Great expectations

The problem with words like economy, environment and government is that they seem like malevolent entities, independent of ourselves.

The economy, for instance, is comprised of all the different moments of economic activity in our daily lives. When we work for money, when we pay for a book or a DVD, when a bank or lender approves a home loan, these are moments that shape what we call the global economy.

Likewise, while Obama has promised to make the environment a focus of his presidency, it is a comforting illusion the idea that the world can halt global warming, reverse the destruction of forests and clear the choking pollution from its cities without actions on the part of individual human beings.

If human civilisation is truly facing an environmental catastrophe, then it will be up to citizens, workers, business leaders and consumers to opt for sacrifice at both the board room and kitchen tables.

The actions of individuals are key even on the issue of human rights. The torture of terrorism suspects was never merely the action of a sinister cabal in a dark corner of the White House. It occurred because, on the most part, these acts of the government were met with the acquiescence of ordinary citizens.

It is up to these citizens to ensure that human rights remains on the political agenda if such cruel acts are never to be repeated.

Supporters of Barack Obama must be willing to act and make changes in their lives if for no other reason than that this is something fundamental to Obama's message.

In a speech just hours before his inauguration, Obama evoked the memory of Martin Luther King to advocate encourage Americans to volunteer to their communities, cities and country.

Those who are seeking to change the way the economy works, to protect the environment and to transform the machinery of government must not defer their responsibilities to a higher authority. If our institutions are broken, it is only because we, collectively, have broken them or have allowed them to be broken.

Already, people have begun to worry that the Obama presidency will fail to meet the mounting expectations. We must not fear that a single individual will disappoint us. Instead we must work to meet the aspirations that we have channelled through an exceptional man.