Leave American Politics to Americans
Shôn Ellerton, November 4, 2020
My rant on non-Americans getting emotionally involved with American politics.
OK. This is a bit of a rant.
I am so very glad that only American citizens can vote because am I sick to death of hearing uneducated opinions of non-Americans espousing their high and mighty virtues of who should be voted for the next US president. It would be too freaking blatantly obvious to point out which candidate the mainstream media in general prefers, so I will leave that with the reader’s imagination.
For those who think they know who should be best to lead the United States and yet, have never lived in it or even set foot in it, and have only got their information through social media circles and mainstream media should, perhaps, concentrate on dealing with issues closer to their own homes. For those that have read enough about American history—not through mainstream media—and able to hold a reasonable argument without resorting to shitty memes and stupid little one-liners incorporating words like ‘racist’ and ‘fascist’ do have a place in contributing to a reasonable discussion on who should be the next leader in a country far from their own. I wholeheartedly invite them for reasonable discussion and a nuanced argument.
It pisses me off while I write this recalling the books I had to read in American history at school back in Colorado. The civic classes I had to take which discusses the importance of democracy, free speech, and the Constitution, perhaps the best document ever written in political history protecting the basic rights of the people. To many outside the United States, the Constitution means shit to them. What value does it have to those virtue signalling from abroad? Nothing. Nada! And yet, you have people getting arrested for ‘alleged’ hate-crime or anti-political speech in countries like Australia, Scotland, and Canada. Why? Because these countries have NO constitution which protects the rights of free speech.
Tell me. Please tell me, all of those who live FAR away from the United States, what business is it of yours? OK. Why not vote Xi Jinping out from China’s Communist Party? Oh yes, I forgot. He cannot, can he? Why? Because no one can because they will most likely be knocked off if they tried. Yet nobody talks about removing him. Trust me, it’s going to make more of a difference to the world if China has a complete change of government. Say, to a democracy? But for so many these days, especially with millennials, democracy is underrated, isn’t it? Especially for those who already have everything. There is no risk. No risk of loss, because you have everything and nothing will change because no matter what happens in the US election, it’s not going to make a blind bit of difference to your living standards but, hey, you’re thinking of all the oppressed people. People you will never likely to ever meet in the flesh.
Now back to voting. Thank God only US citizens can vote because, believe you me, there are plenty of nations out there who would just love America to destroy itself. The very day I left the United States to live in Britain, practically every British person was taking the literal piss out of me being an American because, according to so many Brits, Americans are just plain stupid. Well I hate to break the party but there are stupid people in every country. The day I set foot in Australia, quite a few Australians did not hold particularly high opinions on Americans either. Why? Because of the fodder they’ve been getting on the TV for years and years. Much of what comes out of Hollywood for starters. Stupid botox soaps from the 80s like Dallas and Dynasty. Miss World pageants in which some many of the contestants cannot identify where they live on a globe. No bloody wonder why so many foreigners think Americans are a bunch of cretins. But now we have a new rising army of non-Americans who have, somehow or another, got brainwashed by media primarily run by lobbyists supporting one side of the political aisle.
As for the rest of the world. Russia, Brazil, Japan, India, and so on. Many of you out there probably do not know who their leaders are. Yet, get a despot in Brazil? Or Chile? India? What about the entire continent of Africa? Oh yes. Third world. These countries are obviously not important at all for so many which is crazy considering that the population of Africa vastly exceeds that of the United States. And yet, why is the United States so much more important than Africa? African news is far more tumultuous and interesting than American news in general. Few talk about them who live outside these countries. Well, sure, this makes sense. That’s because they don’t live there. What in all the name that’s holy makes the United States so different? Why would someone living in the most southerly part of New Zealand and never having left New Zealand give two hoots on what is going on in the US election?
Questions for non-Americans who think they know who to vote for:
What are the three branches of US government and what do they represent and what are their responsibilities?
What has a greater bearing on day-to-day living in the United States? Local, state, or federal government?
Do you think the federal government can do whatever it pleases?
How much do you know about the judicial system, let alone your own?
Can you name another party besides Democrats or Republicans?
Why is the Bill of Rights so important? Do you know what it is?
If these very basic questions are unknown to you, lay off American politics kindly please.
