(no subject)

[highlyeccentric]

Over on my other blog, I asked what the fly in the ointment is. It's one thing to have the leader you want, but have you got the division in the House? The Senate? Who's got the balance of power? Last year, our House of Reps went to the Labour Party, but the Senate was and remains a hung senate with power in the hands of Nick Xenophon, an anti-gambling campaigner in favour of internet censorship, and Stephen Fielding, the senator for Family First, our local religious whackjobs.

So tell me, Americans, because I don't understand how your system of government works: how's the election shaping up? What's the government of America going to look like next year?

~

And if you look over here there are a lot of topical issues on the ballots in different states. Thus far, it looks like Arizona has voted against gay marriage and the hiring of illegal immigrants; Arkansas voted against adoption rights for gay couples; the much-discussed Prop 8 is veering to the Yes side and California's proposal for abortion limits is running close; Colorado may end Affirmative Action but apparently have voted that human life does not start from the moment of conception; Florida's ban on gay marriage will probably go through; Maryland are permitting video lotteries (WTF? someone explain please?); Mass. have done something with income tax; Michigan are allowing medical marijuana and the vote on stem cell research has been wavering back and forth; Nebraska IS ending Affirmative Action; South Dakota are NOT limiting abortion and Washington ARE permitting doctor-assisted suicide.

These things matter. These things obviously matter IN the states, but they matter outside of them too. US laws on gay marriage, on abortion, even on taxes, get pulled out and discussed and held up as examples or warnings all over the place.

In honour of Arizona, California and Florida, I declare Vienna Teng:

"The White Stripes-Jolene" (Watch on YouTube)

Comments

[avedaggio.livejournal.com]

Most americans, including myself to a large degree, have no idea hot the government works.

A lot of the don't even seem to grasp the simple notion that without taxes there are no government services.

But I resent the implications in your previous post that we're all arrogant fucktards who don't give a flying fuck about the rest of the world. Some Americans? Sure. But not all, and certainly not Obama. Of course American acceptance speeches are going to be America-centric. And everyone in my circle of friends and acquaintances here in Boulder, Colorado, USA are thrilled with Obama's election primarily because we want our country's standing on the world stage restored. We want other countries and people to be able to look up to us. We have great resources and abilities to lead, and god willing we will start leading again.

[avedaggio.livejournal.com]

....also, apparently, no idea how to spell. I blame my headache. Really... it could stun a moose. >.

[ineptshieldmaid.livejournal.com]

Of course acceptance speeches are going to be centred around the country in question. And I'm not saying Obama didn't talk about the rest of the world, or that he's outstandingly arrogant. Likewise, of course there are Americans out there who don't work on the basic assumption that their country is God's gift to the world.

But the overwhelming majority of American political discourse is flooded with this assumption that, as you yourself say, America has a natural standing on the world stage which needs to be restored; that other countries and people should look up to you (which in many fields we can and should. But there are other countries out there to look up to, too. There are countries out there to which AMERICA should be looking, in certain areas); that god will and should be willing for America to be leading again.

Sitting here in a tiny slice of the free world which America apparently leads, it looks pretty arrogant to me. Perhaps that's because overt patriotism in any area not connected to sport is frowned upon in Australian culture, though...

[avedaggio.livejournal.com]

There are countries out there to which AMERICA should be looking, in certain areas)

I wholeheartedly agree. I'm sorry I came off so strongly. The way you rephrased it makes clearer where you're coming from. I just get tired of all Americans being villified or spoken of as though we're all ignoranuses--yes, that's right, ignoranus. Stupid and and asshole. Some? Yes. The loudest, unfortunately.

And maybe it's a product of the last 8 years that I bristle at any criticism of America just after, in my mind, it has taken the biggest step in recovering and making things better. It shouldn't be this special, but I am so relieved and hopeful that any foreign criticisms really stung. *wry grin*

Well, tomorrow will give everyone more clarity.

[ineptshieldmaid.livejournal.com]

Ignoranus is now my favourite word.
And if it helps, I regularly make sweeping generalisations about Australians. We're a lot of anti-intellectual bogans who are so lazy we have to be legally FORCED to vote. ;)

And maybe it's a product of the last 8 years that I bristle at any criticism of America just after, in my mind, it has taken the biggest step in recovering and making things better.

Very true. And don't think I'm not exceedingly pleased :). But the problems the rest of the world have with America do run further back than George Bush... Just sticking to recent times though, I'm sitting here at the end of 10 years of Howard government in which Australia puppy-dogged at the US' heels, got ourself into another pointless war for it, signed a free trade deal which was vastly in the States' favour, and all round did not do ourselves proud.

The election of a considerably-less-whackjob president who happens to also be a black man and who is rather less likely to run Australia or any other minion nations into pointless wars and economic back corners doesn't mean we're not going to bristle every time we hear American politicians working on the assumption that other countries OUGHT to follow her. We've just figured out how to stand on our own two feet and pull out of Iraq; we'd like to think it might not always be a given which world power we back... that sort of thing.

America's a big kid. MUCH bigger kid, in the global playground, than Australia. Having done something right doesn't exempt her from criticism. She's tough. She can take it.
Besides, every time someone bitches about America, it's really proof that the 'leader of the free world' thing is right :P. No one gives a stuff if Slovenians are arrogant... (ARE Slovenians arrogant?)

[highlyeccentric.livejournal.com]

apparently i can't keep track of which account i'm using...