He closes by saying "I still have hope, not for this election result, but for the future." I'm trying to still have hope too. Getting his e-mail made me think: the Italians lived under real fascism. I'm not saying we're there, or even that we're headed there. All I'm saying is that it was possible for Italians to live under Mussolini, for some of them to resist how they could...and to emerge as Italians.
His comments about moral issues and faith-based decision-making, about church-driven politics, about a fundamentally divided America, are right on point. Those are the issues I want to explore here.
Make a comment if you'd like: click on the "n Comments" link at bottom of the entry, and then click "Post a Comment." I'm a newbie in the world of organized blogging (the organized blogosphere), so we'll see how this works.
Date: Wed, 03 Nov 2004 08:43:16 -0500
From: An Italian friend
To: Me
Subject: Re: new blog entries & URL <>Buongiorno.....or sort of.....
I read your blogs. Thanks.
Well, needless to say that I am disappointed. I knew Ohio was decisive
and it all comes to Ohio (even with IA, NM and NV for Bush, if OH was
"blue" it'd be 272-266 for Kerry.....).
I always consider the worst-case scenario, but the obituary article goes
really beyond that, don't you think?
I am an optimistic after all...that's why I decided to be a researcher
in Italy !!! ;-)
Two comments (you are very free and welcome to use it in your blogs !!).
1) Bush won the popular vote overwhelmingly (even CA is 55%-45%, right?)
with almost 70% turnout and de-facto won the elections.
Moral-issues and faith-based decisions discourage rationality and leave
very small room for explanations. When it comes down to faith, it
doesn't surprise me Bush won the popular vote. It's like believing the
Pope, without questioning whatever he says....and I am a roman, I know
what I am talking about.......I have profound disrespect for "Church"
and church-driven politics.
And look at the US map: it's a very "divided" country, with some state
between 60 and 70% in favour of republicans. This poses a serious
challenge for the future of the democratic party: they must reconnect
with that part of the country.
2) Lines at the poll and uncertainty, STILL, in the results.
It's surprising how "you" discourage people to vote.....
USA for me is a great and controversial democracy and I am still
discovering it: land of the free and opportunities (I really mean it),
death penalty, pre-emptive war, vote on one-weekday election......
One remark on the side: politics sometime is like picking a good bottle
of wine. Certain years are better than others....Kerry was a good white
wine that had to be served cold......someone forgot to put the bottle in
the fridge and a solid bloody red wine (Bush), year 2000 (not a great
year for wine) made the difference."
I still have hope, not for this election result, but for the future."
Posts
1 comment:
Is it cheesy to comment on your own blog? Didn't want to make a separate post for this, but did want to put up another e-mail that same Roman friend forwarded, from a friend of his still in Italy:
"This is just want to share an email from a friend in Italy (freely translated
by me):
Sent: 11/3/04
Subj: Mi viene da piangere (I want to cry)
HOW WAS IT POSSIBLE ?? Abbiamo trovato un popolo più stronzo degli italiani...gli americani!! "We finally found people dumber than italians...americans !!"
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