About this author: Rich, born in Denmark, is US Resident "Alien" since 1984 who has been living temporarily in Europe for the past 5 years. When he becomes eligible again, he will apply to be a US citizen.
My wife and I have been living outside the US for 5 years now. It has been interesting to view America from the outside. You don't realize it when you're living there, but the media that you're exposed to is very US-centric. It really is like being inside a bubble. Americans don't really get exposed much to how the rest of the world sees the US. America used to be the guiding light, the inspiration for other nations, the country where everyone wanted to emigrate to and start a new life. Well, that reputation has taken a hell of a beating over the last 8 years and especially the past 4-5 years -- mostly because of the Bush administration and the Republican party. The foreign policy. The war in Iraq. The environmental policy. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. And Bush acting like a complete idiot everywhere he goes. That's to name just a few.
But you know what? You can't solely blame Bush and his cronies. And let me tell you, they aren't the only ones being targeted for criticism by the world outside the bubble. The comment we hear the most often over here is "How could you guys elect that idiot twice?" They have a point. We dropped the ball. We let the whole world down. And now we just look like a bunch of jerks with egg on our faces.
The common retort to hearing about what the rest of the world thinks about us is: "Who cares what the rest of the world thinks?! This is America. This is an American election." This to me is such an ignorant, short-sighted response. One thing many Americans don't seem to understand is that the US is a PART OF THE WORLD. It is not secluded inside a bubble. Our actions have a GLOBAL effect.
That is why this election is SO important. We need to prove to the world that we're not a bunch of apathetic assholes squandering the whole idea behind democracy. We need to prove that we can take RESPONSIBILITY for how we live and how that affects the entire world. To bring the US back to its roots as an inspiration and as a good example, we need a president that is intelligent, articulate, open-minded, aware, and inspiring.
I can't vote because I'm not a citizen (yet), so I really want to encourage every eligible person to vote. By now, it is obvious how I would vote if I was able to, but of course, I am not going to be so crass as to try bullying you to vote the same way. I just really would like to ask that you vote, period. (Hopefully, most of you will vote for Obama, though!) My wife and I are moving back to the US on November 19th. A McCain/Palin win is almost enough to make me change my mind about coming back at all and I really want to come back, so please help!
A lot of people hold onto the belief/custom that one should not talk about politics with friends, family, or coworkers. That your political stance is a private matter. To a certain point, I can agree with that. BUT NOT IN THIS ELECTION. Please do everything you can to get out there and make your opinions known. Bother your friends and family. Take the risk!
A note to anyone who doesn't believe in voting: Apathy is not an option anymore. Did you know that there are statistically more Democrats in the US than Republicans? There are 72 million registered Democrats, 55 million Republicans, and 42 million Independents (though this data is from 2004, the numbers couldn't have changed enough to make a noticeable difference). If all 72 million voted, the win would be by a healthy margin. So please make plans to vote. Set aside the time now. Plan ahead. And please encourage everyone you know to do the same.
If you haven't registered, you need to get on the ball because the deadlines are right around the corner. You can find out what your state's deadline here:
http://www.rockthevote.com/voting-is-easy/important-dates/
And if you are overseas, your deadline is October 3rd. More info here:
https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/overseas/home.htm
R E, you are so right about our need to reclaim our democracy and hold our representatives accountable. I know my friends in their late teens and early 20's are talking about politics and this election like I never heard this age group before. And most of them are registered and going to vote.
A lot of Republicans like me are soul searching on how we were deceived into believing George W. Bush was a real conservative. It has thrown our Party into a state of near chaos. I am supporting McCain, but, he would not by any means be my first choice to lead the Republican Party out of the mess created by the Bush Administration.
But, electing a liberal Democrat will only compound the Bush deficit - debt legacy, and that is not acceptable. Welcome to the U.S. and I wish you well on becoming a citizen. No country is without its mishaps, and like a family, none are exempt from having members who occasionally embarrass the family.
America is a nation of great charity and compassion for humanity and has given more to the world outside its own nation than any other on earth. I hope that fact redeems America despite the faulty leadership of the last 8 years.
Now, I look back on the day when we, as a nation, were admired by all as a progressive and forward thinking country, when we were the country where everyone longed to go, and we were the country that everyone looked to and I sigh. "What happened? Where did we go wrong?" I think. Well, there are so many ways we could point our fingers, the Bush Administration, pop cultures for making America seem like a country full of pregnant teenagers and bald pop stars, stereotypes; the list goes on and on. But I think there is no one to blame but ourselves, no one to point the finger at except us because if our country wants to truly become the leader of the world it must become responsible. Our founding fathers founded a system that allowed opinion and expression, but also calls for a bit of responsibility. Because how can you speak your mind when you aren’t even willing to stand by what you said with pride. That is part of responsibility. Responsibility is NOT backing down and pointing the finger in the other direction as you run away; responsibility is the exact trait that can burst the bubble that you, R E, talked about in your article. That bubble is the only thing that is keeping the ignorance within this country alive. We, the people, are smart enough to break the fragile bubble of ignorance, we have declared over and over that we are AMERICANS, as if it means anything anymore, so I cannot do anything but assume that we are willing to sacrifice and work to put America into the white spotlight again since we have been sitting in a black one for 8 years now. And now we have a President that represents the ideal America. A man whose parents are from Kansas and Kenya and who was raised in Hawaii by his grandmother. And a man who, against all odds, made it into Harvard BY HIMSELF and graduated a star student. This same man is the one that is pressing for responsibility, and this man’s name is Obama. Maybe we are not necessarily “saved” but at least now we have an ideal to look up to, and a leader that inspires the world.