American Views Abroad

 
'.....Around this great city yesterday, the day went into the heart of the night without excitement. There was an election for the mayor and the streets should have been loud with the shrieks of people crying for your vote. Bloomberg last night finished spending at least $70 million to get re-elected. That is not democracy. Everyone of those dollars should form the seeds of revolt.' From War Must Be a Local Issue by Jimmy Breslin in www.commondreams.org/views05/1109-31.htm

Breslin is a New Yorker's New Yorker, the old-fashioned kind I can identify with. It is simply distressing to see how these days getting elected to office in the US is based on money, real big money, irregardless of whether it is self-made or not, and, very often, family and elite, or so-called, elite colleges. Back when Schroeder got re-elected and sent George W. Bush into an outrage because he made it by the skin of his teeth by campaigning against the war in Iraq (something that struck a cord with his German voters) little to no comment was made anywhere, least of all in the US press, on how Schroeder comes from blue collar roots and is indeed a self-made man. Not a big money self-made man, but one who made his way through an apprenticeship, than on to university where he became a lawyer. He, Merkel, and most of the others up for election here last time didn't have to, nor could they, throw millions of euros around. Does this make them any less suitable for office? Of course not. The role of money plays in US elections, however, keeps very suitable citizens out of the race. Three cheers for Breslin for pointing this out.
- posted by Gloria @ 7:52 PM