On a more serious note...
Category: Opinionated | 3 Comments | Posted 11:58... I wouldn't want people to think all I can do after the Bush victory is laugh. I mean I am laughing, I won't deny it, but that is mainly because deep down I was convinced he'd win anyway. You SEE now why pessimism pays off?
So Americans have voted. And the majority of them support Bush. Face it.
All around me people predict doom & gloom - Jesus, why? The world is a tougher place than you seem to think! We've survived four years of the Bush administration, we sure as hell will survive another four. Well, maybe some of us will die (hint: no holidays in Iraq or Afghanistan), but you know, people have a tendency to die anyway. Eventually.
Yes Bush shows no regard whatsoever for the rest of the world, and he's making it an unsafer place, and deriding justice and morality and human rights; yes he's a bigoted and self-righteous twat - but well, his country has voted for him. Such is democracy. Yes it sucks big time that the decision of the American people affects the rest of the world to such an immense degree, but that's just an unfortunate consequence of the current state of affairs. Tough shit. What are you gonna do about it?
Americans vote for who they think is best for them - why should they give a fuck about the rest of the world? Would you vote for a candidate because he promises to pay extra attention to the wishes of people who live thousands of miles away from you? The hell you would.
Now the fact that Bush was a disaster in domestic politics as well, has wasted billions of taxpayers' money and has the worst economic record in a long long time - and they still voted for him - that of course is because they are stupid, and they will have to bear the consequences of their choice. *lol* I feel sorry for the nearly half who didn't vote for him of course. But - again - such is democracy. If the stupid people constitute the majority, then the stupid people will rule. In that same vein I will leave you with what Moby wrote just earlier.
Good post. We agree on a lot of stuff. I just wrote about this myself but I am not as nonchalant about all of this as you seem to be. Just thinking about the SCOTUS makes me sick to my stomach.
Posted by: Anne at Wed November 3, 2004 13:16Yeah but you were a lot more militant from the beginning. I've never really cared that much.
The long term Republican influence on the Supreme Court sucks big time of course.
But ain't nothing we can do, so why get worked up about it. 
I am none too pleased with the re-election of our President (I live in Mason, Ohio, USA)and for the record my vote was cast for Senator Kerry. I agree with the sentiments behind the majority of what you wrote, both about Mr. Bush as a man, and about the fact it should not matter so much to non-Americans such as yourself who we Americans choose to lead us, since, hey, we're the ones who vote, not you Europeans. The one thought I would leave you with is being nice to the Arab extremists (because in effect I think that is what was suggested beneath the surface of what you wrote) will get you nowhere. Appeasement does not work with those whose agenda is the domination of others. It did not work when Hitler was given what is today the Czech Republic, it would not work if Americans became ultra-courteous to Islamic miliants today. We are in a struggle for now for the survival of our civilization, mine, yours, all of us in the west, as history will prove and few alive now pause to see. Western democracy, personal liberty and relative freedom is poised in a daily struggle against a barbaric culture that would not allow you, a woman, to speak your mind as you do in this blog. The Arabs my nation is battling (to Europe's benefit but without Europe's support) would happily slit your throat and not think twice about it. If we Americans are to be criticised for our many faults, then perhaps those who speak out against us should pause to consider the good we have done for the world around us. We are the first to aid others in times of disaster, though few other nations leap to help us in our times of trial. We are the most generous people on earth, and we, unlike most nations in the EU, are willing to shed our blood in the protection of the freedoms bestowed on us by the evolution of western society. I have reservations about the direction President Bush will take our nation over the next four years, but I do also grow weary of the perpetual America-bashing I too often encounter from non-Americans. Thanks for letting me have my say. May the next four years be good ones for all peoples of the earth.
Posted by: Ellie Reasoner at Thu November 4, 2004 3:13