I have been avidly following the US election, Guardian, BBC, Independent. I do want a Kerry victory, mainly as I do not believe that Bush is good for America and as the dominant power in the world, this is not a good situtation for the planet to be in. Many issues are going by the way side for this President who cares more for the lifestyle of the rich and the dominance of American commerce, than he does for American's role in the world. I'm thinking of Kyoto and drilling for oil in Alaska, amongst other issues. In terms of world politics, I cannot understand the intentions of a man who seems to just want to pick fights with the world and then move onto the next country, before he has done his duty on clearing up the first.
Today I found that George Soros in the Independent put it in a manner that made sense to me. This is an election between those with faith and those who are prepared to reason with the world. It is almost medieval in nuture, between the fervent belief that George W Bush instigates in his followers, versus the rationalists who are prepared to address the complexity of the world today. America is often depicted as two countries, all the recent maps have shown the coasts as Democrat and the interior as Republican, the flux is the mainly the upper mid-west, plus other costal areas. I only hope that those people who can see beyond the borders of the USA get out and vote. I want an America that is prepared to talk to others and engage with the issues that are essential for building a world for all of us.
You cannot impose democracy by cruise missile and helicopter gunship, you can only hope to engage and encourage the majority view in any country that working with others is better than going alone. Water shortages, poverty, Aids, global warming, peace in the Middle East, the former southern Soviet Union and countless other places will only come about through dialog, not military tough talk and absolute unquestionable belief.
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