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Page (p82) European Edition Simon
Robinson A
Modest Proposal: U.S.
policies have a worldwide impact, so why not IT
IS THE ESSENCE OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY: EVERY U.S. citizen over 18, except
for prisoners and, in some states, ex-cons, can register to vote for the
next President. But while
many Americans don’t take the obligation seriously – only about 70%
even bother to register and just half of those eligible voted in the 2000
election – the U.S. continues to exclude a vast pool of important
constituents who would, if given the chance, treat voting like the sacred
duty it is. These people are affected every day by the decisions made in
the White House. They deserve a say in the electoral process. America,
it’s time to let the
rest of the world vote for your President.
Before
you snigger, there are ample precedents
for my proposal. Those lucky enough to be conquered and made honorary
citizens of ancient Rome were polled once in a while, and the citizens of
French territories like French Polynesia and French Guiana still vote for
a French President every five years. The rest of the world may not be an
official American colony, but it sure feels that way sometimes. And if the
CIA used to decide how elections turned out in other countries, then
it’s about time we foreigners played a part in deciding who sits in the
Oval Office. The
benefits are obvious. The world would finally have a real voice in
deciding who will govern it for the next four years, while presidential
candidates would be forced to
ask us for our votes and not just enjoy
our oil exports or our appetite for Big Macs and Hollywood blockbusters.
If the U.S. invades
one of us – or makes a Titanic sequel – we can respond at the
ballot box. There
would be gains for the U.S., too. More
voters means more competition for influence and even bigger piles of cash
for the Republicans and the Democrats.
(Campaign contributions from foreign nationals, currently illegal,
would be part of the deal.) Global
voting would create exciting geopolitical swings and counterswings and
drive up ratings for America’s television networks. Picture the scene on
election night: the early results have just started trickling in from the
Republican stronghold of Saudi Arabia; hold on a second, though, Germany
has started voting and it’s looking good for Kerry; wait, Icelandic
environmentalists are going with Nader. Sure, there’s
a chance the crucial European vote could swing the election, but at least
the loser would have the satisfaction of blaming the French for real. Perhaps
the best way to sell the plan to skeptical Americans is as a new weapon in
the war on terror. A lot of folks around the world still can’t vote for
their own leaders. Give them
a say in a U.S. election and they may start getting ideas of their own.
Before you know it,
the world’s despots would be forced to hold local elections or deal with
rowdy citizens who have had a taste of democracy and again look to the
U.S. as a beacon. There could
be no accusations of unilateralism, and less need to invade.
People everywhere will have made their choice in the one election
that really matters. Honestly,
we don’t want too much. Treat
us like the 51st state (hey, you already do!) and give us 50 electoral
votes in the complicated U.S. system. (That’s fewer than California but
more than New York or Texas.) Those votes could be allocated according to
population and political and economic influence.
By my reckoning, Europe should get around 18 votes, Japan 7, and
China 6, with an extra vote added every time China sees its economy grow
by 10% or its athletes win an additional
10 gold medals at the Olympics. I
tried out my idea on my father-in-law,
a Nebraskan so conservative that he thinks driving on the left side of the
road is subversive. Sure, he said, non-Americans
could vote, “as long
as you pay the same taxes as we
do.” I suspect most other
Americans will be far less sanguine about enfranchising foreigners. But
perhaps even the suggestion that the world should one day vote would be
enough to inspire a higher turnout come November.
Maybe Americans would be so appalled by my idea that they actually
got themselves to a polling place to make sure foreign influence was kept to
a minimum. Fair enough. I just hope they realize that their vote affects
the rest of us. Whether we like it or not.
Simon
Robinson, an Australian
who likes to vote, is TIME’s
Africa bureau chief
based in Johannesburg “The
world would finally have a voice in deciding who will govern it, while candidates would be forced to ask for our votes, not just enjoy our oil
exports” TIME,
SEPTEMBER 27, 2004 . |
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What I'm N E W ! It takes a strange person to write a book about cadavers, and even stranger to make it informative, interesting and - funny. Ms Roach is such a person. The variety of what she discusses is astonishing - The process of decay; dissection through the ages; severed heads for plastic surgeons to practice on; head transplant research; corpses for crash dummies, for crash evidence, for weapons practice; cannibalism; composting as an eco-friendly alternative to cremation. To get a flavour,
and to see how she makes this stuff both educational and amusing, have a
look at her
online article, reproduced in her book,
about a dead human brain being
Or her
archive. +++++
The book is meticulously researched, magnificently structured, beautifully written - and drips innocent Chinese blood from almost every one of its 971 riveting pages. Moa Tse Tung was obsessed with simply killing as many of his countrymen as he could by whatever means in order to maintain the remainder in such a permanent state of terror that the idea of turning on him would never even cross their wretched minds. He also starved peasants in their hundreds of millions in order to confiscate the food they grew to pay the Soviets for a gargantuan armaments infrastructure. Most terribly, Mao was absolutely right. He proved that terror is the most effective way of retaining power. Too many despots have tried to emulate him, but none with the same single-minded ferocity. Disgustingly, people name restaurants in his honour +++++
In that role, as Hitler's trusted operative, he recounts much derring-do, such as rescuing Mussolini from mountain top captivity, bluffing the then Hungarian strongman into surrendering, wreaking covert havoc on the Allied invasion of France.
Particularly moving is his account, from the German viewpoint, This page-turner of a book concludes with a forecast of the role of Special Forces in future conflicts, which has turned out to be surprisingly prescient. It was written in 1954.
The purpose of this
It
does so, But the book is spoilt by the introduction of a storyline which is sentimental and distracting. Much of it is frankly boring. You might enjoy the sex which is detailed and graphic, but it's unnecessary.
Also, the interminable, repetitive description, going on for over 40
pages, of being About 200 pages should have been edited out. +++++ Other books here |
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After
48
crackling, compelling, captivating games, the new World Champions are,
deservedly,
England get the Silver,
No-one can argue with
Over the competition, |
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