Four More Years?!?

As the results seem to indicate that Mr. Bush has won four more years with a far clearer mandate than in 2000, the world has to wonder what qualities Americans see in their leader that the majority of the world is cannot see.

From my perspective, Bush is a bullying, ineloquent anti-intellectual who uses religious imagery and fear to reach his voters. The debates portrayed a man who cannot deal with criticism, has a weak grasp of issues of consequence, and cannot conduct himself in a professional manner that is expected of a major world leader. His folksy “charm” and ability to reduce issues to their simplest denominator might make him a good mayor of some small unimportant isolated town, but they are serious handicaps when on the world stage. Rather than engaging people on an intellectual level, he taps into their deep fears and religious beliefs to intimidate and coerce the citizens into voting for him. By invoking the name of God and by creating an image of steadfastness and unwavering conviction, he portrays himself as a crusader for God and a defender of “good”. Meanwhile, the corporatists and chicken-hawks that compose the rest of the Bush administration, use this religious veil to make themselves and their friends richer.

According to ABC News, exit polls were reporting the most important factor influencing the voters were the moral issues such as abortion, stem cell research and gay marriage. The war in Iraq, the more general war on terror (yes, they are separate) and the economy were apparently of far less importance. The rest of the world, however, viewed the election generally as a referendum on the war in Iraq. The world’s support for Kerry was founded more on their disgust with the circumvention of international law and blatant unilateralism flaunted during the initial invasion of Iraq, the obvious lack of planning to deal with the reconstruction of a devastated country, and the future American intentions in Iraq given the oil-lust that drives the two boys from Texas. People outside of the U.S. hoped that a new president would be able to heal some of the division and hatred that the Bush administration has created.

Since most people outside of the United States would not have considered moral issues when deciding between Kerry and Bush, this would help explain the sizable discrepancy between international and American opinion. However, it does not excuse many Americans from failing to understand the narrow mindedness and ego-centric nature of their decision to renew and strengthen George Bush’s mandate on the basis of moral issues rather than international policy.

Many Americans will argue that international opinion is inconsequential and should not influence their decision. However, as a country that professes to be the world’s judge, jury, and executioner, failing to understand the anger and distrust that pervades the international community with regards to the Bush administration is a failure of Americans to think beyond their borders and act as global citizens.