The New Nation - Internet Edition

Dr. M. S. Haq

Money speaks, in a variety of ways - though, in elections of various nature and types in the contemporary world - relative, however, to time, space and other variables. Specially speaking, the role of money in shaping and sustaining final outcomes of elections varies from country to country, from community to community, from voters to voters, and in terms of degrees of impact, to mention a few. The US election - 2008 is no exception to that.

As regards the mass of election money and the size of spending (I mean election money) in this year's US election, Senator Obama has so far been found to be enjoying a relatively better position than that of Senator McCain. Senator Obama has spent so far millions of dollars for say, buying big and multiple ads in support of his effort towards energizing his election campaigns.

Interesting though, the spending spree of Senator Obama is taking place at the time when chances of world poor - especially, poor people of the US - being affected by for example, life threatening consequences of impending recessions in the US and elsewhere in the world - are at all time high given the contemporary history of recession in concerned countries. Taking into cognizance above and other related developments, it might perhaps be difficult for conscious voters, objective plus future minded voters and other concerned voters to internalize at this point in time Senator Obama's present day stance on spending the tax money during his administration - if elected, though. In other words, the possibilities of for example, what I would call incompatibilities associated with spending the tax money in an Obama administration (if that happens in the future) can not be ruled out.

Further, taking into cognizance, Senator Obama's present day spending mindset, it is difficult to predict as of today - 29th day of October 2008 - on: how best and quickest outcomes of his plans associated with spending on middle class would be instrumental in inter alia protecting the poor from ramifications of the global recession and controlling entry and re-entry of people into the country's poverty domain during his administration - if elected, though?

It is will be interesting, among other things, to observe this time: to what extent and how the super money powered media (print, electronic, others) campaigns of Senator Obama will be able to buy additional votes for him in the election? In other words: what role, if any, will Obama's huge media investment play in the determination of his future in the election?

If Senator Obama's additional votes come this time from sources such as outcomes of the media influences, it could then be a matter of concern for the people of US, among other things. Because a wind fall from the development could inter alia be instrument in mainstreaming the money power in future US elections (including outcomes of those elections) in a sustainable fashion and in promoting, in a more aggressive manner than at present, commercialization of the media at local, national, global and other levels. A development that could, in many respects, be compared to for example, that of money driven elections in many poor countries in the present time.

By the way: Who are the influential behind-the-scene subscribers (I mean to whom it might concern, money-wise, per se) to, and mover, as well as shakers of, Obama campaign? What are their real faces? What are their real motives? To what extent and how their agendas will, in the foreseeable future, be compatible with local, national, regional, global and other missions, goals and objectives (goals and objectives are two different things in a deeper sense) of the US? When and how Senator Obama and the democratic party will compensate them and at what costs? To what extent and how the Obama-promised-change will be instrumental in inter alia promoting the US as for example, a defeated nation in the war on terror or a winner in the war on terror - in the foreseeable future? Whether or not the Obama-promised-change will be able to maximize for example, benefits for the US and benefits for people of the US from investments in areas of war on terror, per se? How best and quickest his plans, strategies and programs in areas say, growth including inter alia economic growth, people's welfare, international relations and environmental management could for example, withstand uncertainties including inter alia those emanating from an impending global recession? Will he be a simple figure head or a powerful president, or a defiant president or otherwise in the white house, if elected, though? A white person with a black person's face in the white house or otherwise!

In light of above, I believe, Senator McCain, Governor Palin and the republican party have still got enough spaces for rescuing willing voters from questionable, unsubstantiated and rhetoric laden election related stances of Senator Obama, Senator Biden and the democratic party. In that respect, it is expected Senator McCain, Governor Palin and the republican party will explore and exploit further their comparative, competitive and other advantages in terms of what has been discussed so far in the article and not discussed in the article - with a view to affording people of the US to transform - God Willing - Senator McCain into President McCain in the near future.

The last word: one of the most immediate challenges before Senator McCain & Co is - how best and quickest they could liberate genuine votes from their present status, apparently wrapped up in money. In that respect, it is hoped - NBC; FOX News; Zee News; CNN; Bloomberg TV; BBC; PTV and GEO (Pakistan); Al Jazeera; Saudi TV; National TV and ETV (India); CCTV 9; TV5Monde; Peace TV; DW-TV; BTV, ETV, ATN, Channel I and Ntv (Bangladesh); and others TV channels, plus national dailies, the New York Times; the Washington Post; and others including those of Bangladesh for example, The Bangladesh Observer, The Daily Star, The New Nation, Ittefaq, and Prothom Alo - will step up their efforts towards assisting Senator McCain & Co. All the best!