America is showing Europe the way again
http://www.entrepreneurs-and-co.com/articles/241/1/America-is-showing-Europe-the-way-again/Page1.html
Didier Delmer
"The Didier Delmer Daily News Watch"
Profile :
- Serial Entrepreneur in the High-Tech & Service Industries,
- Expert in European Business Development,
- VP International at Newcom Inc (Nasdaq listed),
- Founder of Easy Consulting,
- VP @ High-Tech Business Club,
- Founder of Portail des PME,
- Currently working on Entrepreneurs and Co & DidierDelmer.com ,
By Didier Delmer
Published on 20/11/2008
Barack Obama's rise is an achievement that seems only possible in the US. This veteran foreign correspondent asks when other nations will dare to share the dream - Keith Richburg, October 26 2008, The Observer.
About the Author: Keith Richburg is the New York bureau chief of the Washington Post.
About the Author: Keith Richburg is the New York bureau chief of the Washington Post.
How about Europe ?
… It was in Europe, where I lived from 2000 to 2005, that I really came to appreciate that the ideal of opportunity for all was indeed something uniquely American.
Based in Paris, I had the brief to roam around the Continent and what struck me is how multiracial and multicultural Europe had become. What I noticed soon after was how resistant European attitudes still were towards their black and brown residents.
Paris is a multicoloured city - but black and brown faces are largely invisible in the top ranks of business, media and politics. Out of 577 members of the National Assembly, there are none other than those representing the overseas territories. Germany is home to some three million Muslims… but only a couple are in parliament. The Netherlands and Sweden are slightly more encouraging… and Britain has fared better in terms of raw numbers (but still has far to go).
So it's difficult, if not impossible, to imagine a Barack Obama emerging in Europe soon.
A year ago, no one here would have predicted that a black candidate would have a more than realistic chance of winning on 4 November. It's a testament to Obama's considerable skill that he has largely managed to make his race an afterthought.
All Americans should pause and reflect on the sense of accomplishment that his candidacy represents - an affirmation of that American ideal.
Based in Paris, I had the brief to roam around the Continent and what struck me is how multiracial and multicultural Europe had become. What I noticed soon after was how resistant European attitudes still were towards their black and brown residents.
Paris is a multicoloured city - but black and brown faces are largely invisible in the top ranks of business, media and politics. Out of 577 members of the National Assembly, there are none other than those representing the overseas territories. Germany is home to some three million Muslims… but only a couple are in parliament. The Netherlands and Sweden are slightly more encouraging… and Britain has fared better in terms of raw numbers (but still has far to go).
So it's difficult, if not impossible, to imagine a Barack Obama emerging in Europe soon.
A year ago, no one here would have predicted that a black candidate would have a more than realistic chance of winning on 4 November. It's a testament to Obama's considerable skill that he has largely managed to make his race an afterthought.
All Americans should pause and reflect on the sense of accomplishment that his candidacy represents - an affirmation of that American ideal.