How is the inauguration of Barack Obama changing perceptions of the U.S. role in the world? According to this AP report, the answer involves expressions of hope, expectation, elation and celebration:
A world made weary by war, recession, joblessness and fear shed its collective burden Tuesday to celebrate the arrival of a new American president. Bulls and goats were slaughtered for feasts in Kenya and caterers prepared for black-tie balls in the capitals of Europe. From Kenya and Indonesia, where Barack Obama has family ties, to areas around the world, Obama represented a volcanic explosion of hope for better days ahead. The ascendance of the first African-American to the presidency of the United States was heralded as marking a new era of tolerance and possibility.
I’m off to watch the inauguration and will have more comments later, but I wanted to note that report on world reaction to this historic day.
