America Abroad

Ciao everyone, I hope you're doing well on this Thursday, it is officially my weekend now and I'm feeling glad it's here, for certain. Not much has occurred since I posted last night here; I had to go to bed pretty quickly after that and I slept for over 9 hours, I was really, really tired. I got up and made some breakfast, went to Italian, and got out around 11 for the day. It's pretty awesome my class schedule lined up like this, I've gotta say. I get from 11am Thursday til 9am Monday off, and that's a hefty break.

I can focus on that more, but I am really focusing on something else at the moment, and I want to just share with you what it appears to me as occurring back home. It's a nice topic to really touch on, how I keep up with American Politics, Sports, News, Weather, People, etc.

For the past month, I have used my usual resource--the internet--profusely and no television whatsoever. I haven't gone this long without watching at least something in quite a long time. Not a bad thing, for sure, but still, it's strange. Am I bummed I'm going to miss the premier of the Office tonight? Sure, but I'll try and catch it online. The internet really can make up for an information gap, no doubt about it.

But that's the thing: it makes up for that gap, but not the atmospheric nature of what's going on back home. I really would like to see how as a country the U.S.A. is reacting to the bailout and the economic struggles. I mean, reading the rhetoric of the President yesterday and seeing CNN's coverage of it, it sounds pretty bad. Over here, you can't talk about this stuff with anyone. No one really covers it, they've got problems of their own. My roommates and I discuss it a little, but we're not a part of it anymore, so it's tough to really feel how significant and immediate the problems really are.

I awoke this morning to this headline of President Bush saying "our entire economy is in danger" and "Without immediate action by Congress, America could slip into a financial panic." I mean, wow. What a thing to read, you know? Really look into that rhetoric for a minute and imagine being a foreigner, reading these translations and see what you feel afterward. "Our entire economy is in danger" is a huge statement; our economy is part of the American Dream, and allows you to make something out of yourself, and if it's in danger, that means our very way of life, our entire moralistic and idealistic way of life is in jeopardy. Really? That's pretty bad. Not to mention, if the taxpayers don't dole out essentially 10,000 dollars PER HOUSEHOLD, we're screwed and we may never recover.

Now, I don't want to be one of those people who says "I told you so" and feels some sick sense of satisfaction, but there were a lot of people in this country, and I number myself as one of them, who feared four more years of the Bush Doctrine and Politics, with tax breaks and increased war spending, going into the deficit more and more every year, and with no end in sight, I can only shake my head. It makes me want to cry for our once great nation, suffering such pain that really could have been largely averted, simply by not going to war or withdrawing sooner and not committing for a decade of overseas spending.

Seven Hundred BILLION dollars, imagine, that's two thousand, three hundred and thirty four dollars per person in the United States. Wow. I mean, think about that. Just digest the fact that as a family of four, you're essentially contributing over 10,000 dollars to bailout the economy.

Now, McCain and Palin are saying that they're ashamed that our wasteful government is having to right the economy with taxpayer dollars. Hey, so am I! But let's think for a minute about how we got here people: Bush Politics, which you want to continue in office. Well, obviously it's worked so well for the past eight years, going from a surplus to the largest deficit ever recorded by a single country in the history of humankind and an economic debacle the likes of which haven't been seen since the Great Depression.

All in eight years. Just remember that.

Our way of life and our economy is in grave danger (since to quote A Few Good Men, is there any other kind?) and we have a real problem on our hands. You're right, Mr. President, and you created it. Your policies, wars, and spending have done this, and we're all paying for it.

It makes me so sad. I honestly can say I expected things to be bad with four more years of President Bush in 2004, but I can honestly say that I didn't think it'd get this bad. And it's bad. McCain has suspended his campaign and wants to suspend the debate ON THE ECONOMY for God's sake until after this crisis is over. When has there ever been a more crucial time to see our candidates positions on the economy than at this very moment?

I am saddened deeply by the state of affairs, and I hope we can figure this out somehow. We need to change a few things in Washington and in our lives in general or we're in even deeper trouble than we're already in. I mean, I spend every day over here in Rome now, spending the Euro, and the dollar pails in buying power to the Euro. 8 years ago, the Euro was introduced, and the dollar and Euro were equal. Now? The Euro is 45 percent stronger, meaning we are 45% weaker than we were 8 years ago in terms of international buying power, a sobering thought, to say the least. All that in just 8 years.

I really hope you're all doing well, and I know this may have seemed a little opinionated, but honestly, I really don't think there's much partisan or evil in what I'm saying. It's an honest observation reading information I can get and formulating an opinion.

Just remember that on November 4th, when you're asked to pick up a ballot, please, do so. And remember to think about where we were 8, or even 4, years ago, and think: can we really endure another four like the last 4?

I hope you all know this is just my opinion and I would love to discuss in in depth with any of you more if given the chance or if you really want to, but I couldn't let this go on without at least sounding off a bit on it.

It's my weekend, and I believe I'm going to go to Siena or something this weekend, but Venice looks a little expensive at this moment in time, so it may get pushed off to a bit later date. But, as always, until next time,

Ciao.