Superhero downsized-Jug Suraiya 02 November 2010, 09:14 PM IST

Superhero downsized-Jug Suraiya

02 November 2010, 09:14 PM IST

(IS THAT TRUE? OR WAS IT A OVERREACTION AFTER ELECTIONS RESULT!!!....VIBHA)

Superman isn't the same anymore; neither is Barack Obama. The mightiest and arguably the best-loved of all American comic book heroes for well over half a century, Superman has recently been relaunched by his publishers in a new, more vulnerable and introspective avatar, more the diffident Clark Kent than the invincible Man of Steel.

Ever since it emerged as the world's most powerful nation, both militarily and economically, after World War II, the US has seen itself and has been seen by the world as one of the many super heroes that America's entertainment industry has created over the years.

Even after the Vietnam debacle, the incumbent of the Oval Office has been acknowledged as the most powerful individual on earth: a veritable Superman.

Might has not always gone with right. As Vietnam, and later, George W Bush's misadventures in Iraq and Afghanistan have shown, only too often has the resident of the White House been a flawed superhero, a Samson blinded by his own arrogance.

Dubya's ham-handed 'war on terror' and his invasion of Iraq in search of non-existent weapons of mass destruction created more suicidal jihadis than any recruitment drive by the elusive Osama bin Laden could have hoped to achieve. In the process, the Bush administration's policies deeply divided the US on political and ideological faultlines. As Bush himself memorably put it: You're either with us, or you're against us.

As critics across the world, including many in the US itself, declared themselves to be against the Bush government and its policies, America began to assume the guise of a super-baddie rather than a super-goodie, a criminally deranged Joker rather than a heroic Batman.

Obama changed all that overnight, with his historic victory. He was the Great Black Hope, not only for a deeply divided US, but for the whole world. His mixed parentage and his cosmopolitan background were seen as symbols of the unification of race and culture and conviction. He was hailed as a messiah: one who could walk on water.

Even in those heady days of euphoria there were those who warned that the burden of expectations being heaped on him was too heavy for any mere mortal to carry, and that his failure to perform miracles would inevitably lead to bitter disappointment. And indeed the problems that Obama inherited from his predecessor have proved to be beyond his powers or the powers of even a bona fide superhero to tackle.

With the Democrats about to lose control of the US House of Representatives, as a vote of no-confidence in his government's ability to exercise the twin demons of joblessness and fears of double-dip of recession, Obama's ratings are at an all-time low. It's not just Obama whose stature has been significantly diminished. With the irresistible rise of China as an economic powerhouse which in the next 20 years or so is slated to outperform the US as a wealth-generator, America's pre-eminent role in world affairs is likely to be increasingly questioned.

Superman will still remain Superman. But perhaps his biceps won't be quite so big anymore.

This is what South Block needs to remember when Obama comes calling. Roll out the red carpet by all means. But keep in mind that an economically bleeding US needs a transfusion from India's robustly growing economy as much as New Delhi needs Washington's support on matters like getting a permanent seat in the UNSC, keeping Pakistan in check, giving India access to dual-use technology, and making it a legitimate part of the nuclear club.

Obama is coming to India with a reverse shopping list: a list of all the military and civilian hardware he wants New Delhi to buy from America Inc. Before signing on the dotted line, New Delhi shouldn't be afraid to drive a hard bargain. The guy who's coming isn't a caped superhero but a business-suited Clark Kent.