Once again I find myself forcing Matt and me to watch the news every day.
Once again I find myself reading elaborate discussions on the internet endlessly.
Once again I find myself caught in deliberate arguments about who, how and why.
Once again all eyes are on America.

After an interesting search for the candidates that are to represent their parties, now the true games have finally begun. Obama or McCain? Who is going to be the next president of the United States of America?

It’s so exciting. Will the Republicans finally pay for their moron leader and their ridiculous religious ideas? Will the Democrats at last get what they deserve? Will America, just 53 years after Rosa Parks, be mature and proud enough to have an African American man as their leader? Or will they choose for the female vice-president that McCain has put forward so sneakily? The odds are fifty-fifty. Like every time.

Four years ago, when Bush junior stole the elections for the second time, I actually set my alarm clock during the night. I’d wake up every two hours to check the results. Little did I know such wouldn’t be necessary as it would take another day for the results to become final.

How much more political engagement should one expect?

I can’t help it. It’s just that I find the U.S. presidential elections important. They are important. However, I now realise: never have I done such a thing during one of the elections in my own country. I would watch debates, read party programs and think things through, of course. I would watch the telly during the evening the votes are counted, by all means. But set my alarm clock during the night?

How much U.S. political engagement should one expect from a European girl?

All eyes are always on America.

I wanted to think it was the fault of the media. They tend to focus on any news there is in the U.S. of A. I wanted to think I wasn’t really exited by it all. That this feeling was more like watching Idols or Big Brother: anxious to know who will win, but at the same time knowing that it doesn’t really matter. However, Maia pinched a needle in my safe bubble of soap.

“Let’s face it”, she says, “the president of America is in fact the president of the world.”

What a weird realisation that is.

The government of America. The government that does whatever it feels like. The government that doesn’t care about international agreements when they don’t fit their own ideas. The government that uses water boarding whilst everybody is against torture. The government that let’s war criminals be judged in the international tribunal in The Hague, but says it will invade The Netherlands when its own soldiers (or leaders) are ever summoned to come over. The government that violently promotes democracy in other countries, but is unable to arrange health care for its own citizens. The government that never really separated religion from politics. “The war in Iraq is a task from God”, Sarah Palin allegedly said.

But what about the people of America? The people that believe all the lies? Come on America. Don’t you think you deserve better?

Since World War II the government of America has been a constant liability. No matter the international agreements, this country does what it wants. That’s what makes America’s leader my leader as well. America’s leader could change my life, my country, my world.

Americans, you are not only going to vote for your own leader: whether I want it or not, you are also voting for my leader.
Please vote wisely.
Please vote.

Column published by Cecile on Monday, September 8th, 2008.

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