Attention from all corners of the world is focused on Barack Obama, who was inaugurated as the first African- American president of the United States. As the sole superpower since the Cold War ended in 1989, America has often irritated other countries for choosing to pursue the path of a unilateralist as a result of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S. mainland.
It is my strong hope that under the new U.S. administration, with Obama at its helm, the U.S. will regain humility and work toward promoting multilateralism in international politics.
Problems originating with subprime loans triggered an economic recession in the U.S. that spread throughout the world to create what is regarded as the worst economic crisis in a century. Cooperation among nations is essential for overcoming this crisis, and for that reason, it is far more desirable to have a peace-oriented president in the White House than one like George W. Bush, who was reckless in decisions related to the use of military force. A great deal of hope, therefore, is placed on President Obama, whose slogan is "change."