I watched the election results coming in online from Geneva, where I have come for a series of meetings at several of the major international humanitarian organizations. In the past few days I have met with health and development experts from all over the world. Their mood was summed up in one word by a child survival specialist I met today: "Euphoria."
The rest of the world does not get to vote in American elections, but the results of our elections matter around the world. More...
For people who are in the business of trying to make a safer, healthier, more prosperous planet, the Bush years have been a disaster. These are people who care about things like accountability and responsibility. And, the Geneva conventions are held in particularly high esteem, because people in the international community have seen the positive results they have brought the world. These are people who get it - and, while I am more than a little skeptical that we'll be able to make big changes while the Bushies control the White House and the Supreme Court, at least now we can stop moving in the wrong direction.
The rest of the world was watching, they cared, and they are thrilled with what we did this week.