The notion of change can be a powerful force - the hope for change even more so. But a drastically bad status quo can make change, any change, for the sake of change itself, look like a very attractive prospect. The downside is that rational thought can give way to emotion.

The status quo in America after eight years of George W. Bush can be justly said to be quite bad: an economy on the brink of a deep recession, a bungled war in the Middle East, another in Asia which after seven years shows no signs of either achieving its objective or ending. This is on top of the increasing wealth inequality and social and moral degradation faced by the American populace. Thus it is little wonder that the American people have jumped on the ‘change’ bandwagon driven by Barack Obama, and in doing so have given him the mandate to drive toward the Whitehouse.

On the 5th of November the world watched in anticipation for what has come to be described as a historic and momentous event in the history of America and indeed the world.

The 2008 American presidential elections ended with the anointment of Barack Obama as America’s 44th president. An enthusiastic, bright, young man still in his early 40’s addressed a sea of people in Chicago during his acceptance speech emphasising that which was integral to his electoral campaign – that is, the imperative of ‘change’.