With the US increasingly influencing global happenings over the nearly two centuries since Tocqueville's visit, we come across plenty of commentaries about democracy in America, which makes my intellectual and personal life that much more exciting.
One of those observers of the American scene is Ramesh, who was two years my senior back in the wonderful township in India, where I had some fabulous formative experiences. Ramesh, who blogs on business-related issues, after a rich management career, has the following observations, looking at America from his vantage point in India.
I am not an American. I don’t even live in America. Naturally, I don’t get to vote in the elections there. However, I have a lot of admiration for the country and have a passing knowledge of the issues that seem to be important to the electorate, so I wondered how I would vote, if I indeed had that right.
Can somebody tell me how to vote please !
- I am a staunch believer in the virtues of capitalism and that free markets are the only road to prosperity. That makes me deep red.
- I am completely pro choice (on abortion – a clarification unnecessary to Americans who seem to believe that is the only choice available to mankind !). That makes me deep blue.
- I have nothing against contraceptive pills, but fail to see why somebody else (read insurance companies) should pay for it. You want to have a ball; sure go ahead, but please pay for it. Rush Limbaugh (or was it Glenn Beck) hugs me.
- I believe Americans are nuts to be running the sort of deficit they are running and doing precious little about it except bickering. That makes me a card carrying member of the Tea Party.
- Tax breaks for long term capital gains, for America, is not justified either in economics or in politics. It is purely the rich lobby that is blocking this from changing. So, that makes me a socialist.
- Spending on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security has gone way overboard and is simply unsustainable. This has got to be cut. I must be welcomed to Fox News.
- The US spends more on defense than the next 10 countries on the top spenders list combined. That is downright crazy. I will be given a free pass to MSNBC.
- I can never understand the fascination with guns. Does any civilised society accept people carrying machine guns around? The Second Amendment was passed in 1791, for God’s Sake when the place was lawless. Are Americans dumb enough to continue to want it in this day and age? Michael Moore makes a film on me.
- Doesn’t America realise that its legal system has gone completely overboard? Tort reform is a must and only somebody with the brain size of a pea will be against it. Nancy Pelosi borrows a gun from Paul Ryan and shoots me.
- To any human not breathing American air, it’s obvious that the health care system is completely broken and that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is not ideal, but the best possible deal under the circumstances. Mitt Romney picks a handgun from his collection and obliterates me, although he hugged me in 2006.
- Corporations are not evil, you pompous Senators. They do far more good than you do – even oil companies. Without them you lot will be driving horse drawn buggies like the Amish. Harry Reid knocks me out.
- Corporations are not people, you silly old men in funny dress. Only a nitwit will allow Super PACs to be going on like this. Clarence Thomas sends me to Guantanamo.
I am guessing Ramesh is a closeted libertarian-Democrat, unlike me who is out in the open about it :)
4 comments:
Spot on!
I was just reading the Seattle shootings that happened last week, and had the same thought on why people are allowed to carry guns so freely in this country.
And the health care system - I don't even want to get started on how badly broken it is. Almost everyone I know dreads falling sick in this country. Parents fear that too when they are visiting.
Signature Ramesh! :)
About the post, yes two things completely baffle me- the amount of money spent on war in Afghanistan and the healthcare system.
I have my reservations about calling it a true blue capitalistic market. Its more oligopolistic I feel.
Very cleverly written. I almost stop reading after your Rush Limbaugh hug - the visual was too disturbing :) I think everyone knows that the Medicare and overall healthcare costs are unsustainable but the old folks turn up to vote. What irritates me is that relatively trivial issues like corporations being people or even specific details of insurance coverage get the air time taking the attention away from more structural problems. Interesting to get a peek into your political views.
@All - Thanks for commenting here. Appreciate your taking your time to do so.
@Shachi - The guns issue is very emotive in the US as you know and I simply don;t think there's any solution at all given the amount of powerful lobbying behind it.
@Deepa - Defence spending is completely over the top and the Republicans want to further increase it while cutting everything else. Makes no sense. Have you noticed how everybody comes bleating to America when they are in trouble and as soon as that passes, start to hate America. American tax payers have not paid to police the world - if the world wants to create a global police force, then let everybody pay for it !!
@J - Hahaha on Rush Limbaugh. World over this is the problem - I want benefits but don't want to pay for them. But there is something to learn from Germany where they seem to understand responsibility. The unions successfully froze wages for years to keep Germany competitive and boost economic growth. They seem to stand on economic principles much stronger, even in the face of adversity. Maybe its in their blood .....
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