Dear All,
I must confess that my now three-month enduring addiction stage to Daily Kos has been counter-productive in respect of my overall productivity, and I seek to feed my addiction with the next step of posting a first diary. I must equally confess however that in my view, never has the future of so many been placed in the hands of comparably so few.
While being abroad, and having only temporarily lived in the US (NYC), I have genuinely been absolutely incredulous in respect of the past two elections.
For a view from abroad, as to why your vote matters a lot more and to many more than you may think, please read on...
With a high affinity to the US, both culturally and through attending a US-German school, I have followed the past 8 years with increasing levels of alienation and unbelieving.
If I think back about the status the US used to have internationally, and whilst having admittedly quirky decisions occasionally in respect of international obligations, these were surpassed by the not only military power of the US, but equally and more importantly, the moral authority.
Generally it is fair to say I believe that the US is always more conservative at its core than continental Europe, and a lot of the moral outrage and proceedings, e.g. Janet Jackson’s malfunction, or the issuing of 30 to 100 consecutive life sentences (is the belief in the afterlife so strong ) , are completely beyond comprehension, yet treated like you deal with a good friend’s occasional strange views.
All in all however, the US in my recent life time, has always had the moral authority to take a stand that was respected, and that was seen internationally as a way in which the wind was blowing, and where actions may be realistic / occur, and where a different strategy may be needed to accommodate the US.
This globally important ability to set the tone and scene of global policies and diplomatic tone, has however been utterly lost.
And this is where my moaning begins:
If you consider what the US has always been a beacon for, internally, justifiably, and globally, including the unbelievable aspirations and hope it has transpired, all of it has been close to eliminated.
This begins with
i. being a force for good and peace - military interventions can not be conducted unilaterally on a scale such as Iraq, and sudden argumentation that a regime which has admittedly been atrocious in its treatment of internal dissidents and population, however not remarkably worse than anything other state leaders have condoned or practiced, see e.g. Africa, or parts of Asia, should suddenly require disposing of – with no plan to replace it with anything, is highly counter-productive and is incredibly exposing of hypocrisy in respect of empty condemnation of others practices, severely undermining any moral authority to commence such activity in the first place – or ever again. It is like the boy that cried wolf.
ii. Being a beacon of civil rights – from a country so justifiably proud of its constitution and civil rights, scowling at states with less developed or non-existing human rights, to a country now mired in scandals over scandals of prisoner abuse, spying on its own citizens, refusal to abide by subpoenas or court decisions, detaining individuals without due process, Guantanamo Bay, and the mind-blowing and exposing process of extraordinary rendition – of taking individuals to foreign soil with the sole justification that abusing them there is not against the local law !
iii. Being an inspiration to the world – from a country hailed as a sign of functioning democracy, tolerance and hospitality, to a country now many are reluctant to visit, with everyone, visitor, resident, domiciled, citizen treated as a potential threat, creating a climate of fear, mistrust and suspicion
iv. Having suffered so greatly and received unquantifiable sympathy – from a country that suffered the loss of so many on September 11th, and with whom the world stood collectively and in mourning, to a country that then turned on its well-wishers, creating a black or white world, with us or against us, and alienating not only staunch allies and friends, but equally losing all the goodwill offered
I will seize now, for my sake and in the hope of still having one or two readers, as it is with the greatest respect I criticize the US, which especially as a foreigner is always a dangerous thing to do , but my point is clear.
You are one of the approx. 120 million people in the world, representing less than 5% of the world’s populations, shaping the future of all of us !
Please, please, for the sake of all of us, and bearing in mind naturally your domestic considerations, consider the impact on the world. Think not only of your immediate 5 square miles of influence or that you know – but think what kind of a world you wish to have for your children; how you wish them to be perceived and greeted on their holidays, if they should venture outside the US; and how you may be judged by them one day, asking why, if all they have heard about the 2000 – 2008 period in the US was true, why nobody spoke up and stopped it – but rather re-elected the same ideals ?
I thank you for your time, and do wish you go out and vote, and as a final closer, I have been sent this link to a customizable video from moveon.org, where you insert your friends name, resulting in a video featuring him as the one voter not having casted his ballot, responsible for McCain’s victory ! Unfortunately, I can not find the link at present.
However, Enjoy, and I thank you all for your patience, for voting, and for any comments / feedback you may have !
Kind regards,
Steve