As described by the CNN in a recent report, popular but politically humbled, Barack Obama leaves the White House as the President of the world's number one superpower and the richest country, the United States, on January 20 next. And with his exist the world enters, possibly, one of the most uncertain times in its history. It is most likely that much of his doings and progressive policies he followed both at home and abroad would be changed by the man, Donald Trump, who is set step into his shoes.
It is not just Obama's policies, multilateralism which formed the basis of the globalization and helped many developing and least developed countries to lay their legitimate claim on global trade, technology and knowledge has come under intense threat as Trump abhor it. If the new US president sticks to his electoral promises, he would undo most good things that had taken place in world politics and global trade for safeguarding the US 'national interests'. Until now the world has heard Trump making many 'unpalatable' comments and it now hopes against hope that he would finally not translate those into reality. But if he does, the world would be in real turmoil, to say the least.
Obama was politically 'humbled' and his nominee, Hillary Clinton, could not come out successful in the last presidential race because Donald Trump, not Obama or other key Democrats, could feel the nerve of the white middleclass Americans who were suffering most by their government's policies, particularly the one concerning trade and investment. Unemployment was growing due to closure and relocation of US mills and factories. Local manufacturers were not being able to compete with cheaper imports under so-called liberalized trade. But the US voters, apparently, had forgotten one fact how Obama administration infused life into an economy that was in a shambles under the Bush presidency. However, the fact remains that the gap between the rich and the poor widened further under Obama's leadership. The development was contrary to his electoral promise.
Before his election in 2008, Obama promised to remove the division among the US citizens along colour, race and political belief. But, in reality, he has failed to reach his goal. The population is now more divided than before. The last election result is a testimony to that fact. It could be that they were also influenced by the growing populist and anti-immigrant wave across Europe.
Whether the USA will be in the safe hand or not when Trump takes over as the next president remains to be seen. If the new US president falters, the world too will be unsafe. But under Barack Ombma's presidency, the world had turned out to be a better place to live in than his predecessor, George Bush. Obama has done a lot for the welfare of the US citizens, including introduction of 'Obamacare' since he was a caring head of state. Internationally, he had great achievements. He had successfully withdrawn the US troops from Afghanistan and Iraq and the armed forces of these countries are now handling insurgents and the so-called Islamist forces. He has successfully restored relations with Cuba and struck deal with Iran on nuclear issues. The signing of the climate agreement would be seen as a milestone achievement of his presidency.
Obama, an African -American, had made history when he was elected. Even in 1990s, most people would have dismissed instantly the idea of having a black man as the US president. With his exist, none knows for sure when another non-white would take over US presidency.
Some of Obama's domestic policies might not have been much to the liking of the US voters. But all through his two-term presidency, Obama earned admiration, love and respect in his own country and beyond as a polished gentleman who had an unblemished career. It may not, however, take too long a time for the voters in the USA to start comparing Obama as a man and also as president with the real-estate tycoon who would replace him on January 20 next.
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