As I type these words, President Bush is still lodged firmly in that mystical seat of power somewhere above mere mortals’ heads, but he is not having such a hot time at the moment. In the United States, Election 2006 has been hailed as symbolic – a turning of the tide. This reminds me of Gandalf, coming to rescue Middle Earth against the gathering darkness in a pivotal moment, much like new House speaker Nancy Pelosi ought to rescue America’s soul (or so we hope). Of course, nothing here is as simple as that.
After the red-blue-and-white confetti of election night has been completely swept away, there is serious business that needs attending to. The war in Iraq looms, now greater than ever, in our minds, or at least it damn well should. Other, no less important issues are at stake as well.
We are up to our ears in blood. The United States isn’t special in that sense – the history of humankind is rife with examples of meddling nations and ruthless dictators and, always, slaughter. George W. Bush is no different than the powerful and, one might say, foolish men who came before him. The innocents are always left to pick up the mess. The best we can hope for is a social evolution.
The Silence of the Lambs hd But how do we evolve? In what direction? Everyone seems to have a plan. For example, I’ve spoken to people who say that all of our problems would end tomorrow if we withdrew from the Middle East altogether, and not just our troops, but our businessmen and tourists as well. While I do not think that this is a particularly intelligent idea – it should start us thinking about just what kind of role the United States is going to play on the world stage in the years to come. A more practical foreign policy is desperately needed.
I’m tired of people saying “I hate the U.S.,” How do you hate a nation, anyway? She’s not your ex-girlfriend, she’s not your annoying neighbour – the one playing bad country music at all hours of the night. A nation is as diverse as its people, hundreds of millions of them, in our case. If you hate every single one, fine, that’s your choice, but please don’t be surprised if the rest of us think you’re a bit of a sociopath.
The United States, of course, is no utopia. And I, for one, am not interested in utopia-building (we often call it nation-building over here). I want this new and improved version of government to be as pragmatic as possible. Realism should be our guiding star. Not the sort of realism that crushes bones and lives, and not pseudo-anarchist hysteria either – but an understanding that we are a troubled, troubling nation. A great nation, but a fallible giant nonetheless
The tide is turning but, once again, the direction of the tide is as-of-yet unclear to me. I have seen glimmers of hope: Rumsfeld’s swift resignation, the decision not to ban abortion in South Dakota, the idea that we are, at our core, a nation where a sizeable amount of people care enough to vote (a still-disappointing amount, but nevertheless, a good beginning for future voter initiatives) and implement change.
Best of the Best 4: Without Warning buy I have given myself reason to hope. But, as I look at the American political landscape today, I only have three words to sum it up. Tolkien fans will surely understand me…
… Eru help us.