HISTORY IS MADE BY AMBITION

Tuesday November 4 2008 will be a decisive day for history. It will be proven by a record turnout of American voters.

On one side, there is an experienced aged Senator with limited imagination and out to return some respect to (and) for the established powers. He seems a reassuring prospect for many, especially for those who see nothing in change and rather stick up a good defense to keep what they have.

On the other side a man who is already the epitome of change, by virtue of his candidacy, and who professes ‘change we can believe in”. He is an inspiration to many, whatever the critics say about his rhetoric versus his actual accomplishments.

History is made by people who see a road well in advance of others. Who can see the opportunities, and the threats, in their proper context, and in their proportions. And perhaps it is even better to say that such people can look beyond mere opportunity and see its potential too.

A famous example is the historic ignition of man’s quest for the Moon. “Within this decade we will send a man to the Moon…” (John F. Kennedy, 1961). It happened, most certainly in part because of the explicit presidential thrust behind it.

We do live in a time when every presidential thrust in quite a few ambitious directions will be highly appreciated. This need not be just the American president. Nor was it just any single American president in history who pursued and completed the job. An important aspect of the presidential responsibility is to seek and retain the proper allies, inside and outside. So did every great American president, at least if we take the rank of greatness from a recent expert panel who assessed all 43 presidents on their historic ‘turf’.

And if history - which is always by hindsight – is determined by the greatness of human ambition, so must be our future. Many sizeable challenges lay ahead affecting the sustainability of our human existence on this entire planet. We can not remain in the squabbles of the past, as many of today’s conflicts and struggles still largely are. We don't actually have to go to Mars, and perhaps we should not go, at least not until some pertinent issues on Earth have effectively been resolved, such as Climate change, resources, habitat etcetera.

Many US Presidents have given good examples. Even the unlikely ones. Harry Truman is considered one of the better presidents. He achieved this against all initial odds. He succeeded a giant, in a highly complex period. Both McCain and Obama at least have the possibility to rise to the challenge, perhaps in both cases against the initial odds.

What the world should hope for is that all Americans will be able to stand behind the one who wins, and that the will be able to do so for his full term.