30: Atlas did not shrug

As we all watched in disbelief, Barack Obama wrestled victory from a nation with a long history of delayed promises to black people. But win he did.

Before now, it was common place to hear people say he could never win, he was too ambitious, he was inexperienced etc. Obama himself harbored the unshakeable belief that Hope made not ashamed and he roused the nation behind him. He won because Atlas did not shrug, what does that mean?

The mythical story is told of Atlas, one of the strongest men alive in ancient Greece that was condemned to carry the world on his shoulder as punishment by the ‘gods’. Ayn Rand, the atheistic philosopher wrote a book with the title ‘Atlas Shrugged’ which played up the possibility of Atlas choosing to shrug, to refuse to play his part in the preservation of the world out of selfish interest. When Atlas shrugged, he would be pursuing self interest over the interest of the community. If he stayed the course, then the world had hope of survival.

In America yesterday, Atlas did not shrug. White, black, Latino and everybody else in between chose the common interest over self interest. They effectively pitched their tent behind a vision that compelled joint effort and shared destiny over their petty issues.

When people questioned me (and indeed many others too) for my rabid interest in the American election, with the sniggering comment “how does it affect us in Nigeria?”, I acknowledge their feeling of futility. Why get worked up over the success of another country and not mind your own?

The truth stands that for the inspiration value alone, it was worth supporting Obama from the NEPA-less streets of Ogba, Lagos. For within this campaign I see that our only hope is in the power of a nation of ‘Atlases’ who refuse to shrug.

Until we can shake off passivity and believe beyond a doubt that our efforts count, we may continue going round in circles. I look forward to the day when we no longer look at ourselves from the prism of ethnic groups but from the real bread and butter issues. Stomachs that rumble with hunger do not have Ibo, Hausa, Yoruba, Itsekiri, Ijaw or Fulani written on them. When a man is too hard up to send his children to a good school, he rarely cares if his President is from his own tribe.

The turning point for Obama came just at the time the economy went burst in the U.S. It suddenly became clear what unites all people is their economic state and fears. Without a doubt, I believe that our salvation may only come when we have politicians who in the same breadth demand for the rights of the oil producing areas to enjoy the economic benefits of their oil and also for the impoverished people of downtown Maiduguri to have qualitative health care delivered to them.

Let us not despair, for in recent years I have seen and heard of such men and women arise from different parts of the country. It may take a little while but we must not relent…there is hope in our future.

I celebrate Barack Obama, the American people and the millions of us that their selfless acts have inspired in the last few months. And for Nigeria…..Atlas must not shrug!