We now have a globally elected king, if popular sentiment was a legal vote. Thankfully the king can only enter our living rooms through global news networks, glossy eyed well wishers who just happen to be our friends and the odd sms. A state of affairs which isn't true over seas and westwards of Africa. The last time there was this sort of global mass hysteria was when the millennium bug, concocted by as yet unmasked sources, failed to show up for its own party. Properganja neh, one blowback from NNC and you are goofed enough to believe it.
Its true he is an African American, in the truest sense of the word, and not only that but an African American born with a green card in his mouth. Definitely part of the new breed, or more correctly the future, one more booster shot to the American gene pool, so to speak. But... the inevitable but... what is so special about that? Does it reflect on race relations the world over... or should it do so? South Africa and by default Southern Africa, has the most hair splitting classification system in the world... no wait Brazil used to until a very sane couple that lead that country did away with it. OK that is not the thrust of this chatter... thing is, as infectious as President Obama is, what is fuelling the hype?
Why is a country that we love to hate suddenly the one we hate to love...? We have our own problems that need our urgent attention. For instance, everyone in Botswana was made a rockstar overnight by the price of booze shooting up 30%... now everyone is paying platinum prices to get pissed. Would you believe the Western Cape wants to follow suite? Go figure! Is that some scarebrained idea to dupe people into accepting some crazy choices later on in the year when they are too tired to disagree with inaugurating controversial leaders? It worked in Botswana, an extremely unpopular Media Bill was foisted onto people after the booze debate took centre stage, not only that, sweeping reforms were mooted and people didn’t know which issue to protest against nor which way to look for guidance. While the brouhaha went on the single most poisonous bit of legislation slunk into Parliament for debate and slithered into law unquestioned. Well... as Botswana's media fraternity generally see it, the Media Bill is now quietly coiled up menacingly behind what was already considered an adequately functioning legal frame work.
The point, Believers, is this what happened while we were all heralding the new world order...? Israel blatantly mugging a not so innocent Palestine? Russia relieving a bloated Europe of Gas? Msholodzi returning to the drawing board? A Brazilian model's hands and feet being amputated? South Africa fielding a huge delegation for the G8 summit? More of the same?
Did we take the significant yet superficial change to America's national politics too seriously? Can it not be just like the world cup of soccer, a fun event to look forward to, something to distract us from out mundane or brilliant lives for a few weeks, then we return to our daily grind inspired, invigorated or whatever based on who won? But we do not supplant out own values just because Brazil losses a final to France... we talk about it, we fight about it, but we still want BEE to go on for a bit longer, or Affirmative Action to end now, depending on how straight our hair is of course. So when President Obama was sworn in, how did it signal a significant change for the poor people right in your city?
I continue to hold my breath...
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