Well, lots of different things have entered into and influenced my thinking during this exam week (ie week of partial freedom from time restraints imposed by school). I read an article about the European Dream (as opposed to the American Dream) in Utne magazine. I have been reading Catherine de Hueck Doherty's The Gospel Without Compromise. I finally watched Fahrenheit 9/11. I also watched Fight Club today. It's been a lot to take in. Maybe I can start to process it here.
Okay, first off I should get it out there that I'm planning to vote for Kerry come 11/2. As much as I am Pro-Life, I have come to understand that abortion laws will not be changed any time soon. It would be better to support a candidate whose philosophy might lead to a treatment of the social conditions that lead to many abortions than to support a candidate who is making those conditions worse, and isn't all that Pro-Life anyway. Honestly, my vote for Kerry is more a vote against Bush. While I dislike the two party system dramatically limiting my options to support a candidate who actually holds the majority of my views, I accept that this is the present system within which we are living. And in order to successfully oust Bush, I am left with only one realistic choice. This is a vote of conscience for me because I cannot imagine giving Bush another four years to mess up the planet any more than he already has; I have to have hope that Kerry will be able to at least slow down the rate at which the United States messes up the world.
I mean, really, doesn't anyone else see the irony of Bush forcing "freedom [to be] on the march?" Any parallels to Monolithic Communism? Taking over countries so that they can assume your political system? This is the most blatant, and therefore most offensive to the world, form of globalization that the United States is trying to enact.
I guess this is where my watching Fight Club takes effect. I had never given much thought to the effects of globalization, or even what it was, until recently. The movie is basically (without getting into any of the plot at all) a portrayal of a very violent anti-globalization group. I read a review of the movie that helped me understand it a lot better for what it is, if you're interested. I came away from the movie and review thinking about what I've read in Gospel Without Compromise, which is the most recent call to love one's enemies that I've received. So the movie was good only in introducing me to this important issue of globalization.
The Utne article that I linked to above was cool because it presents an alternate worldview from the one the United States holds, that of Europe, or more specifically, the European Union, which I find to be a very cool thing indeed. I very much suggest reading the article. Unfortunately, as Europe has apparently evolved liberally, it has become greatly secularized (as the article says). Not that the United States is very far behind that trend. Despite this fact about European culture, I get the sense that I might be more compatible with the governing structures in Europe than in the United States. I'm not planning on moving an time soon, but I look forward to experiencing Europe in person.
I don't know if there's anything to say about Fahrenheit. Bush is bad. We need to get him out. I knew that before watching the movie. But it's nice to know that the message is reaching more voters.
To quote the bumperstickers on the back of my car (if only bikes had bumpers), "Choose Life. Not Bush."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment