnicity and religious preferences wouldn't play such an ominous role as they do now. The focus should be finally switched to universal human values, and turned around from the ones preposterously emphasizing race and nationality...as simple as that.

What comes down to it is not the question whether Obama be the next President of America, but the question why shouldn't he?

Unfortunately, the world is still in diapers but there is a great chance of advancing to the child potty seat.

Thanks to Euro and Nihad for contributing