OK, yes it is. It’s ironic that immediately after a post eschewing the plethora of political blogs I feel compelled to make a political post myself. Feel free to shoot me down in flames. However, I’d fully understand if you have about as much interest in my opinion as I have in your suggestion for your favourite team’s game plan.
I can’t remember where I read today (although it was probably on a blog I read via BlogExplosion) a headline along the lines of “Bush squanders World’s sympathy over 9/11” and it got me thinking about the Presidential Election for the time. More importantly, it got my thinking about my view of America depending upon the way it votes.
I’ve made my support for the war in Iraq public here. I’m fairly sure that my views cost me at least a couple of regular readers. I felt strongly, and still do, that Saddam Hussein could not be allowed to continue flagrantly ignoring a whole heap of UN Directives. If he didn’t comply, quickly and fully, action had to be taken, and be seen to be taken, or the UN would look like a powerless toothless wimp. By taking action proof was given to other states and corrupt powers that the UN (OK, in this case just the coalition of the willing) could not be ignored.
I supported Tony Blair’s actions and decisions in the light of the evidence (although my views will change if it is proven that he deliberately mislead the country). In general I support America’s decision to go to war. It could have been delayed a little to garner more support from the UN, but a line had to be drawn in the sand somewhere. I feel the war was well executed, although the bombing of Baghdad a little heavy. The planning for post war however was abysmal.
I do not however support or like George W Bush. I like and support America. On the whole I like Americans. I do not like its or their President.
George W Bush is (to my mind) too right wing. His religious beliefs are too fundamentalist. He goes too far in imposing his value systems upon other countries and peoples (witness his withdrawal of funding for AIDS programs that aren’t abstinence based). But most of all, I don’t trust his motivations.
George Bush, his family and his advisers seem to me to be too close to political and industrial concerns that I would rather didn’t have any say in the running of the world’s major superpower. They seem too involved in the oil industry, for example, not to be compromised. I certainly wouldn’t vote for him were he to be running in UK elections.
This gives me a problem with the upcoming elections. Currently I do not hold America responsible for its president (OK, just a little bit but I can forgive). If Bush is re-elected then that will no longer be the case. I’m afraid it will change my view of America as a whole, at least that part of it that re-elected him. (Yes, I know. I doubt very much that a single American voter gives much of a toss what I think. But that’s my two penn’th.)
Howdy. American here, just wanted to give you a hollerin' Heck Yeah from a Yankee who 100% backs you up from inside the voting electorate. If Bush wins, I shall be most upset, mostly because he's really good at breaking things (Afghanistan, Iraq, our economy) but not so skilled at fixing them. Thanks for your two penn'th - I for one appreciated your well-articulated and thoughtful impression of the US. It's nice to read that folks in Europe can disagree with us without hating us. The US egomastered media does not seem to want to grant us that impression.
Howdy. American here, just wanted to give you a hollerin' Heck Yeah from a Yankee who 100% backs you up from inside the voting electorate. If Bush wins, I shall be most upset, mostly because he's really good at breaking things (Afghanistan, Iraq, our economy) but not so skilled at fixing them. Thanks for your two penn'th - I for one appreciated your well-articulated and thoughtful impression of the US. It's nice to read that folks in Europe can disagree with us without hating us. The US egomastered media does not seem to want to grant us that impression.
oooops.
Sorry about the double post.
And the tea. We shouldn't have wasted the tea, either.
