| Subject: No More Cowboys! Please!!! |
Author:
Betty
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Date Posted: 16:19:33 10/19/04 Tue
In reply to:
Betty
's message, "Bush gives the US an offensive reputation" on 15:44:32 10/19/04 Tue
I hate to burst the proverbial bubble, but the United States is something of a joke in the international arena. Try blatantly showing your American pride when abroad and see if anyone takes you seriously.
A recent poll of 35 countries found that only one in five people want President Bush elected. Please, I beg of you, don't take the stance that "it doesn't matter." We are not an isolated country, on a planet all alone (although it is beginning to feel this way). America is nothing without its worldly context - existence necessitates a backdrop. Taking this into consideration is not only a good idea; it's a necessary part of being a citizen of the world.
Obviously this alone cannot constitute John Kerry's foreign policy plan; it's going to take more than Kerry simply stepping into the oval office and beginning his presidency in order for America to once again be respected in the world. But I don't think I'm far off base to presume that this simple symbolic action would be a huge leap in the right direction.
The fact of the matter is that following the events that took place on Sept. 11, America was united in our sorrow. We had the world's attention, the world's adoration and the world's sympathy. For a rare moment in history, we were truly united.
President Bush did his part to captivate us with his emotion-filled speeches following the event. Yet I hold firm that almost anyone could have handled the situation to the extent that Bush did. Admit it. Americans wanted someone to look up to, someone with misty tears in his eyes and strength in his step. What we got was Bush, but this is not to say that he was the best man for the job.
In the months that followed Sept. 11, he abused our unadulterated attention, our deference to the higher authority. He continued to elevate our already heightened levels of fear, keeping our attention in check with a glorified color wheel. Not that an informed populace is a bad thing, but this spectrum of shades had two effects on Americans: complete disregard, or complete fear - neither of which are productive emotions in the face of potential danger, both of which grant Bush more power to make decisions on behalf of society.
This event, this frightening day in American history, is the bedrock upon which Bush is running his campaign. Try telling me that the Republican Convention's proximity to Sept. 11 was merely due to scheduling conflicts. After all, what is there for him to run on? The things that immediately come to mind: economic shortfall, a record budget deficit, our environment, that is getting worse before stands are made to improve it, children who are being left behind. Sept. 11 is all that remains, the one thing we are almost all in agreement over. Bush is human, so naturally he is conjuring up images of fallen brothers, forcing us to somehow correlate the travesty with his authority to make outlandish decisions.
Everyone criticizes Kerry's stance on Iraq and the War on Terrorism (please note that I list them separately due to their lack of substantial connections). Some of this is founded. As a Presidential candidate, it is expected that you will be clear about your intentions (President Bush, are you writing this down?). When Kerry spoke recently at New York University, he cleared up the confusion by laying down a decisive plan to ameliorate our current situation in Iraq.
To the Bush administration's reply of "we are already doing that," I reply, "Oh, you're already doing that?" Explain why are we breeding more terrorists? Why are we approaching this unilaterally? I'm not saying that we need Mr. Sensitivity in Iraq; Kerry is no pushover. But we need to realize that taking a cookie cutter approach to imposing a democracy puts us back in grade school. The situation necessitates a reassessment. It makes me sick to envision Bush, standing before the United Nations and grinning broadly, touting the supposed success in Iraq like it was a science fair project; a mere experiment in the expanse of his power. A test of how much he can get away with before the American public comes to its senses.
Obviously one would not expect him to decry the scenario, it is after all, an election year. Bush reminds me of the guy that gets lost on a barren street and fails to ask for directions, only to find himself deeper into the woods. "It's alright; I've got this under control." Look over your shoulder, President Bush. Who is behind you now after public sentiment flip-flopped and support for the war is waning?
I had the privilege of watching Democratic National Convention this summer in Boston via a direct satellite link. All week long, the mantra was "be positive." Kerry was clear that the Bush administration was not to be attacked. Do Americans value honorable behavior anymore? Decency? Courtesy? No, we want the cowboy. We want politics to look like it does on the big picture with mud slinging, good guys and bad guys abound. So I guess that's what we get. Now it's time for you to decide who ends up on top.
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