Congratulations Chile!
Congratulations Chile! You've demonstrated to the world, peacefully, that democracy is a beautiful thing.
Keep in mind that Chile is 70% Catholic and their new president, Michelle Bachelet, is divorced and agnostic but her political message was still heard above all that. Even with machismo deeply entrenched in latin culture Chile elected a female as a president. It is sad but true that if in this country a divorced agnostic woman ran for president she would have never even been taken seriously as a viable candidate, her politics would have fallen on deaf ears. Even if a male candidate in America were any of those other things, let alone all of them together, he wouldn't make it. Sad, but true. I think that its pathetic that the United States trapses around the world "spreading democracy" when countless other nations are light years ahead of us in actually executing it in their own nations.
Indira Gandhi: Prime Minister of India 1966- 1977 and 1980-1984
Golda Meir: Prime Minister of Israel 1969-1974
Margaret Thatcher: Prime Minister of Great Britian 1979-1990 (Ronald Reagan's Brain but still a woman)
Vigdis Finnbogadottir: Prime Minister of Iceland 1980-1996
Benazir Bhutto: Prime Minister of Pakistan 1988-1990 and 1993-1996
Gro Harlem Brundtland: Prime Minister of Norway 1986-1989 and 1990-1996
Violeta Barrios de Chamorro: Presiden of Nicaragua 1990-1997
Mary Robinson: President of Ireland 1990-1997
Mary McAleese: President of Ireland 1997-Present
Helen Clark: Prime Minister of New Zealand 1999-Present
Michelle Bachelet: Prime Minister of Chile 2006-Present
I'm sure there are more but thats enough to make a point I think.
Thanks to Brad from Willing Warrior for reporting the elections. I really enjoyed his last two video blogs on the subject especially how the votes are counted in Chile.
In America
The land of the free they said,
and of opportunity,
in a just and truthful way.
But when the president
is never black, female, or gay,
and until that day,
you've got nothing to say to me
to help me believe.
-From "America is Not The World" by Morrissey on the album "You Are The Quarry"
I say this not out of hate for this country but out of a profound and deep love of it; because I am able to, because this is America and I don't want to lose it.
Keep in mind that Chile is 70% Catholic and their new president, Michelle Bachelet, is divorced and agnostic but her political message was still heard above all that. Even with machismo deeply entrenched in latin culture Chile elected a female as a president. It is sad but true that if in this country a divorced agnostic woman ran for president she would have never even been taken seriously as a viable candidate, her politics would have fallen on deaf ears. Even if a male candidate in America were any of those other things, let alone all of them together, he wouldn't make it. Sad, but true. I think that its pathetic that the United States trapses around the world "spreading democracy" when countless other nations are light years ahead of us in actually executing it in their own nations.
Indira Gandhi: Prime Minister of India 1966- 1977 and 1980-1984
Golda Meir: Prime Minister of Israel 1969-1974
Margaret Thatcher: Prime Minister of Great Britian 1979-1990 (Ronald Reagan's Brain but still a woman)
Vigdis Finnbogadottir: Prime Minister of Iceland 1980-1996
Benazir Bhutto: Prime Minister of Pakistan 1988-1990 and 1993-1996
Gro Harlem Brundtland: Prime Minister of Norway 1986-1989 and 1990-1996
Violeta Barrios de Chamorro: Presiden of Nicaragua 1990-1997
Mary Robinson: President of Ireland 1990-1997
Mary McAleese: President of Ireland 1997-Present
Helen Clark: Prime Minister of New Zealand 1999-Present
Michelle Bachelet: Prime Minister of Chile 2006-Present
I'm sure there are more but thats enough to make a point I think.
Thanks to Brad from Willing Warrior for reporting the elections. I really enjoyed his last two video blogs on the subject especially how the votes are counted in Chile.
In America
The land of the free they said,
and of opportunity,
in a just and truthful way.
But when the president
is never black, female, or gay,
and until that day,
you've got nothing to say to me
to help me believe.
-From "America is Not The World" by Morrissey on the album "You Are The Quarry"
I say this not out of hate for this country but out of a profound and deep love of it; because I am able to, because this is America and I don't want to lose it.
posted by Adam at 2:00 AM
10 Comments:
Adam... I heard on a radio commentary this AM an excerpt from a Teddy Roosevelt speech during his Presidency, speaking about being patriotic and supporting your county, and the long and the short of it was, to be patriotic is to support ALL of your county, not a person or a specific branch of Government - it is to support it, but ONLY to the extent that the individual or branch is working for the GOOD of the whole. When that stops to happen, then it is unpatriotic to continue to support and is very patriotic to question, condemn and ask for and expect change...
Still looking for the entire excerpt. GREAT POST my friend - really enjoyed it! Still one of the best reads in blogland!
Does this mean you are voting for Hillary Clinton in 2008 Adam????!!!! Whoops... sorry... didn't mean to make your coffee shoot out of your nostrils. Sorry about that buddy! ;)
It’s hard not to get the feeling that much of the world is moving one direction (you know, a reasonable one) while the U.S. is moving backwards.
Nicely said. And I don't hate my (former) country either, but feel rather heartbroken instead.
The chilean "miracle" gives me hope really. But for that hope to take seed here in America, the failed social conservative backlash must first blow itself out. We're not there yet; it's still blowing, albeit more softly.
The pendulum is always swinging, and I know there will come a day when it will swing back to "our" side; I am sad today, and envious of other countries, but I'll wait patiently.. the day will come.
If I may add to your list of female democratically elected leaders, there is also Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, who is now Africa's first elected woman president.
Just 5 years ago, it was one messed up country (well, I don't think I'm moving there anytime soon) and now it has democratic elections in spite of Pat Robertson's support of the Charles Taylor, the country's former maniacal dictator.
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I LOVE CHILLI! OH, wait, nevermind.
Closing qualification, very well said Adam.
Some financial analysts are claiming that Latin America is the sleeping giant, maybe this will extend beyond the financial realm?
One thing I notice about our unique political system vs. most other "democracies" is we are usually limited to choosing between Jackass A and Jackass B, neither of whom typically have a socially progressive view toward addressing our nation's problems.
Meh.... I don't know what to think anymore. I hope that jjd has the right idea, that it is a matter of the pendulum swinging back in a more socially progressive manner.
I can't understand why the Scandinavian countries (not to pick on them, but they are a good example) manage to have a good working system: a well cared for population, AND reasonably stable economies...
It seems that we can not (or will not) pull it together for ourselves.
Or could it be that we really do not have much say in things after all, and that it is a set of corporate plutocrats who run things from behind a thin veil?
Consider the Golden Rule: "He that has the Gold, makes the rules."
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