One Nation, Divided

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Tomorrow the USA will split in two, one half voting for the incumbent and the other for his challenger. The result will be decided by the smallest of margins in a very large number of places. It will be a picture of who we are as a nation. Remarkably in the past four years, four years filled with wars and attacks and economic struggle, we have not been drawn together as a nation, rather, we have become two nations, separated by completely different ideas of what America means. Two nations of people trying to walk parallel paths towards a more perfect Union.

We cannot continue in this way for long. One Nation, divided, presents exactly the kind of country our enemies look on with interest and our allies with distain.

Let us pledge to each other that whoever is declared the winner of this election that we ourselves will reach out to each other as Americans to join forces for a brighter future. That we ourselves will take our leaders to task if we do not see them reaching out to all Americans in their triumph. That we ourselves pledge ourselves to each other through our honor and love of this nation, so that we might again be addressed as one, We, the People of the United States.

Joe Nation

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Stand together, or fall apart, eh? I fear it's going to be a lose/lose situation...

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Sorry, Joe; I shall not accept Bush and the neocons.

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Joe, you have my vote. A house divided against itself cannot stand.

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I don't know if you know, Joe, but I make a living as a political speechwriter. You sounded just like some of the political speeches I write.

A good politician is always underlining -in his/her deed, not only on the speech- what unites a country over what it divides it. The duty of a politician is to temperate the mood of the people, as well as to obey it. This, of course, doesn't happen on campaigns, when politicians stress on the dividing lines.

But I feel that the US citizenry is more divided and polarized than ever in my lifetime. Split in half on many many issues. Split. You said the word.
Talk of unity is now more of a lip service to an abandoned ideal, unless some deep reforms are made.
I honestly don't see how the Americans will be able to deal with the dividing crack, otherwise.

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Wonderful sentiment, Joe. I wholeheartedly agree. But as you can see by Edgar's representative attitude above, the winds of unity and cooperation are unlikely to change anytime soon ... the divide shall remain ... and the beat goes on ....

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No way Joe!

Our country has a long proud history of dissent. From the abolitionist movements, to Thoreau, to the Vietnam Protests and ML King Americans of good will have always opposed power when it was wrong.

If Bush wins again I will oppose him in every way I can that does not violate my sense of ethics.

Bush is a disaster. Anyone who loves their country will oppose him.

Albert Einstein wrote:

He who joyfully marches to music rank and file, has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action. It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder.

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fbaezer wrote:

But I feel that the US citizenry is more divided and polarized than ever in my lifetime. Split in half on many many issues. Split. You said the word.
Talk of unity is now more of a lip service to an abandoned ideal, unless some deep reforms are made.
I honestly don't see how the Americans will be able to deal with the dividing crack, otherwise.

Fbaezer, it would be interesting to know, from your perspective in Mexico, what you think the underlying causes of this polarization are.

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If it appears to be a fair vote for Bush, I will begrudgingly accept the result. I also mean by this his getting more total votes than Kerry, unlike what happened in 2000.

But if the result smells anything like it did four years ago--and that includes a win in the electoral college after a loss in the popular vote--forget it.

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Acquiunk wrote:

Fbaezer, it would be interesting to know, from your perspective in Mexico, what you think the underlying causes of this polarization are.

When I was a child, the racial divide was crucial, but Americans were able to get over it (at least, over most of it).

Now, deep, intense, differences prevail over almost everything. Somehow the private realms have become very hot political issues. Class differences are bigger than they used to. And the Iraqi adventure was terrible in terms of national unity: there was a sense of unity -not only within the US, but all over the Western world- after 9/11 and also after the invasion of Afghanistan (which seemed logical to most): that was lost.

It seems that a growing number of Americans is thinking in "us" and "them" terms. In "black and white". This leads to authoritarian ways of thought: "my way or no way".

A part of the US citizenry is moving left, and now seems more in tune with European social-democrats (hey, the US Democrats were considered liberal right wing by most other Westerners, a couple of decades back). Another part is moving right, and it seems to me it is more and more isolated, in international ideological terms.

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fbaezer wrote:

It seems that a growing number of Americans is thinking in "us" and "them" terms. In "black and white". This leads to authoritarian ways of thought: "my way or no way". .

This is my observation also. What I'm am trying to understand is why it is happening. My personal explanation is a reaction to rapid and disorienting cultural change, but that is too vague and probably represents the proclivities of my own back ground (Anthropology). In this situation the observations of outsiders are significant.

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The United States has been engaged in a cultural war since the nation was founded, of which the Civil War was but one stage. I don't expect us to wise up for a very long time to come.

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Joe Nation wrote:

That's all over now, Larry. Those who would impose their beliefs upon us are in total power and as we have already seen in Texas, there is no reason to have a debate when those in power hold all the cards.

Ask Tom DeLay if he believes there ought to be open debate on the question of the right to life.

Go ahead.

The first appointment to the Supreme Court will take place in less the ninety days.

Go ahead.

Ask Paul Wolfowitz if he thinks the US hegemony provides us a tool to reach out to other nations. Don't be surprised if he laughs in your face.

Go ahead.

Ask Colin Powell for the reasons he is leaving this administration and if he believes that in a second term Bush will make or lose progress in finding peace in Middle East. Ask him when his book will be ready to go to press.

==
This is the wrong gang to run an operation like the American Republic. They have already been a disaster, they are not likely to change.

Good luck, Pollyanna.

That's more like it, Joe.

I could hardly believe the post you wrote when you started this thread. It sounded too conciliatory, too much like you were abandoning the fight.

Despite the "make nice" speeches of Kerry and Bush, this country is deeply divided. It was a VERY close vote. The lines of division are drawn deeply...too deeply to gloss over. The Republicans are not going to stop their politics of fear and aggression. Why should they? They won. And the Democrats are not going to stop demanding that they be held accountable. Nor should we.

I knew exactly where your unity speech came from, Joe. We are peacemakers. At heart, we want to take care of people. We don't like fighting. But this fight isn't over, Joe. It won't be over for a long, long time. And I, for one, refuse to pretend differently.

I'm encouraged to see you're getting your voice back, my friend. Give 'em hell!!!

(((((HUG)))))

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There was some discussion today on a radio program about what will happen if there is another group of Americans heading for countries like Canada. Similar to when the UEL's came up, and Vietnam. The talking heads feel that America will move more and more to the right as people who really hated the results leave the country. A frightening thought from this side of th border.

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Both my grandfatherss (paternal and maternal) came from New Brunswick. Can I come back?

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Acquiunk wrote:

Both my grandfatherss (paternal and maternal) came from New Brunswick. Can I come back?

You have my blessing.

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Ticomaya wrote:

You have my blessing.

That was not addressed to you... bug out. You have become a problem on several threads this evening.

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One Nation, Divided

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