22 January 2009

20th January

The inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of America. A very, special event for many reasons, all of which have been talked about, discussed, debated, and analysed. America has willy nilly influenced the world. I don't think there is any one in the whole world who is not conscious of this country. We even hear the phrase 'Americanisation of the world'. America stands for some wonderful human values -this is how I like to think of her - hard working, tough, extremely helpful, a strong sense of individuality and a great insistence and premium on freedom. The jeans and checked shirts, the hamburgers and Coca Cola are not important, to my mind.

I particularly liked one description of Obama - that he had successfully combined the conservative and the radical. Michelle is the absolute rock -beautiful, thoughtful, serene and strong. Conservative and radical -this is what I guess Kofi Anan ,meant when he said that America was now ready to engage with the world. His speech was gently tough -I guess that is how Obama is. Of course the pressure on Obama is tremendous. Just too much for a single set of shoulders, but he looks big enough to shoulder it....Everyone in every Nation in the world is expecting him to bring back the magic.