Gored Around the Bushes

By Muhammad Aquil

“Bush, Gore in Florida poll twister”, “Forrest Chumps”, “Miami Vice”. Newspaper headlines can appear to exult at times.

This exalted feeling is particularly ironic coming out from the areas of the world where despots and tyrants abound. They seem to be feeling a great sense of personal satisfaction to be able to thumb up their nose at the world’s greatest democracy. Maybe, in this instance, it is ironically appropriate, as the headlines seems to resonate with to the reality on the ground.

But let’s not get carried away with all these exalted headlines in the newspapers and drama of the TV reports. Let’s give credit where credit is due. The U.S. notwithstanding, the current election debacle and process flaws, still has a process. All the gloating and jeering is coming mostly from areas of the world that have terrible processes and that have leaders that don’t wish to adhere to any process. It seems the despots and tyrants are the ones carried away the most with the euphoria of getting even with the bad old Uncle Sam.

Having said that, there is no denying the fact that the decisions made in the Oval office have an profound impact on the citizens of the world. US presidency is the most powerful position in the world. Undoubtedly, there is a great interest around the world as to who will occupy the Oval office chair. Therefore, it would be overly presumptuous of Americans to expect that nobody other than the priest or a rabbi have the rights to be critical of the US system’s flaws. It is equally presumptuous on the part of some Americans to say: take it or leave it, in other words — go back to your country of origin, if you don’t like the system here.

Americans should not assume that they are the only people who can poke their nose in the affairs of every country on the globe or that they are the only one equipped to have all the answers. While, it may be true that America is a beacon of democracy for the rest of the world, and while it may also be true that the American beacon motivated a lot of people to migrate to her shores and escape powerlessness and tyranny, there is much evidence that the so-called common man from the banana republics have come of age and is well ahead in the meaning of democracy to be able to articulate a critique or two.

Clearly, American could not make up their minds as to whom they wanted as their next president. Clearly, the Democrats and Republicans, in the current election, were two sides of the same coin. The results of the current election clearly shows that it didn’t matter who won — for most Americans, the difference is really between more of the same and almost the same. No matter what, half of the voters would be unhappy with whoever moves in the Oval Office. Small wonder than, this was the closest presidential election in US history.

Could it be that most Americans who generally distrust their politicians have become disinterested in the democratic process? Or could it be that they have begun to realize that the real king-makers are the powerful, self-appointed, self-perpetuating corporate elites who are answerable to no one?

Whatever the answers to these questions may be, one thing is certain, most Americans are disgusted with their political process going into the hands of the legal eagles. They are disgusted that a small Jewish- predominated county of Palm Beach, Florida is hijacking the U.S. election because their first-ever vice-presidential candidate may not be able to make history in the new millennium. Apparently, some people are never content with their well established influence and leverage in the U.S.politics. Americans are disgusted at the politicians looking at the courts to bail them out. They are disgusted that if one doesn’t like the outcome of an election then all kinds of means and delay tactics are utilized. Gore’s camps rush for litigation, claiming the confusing ballot paper is going to be a time-consuming legal ordeal for the American public. And we all know what happens when lawyers get involved in the political process: matters get messy and more confusing.

The irony however is that the design of the so-called “butterfly ballot” was conceived and designed by a Democrat and approved by Florida election officials most of whom were Democratic party members and electorates. The same butterfly ballot was used in 1996 and is currently also used in Chicago, from where comes the mayor and the Democratic National Party Chairman Daley — the one making the most noise. Playing both sides of the fence, Daley ducked questions of whether it would pursue court action should Gore instead win the election after the numerous machine and manual recounts!

Most Americans are disgusted coming to grip with the reality as to who calls the shots in America, yet in their arrogance or ignorance still believe that this kind of thing can only happen in a banana republic. No wonder, Americans are Bushed and then Gored!