Quote:
|
Originally Posted by mirevolver
As the lone superpower, of course our descision for president affects the whole world. But it's still an American election for the American President.
|
I understand the point. Keep in mind they're just words. The British aren't loading up gunships and tri-corner hats to come over and "monitor" the election situation. They're writing letters. No invasion of the homeland. No horrible tories running through the streets and setting up shop in your attic. Just letters.
Quote:
|
I would argue that it is indeed different. They are attempting to affect the political process of a country which is not their own.
|
Again, just letters and in one state of the blessed union. They're not rigging the election, not travelling the country with postcards for everyone and pushing their opinion off when it's unwarranted. They're just letters. Letters from someone other than Bill from down the street. Opinions from folks who come from a different culture and can offer a different viewpoint.
Quote:
|
In truth, it has only been since World War II that the US president has carried a big infleuence on global affairs. In less than two hundred years we were able to go from being oppressed by the redcoats to top of the world. Other countries have had longer histories and never achieved the status we have. That tells me that we managed to do something right and the rest of the world should pay attention rather than tell us how to be more like them.
|
In truth, it was WWI when the United States Government, against the better wishes of President George Washington and in spite of the Monroe Doctrine, became involved in political affairs across the pond.
America is hardly alone in her achievements of world domination. The Macedonians, Romans, Persians, Mongols, Carthaginians and the Chinese all did fairly well in the world, all things considered. For more recent examples, WWII Germany and Russia all held sizable deeds and carried some influence with the world at large. I've even heard China mentioned in the same breath as America when speaking of the sacred "superpower."
Quote:
|
I was interested in the EU elections that went on while I was in Germany. But when asked what my opinion was by Germans, I refused to tell them. Instead I told them that it was a European election and as an outsider, I had no right to infleuence it in any way. I only gave my opinion after the votes had been counted.
|
That's admirable. Were you living in country? Not a soldier on a base, not passing through, etc.... I ask this because if you were living in country why on earth wouldn't you offer an opinion. You were living in the affected territory, right? Doesn't that allow you to share your opinion? Not vote, but at least address the issues as it affected you both directly and indirectly.
I just can't see where hearing a wide variety of opinion to help frame your decision is so terribly evil.