Barack Obama is in India these days. He started his trip with a visit in Mumbai where he met with businessmen to discuss and sign contracts for international trade and cooperation in between India and the USA. Yesterday he and his wife Michelle moved on to Delhi to meet with the Indian Prime Minister and other officials. They visited several schools and had talks with University students.
Since his plane has landed in Mumbai, there is hardly any other topic on Indian media than Barack Obama’s visit to India. They show what he is doing, what he is talking and of course they have lots of comments and opinions to add, too.
On the first day, they accused him of being a business manager, like a CEO for his country, only looking for business opportunities. He was talking in front of India’s top businessmen and signed 20 contracts that would create 50000 jobs in the US. The media obviously decided to take offence and shouted how Obama was a business man and not a president, that he only talked about the benefit of Americans and did not mention if India got anything from these contracts. He was blamed that he wanted to repair some damage and after the defeat of his party wanted to show people what he was doing for unemployment in the US. Indian media said he came to Mumbai only to pass this message to American citizens.
On the second day, there was another point of criticism! He and nearly everybody who was with him turned the five-star Taj Hotel in Mumbai into the headquarters of their stay. In a speech after his arrival he also remembered the terror attacks that took place there on 26th November 2008. The media found fault also in this point: why did he not mention Pakistan and that they were responsible for this terror attack? Why did the US not declare Pakistan as a terrorist country although it is proved that they were behind this? He actually explained that the US and the whole world are interested in seeing Pakistan become a stable and peaceful country.
So what is my opinion on all of this? I sometimes feel like the media have to make some kind of issue out of everything. What do you expect him to say about his business partners, a country with which he also has contracts? And why should he not take care of the finances of his country? I like that he came, not only on a political mission, but also as a business man, showing that he has interest in connecting the world through this kind of contracts. Of course both countries will benefit from these contracts! I just believe that this kind of talk is much better than any negative politic talk.
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I really appreciate you saying this Swami Ji. It is very strange to me that so many Americans hate Obama. Some Americans hate or fear him because they believe such different things but many Americans who share his ideals have decided to hate him, for nonsensical reasons. I mean they think he has done things he has not done and do not think he has done things that he has done, and don’t bother to research the truth in any of it. I do not understand it at all and I am sure part of that is because I think the work he has done has been phenomenal and inline with a lot of my principles, for the most part. I don’t know what anyone in India thinks of him and I would be curious to know more.
I feel really frustrated hearing this. All over the world, people react to figureheads this way without having any idea what they are talking about. Why do we speak when we do not know??? It is foolish, it is selfish, it is hurtful. I don’t care if it is in someone’s job description. There is no need for this.
The media reports what attracts attention. It is interesting that people are more interested in madness and pain than beauty. It may sound like an absurd idea but why not report that the rose bush outside your window is in full bloom. Why not take a video of this. It is a momentous event. it is splendid and amazing that this has happened. Reports of violence and human suffering are also very important. It is good that this information is shared and I do not mean to say that it is unimportant. It is indeed very important to be aware of these things. And more important to be compassionately aware of them, reporting with the intention of solving these problems, not making them bigger.
Obama is SO sexy.
People are so willing to criticize. There are always words coming out of the one-sided thinker’s mouth.
I very much appreciate your perspective, Swami, and not just because Obama is my President. The media creates drama out of every possible thing. In reality, the encounter was positive, uplifting, and beneficial for global business. I think it’s great that Obama mentioned creating peace and prosperity for Pakistan, rather than calling them a terrorist nation. It’s time to look in the direction of growth and change, not criticism and hatred. Thanks for your open mind and comments, Swami Ji.