The Associated Press made a list of the top 10 news items of 2008. The economic crisis is the runner up to the election of Barack Obama, the first man to be elected president of the United States.
Obama’s victory is, indeed, important, but one wonders whether his blackness trumps something as devastating as the economic crisis. In the end, blacks will have to emancipate themselves and work hard in order to achieve the success Obama has achieved. He has done nothing for them except ’showing’ them what many already knew: that blacks, like whites, can achieve the top in every professional area.
The economic crisis, on the other hand, has destroyed businesses, jobs and lives and will continue to do so in the coming months. The severity and nature of the crisis may very well force the U.S. economy to reform itself, to change, to adapt to changing circumstances (like growing competition from Asia).
Obama’s victory may still prove to be as life changing, world changing even, as the economic crisis; we will found out when he takes office and starts implementing new domestic and foreign policies. Until that time, however, Obama has not changed anything, not in the U.S., nor in the world.
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The economic crisis is big and bad, no doubt about it. History may well rank it with the Great Depression. In the here and now, things are bad, but amongst history, the crisis has yet to be judged.
On the other hand, at least for the U.S., the first black president is huge, given our history. You are right that the crisis shouldn’t be overshadowed just because of a historic event. But I think most people are able to separate one event from another.
I suppose the question is whether this crisis will end up eclipsing the election. One thing’s for certain: it won’t on January 20.