Well, despite the fact that today was a Japanese national holiday, I still had to be at work and thus spent every spare moment hitting ‘refresh’ on the CNN website to keep up with the U.S. election results. It doesn’t look like the final results will be determined for the next few days at least, but I have to say that I am terribly disappointed with my fellow countrymen.

Please kindly allow me to indulge in a short rant before I go home and hit the bottle. . . .

It seems clear that at least 50% of the American people fully support the Bush administration. . . this is despite all of the lies, the misleading, the shady dealings and the rule by fear. It truly saddens me what the election reveals about my country and the current mindset in America.

In addition to supposedly being a “good Christian”, Americans apparently think that Bush should continue to head the country because he is a good leader in the “War on Terror.” They laud him for his conviction, his refusal to back down, however what they fail to realize is that the “War on Terrorism” is the biggest lie, the biggest nothing in the history of the world (excluding, perhaps, organized religion, but I won’t get into that). The “War” just plays on people’s nebulous fears of terror, foreigners and the unknown. The “War on Terror” is all about maintaining the fear.

America can never win the “War on Terror”, because no such thing exists. America can never gain any security until it examines the real causes of terrorism and stops believing the lie that “they hate our freedom”.

“They” hate us because we push them around and blow them up.

Anyhow, what I find most discouraging is that I can no longer defend my country against criticism. I can’t defend the people as not being represented by our government. If Bush is re-elected, it will have been with the support of the majority of the American people and that’s how the rest of the world will see it.

The stereotype of the ugly American just got uglier.

Four more years of Bush. . . it’s impossible to predict what will happen, and although I’m sure I come across in this post as a raving liberal, I’m not one to make hysterical predictions about a draft, which countries will be invaded next, etc. However, it’s hard to imagine a world four years from now where America is respected and thriving. Instead, I see an invigorated fundamentalist Right continuing to dictate foreign and domestic policy — again, based upon fear.

Congratulations Mr. Bin Laden, you’ve won.