Blinded by the Election

I am usually not the type of person that would write about politics, but I feel the need to get a message out there without having to debate with uninformed Americans and foreigners, and I want to do it while it is still fresh in my mind. I know that there will be thousands of articles about the election, but I feel that I am in a unique position being a politically moderate American citizen living abroad during a time like this.

First off, I would like to explain my views so you have an idea of where I am coming from. I am a registered Independent; I don't care if you are gay and want to get married, Pro-Choice seems to be the best answer, and I am a huge advocate for alternative energy and public transportation. On the other hand, I am fiscally conservative and believe in free markets, free trade, and lower taxes. It has been proven that free market democracies have higher standards of living in every aspect...not perfect, but better than anywhere else. We recently experienced a kink in the free market way of thinking....the balance between free markets and government regulation was off kilter and many people have suffered. Nothing is perfect. However, this does not mean that we should change our beliefs or our way of life because times are tough right now. Please don't forget the 70 years of prosperity and growth that the US encountered before this dry spell (obviously there have been recessions and hard times, but our situation has been pretty good for a long time). OK, now I can continue with what I really want to say.

I am disguisted with Americans......and it is not because we elected Barack Obama. I hope that he saves the US and fulfills every absurd promise that he has made. The world would be an incredible place if we could solve the issues related to health care, social security, energy, the war in Iraq, and poverty in the next 4-8 years. I am disguisted because Americans DID NOT CHANGE. The president did, but the people did not....just as ignorant and uninformed as before.

Last night I went to a big club in Buenos Aires to watch the election unfold. It was filled with people from all over the world....Germans, Swedes, Australians, Argentinians, Americans, etc. Absolutely crazy. There were multiple big screens displaying the results and coverage and people cheered and chanted as Obama victories piled up. Then McCain appeared, armed and ready to concede victory. A group of American girls behind me started flipping him off and yelling at the screen, ''Fu!k you, McCain!!!'' and ''I hope you die!!!'', as he graciously waved the white flag, praising Obama and asking for unity. They continued this for about 3 minutes and it became irritating....those of you that know me, know that I have been known to speak my mind, and I did. We began arguing and I came to realize that the girl was brain washed. She said that McCain is just another Bush, and it made me realize that the whole world has been fooled. Everyone I talk to says the same thing....doesn't matter what country they are from. I expected foreigners to be misinformed and biased....but not Americans...not at a time like this. I have felt like the minority on this trip....being a moderate and being unsure of who I would vote for when the time came. I refuse to appease the rest of the world. I refuse to just jump on the Obama train because it makes me seem ''worldly'' and ''cool'' to all the foreigners that we meet. I refuse to tell everyone what they want to hear. I want the truth. The truth is that all of these people cheering for Obama, swearing at McCain, and deciding the future of our country don't understand any of the underlying social or economic issues.

I got into another argument with a group of Americans outside the bar, because I said I don't know who I would have voted for. The debate came down to me asking them what they thought the biggest issue in the states was....you guessed it, the economy. I then asked a very reasonable question, ''What do you think of Obama's tax plan and its economic implications?''. A few of the guys stuttered and tried muttering out some nonsense, so I asked them if they even knew what his policy was. They stuttered again and I told them that I would punch myself in the face 5 times if they even knew what the ''capital gains tax'' was (for those of you who don't know, Obama initially proposed a suffocating increase in the capital gains tax from 15% to 35%, which he has since lowered because it was moronic). This ''worldly'' American, the one spreading the word of Obama and deciding our country's future, didn't even know the President of the United States' fiscal policy in the midst of the biggest election and worst economic crisis this country has experienced in decades (maybe ever). He wasn't alone...I ran around surveying the people yelling at me, saying I wanted another Bush in place.....not one single person out of 10 knew anything about Obama's plan. I didn't want another Bush, and I think I would have voted for Obama if I had done so....all I want is that our country knows what they hell they are changing!

History has shown us that you cannot just vote for something different. Take Spain for instance....they were in a somewhat similar state....the train bombings in Madrid, performed by terrorists asking for Spain to pull out of Iraq and implement a more social government had changed the minds of the citizens. These people moved the polls so much that Zapatero was thrown into power without any questions asked. They thought he was the savior and that everything would change. Did anything change??? No. The people hate him and Spain now has the highest unemployment rate in the European Union.

My point is that you can't just vote for something different, you have to vote for what makes sense. Obama makes sense, but the reasons that brought him into the office do not. I am sick of these American idiots running around, bashing McCain, promoting Obama, and making those who aren't completely consumed with his marketing campaign feel like they are stupid. All it takes is 30 minutes to read up on both parties' proposals....but that's too much to ask a typical American.

I hope this article will at least spark a little fire in a few of you to take a step back and understand that we have entered a new era. We are America. We are different.....and we are different because you can bust your ass and make as little or as much money as you desire. I just hope Obama doesn't change that, because I listen to him talk about ''how it is time for the rich to pay their dues''. The top 1% of the US pays for 40% of the nations total taxes.....that seems pretty generous to me....I agree, the middle class has struggled with debt and paying their bills over the last decade....but who forced them to buy a boat or a massive tank on wheels that gets 8 miles a gallon??? Why should the people who worked hard, avoided debt, and lived within their means for so long foot the bill for these greedy and ignorant individuals? Everyone deserves shelter and transportation....however, everyone does NOT deserve a house and a hummer.....you have to EARN it. You have to be able to afford it. Americans have developed a mentality of self entitlement over the last decade. ''I am American, so I should get whatever I want, whenever I want....regardless of whether I can actually afford it or not''. A lot of the problems we have today are due to this mentality (and the ease with which people were able to live this way), and handing more money to the poor and middle class while taxing the rich will not solve this dilemma.

We cannot take away the incentive for innovation and growth....economically, technologically, and personally. I am not asking any of you to agree with me or change your ideals. This is a topic that has been debated for hundreds of years and doesn't have an easy solution...but there is always a ''better'' choice. I hope America will learn to strive for the truth and not just the change. I hope you enjoyed my early morning rant......God bless America and I am sure I will be receiving a few emails from some of you about this topic!!! Get out there.....discuss....learn....improve.