Encouragement from abroad

The New York Times has an insightful article this evening on international response to yesterday's election results. I found this story encouraging because it indicates to me that other nations may be willing to embrace an America that is not so insistent on calling all the shots. It may yet be possible to restore some of the global goodwill that our nation had once possessed. Here are a few abridged selections from the story:

As word of the American midterm election results and, later, the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld spread across the globe, criticism of the United States turned less shrill, less gloating, more textured than in the past.

It was not, of course, a presidential vote — though some thought it should have been. But the tone of criticism seemed more conciliatory than on previous occasions when President Bush has stumbled, in part because his power is now seen as waning irrevocably.

For Europe, it’s good news, because America will be forced to be less of a solitary aggressor.

As the Italian foreign minister, Massimo d’Alema, put it: “One cycle is over — the cycle of preventative war, of unilateralism, has ended in great failure. That’s the truth, and that’s how it is perceived by the American public opinion.”

“Europeans have tended to look at the U.S. as being synonymous with Bush,” said Karsten D. Voigt, the coordinator of German-American relations in the foreign ministry. “This shows that the reality is far more diverse and multi-faceted. I hope it will lead to a diminution of anti-American prejudice.”

I hope so, too. As the story makes clear, there are pitfalls to and obstacles in this new moment in American politics, but I still can't help but feel that we have made at least one step in the right direction by acknowledging that America is a nation of many voices and (indirectly) that the world is bigger than America's view of it.

(By the way, it's free all-access week at the New York Times, so you can see the full story without registering.)

A lesson in humility

I rarely allow someone to put words in my mouth, but associated press reporter Paul Haven just put my thoughts on paper even better than I could have in his story today on international response to yesterday's election:

"From Paris to Pakistan, politicians, analysts and ordinary citizens said they hoped the Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives would force President Bush to adopt a more conciliatory approach to global crises, and teach a president many see as a "cowboy" a lesson in humility."

I agree, and this is a big reason why I have gradually shifted from being a moderate Republican in 2000 to a progressive independent by 2004 (and beyond). Are we the strongest nation in the world? Yes. Does that mean that we can be the bully in the global schoolyard? No. Regardless of our strength, we need to work with other nations to build consensus about how to solve the issues we face and then go tackle them--rather than trying to tackle them on our own and then trying to convince the world that we know best.

That said, I sincerely don't want to spend the next several weeks arrogantly basking in the Republicans' losses last night. We all, including myself, could stand to have a little humility and to make an authentic attempt to try to face the problems that confront us and make this country a better place to live and to make it once again a respected presence on the world stage.

Put down that paper

Slate's Jack Slater is on to something, I think: Don't read the paper this morning, at least the election coverage.

"Save yourself some pain and cash and don't buy the Tuesday newspaper. If you subscribe, do yourself a favor—tear out the first half of the A section and discard it. If you can purge your paper of its editorial section without looking at it, do so, and go directly to the sports section, which unlike the style, metro, and business sections, will make no attempt to talk politics."

I should have followed this advice for the past two months. I care about my home state, my country and the world at large, but have I learned much of anything constructive about political candidates since summer? Not really. What have I learned? Mark Foley has issues, both Bob and Harold are conservative and want you to think the other is not, a non-issue (gay marriage, when state law already defines marriage as between a man and a woman) is commanding attention that would be better focused elsewhere and political parties will do just about anything to keep or acquire power.

I've already early voted, for what it's worth, but I would still like to trade the past several weeks of attack ads and lofty rhetoric for honest, constructive discussion. Here's hoping that, despite the nonsense, we're generally becoming more informed and reasonable as a nation and, hopefully, willing to work together. I doubt anything in today's paper or on the air will confirm this hope, but I can still dream.

Good advice

I've already voted in this election, but I thought this marquee had really good advice last night. I'm really tired of the negative attack ads (though I keep hearing that they are effective) and all the hype, and I sure wish that people with various opinions could just calmly, reflectively and compassionately consider the issues. I wish we as a nation could constructively focus our attention on the most critical problems we face and look for real, practical solutions that serve the common good.

I know that's an incredibly naive and idealistic wish, one that isn't likely to happen. But I still feel that way.

e-voting

I early (and electronic) voted today. Even at 9:15 a.m. at the Green Hills Library, all the voting machines were occupied. There was not a line, but there appeared to be a steady stream of voters coming in. I have some concerns about a "paper trail" documenting electronic results, but otherwise my experience was positive. It was easy to vote, and I was in and out quickly.

I tried to capture a shot of the machine in action on my Treo, but I accidentally obscured the image with my thumb. Oops. The stock photo above will have to suffice.