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7/22/2008
Why do they hate us?
No, not the terrorists. The Europeans. Or, at least, the Western Europeans, who are trying to prove that misery loves company by wishing a Barack Obama presidency on us.
Hat tip to Roger Cohen:
Barack Obama has already won the U.S. election by a landslide. In Europe, that is. Polls show the French putting the first African-American in the White House with 86 percent backing. Obamania is about as intense in Germany and Britain, the two other European countries the Senator will visit this week. A quick Googling reveals that yes, Europe – indeed, much of the world – is solidly in Obama’s corner. A few headlines from the website TheWorldWantsObama.org:
- Obama is five times more popular than McCain in Britain
- Obama favourite in IPSOS poll of 22,605 across 22 countries
- Article: Germans Would Vote for Him
Let’s leave aside that this kind of “support” didn’t help John Kerry. Americans, as a rule, don’t want to be Europeans, and we don’t tend to appreciate those who do.
Instead, at the risk of sounding like a neanderthalic xenophobe, we’ll simply say: stuff it in your croissant, Fritz. Uh…I mean Franz. Francois?
Whatever. With all due respect to Europe’s long history and their literature and architecture and to the fact that the seedlings of modern liberal democracy took root there well before the American Revolution closed the deal: up yours. Up. Yours. If we’d wanted you to vote in our elections we’d have invaded and conquered and forced you into the Union back when Manifest Destiny was still in vogue.
Don't take me wrong. I'm not telling you to shut up. On the contrary: I want you to support Obama, long and loud and by whatever means you think will help. Because I think you won’t help. In fact, I think it’s just a matter of time before Obama throws you under the bus, along with everybody else.
And this isn’t the first time. Back in 2004, The Guardian published one writer’s suggestion that, yeah, people in other countries damn well should be allowed to vote in U.S. elections, because U.S. policies and actions have ramifications worldwide!
Of course, the writer demanded this after gushing over John Kerry’s huge lead among non-Americans. Had George W. Bush been the more popular in Europe…well, somehow I doubt he’d have reached the same conclusion.
Or even written the article.
The thing is, he does have a point. U.S. policies do have ramifications worldwide. The things we do affect people around the globe.
If that’s the case, then shouldn’t they all get a say?
I’ll tell you what: I’ll get behind it. I’ll support the idea. I’ll back letting non-Americans vote for President. If…
…if China does the same. You know, if we can trust their elections to mean anything. Hey, their policies affect the world, too. Noticed the cost of raw materials lately?
And Iran, too. Their nuclear policies are a worldwide concern. Russia’s policies on the Eastern European energy market. Brazil’s responsibility for the rainforest. Mexico’s treatment of illegal immigrants flowing over their southern border. Don’t even get me started on Sudan.
Come to think of it, if we Wisconsinites could vote in Minnesota's elections, we could force them to raise their gas tax!
But now I'm being ridiculous.
Let all those nations agree to submit to the will of the international electorate. Let us all vote in their elections – real, meaningful, peaceful but enforced elections – and then…
…ah, who am I kidding? They’d never do it. They know better. And even if they didn't know better, we do.
Lance Burri is a contributor to the Badger Blog Alliance and occasionally blogs at his own site as well.
COMMENTS
And all the while some of our Supreme Court justices think the laws of foreign nations should influence the decisions they make on U.S. law.
If Obama wins, and gets to seat a couple of justices with the help of a Democratic Senate, the rest of the world won't need to have a vote in our elections to influence policy.
Charles Schroeder (Tue Jul 22 08:04:20 2008)
"The speech turns out to be reasonable, straightforward, and comprehensive...It is to be hoped that (it) will be taken everywhere as sincere and well-considered..." This was the London Times, speaking in 1935 of one of Adolph Hitler's speeches.
And in 1937, a poll of British housewives overwhelmingly showed high approval ratings for him.
With that kind of track record, who cares what the Europeans think?
emily matthews (Tue Jul 22 18:32:07 2008)
Thanks for that current and topical response to a 2004 Guardian Article. Yes, the Europeans are so irrelevant to red-blooded American conservatives that you're writing obsessive tirades about four-year-old British newspaper articles (though it's a British point of pride that they're not actually European).
Why, instead of freaking out over the dangers of getting all Europey, don't we just evaluate a candidate's policies and points of view for what they are rather than who they're associated with? Probably because Republican political strategists know better. Smearing works.
Peter Gruett (Wed Jul 23 12:02:54 2008)
"though it's a British point of pride that they're not actually European."
You say that as if it's a universal truth. This is not so - a friend of mine is British and very European looking in his outlook.
Stereotypes are just that - pity you haul out some of your own to castigate others.
Brian Dunbar (Thu Jul 24 10:14:19 2008)
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