Well, that's a lie. But I do have very few words.
Tonight, America made history. We've heard that phrase over and over throughout the night, but I know for me, the true implications of this fact didn't settle in until recently. Around 11:30 PM on November 4, 2008, the American people elected Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America.
I came close to crying during President-to-be Obama's speech.
And I want to make clear I never tear up during speeches (except during the Biden Convention Speech when he referenced his old mother--I have a soft spot for senior citizens! as long as they're not named John McCain). This speech didn't touch me particularly because of the rhetoric, but because as I sat there in my dormitory kitchen on my plastic, pastel NYU chairs, I realized that this was a man I truly believed in. I began to think about the word "hope", a word I had often felt was thrown around carelessly by this candidate. Tonight, I finally understood. I understood that hope wasn't just an empty promise; tonight, I heard Barack Obama--the citizen not the politician--assure me that he is in this race to ride out the full wave, to help America reach its full potential, to bring some form of Platonic ideal of the United States back here to reality.
I felt like for the first time, I was convinced by a politician. We have grown accustomed to cardboard leaders, and as a Democrat, I have especially grown accustomed to losing. Yet tonight we experienced the victory of a 3D leader, of a man who marks not only a historical change in the racial nature of politics, but who marks a monumental shift in the ideologies and practices of modern politics. Here is a man we can believe in.
I've written more than I intended to. All that I mean to say is that I, I staunch Obama supporter turned adamant Hillary supporter turned Obama supporter again, have found religion tonight...in some form or another. By a religion, I mean that I have found faith in our country, in our future, in ourselves. I believe with all of my heart that these next 4 years--hell, the next 8!--will bring both the "change" and "hope" that our new president has promised. As he said, such sweeping changes may take more than a year and maybe even a term, but in the end, I believe America has chosen as one pundit said "an impressive man."
Look, I don't believe in a God, but I do believe this: Barack Obama is one of those historical figures that resonates through centuries. He's a Clinton, a Lincoln, a Kennedy. Above all, he is the most optimistic thing to happen to this nation in a long time. He is a beautiful Frankenstinien monster of sorts, created out of the pieces of great leaders past, who has now come to life and wow-ed the American public with his promise.
I'm biased, I realize. But I'm not biased because Barack Obama is a Democrat. I believe in Barack Obama because I believe in him as a human being. I see him as a rare opportunity, an incredible man with limitless potential in conjunction with a solid head and heart.
Today I experienced my first tears of joy,
and it was the best feeling to date.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Orange Juice Won't Be Enough For Dubai
A seven star hotel, a set of man-made islands visible from the moon, the world's first underwater hotel, future home of a building three times as tall as the Empire State, an amusement park twice the size of the world's current largest, Walt Disney Orlando. This was the Dubai that was the talk of the world and the topic of numerous newspaper headlines. Dubai is known to be the most futuristic, sophisticated, and cosmopolitan city in the region. The surprising aspect might be that it's in the Middle East. But then again maybe not. It is an oil rich region. Because of it's greatest resource, it should be safe from the current economic crisis and will continue to become the glamorous city everyone speculates it will be. Right?
Dubai's immunity to the current global economic crisis is failing. Many predicted that this glittering boomtown with some of the most elite hotels and residences in the world would be able to pull through but it seems as though no one is safe from the free-fall-like pace of this crisis.
The glorious city that is currently almost completely under construction with approximately 20 percent of the world's cranes and the promise of the best of everything. Politically, Dubai is known as the "peace-land in the Middle East" and has not ceased to amaze those around the world; the boom happened so quickly. But will it crash just as quickly?
With banks in panic and freeze mode in terms of lending and nervous global investors, many of the current projects in Dubai will be in trouble. If the flow of cash comes to a standstill from the borrowing end investors will have to try even harder to sell the promise of a 3 bedroom 2 bath apartment overlooking the sea with a gorgeous view of the city on the other side. But along with nervous banks there is also the utterly panicked consumer. With no one willing to buy and no one willing to lend, will pending projects collapse? They will definitely have to be scaled down and Dubai will not be the architectural city which can carry the slogan, "Build beyond your dreams." Additionally, tense lenders are calling in their loans to keep their own finances afloat, causing a greater strain on investors. Furthermore, what if some Dubai banks failed? Impossible, you say? Well, Lehman Brothers failed after more than 150 years in the business, Goldman Sachs' closed in double digits last week, Merrill Lynch merged with Bank of America, need I list more? I believe at this point, anything is possible and all precautionary measures should be taken. Of course risky loans were made in Dubai as well! This is what is most frightening since the city was growing at such a pace that the pressure to get money into the system was getting increasingly tough to handle. There were so many investors. Were all of them vetted carefully?
Dubai needs to control it's debt and lower the escalation in infrastructure projects. If there are not enough people planning to live in this city in these economic times, the housing that is being planned for will not be necessary and will thus lead to a crash in the housing market. What was speculated five years ago will probably not be met and there will be an excess supply of housing and other resources. Dubai is also dependent on the revenue from tourism but needless to say that travel will decrease as this economic crisis (or slump, depending on how you want to see it) continues.
What sort of implications does this have for the politics of region? Will this peaceland, that strived to assert itself in the world and set an example for the rest of the hemisphere convince the people to stop believing? Dubai is the pride and jewel of the Middle East. If the failure of Dubai before it's big debut is inevitable, it's possible that the region would resort to defense build-up as a way to preserve power in the world. Because of Dubai's economy and the relation with American investors, the United States never brought it in the middle of any belligerent talks. There was no reason to. The UAE is a small country. How will it assert itself to the global community if simple economics doesn't work? Will it resort to acquiring nuclear weapons, like nearby Iran?
Dubai's immunity is failing. What will be it's vitamin C?
A jaw-dropping link to check out: http://www.dubai-architecture.info/DUB-GAL1.htm
Dubai's immunity to the current global economic crisis is failing. Many predicted that this glittering boomtown with some of the most elite hotels and residences in the world would be able to pull through but it seems as though no one is safe from the free-fall-like pace of this crisis.
The glorious city that is currently almost completely under construction with approximately 20 percent of the world's cranes and the promise of the best of everything. Politically, Dubai is known as the "peace-land in the Middle East" and has not ceased to amaze those around the world; the boom happened so quickly. But will it crash just as quickly?
With banks in panic and freeze mode in terms of lending and nervous global investors, many of the current projects in Dubai will be in trouble. If the flow of cash comes to a standstill from the borrowing end investors will have to try even harder to sell the promise of a 3 bedroom 2 bath apartment overlooking the sea with a gorgeous view of the city on the other side. But along with nervous banks there is also the utterly panicked consumer. With no one willing to buy and no one willing to lend, will pending projects collapse? They will definitely have to be scaled down and Dubai will not be the architectural city which can carry the slogan, "Build beyond your dreams." Additionally, tense lenders are calling in their loans to keep their own finances afloat, causing a greater strain on investors. Furthermore, what if some Dubai banks failed? Impossible, you say? Well, Lehman Brothers failed after more than 150 years in the business, Goldman Sachs' closed in double digits last week, Merrill Lynch merged with Bank of America, need I list more? I believe at this point, anything is possible and all precautionary measures should be taken. Of course risky loans were made in Dubai as well! This is what is most frightening since the city was growing at such a pace that the pressure to get money into the system was getting increasingly tough to handle. There were so many investors. Were all of them vetted carefully?
Dubai needs to control it's debt and lower the escalation in infrastructure projects. If there are not enough people planning to live in this city in these economic times, the housing that is being planned for will not be necessary and will thus lead to a crash in the housing market. What was speculated five years ago will probably not be met and there will be an excess supply of housing and other resources. Dubai is also dependent on the revenue from tourism but needless to say that travel will decrease as this economic crisis (or slump, depending on how you want to see it) continues.
What sort of implications does this have for the politics of region? Will this peaceland, that strived to assert itself in the world and set an example for the rest of the hemisphere convince the people to stop believing? Dubai is the pride and jewel of the Middle East. If the failure of Dubai before it's big debut is inevitable, it's possible that the region would resort to defense build-up as a way to preserve power in the world. Because of Dubai's economy and the relation with American investors, the United States never brought it in the middle of any belligerent talks. There was no reason to. The UAE is a small country. How will it assert itself to the global community if simple economics doesn't work? Will it resort to acquiring nuclear weapons, like nearby Iran?
Dubai's immunity is failing. What will be it's vitamin C?
A jaw-dropping link to check out: http://www.dubai-architecture.info/DUB-GAL1.htm
Sunday, October 5, 2008
All Aboard Fail World!
America is officially that fat kid who loses the game for his little league baseball team because instead of paying attention when it was his time to bat, the glutton was too busy licking Reeses off his fingers. At least, that's what the general consensus seems to be.
This $700 billion bailout was supposed to "save" the market, or at least help it back up on wobbly crutches, but instead of the anticipated revival of the economy, we've globally seemed to have screwed everyone over. Even Iceland, the armpit of the world, is feeling the vibrations. I wonder though how much of this can be rightfully attributed to America's own financial blunders? Isn't a big problem here also the fact that European markets are getting exposed for their own screw-ups, which just happen to mirror America's flaws on a smaller scale? Risky lenders, taxpayer money being used unwisely by BigShots in the ever-ambiguous "market"--sure, Europe hasn't had a Lehman catastrophe (I walked by the Lehman office a week ago and there was a security guard outside. WTF is he guarding? The RIDICULOUS sums of money in there?!?!) but that doesn't mean that it didn't have its own problems. It's not as if the US crisis somehow spilled over into other continents. It was more like a shower curtain falling down, which then caused more to fall down, and now there are just a bunch of naked people found in very compromising positions.
The US was just in the more compromising. But then again, here it's Go Big, or Go Home, right? If we can't be the best, then damn it, we'll be the worst!
Point being, although this global economic meltdown is terrifying and awful, I'm going to try and go against my inherent nature and look on the positive side of this situation. "Progress...is usually the result of a crises" so maybe this is the harbinger of some serious worldwide reform.
Or, maybe we're just hopelessly fucked for a long time standing and should become reckless hedonists and turn every public place into a metal-head-rock-orgy. I mean I could go either way.
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