Oh, please don't tell me you're surprised at the election results.
Currently, I'm in a country with wonderful high-speed trains, terrific public transit, universal health care, and respect for culture, intelligence and education.
It's not the USA. How'd you guess?
In these elections, I disagree that the USA went back to the stone age. We went back, but not quite that far. Which is surprising, considering the propensity certain American politicians have for shooting themselves, and their constituents, in the foot. And the propensity that some of those constituents have of doing the same.
About the best that can be said about this election is that we lost, but at least we didn't lose ignominiously. We didn't lose the senate. We didn't lose the California governor's race. We lost, but sort of not so badly that our democratic policy makers have to go out and stand in the bread line. They can still pat themselves on the back and say "See? We didn't lose... By much... Really..." it sounds like O'Donnell's "We won!!!! Really!!!!" speech. And on the plus side, we lost some blue dogs, which is really not a loss, if the rest of the democrats get the message to... You know... Like, be democrats, or something. And maybe have some courage.
Meanwhile I'm staying, albeit temporarily, in a country where people are protesting, actually going into the street and demonstrating loudly because the administration wants to raise the retirement age to 62. There couldn't be more of a contrast; back in the USA the government is talking about raising the retirement age to 70 and people don't make the slightest peep. The TV and Doritos are strong.
So we're back to square two. Not square one; we did pass some of the most useless health care legislation in the world, but it's a start, I guess. We're still behind Mexico, but hey, you can't get everything you want, right? Besides, in Mexico people are shooting each other, whereas in the USA we just shoot people in other countries. Except when some gun nut shoots a few people in a university or something.
Do I sound a little upset? Why? Just because Portugal has built so many wind turbines that they're exporting energy? Because China is building thousands of miles of high-speed trains and our fastest one, the (pounds chest) Acela averages slower than a European LOCAL train? Because when you consider health care, the USA is around number 47 in the world?
Why should I be upset? I'm in Paris, for dog's sake; the food is great, the women are as smart as they are attractive, the public transit is... Well, it works, even if they have caught graffiti-itis bad, and even illegal immigrants get public health care. I really have nothing to complain about, except that in a couple of weeks I have to return to a country that would even CONSIDER running a halfwit knuckle dragger for public office, (No, I won't name names; there's too many) and that's depressing.
Oh, I'm all for the rule of the common man, as long as the common man has enough education to understand the difference between good, people-oriented legislation and letting the pigs run the farm. And please don't expect me to sit around to handle comments; the best bakery in Paris is just around the corner; as they say on Twitter, C U LTR.