In Other Words

Polls

So the democratic convention has started in Boston, USA.  For those of you that don’t know what it is, it is basically the place where the democratic party says ‘we support John Kerry’ and then, surprisingly enough, John Kerry is supported by the democratic party.

The most important thing about the convention is that millions upon millions of people watch it.  It’s a chance the reach millions at the same time and that’s what makes it so important (that’s also why a lot of famous democrats talk there, which is why all those people watch.  Self-fulfilling prophesy).

 Two polls I want to mention.  First off the polls in the US now point out that Kerry is trailing Bush by two points.  That’s bad considering that a month ago Kerry was ahead.  It means Bush still has a fighting chance (albeit a small one with such a low approval rating).

The second and far more important poll is actually made up of two polls.  They are mentioned in the Guardian (click here) but I will sum up what they mean right here.

They mean that for the last two years American foreign policy has absolutely destroyed their image in the Middle East.  Approximately eighty to ninety percent of the people in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, etc. disapprove of US foreign policy.  This despite millions of dollars invested into the ‘hearts and mind’ campaign.

This slide in respect is affecting everything in the Middle East.  Its affecting their opinions of American culture, of American actions and American people.  Worst off all its affecting their opinions of the worth of democracy.  The current attempt to bring democracy to the Middle East is backfiring dramatically.  That’s terrible.  The world’s superpower is creating an embittered enemy control 90% of the world’s oil reserves.  The rest of the world will be torn between American ideas and Middle Eastern ideas and more war, death and pain will certainly result.

If there should be any topic of real importance to the American election it should be this.  Bush is creating unreasonable hatred, both at home and abroad.  He might not intend it, but that’s what’s happening.

I don’t hate Bush, I fear him.  Bush the divider, Bush the bumbling fool, Bush the best ally that terrorism has ever had.  He has managed to do for terrorism what Osama never could.  He turned the terrorists from a fringe group into a mainstream movement.

 

posted by Symbol @ 27.7.04