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November 7, 2008
The Nearly Obligatory Elections Post
This was my first real vote and I'm glad it counted, even if it had to wing its way across half the world and back in order to do so. It's been a strange electoral season to follow, especially from Cambodia. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but the only news channels on my TV (besides the Singaporean propaganda outlet) are CNBC and BBC. CNBC gave me a pretty interesting perspective on the financial crisis (I gauged the severity of the crisis based on the frequency of the analysts alternately screaming at each other or admitting their bewilderment.) Still, it didn't give me a (main) street level view of what was going on. That was where my brother came in handy, working as he does in the local congressional office of Patrick Murphy (D-PA) in Bucks County. Without him, I would have felt so distant and disconnected from the mood of the country, like Howard Hughes or Wm. Randolph Hearst or something. Thanks, Brendan!
And while BBC's coverage is fascinating to watch (and freely violates the unquestioned shibboleths of coverage pitched at the American voter), it's just not the same without the endless dissection of minute details (and the irrelevant pleasure thereof) I get from watching MSNBC or CNN with the family on election night, which for me started at 8am Wednesday morning. So I had to settle for the next best thing: talking to my parents on Skype while we endlessly dissected the results. I'm particularly fond of my observation that Obama was on the way to a Big Ten sweep.
I wore a huge smile all through Wedenesday, and tried to explain it to my classes. Most of them sort of got it, but it was really only the Vietnamese exchange student (who had studied American History in high school) who really understood what it meant, both for me and the country. For my Essay Class, I could explain it in terms of 'America as unfulfilled promise, that slowly moves toward fulfillment;' In other words, we need to face the promise of the promised land.
For my low-intermediate class, many of them barely understand what's going on in Thailand, much less the rest of the world. I had to explain that Obama was not in George Bush's party. I had to explain that there were only two parties in America. I had to explain that Obama was the first black president elected in over 200 years. I had to explain that Barack Obama was not a muslim. I had to explain that many people in rural america, especially those in George Bush's party, were afraid of Muslims. Then one of my students asked me why there was conflict between Muslims and Christians, which stumped me when it came to giving a clear, concise answer that can be understood by intermediate speakers of english. (For that matter, it stumps me when it comes to giving a clear, concise answer to speakers of any level.) There's certainly awareness, but not a lot of deep understanding. BBC's callers from Nigeria and Kenya might have the Obama talking points down, but most Cambodians are what you might call "low-information foreigners."
You can't really blame them, though: it takes a significant amount of either leisure time or internationally-minded education to develop an understanding of world politics. Right now, they're just trying to balance demands from parents, jobs and school, hoping to make it through and start a comparatively lucrative career, probably at a nonprofit or international organization(it's a pretty good sign that you're country's a bit skewed when the most coveted jobs are all at NGOs). Maybe their children will have the educational infrastructure and and time to figure it out, but for now they need all hands on deck just to help rebuild Cambodia. Y'know, it's like stage two of the old John Adams saw:
I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.
Posted by flynn at November 7, 2008 4:52 PM
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Comments
Have to give it to you for a post that references both Bob Seger and John Adams ... !
Now, post-election, you are missing out on the GOP's circular firing squad and endless speculation about whether Barack is betraying the promise of "change" by resurrecting assorted Clintonites (nevermind that any Dem with actual govt. service experience is likely to have served in the Clinton administration).
But it certainly beats 2000 & 2004 all to hell.
Posted by: Ann at November 7, 2008 10:47 PM