The Voter-get-out Armies are ready. The Lawyer Armies are ready. The Media-Army is ready. The battle lines have been drawn. Sides have been picked. No! I don’t believe in the undecided voter at this stage. The only ones allowed to be undecided at this stage are Animals, Aliens and people living in Timbuktu. I am glad it’s going to be over and scared of the unfavorable outcome at same time. While I look at 50% of voters and think, how can you guy’s get it so wrong, the other 50% look at me and say, “You have no idea!”.
Great truths are often found in simple ways. Buddha attained nirvana under Banyan Tree. Newton found gravity under apple tree (What’s up with trees and history of world? Maybe a subject to research later), Ben Franklin found electricity while flying a kite and Rama found the American Bush-psyche while being lectured to in a Barber shop (the only way to get my name alongside those greats is to write it myself!).
“Are you from India?”
“Yes”
“So can you vote in this election? “
I flinch knowing it is Georgia and deeply republican forte.
“No I can’t! But I am watching it closely!”
“Well! We are all voting Bush here!”. I told myself, of course you’re. I see the confederate flag hanging in your store. I didn’t want to continue the conversation since I did have a knife under my throat. Literally!
He continued with his ranting.”Am sure you support Bush unless you like French!” followed by a Bollywood-villain style loud laugh.
“I am so happy Clinton or Gore weren’t the President during 911.They would not have kicked anyone’s ass”. And at that exact moment, i could see in my mind a big white circle forming behind my head.Nirvana! The hidden magic bulb above my head also started sparkling!
So, that’s what this American Bush-pysche is about. Bush kicked someone’s ass. And he did it in spite of the whole world saying No! Isn’t that Leadership? So what if Saddam didn’t have WMD.He would have got it one day, maybe, 20years from now! Isn’t that imminent enough threat to warrant a pre-emptive action?
A friend of mine said “Dude! We had the guts to go in and occupy the country in 30 days. Just see how powerful we are!”. There was a sense of pride and arrogance in him, which comes only with being born in the greatest nation of the world. I am sure I would have that arrogance if I were born here. But I know just like the other 50% of America, I would probably be marching for a different kind of war. War on equality of races and women’s pay, War on Corporations influencing policy, War on Election reform where the winner doesn’t take all electoral votes in a state, there by disenfranchising someone’s ‘other choice’ in a state. Why should I even bother about this election when I can’t vote? Guess its because I have chosen to live here and would raise my kids here. This has been a country of hope for so many immigrants that when you see the country being polarized, it adds to the woes of the immigrant community wondering about their place on this land.
Over the course of past one year, I have come to realize that this campaign has sent out strange deep-seated messages that represent each party. These powerful, hidden messages are the motivating factor for everyone in US being so worked up.
If you are a Republican, you must be
1) Angry White Man.
2) Staunch Christian (thereby Homophobic)
3) Who believes United States of America is the entire World. They could care less about what other people in the World think.
4) Who believes that there are BAD guys and Good guys in this World. None in-between.
5) Who believes that America’s way of life is being threatened by immigrants and minorities. (to some extent, even NAACP)
6) Who believes America’s greatness is being challenged and the only way to show its power is kick some ass, whether you’re right or wrong, because it massages their low self-esteem and pseudo-patriotism.
7) Believe more in character than action.
If you are a Democrat/Centrist, you must be,
1) Hating Bush.
2) A Moderate.
3) Holds a World-View of things, usually analyses issues, and facts.
4) Believes a lot in individual freedoms. Abortion, right to research, right to speech etc.
5) Who believes America should mind its own business than poke its nose in other country’s affairs.
6) Who believes in inclusiveness than excluding people.
7) Believes more in action than Rhetoric.
A democrat/centrist can become a republican if they feel they are right but the reverse will take a long time and lot harder. It’s about the mindset of Republicans that scares me. Stubbornness. Unwillingness to accept facts.
In the end, a week after Nov.2, I will still be battling with my ever-shrinking bank balance, every-day-threatening job scenario, pending Oil-change for my car, bills for my Best-Buy purchases and whether my wife will be in special mood tonight! It won’t be about Abortion, Supreme Court judges and people dying in Iraq.
If my candidate wins, it will be a feel-good feeling that would make me proud for doing my part (even though I can’t vote), which would immediately vanish in a month, as I will have my own pile of shit to deal with. If he doesn’t win, I would go back to blocking Fox news for another 4years!
May the Best Man (my man) Win and Let’s hope for a better America for the goodness of the World!
Written by:Monday, 01 November 2004
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