Open Letter to Pembroke Hill About Politics and Other Things You Recently Started Caring About (Give Me a Chance, I Might Raise Your Spirits, William Kristol)

Having been implored contacted to pen an article on why I’m excited about an Obama presidency, I had to sit down and cerebrate (Good WC, right English teachers?) for a while to ensure my arguments fit the world-limit were concise and presented legitimate, policy-based reasons to be excited about four years of Barack (not just ideological propaganda involving the words “hope,” “change,” and other inspirational buzzwords). So, with this task in mind, where does someone in my position start?
How about in the least likely of places – international response to the election. As the Washington Post points out:

Wherever you look, it would seem, the world is celebrating Barack Obama’s landslide win in Tuesday’s US presidential election. To people around the globe, Obama’s victory signals a new American willingness to converse with the world instead of imposing our will upon it. (Zimmerman, 11/4/08)

Obama represents not just a new face in the White House, but a new type of American politics. Even anti-American leaders have been cordially congratulating Obama, the likes of Hugo Chavez of Venezuala, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, and more have all sent messages of encouragement and increased relations between the United States and their respective nations. Obama has said that, unlike Bush, he will sit down with leaders around the world and discuss issues affecting both our nation and others. In an age where the world’s opinion of America is plummeting, Obama represents a paradigm shift in our governmental system and in our public opinion. His election has been called a “mandate” and the defeat of McCain strongly signals that the American public strongly dismisses the politics and foreign policy of the last eight years, which in turn signals to foreign diplomats and leaders that we are willing to reverse the course we have been on: end imperialist, militaristic expansionism; change economic policies; and open ourselves to bilateral relationships and increased presence in international organizations. Whether these things will be accomplished is indeed an unanswerable question, but whether they are or not, world opinion of the United States has softened and the Obama presidency gives us the perfect opportunity to reestablish our international standing and “soft power.” But how?
I think everyone knows Barack Obama is going to be working on the economy as a top priority (and also that Jorack OStalin is going to move our nation towards socialism at a breakneck pace) so I figured I’d fix my attention elsewhere, specifically on a few issues I feel most assionately about. So, without further ado, The Obama List (short, sweet, sexy):
1. Closing Guantanamo Bay – as the Associated Press reports, Obama plans on closing Guantanamo and moving current prisoners onto American soil, stating “Under the plan being crafted inside Obama’s camp, some detainees would be released and others would be charged in U.S. courts, where they would receive constitutional rights and open trials” (Matt Apuzzo 11/10/08). Guantanamo has long been a stain upon America’s global reputation. As Harvard scholar Joseph Nye writes in 2004,

“the American Supreme Court has asserted its independence … by recently ruling that detainees at Guantanamo Bay … must have access to legal representation. One of the greatest sources of American soft power is the openness of our democratic processes. Even when mistaken policies reduce our attractiveness, our ability to openly criticize and correct our mistakes makes us attractive to others at a deeper level.”

Thus the closing of the prison itself would be the next step in the process of self-criticism that Nye indicates. Even though closing the prison would present many new interesting legal and security issues, it would rapidly reverse much long-held anti-American sentiment. Reports indicate that much of the anti-American sentiment in areas like Iraq arises directly from our actions in Guantanamo and the secret prisons (I’ve been told they exist, but they wouldn’t be secret if I could find some hard proof) that are placed around the world.

2. Reverse Bush Executive Orders – one of the first priorities of the incoming Obama team is to quickly reverse many of the destructive policies set in place by George W. Bush. These include, of a long list of items, the Gag Rule and stem cell research prohibitions.

• The Gag Rule was an executive order, first issued by Ronald Reagan, that halted taxpayer dollars from reaching non-governmental organizations operating throughout the world if they discussed or performed abortions. The policy stops many family planning clinics across the world from providing vital information about sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancies, and marriage to women across the world. The policy has had direct results: “Family planning organizations that reject the gag rule have been forced to close clinics, cut services and increase fees …. Leading family planning agencies in another 16 countries—mostly in Africa—have lost access to much-needed U.S. condoms and contraceptives as a result of their refusal to accept the gag rule restrictions …. Research from several countries reveals a lower reliance on abortion in areas where contraceptive use is higher, reflecting greater access to family planning services …. the gag rule prevents the United States from working with some of the most effective front-line partners serving two of the populations at greatest risk of STIs, including HIV/AIDS—women and youth” (Population Action International 6/1/04). The Gag Rule has led to increased spread of HIV/AIDS and led to an increase in unsafe abortions across, the exact opposite impact of its intended purpose. Repealing the policy could be the difference between life and death for women in developing and non-developing countries across the world.
• In a 2001 speech, George Bush stated that he would permit the study of stem cell technologies but that government limits would be placed on funding and direction of research. Many reports indicate that the Bush policy on stem cell research has significantly slowed any major developments in the field, but stem cell research is vital. As the National Institute of Health reports, “Perhaps the most important potential application of human stem cells is the generation of cells and tissues that could be used for cell-based therapies. Today, … the need for transplantable tissues and organs far outweighs the available supply. Stem cells, directed to differentiate into specific cell types, offer the possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat diseases including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis” (stemcells.nih.gov). Having known, both through the wonderful world of film and television and personally knowing people who suffer or, worse, have died from all of the above, I view any opportunity to make significant strides in new medical treatment something that requires the utmost attention.

Sure, that’s a gross over-simplification of things that Charack OBarkley is going to do for/with/against/towards America, but the thing that I’m most excited about with an Obama presidency is the increasing importance of us. Vainglorious? Perhaps, but if me and John McCain learned anything from this presidential election, it’s that there is a new political body in America that is mobilized and ready to shape our very way of life – young people! We aren’t just the ones who listen to music they don’t understand and understand how to navigate the interwebs they can’t comprehend anymore. We are a vital part of the electorate; a part of the electorate with the power to bring about the change we desire. During his campaign, Obama created an electronic database of people supporting the campaign who could eventually be contacted and called on for assistance in the future, and that’s the real “change” that America will see. Sure Obama can alter international and domestic policies, but how much do they ever really change with the president alone? The real shift that an Obama presidency could create would be the increasing importance of youth voices in the political system (YIG is cool, but come on peeps, I’m talking about real change) and with those voices come brand new experiences, ideas, and ways of understanding the world. The Obama presidency could shift the very epistemology of the federal government (hopefully with positive outcome) forever.

Sincerely yours,
Brad Bolman

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