American Milestone: The Word is Obama

'Millions of people watching all over the world, street parties and mass celebration'

A NEW dawn is upon America and upon the world.

Ever since Barack Obama first announced his candidacy in Springfield, Illinois, almost two years ago, we have witnessed a series of historic moments - each more significant than the last.

Barack Obama is, today, the world's most influential person, second only to Oprah Winfrey.

Of course, it wasn't only his ethnicity, charisma, and calibre that has made Obama the 44th President of the United States.

Even a flea, a dustpan, or Paris Hilton would have been better than George Bush.

At $42million Obama's inauguration party is set to be the most expensive and most-watched in history.

Almost $10million has been pumped into security as anyone from terrorists to plain idiots had to be looked out for.

But that shouldn't be too bad as, apart from Bush, all the other stupid people are either locked away in the Big Brother house or squabbling about obesity in Parliament back here in the UK.

And Obama's ceremony that has been going on for the last couple of days consists of, or has yet to consist of, Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder and Shakira.

Compare this to George Bush's inauguration parties in 2001 and 2005 in which he pretended that Macy Gray, Lyle Lovett, Asleep At The Wheel and ZZ Top were his favourite artists, and so they were invited to come and perform to his audience of about 7 spectators; who were probably forced to watch at gunpoint or were just too slow to run away.

When asked about his terrible performance line-up and why no well-known singers were performing for his second inauguration, Bush used the excuse that America was "now a country at war".

This supposedly means that all of the best performers didn't come to his ceremony because of the war.

That's it. That's why he had singers no one had heard of.

It wasn't because they didn't like Bush but; Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac and Chuck Berry who were willing to perform for Bill Clinton's ceremony, were obviously too busy digging trenches at Afghanistan's front line to perform for George W.

And last week, Bush booked 15 minutes on all of the major television networks so he could make a speech about all of his achievements while in office. It's not yet decided, however, what he's going to do with the other 14minutes and 59 seconds.

He may decide to name the two things that didn't go quite to plan. Namely his first and second term in office.

And just to think that the most powerful man in the world, for two terms, is a man who asks questions like: "Is our children learning?" and has his finger over the big, red nuclear button with an unnerving idea that God is at his side.

Obama's personal train, over the last couple of days, has made its way from Philadelphia to Washington - following the same route that Abraham Lincoln took in 1861. A rustic old train.

I would have much preferred a private jet travelling in a high-altitude convoy, so you can step off the plane and wave at fans while walking down the steps like The Beatles or the Pope. All the spectators cheering and jumping for joy as you cross the tarmac without the regular holiday-makers with uneven sunburn, cheap airline headphones, an intoxicated slur, and deep-vein thrombosis.

But the American's certainly know how to have a party. Millions of people watching all over the world, street parties and mass celebration. The most we would manage in Britain is a shrug of the shoulders and a cheese sandwich for a new Prime Minister - each new one the same as the last.

But people all over America aren't just crying tears of joy and cheering that Bush is finally out of the White House, they're rejoicing at the fact that history has been made and the global table has been turned.
They see the world as a new place with just the election of one man who, at least, promises some sort of hope, no matter how fairytale, to add a new chapter to the American Dream.

A symbol of supremacy in the anti-racism movements and equality factions that have shed much time and blood throughout history - now as an icon, a stature, and an exemplar of social mobility on an international stage.

But with the economy, unemployment, the Guantanamo Bay issue, climate change and the like, all building up to catastrophic proportions, it would seem that Obama has taken the helm of a country in decline.

And now, as the USA welcomes its first black president, Americans have finally advanced beyond their racial past, and, perhaps ironically, picked a black man to clean up their mess.