Searchlight Logo
special_image

    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
Editorial
January 23, 2009

A daunting challenge

23.JAN.09

SEARCHLIGHT joins with the millions of people all over the world in celebrating the elevation of Barack Obama to the Presidency of the United States of America. Never before in the US history has a President enjoyed the broad popular support that Mr. Obama has engendered from people, black and white, red and yellow, spread all over seven continents.{{more}} Never in the history of the world has a national leader been able to, even before assuming office, command such wide ranging respect or generate such feelings of goodwill.

His assumption of the highest office in the USA, while a major advance for people of colour and minorities in America, is at the same time a major boost for US standing in the world. His predecessor, George Walker Bush, at the behest of the hawks in his Cabinet, had seen not just his own popularity, but US prestige in the world, sink to an all-time low. His anti-people policies and support for unbridled, rapacious capitalism virtually wrecked not just the American economy, but rocked the foundations of global capitalism itself. His is a legacy of death and destruction in Iraq and Afghanistan, whilst the very soldiers who lost leg and life in defending supposed US interests could not even get reasonable benefits at home, while victims of Hurricane Katrina till today are still crying out for succor.

The American land of the brave and free, whose founding fathers waged a revolution so that its people could enjoy life and liberty, receded more and more into the past to be replaced by a country where individual liberties became curtailed under the banner of a “war against terrorism”. Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo sullied the fine reputation of the USA abroad and provoked resentment and hostility worldwide. Refusal to sign the Kyoto treaty or even to acknowledge the threat of global warming left many dumfounded. America under Bush seemed to have completely lost its way.

Barack Obama, therefore, faces a daunting challenge to repair all this damage and to make America great again in the eyes of the world’s peoples. That is no mean task. Extricating his country from wars where blind intransigence fosters civil strife and ruthless fanatics are prepared to stop at nothing to enforce their dominance will not be easy. Finding solutions to his country’s energy problems, while at the same time practicing environmental conservation, will test his mantle. Rebuilding the confidence of the rest of the world in the leadership of the USA and its obligations to put right before might is critical to the process of his foreign policy intentions. Above all, there is the gargantuan challenge of fixing the US economy and creating jobs for the millions on welfare.

Fortunately, the new President’s outreach and demeanor, his insistence on a collective approach to his nation’s problems, his inclination for dialogue, plus the tremendous goodwill and support he enjoys, place him in as good a position as any to accomplish these goals. Quite naturally, his focus will be a largely a domestic one, but such is the nature of the challenges before him that he will not be allowed to have a singular focus. We can only wish him well in his endeavours.

  • FacebookComments
  • ALSO IN THE NEWS
    12 left homeless in mid-day fire at Richland Park
    Front Page
    12 left homeless in mid-day fire at Richland Park
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    A fire that destroyed a multi-family complex in Richland Park on Monday has left at least 12 people homeless, including a 23-year-old mother of a six-...
    PM responds to US military strike on small boat off Venezuela
    Front Page
    PM responds to US military strike on small boat off Venezuela
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves has responded to reports by the United States administration that its military had carried out the bombing of a boa...
    Building material disappear from the Mary Hutchinson Primary School
    Front Page
    Building material disappear from the Mary Hutchinson Primary School
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Police investigators on Union Island are said to be looking into the “disappearance” of building materials that were sent to the Southern Grenadine Is...
    What’s new at Fitz Hughes Government School?
    Front Page
    What’s new at Fitz Hughes Government School?
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    by Grace Francis After sharing a small space for over a year, children and teachers at the Fitz Hughes Early Childhood Centre went into brand new prem...
    MRI-6 donates over $70,000 for school meals for vulnerable students
    Front Page
    MRI-6 donates over $70,000 for school meals for vulnerable students
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Several secondary schools and special needs institutions across St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) have received $5,000 donations towards meals for s...
    Minister of Information Technology  emphasises the importance of Cybersecurity
    News
    Minister of Information Technology emphasises the importance of Cybersecurity
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Robust cybersecurity must be at the heart of the digital transformation that is currently taking place in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) says Min...
    News
    Minister of Information Technology  emphasises the importance of Cybersecurity
    News
    Minister of Information Technology emphasises the importance of Cybersecurity
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Robust cybersecurity must be at the heart of the digital transformation that is currently taking place in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) says Min...
    Entities team up to boost disaster communication capacity
    News
    Entities team up to boost disaster communication capacity
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    The Climate Change Resilience Network (CCRN) in collaboration with the Youlou Radio Movement (YRM) recently embarked on a disaster preparedness initia...
    Ministry of Health to get more dialysis machines
    News
    Ministry of Health to get more dialysis machines
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, is to obtain three more Heamodialysis machines as part of the revolution in the healthcare secto...
    PM Gonsalves heads delegation to Ethiopia
    News
    PM Gonsalves heads delegation to Ethiopia
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, is leading a delegation to the East African country of Ethiopia; the delegation left the state on Wednesday, Septe...
    New Port to be opened on October 24- PM Gonsalves
    News
    New Port to be opened on October 24- PM Gonsalves
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    The modern port in Kingstown is expected to be handed over to the government just before this country celebrates its 46th anniversary of political ind...

    E-EDITION
    ePaper
    google_play
    app_store
    Subscribe Now
    • Interactive Media Ltd. • P.O. Box 152 • Kingstown • St. Vincent and the Grenadines • Phone: 784-456-1558 © Copyright Interactive Media Ltd.. All rights reserved.
    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok