I wish everyone in America was required to spend a year abroad. This wish of mine will possibly be received as un-American or, at the very least, elitist, but I still think it would give us a much larger perspective not only on other nations but also on our place as a nation in the world.

Some quotes about the recent election from newspapers across the globe, reprinted in the Chicago Tribune:

Der Spiegel, in Germany, said: "America is once again dreaming the American dream. ...It's a dream about a world without poverty or fear, of a life full of opportunity and devoid of George W. Bush."

Again from Germany, Bild, writing under the headline "Messiah Obama": "The new president will be greeted by the world as a savior. In Germany above all. Everyone has now fallen freshly in love with the new America, the other America, the good America. Obamerica, even. "

The Times of India: "Obama will be America's first true multicultural president, with something of Asia and Africa in him. The general tenor of his foreign policy statements has been multilateralist, stressing the importance of international cooperation to solve global problems. This should accord well with the Indian world view. We wish him all the best in what will be a significant journey not just for America, but for the world."

My favorite, from Pravda, Russia: "It could be argued that the new administration in the USA could never be worse than the one which divorced the hearts and minds of Americans from their brothers in the international community." And, in choosing Obama, "the people of America have opted to come back into the international fold. Welcome back, friends!" Awwww. Thanks, Russia.

And finally, one from the homefront, the New York Post, riffing again on the comparison between Obama and JFK, coined a term for Obama's presidency: "BAMELOT."

I admit, these quotes are lifted straight from the online version of the Chicago Tribune article with no respect for context. The article was not, in fact, a consistently glowing look at Obama's impending presidency. But, aside from my personal bias, here's why I chose these quotes.

I never see anything like about elections in other countries in our newspapers. Granted, I'm don't look inside, but I've seen the front pages of newspapers before. :) And we do not seem to be half as interested in the rest of the world as we are in ourselves--or as they are in us. So it just fascinates me that the rest of the world can have such strong opinions on and reactions to what happens here in US politics. I mean, Obama as the Messiah? I can't remember hearing stronger rhetoric from either Dems or Republicans during the heat of the election, much less people from other countries who, one might suppose, would have less invested in the outcome.

I would never compare Nicolas Sarkozy to the Christ or the Anti-Christ. I would not congratulate the Ukraine on electing Viktor Yushchenko, and say, "Welcome back, friends!" Those countries don't affect my life that much. But apparently what America chooses to do as a political and economic power affects the rest of the world on a vast scale. And one of the benefits of leaving the country are these twin, almost paradoxical, realizations: No, America is NOT the center of the world, nor is it necessarily the greatest nation on earth; and, at the same time, America has an inordinate amount of power and influence. This is a power we should take seriously, and treat respectfully--not swaggering around in belt-buckles and cowboy hats (sorry, I couldn't resist), but acknowledging this fact with awe, reverence, and enormous goodwill for the rest of the world.

Which is why I'm glad that we've elected someone who believes in the power of diplomacy over the power of force, someone who would never say, as the Russian columnist did, "Only Satan would have been worse than the Bush regime." Although, you gotta admit, that's kinda funny.