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While
you read the below thoughts, please remember that it is based
solely off what people have shared with me while I have been traveling.
I have no political party or any bias.
I pick the candidates based off who I think will do a better
job. I don’t really think
any of the candidates are that great.
The
first questions backpackers ask are any of the following:
1
- “How long you been here?”
2 – “Where have you traveled?”
3 – “What’s your name?”
4 – “Where are you from?”
After
these basic questions you are usually into an interesting conversation.
Each conversation is very unique because of the diverse
country & background of each person.
Everyone seems to have very different views on very similar
issues. The only issue
I have heard a unanimous view (with the exception of a very friendly
taxi driver in Fiji)
is the United States
presidential status & upcoming election.
When anyone finds out I am from the US
they ALWAYS ask about my political view.
I don’t think I have talked to anyone over 10 minutes where
this topic has not been talked about.
Everyone knows the US
is the world’s premier super power & they know what we do
influences everyone.
Everyone
to a person expects the US
to not re-elect Bush because they think it is obvious to the people
of the US
how he has ruined our reputation.
It would be lying to say that everyone has always loved
the US. However, people who I have talked to the most
about this (from Canada,
England,
Ireland,
Scotland,
Germany,
Sweden,
Norway,
Australia,
New Zealand),
were not overly negative in regards to opinion of the United
States until the recent invasion
of Iraq. They all see the news where people are dying
every day & no weapons are found.
Some see people from their country dying & people in
the US
thinking that they are the only ones with soldiers over there. I have heard this especially from people of
Canada
& England. People I have met have had loved ones in Iraq
& they are for supporting the troops.
Most of the people were even ok with the war against Afghanistan
because of 9/11. But when
the United Nations did not support Bush’s view & we went to
Iraq
anyways that turned the view of the world.
People started to think about the validity of having the
United Nations if the US
is just going to do what it wants anyways.
Everyone
who reads this already knows about the death toll, lack of results,
& turmoil in Iraq
so I won’t even go into that.
However, the results of what other countries feel about
us are my real concern. People can’t see how people from the United
States don’t see how other countries
view them. They think we
have to know how bad we look.
However, it is my view that we really don’t.
The media institutes skew the view of this to people in
the US. Internationally if we re-elect George Bush it
will be as a slap in the face to foreign affairs. People will feel as the US
people are validating our world bully status & nonchalant
attitude towards what others think about us.
Not electing George Bush is seen as the first step towards
repairing international relations.
Let
me also say that no one things John Kerry is the best candidate
they have ever seen, but hopefully he will be able to get a fresh
slate with international leaders.
I am also not the enamored with John Kerry, but like everyone
has said, he would have to try extremely hard to do more damage
internationally than Bush has done.
Vote however you feel you want to as I am not telling you
what to do. I merely wanted
to give you a view of things you may have otherwise not had. I am not really that political, but I felt this
was important enough to post.
In
the 2000 election I waited until the last day before the election
to make up my mind. I did
Internet research & used several give us your values &
we match you up with the candidate.
The web sites ended up dividing me 50% to both Bush &
Gore. I ended up voting
for Bush because of one issue that was important to my family
members.
-
Wrote from the top bunk bed in a dorm hostel in Nadi,
Fiji.
2004/10/15
- Brock Waterman
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