I did not get around to posting about Barack Obama winning in November. But Hooray for that! I am certain that his win is SO much better than the alternative, for one thing because Obama in a small but significant way is NOT in favour of torture, as opposed to John McCain.

It was an immensely important choice for American voters, and like, it seems, the rest of the world I followed the elections closely, and I was thrilled at the result.

That said, how do things look one month later? How ’bout that ol’ Hope’n Change thing?

Will Obama be open and clear about changing the way the country (and, by implication, other countries) is (are) run? Or will he be shrewdly changing the country by long-term pragmatic shifts at the Centre?

Judging by this recent posting by Obama aide Steve Hildebrand, I should probably Curb My Enthusiasm and Audacity of Hope. Hildebrand is arguing that the left should not be too concerned with Obama’s many centre-right choices for senior positions in his cabinet.

As Jim Johnson argues here, however, there certainly is reason for concern.

Soeharto, who ruled Indonesia for 32 years from 1966 to 1998, died earlier today at age 86.

The Government of Indonesia has called for seven days of national mourning.

Among the many achievements of Indonesia as regards democratisation over the past ten years, the main disappointment is that Soeharto was not tried at court.