Watching history from below (the equator, that is)

So yesterday I didn't go to work because a certain someone was being sworn into office in the U.S. It was a great decision; I can't imagine January 20, 2009 being anything but watching the inauguration at my friend Katie's and making cornbread (thanks again for the mix, mom!).

Katie & I, dressed up and with El Comercio's Obama cover

Regardless of your political beliefs, we all know that change is needed as we continue to face this global crisis. For me, President Obama (oh that sounds good) represents a step in the right direction. I'm not saying that he'll be able to do everything he promised in his campaign (no one ever can), but like I said, for me it's about making decisions that put us on a better track.

It was weird and sad not to be in the U.S. on Election Day, but it's the results that matter to me, and it's been super interesting to see how "the rest of the world" (read: Ecuador) perceives this change.

What's most remarkable to me is the incredible amount of hope that people see in Obama. Not just in the U.S., but also here in Ecuador and all around the world. The headline of Ecuador's biggest newspaper El Comercio read "A New Era with Barack Obama in the U.S." There have been dozens of TV specials, all about the incredible feat this election has been. The U.S. is still leading the world, showing that social progress is just as necessary as economic process (regardless of what China is doing). Getting thumbs-up for my Obama shirt yesterday was pretty sweet, too :)


So some quotes I happened to like (transcript here):

"Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age."

"But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."

"The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works"

"know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy."

"The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good."

"And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it."

I think it was absolutely important for him not to just say "yay social progress" but to also recognize that nothing about the upcoming unknown period of time will be easy. Because it won't. With a global economy screwed up, it can't be. With effort and those tough decisions, things can improve. And I think for anyone who just thinks he's pretty speeches, this one proved that he's got a lot more substance than that.

So that was an incredible speech, but now let's get to work. Here's to hope!