Thursday, November 09, 2006
Another reason why democracy in the Americas is a bad joke
Nicaraguan elections are taking place right now. A former Sandinista leader is doing well, but the neo conservative party is holding strong in some areas. The United States, specifically the Whitehouse and the State Department, strongly advised Nicaraguans to not vote in the Sandinista supporter, so that the country would not have to face the consequences of voting in a leader of a “terrorist organization.”
The U.S. congressional elections are taking place right now. Democrats are doing well, but republicans are still holding strong in many states. Nicaragua, as with the rest of Latin America, have yet to say anything to norteamericanos to not vote in Republicans, so that the country would not have to face the consequences of voting in a party that has routinely terrorized the poor and downtrodden south of the Rio Grande.
From the point of view of the Whitehouse, the Sandinistas are terrorists because they built schools, hospitals and community-based farms in the sweet waist of the Americas. Bush et al. don’t loose a minute of sleep over the fact that Ronald Raygun, Mr. Fucking, Dementia in my head and “The Bomb” on my fingertips, blew up the schools, and funded guerrillas with state of the art of weaponry to kill the doctors and raze the farms that were benefiting the poor.
But from the point of view of Nicaraguans, (poor ones, not the ones drinking gin fizz in the forward cabin of American Airlines) republicans support of, and never coming apology for, supporting the contra forces is still a deep, deep scar. The extended history of how Ronald McReaganism confused bare-foot, horse-back riding school builders with agents of Moscow is another story. It would also take a bit of time to bring up a case by case chronology of violence in Central America that would completely redefine the popular notion of “a terrorist.”
But here’s the one point that I would like to make, for now: Washington “encourages” other countries to vote a certain way, and yet, within in its own borders, they are beyond any real capacity to “encourage” more than 40% of their own citizens to vote. It’s a tiny minority that governs the world, and a tiny tiny percent of humanity that puts them there. Yet, we’re all expected to obey the policies and abide to the fear. Another example as to why democracy is a very bad, joke.
The U.S. congressional elections are taking place right now. Democrats are doing well, but republicans are still holding strong in many states. Nicaragua, as with the rest of Latin America, have yet to say anything to norteamericanos to not vote in Republicans, so that the country would not have to face the consequences of voting in a party that has routinely terrorized the poor and downtrodden south of the Rio Grande.
From the point of view of the Whitehouse, the Sandinistas are terrorists because they built schools, hospitals and community-based farms in the sweet waist of the Americas. Bush et al. don’t loose a minute of sleep over the fact that Ronald Raygun, Mr. Fucking, Dementia in my head and “The Bomb” on my fingertips, blew up the schools, and funded guerrillas with state of the art of weaponry to kill the doctors and raze the farms that were benefiting the poor.
But from the point of view of Nicaraguans, (poor ones, not the ones drinking gin fizz in the forward cabin of American Airlines) republicans support of, and never coming apology for, supporting the contra forces is still a deep, deep scar. The extended history of how Ronald McReaganism confused bare-foot, horse-back riding school builders with agents of Moscow is another story. It would also take a bit of time to bring up a case by case chronology of violence in Central America that would completely redefine the popular notion of “a terrorist.”
But here’s the one point that I would like to make, for now: Washington “encourages” other countries to vote a certain way, and yet, within in its own borders, they are beyond any real capacity to “encourage” more than 40% of their own citizens to vote. It’s a tiny minority that governs the world, and a tiny tiny percent of humanity that puts them there. Yet, we’re all expected to obey the policies and abide to the fear. Another example as to why democracy is a very bad, joke.
Comments:
Well said, Senor Bob. I'm reminded of the half-joking/half-serious suggestion at the time of the last US Presidential election that "the rest of the world should be able to vote too." And how people would have lined up from Wellington to Caracas to Vladivostok to vote for John Kerry.
You may be interested to know that the theme of "US interference in NZ politics" does come up from time to time, but of course it's not like the State Department comes out and says to kiwis, "Vote Conservative, or Else!"
You may be interested to know that the theme of "US interference in NZ politics" does come up from time to time, but of course it's not like the State Department comes out and says to kiwis, "Vote Conservative, or Else!"
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