In an English classroom at a Colombian school...
Teacher: "I am going to say a word and you say its opposite."
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Dear President Obama, I challenge you to prove this student right. With the pressure of reelection behind you, can you help restore the international community's faith in you? Can you appear in the dreams of Germans like you did four years ago?
When the relief subsides that we averted the danger of being represented by a white collar criminal in the wake of the financial crisis, (or, worse, living in Virgil Goode's Muslim-, feminism- and gun control-free country), will you recall the promises for which they awarded you a Nobel Prize?
That will mean facing hard questions.
Why are we still more concerned with fighting "terrorists" than protecting biodiversity in, for example, Colombia? (According to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Colombia is one of the world’s “megadiverse” countries, hosting close to 14% of the planet’s biodiversity, but still the popular association with Colombia is drugs.) Why can't we join Germany in conceding that there is nothing green about nuclear energy and becoming a global leader in renewables? When are you going to stop using drones and mercenaries? Sign the International Treaty to Ban Land Mines? Start cranking on Climate Change?
I don't mean to detract from your accomplishments. Hooray for steps toward universal health care! I also don't mean to give the impression that politics is for politicians and the rest of us should root for our favorite team and hope for the best. But neither should we underestimate the power of a figurehead to set agendas, thereby shaping discourse and reality. For better or for worse, the President of the United States has the special privilege and responsibility of being on the world stage. Here's a plea to keep one ear open to your constituents abroad.
