I decided it's been a while since my last post, and I probably should post....even though not much has happened lately that's really note worthy. Um...the presidential election was last week. I am glad I don't have to go into hiding. I was afraid I would have had to if Mccain won because the French people hated him. All of Europe is pro-Obama...I feel like a social outcast sometimes.
The funny thing about being here is I have so many conversations with people about politics and moral issues. In the states, if I had the same sort of conversation, they would verbally bite my head off and say that my opinions are all wrong, or they don't matter. Here my opinion matters...or at least some people think it's interesting. My opinions are all really middle ground. I have a hard time affiliating with a certain political party because I absolutely hate the ideals of part of it, but I like the other part.
My philosophy is that politics is not a religion. I don't have to take the good with the bad. I don't have to try to fit some pre-formed mold of democrat or republican. Why should I? I am supposed to have my own opinions. I am supposed to be allowed to think for myself. Are you really thinking for yourself when you just vote for the democratic or republican candidate just because you affiliate with that party?
Personally I'm not happy with the fact that I voted Mccain. I didn't put much thought into my decision. After thinking about it and looking into the subject (after I already sent in my absentee ballot of course) I decided that our country really needed change, and I don't think that Mccain can really give us the kind of change we need.
I know people are like oh! Obama's pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage, but in all reality the president can't control that, and he shouldn't. The strategies politicians use to get elected are meant to pull on your moral heart strings and make you think that they're going to ruin or save our country. In all reality they can't really do much drastic change on any of those issues. They can put their vote in, but they do not hold supreme executive power over everything that happens, that's what checks and balances are for.
Ok...so I think I'm done with my rant on politics. Gees...last year I don't think I would have even gotten close to having a rant like that. Sometimes I feel like this experience in France is opening my eyes to what's really going on in the world. A lot of the time I find myself thinking how could I have been so blind? is that really what happens when we do that? can we effect the world that much?
So on that note...I need to get into the habit of reading/watching the news more often. It is very important to know what is going on in our world, especially if you want to have an intelligent conversation with any European people, and not be seen as a stupid and naive American.
