As the vote count came to an end, I roused myself out of bed and got on my computer. It was November 5th, 11:00 AM in Beijing, China. My friend, who is also in China, called me on Skype and told me to watch the live feed from MSNBC. We watched together, hands virtually held, as Obama becoming the first African-American President of the USA was streamed across the globe. Whether or not you agree with his politics or not, you have to admit that it was an incredible moment in American and World History. I immediately called my parents via Skype and did a jig for them using my web-cam.

That night I went to the Wudaokou District (well-known for students, expats and bars) with one objective: find Americans to party with. I strolled into Pyro’s Pizza and saw a swarm of drunk youth dancing to the incessant beat of Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie. Mission: Accomplished.

A few tequila shots and pitchers of Tsingtao later, I was ready for the New America. I had made some new friends: a guy from Chicago, a girl from Berkeley, a dude from Manchester, another guy from New Hampshire (I believe) and a Chinese guy named “Hugo”. We had all been brought together by chance, but on that night, we were united. By what, exactly? The hope that Obama inspires? The change that he promises to bring? The serendipity of our meeting? The alcohol flowing through our veins?

No matter, it was a happy occasion for all (especially the bartenders). When I woke up the next morning, however, I had a deep and uneasy feeling. I’m talking about something more than my awful hangover. Has America already forgotten the horrors of the past eight years, lost in a sea of optimism and denial? Is Obama’s meteoric rise to power possibly a bad thing, considering that people now seem to feel that America has purged itself of our past mistakes?

When I read the outpouring of self-congratulatory Facebook “status” updates after Obama’s confirmed win, I was reminded of the words of the Chinese philosopher Laozi:

The wicked leader is he who the people despise. The good leader is he who the people revere. The great leader is he who the people say, ‘We did it ourselves.’

Is this difference between “wicked” and “great” an absolute, or is it merely an illusion in the eyes of the people?

We should ask ourselves:

• Will Obama repeal the PATRIOT Act?
• Did Obama not also vote for the Foreign Intelligence Communications Act that gives immunity to telecommunications companies that colluded with the government’s illegal wire-tapping?
• Will Obama indeed prove to differentiate himself from the alternate reality of a McCain Presidency?

We can only hope that Obama meant what he said in his victory speech and that the American people themselves will heed his call.