This election may be regarded as an "internal affair" by Americans, but due to the huge power that the country exerts in the world today, and not least the development of "globalization", it actually concerns everyone on the planet. So I think everyone has the right to comment on it. Here are some random thoughts.

The "debates":
I have followed the debates, and must admit that at first sight Kerry reminded me of a wooden puppet. But he seems intelligent and sane and to have Presidential qualifications. On the other hand, Bush comes across as being a very shifty and unbalanced person, neither mature nor open minded. Bush gets along fine hiding behind his massive propaganda and talking to people who already support him without question, but in open debate becomes unconvincing and shows no signs at all of being a competent and strong leader. I will never have faith in a man who has made thousands of important decisions, but refuses to admit ever having made a wrong one. He even very cleverly turned it round, implying that some people he had chosen were at fault. Very sneaky, no class at all. That sort of response must surely make it very difficult for anyone to have any respect for him.

Quote from Christa:
A LOT of people are voting for John Kerry for the mere fact that he's NOT George W. Bush. That makes me soooooo mad! They have no political opinions what so ever, they know no facts, they have no intelligent ideas of their own.
Well thank you very much! You really must excuse me, but I find that a very unintelligent comment. A totally narrow minded, arrogant, dogmatic Republican view in fact! I mentioned in an earlier post that, for the first time in my life (if I could vote in this election), I would be prepared to accept the devil I don't know over the one that I do. And by so doing, you are implying that I have no political opinions, know no facts and have no intelligent ideas of my own. Luckily I don't take your views seriously. Are you absolutely sure that you have the right "facts" yourself? This sort of attitude is precisely what is wrong in America at the moment, and the reason that the rest of the world has turned against a country that was previously regarded as a friend and a protector of freedom and democracy.

On trade:
Here are a couple of recent quotes from BBC's International News:

"History shows that countries that choose to fight against terrorism or oppression by non-democratic means never succeed".

"The widely-held view is that America has squandered the huge stockpile of international sympathy and support it had after the 11 September attacks by acting in defiance of international law".

It really does seem more and more obvious that the present American administration is no longer interested in the lessons of history and are too arrogant and self absorbed to heed the views of the rest of the world. And this from a country that brags about the great future of a global economy! No country, no matter how powerful, can ignore the rest of the world and live in a vacuum.
India is at the moment the fastest growing economy of all, China is awakening fast, Russia has signed the Kyoto treaty thereby getting itself more goodwill and trade, and the European Union is slowly becoming stronger. World trade depends on trust and friendship. Without either, a lot fewer will want to trade with the USA. And with such a HUGE national debt, the USA surely needs all the business it can get.

On democracy and free speech:
I was speculating recently that the present administration seems to be acting more and more like one of those classic "banana republics" (though I have only travelled in The Dominican Republic and Haiti). America doesn't even seem to be able to count votes fairly and democratically any more, and the stories of the Diebold machines and the "#80 pound white card stock paper" are most disconcerting and raise suspicion. Why should there be so many obstacles to something as basic as facilitating someone's right to vote? There are just too many indications of corruption, lies and hypocrisy in this administration.
Now I see there is a book out titled "Banana Republicans" (I haven't read it yet). A few years ago I would have considered that silly name calling, but it is beginning to look more and more as if there is some truth in it. The largest national newspaper in Denmark has now begun to call America the "Disunited States". Not something to be proud of. And it's not just "everybody else's fault" either. This is something that the Bush administration alone has created in four short years.

On religion:
I was brought up in a Christian home, and hope and believe that my morals are acceptable. I believe in tolerance and understanding, the right to freedom of speech and all those sort of things. And not least trying my best to accept and understand people who think and live very differently than I do. But I don't think that God or Jesus has picked me for any special task, or that my views or beliefs are the only right ones. That is a very arrogant and dangerously presumptuous attitude, and not becoming of the leader of the most powerful nation in the world. Personally, I don't even think it has anything to do with being a good Christian. The notion that God wrote one or another book has always been a source of dangerous divisions throughout history. There is a long list of current religious conflicts in the world today, Jews vs. Muslims in Palestine, Orthodox Serbs vs. Catholic Croatians in the Balkans, Catholics vs. Protestants in Ireland, Buddhists vs. Hindus in Sri Lanka, and so on and so on. Now it looks as if we have Muslims vs. the Western World as well. With the spread of modern weapons and other destructive technology, these divisions are rapidly becoming extremely dangerous to civilization itself.
I thought that one of the main criticisms of Islam was precisely that it mixes religion and politics, and that extremism and fundamentalism were what we're fighting against. The worst possible way to fight the terrorist threat is by making it a religious conflict. Talking of "crusades" for example is a very unintelligent way to tackle the situation. It seems that nowadays, even in America, religion has become a substitute for national identity and an excuse for violence. President Bush is shamelessly using this to his own ends.

… and to Richard:
I still haven't worked out exactly what it is you try to say in your posts. If you're trying to defend or support Republicans or the Bush administration, I suggest you forget it. You are almost a caricature of all that people detest in them, doing them much more harm than good. I can only judge from your posts in Pet Talk, but I have to say that you appear to be the most unpleasant person I have ever tried to discuss a serious issue with. You just close your mind, rant and rave incoherently and fire off insults and condescending jokes. I love humor, what I don't like is malicious humor and infantile jokes when discussing a serious subject. If you are typical of what Americans are becoming, then I certainly wouldn't give much for the future of a short sighted and narrow-minded America.
Why can't you just let people try to discuss complex issues in peace? Or try to state your case sanely without gross distortions and stupid jokes? Surely you would rather spend your time polishing your guns and thumping yourself on the chest, or threatening people who you mistakenly believe want to come and "rattle your cage"? It all seems rather pathetic and counter productive. You are just polarizing the situation even more and intensifying the dissension and misunderstandings. When you start doing that, people have a tendency to react in kind, and all sense and reason evaporates, the discussion becomes meaningless. So you have achieved nothing but generate even more hostility. Is there any significance in your posts - or aren't we supposed to take anything that you say seriously? If so, why do you bother?


Surely the intelligent way to face a common enemy is to rally together and fight united against them. That's what normally happens in an intelligent, civilized society. Nobody can deny that the Bush administration has done the precise opposite, polarizing the country and splitting it into two bitterly opposed factions. This problem has to be solved NOW if America is to continue to flourish. The Bush administration obviously can't achieve this.

It must be time for a change in leadership.