Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Farewell to Capitalism.
It's strange how fast the whole world is falling apart over all this economic and financial woe. I've tried reading up on it but I'm not totally sure what is going on. All I remember from my revolutionary youth (I'm a bitter and deluded 22 year old now) is that Marx said that Communism would win in the end... in some form or another. Nah... it's just another recession and period of woe, isn't it? All thanks to a bunch of rich, city boys playing with money and a bunch of idiots borrowing way beyond their means. Is that right?
I watched some of the heads of those massive financial banks begging Congress to give them a cheeky lend of $700 billion. They were very nonchalant about the whole thing in my opinion. "Oh... we need $700 billion now or the country is going to hell. Erm... you might get some of it back. I won't even accept an increase in my salary this year! That's how committed I am."
The worldwide news is really focused on America these days it seems. I watched the Presidential debate on Saturday morning with a hangover and I was not impressed by either of them. By that I mean... I've been a fan of Obama for ages but I expected him to be a bit more informed on some things. I wanted him to deliver a 'knockout' blow on McCain as the media would say. McCain on the other hand... he came off alright considering he went absolutely mental the week before by suspending his campaign. I've found his whole campaign to be completely disgusting. I saw a youtube video of an advert the Republicans ran which pretty much called Obama a paedophile. The thing he actually approved was aimed to let children differentiate between affection/pat on the back and something more sinister.
Furthermore... I'm not even an American and I am completely appalled at the appointment of Sarah Palin as his running mate. It's not that she is totally inexperienced in all aspects but she is borderline clueless on very important issues. There is something worrying when you feel more intelligent and know more about the world/government/economy than a woman who could be President of America. Let's not kid ourselves either... I'd stick a bet on McCain dying in his first term. It was such an obvious and embarrassing political move that there isn't much else to say about it. If America elects the pair of them then I'm pretty sure the rest of the world will probably give up on them. I've always hated it when people go "Yeah... bloody stupid/fat Americans" but if the country votes for 12 years of those cretins then.... well, it's a shame.
Some other things that annoy me about listening to this election campaign:
Why do Americans insist on calling their country the greatest? I have never heard any other nationality utter it with such confidence and arrogance... apart from those totalitarian ones. I almost feel embarrassed when I hear people saying it. Salute the flag... an apple for teacher... love freedom. I mean... massive inequality gaps, racial tensions and the best goddamn health care system the developed world has ever seen.
Why do Americans think that God loves their country the most? Alright... supposing God is sitting up their in the sky and he hands out the good times to his favourite people. Why would this be America? A country that is only about 230 years old? Who did God support before this? Did he make Europe fight over him for about a millennium and then get bored? Maybe it's because they back up his own hunting ground of Israel? That's a bit of a mess now so he switched?
Anyway, enough of that for now. British politics are a bit of a dull mess just now as well. Gordon Brown won't leave, Labour are collapsing and the Tories are going to win the next election by default. Then everyone will remember why we hated them so much and Scotland will vote in favour of independence. However, it will all go to crap due to another recession and everyone in will be eating raw potatoes in holes in the ground. Not me though. I'll stay in Japan and ride the gravy train whilst writing history books with my fluent Japanese skills. I'm actually enjoying studying these days but I'm so appalling at speaking that it can seem a bit worthless.
The weather here in Kochi recently has been messing with my head. This time last week it still felt like the summer and the temperature was kicking around 29oC or so. On Friday night I went to a party with University students outside and it was actually really cold. Ever since then it has been raining and the temperature has dropped to about 20oC. That kind of change takes months back home. It's even more relevant when you live in a house that imitates the exact same conditions as outside. I've went from using the air conditioner to actually getting a little bit cold. Still, it's a nice change but I'd have preferred a nice gradual entrance into Autumn.
I'm going to Osaka on Thursday to see Radiohead. It's going to be excellent. Cheerio.
p.s I love America. It's one helluva country. Actually, my dad really does love American politics but only because he watches too much West Wing.
I watched some of the heads of those massive financial banks begging Congress to give them a cheeky lend of $700 billion. They were very nonchalant about the whole thing in my opinion. "Oh... we need $700 billion now or the country is going to hell. Erm... you might get some of it back. I won't even accept an increase in my salary this year! That's how committed I am."
The worldwide news is really focused on America these days it seems. I watched the Presidential debate on Saturday morning with a hangover and I was not impressed by either of them. By that I mean... I've been a fan of Obama for ages but I expected him to be a bit more informed on some things. I wanted him to deliver a 'knockout' blow on McCain as the media would say. McCain on the other hand... he came off alright considering he went absolutely mental the week before by suspending his campaign. I've found his whole campaign to be completely disgusting. I saw a youtube video of an advert the Republicans ran which pretty much called Obama a paedophile. The thing he actually approved was aimed to let children differentiate between affection/pat on the back and something more sinister.
Furthermore... I'm not even an American and I am completely appalled at the appointment of Sarah Palin as his running mate. It's not that she is totally inexperienced in all aspects but she is borderline clueless on very important issues. There is something worrying when you feel more intelligent and know more about the world/government/economy than a woman who could be President of America. Let's not kid ourselves either... I'd stick a bet on McCain dying in his first term. It was such an obvious and embarrassing political move that there isn't much else to say about it. If America elects the pair of them then I'm pretty sure the rest of the world will probably give up on them. I've always hated it when people go "Yeah... bloody stupid/fat Americans" but if the country votes for 12 years of those cretins then.... well, it's a shame.
Some other things that annoy me about listening to this election campaign:
Why do Americans insist on calling their country the greatest? I have never heard any other nationality utter it with such confidence and arrogance... apart from those totalitarian ones. I almost feel embarrassed when I hear people saying it. Salute the flag... an apple for teacher... love freedom. I mean... massive inequality gaps, racial tensions and the best goddamn health care system the developed world has ever seen.
Why do Americans think that God loves their country the most? Alright... supposing God is sitting up their in the sky and he hands out the good times to his favourite people. Why would this be America? A country that is only about 230 years old? Who did God support before this? Did he make Europe fight over him for about a millennium and then get bored? Maybe it's because they back up his own hunting ground of Israel? That's a bit of a mess now so he switched?
Anyway, enough of that for now. British politics are a bit of a dull mess just now as well. Gordon Brown won't leave, Labour are collapsing and the Tories are going to win the next election by default. Then everyone will remember why we hated them so much and Scotland will vote in favour of independence. However, it will all go to crap due to another recession and everyone in will be eating raw potatoes in holes in the ground. Not me though. I'll stay in Japan and ride the gravy train whilst writing history books with my fluent Japanese skills. I'm actually enjoying studying these days but I'm so appalling at speaking that it can seem a bit worthless.
The weather here in Kochi recently has been messing with my head. This time last week it still felt like the summer and the temperature was kicking around 29oC or so. On Friday night I went to a party with University students outside and it was actually really cold. Ever since then it has been raining and the temperature has dropped to about 20oC. That kind of change takes months back home. It's even more relevant when you live in a house that imitates the exact same conditions as outside. I've went from using the air conditioner to actually getting a little bit cold. Still, it's a nice change but I'd have preferred a nice gradual entrance into Autumn.
I'm going to Osaka on Thursday to see Radiohead. It's going to be excellent. Cheerio.
p.s I love America. It's one helluva country. Actually, my dad really does love American politics but only because he watches too much West Wing.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
I think it is important for the readers of this blog to remember Craig has a real, live American sitting right across from him, whose views Craig failed to include in his biased rant against God. A small interview with the American, who I am sure is quite articulate and well versed in the intricacies of his own culture/political system, would have done a lot to further the credibility of this tripe.
How about those Americans! I'm sure many of you are just jealous about not having your own moose-shooting, corruption-busting (except when it is your own family's interst), God-fearing, know-nothing a heart's beat away from having her finger on enough nuclear material to annilate life on the planet. Then again, I haven't been too impressed that Americans have cornered the market on ignorance, greed and God-seal-of-approving their own nationalism. I might be in the minority, but I'm pretty sure if there is a God, she or he isn't waving a flag but is worried about bigger issues such as black holes devouring a hard week's worth of creation or upstart organisms destroying their own habitat and making sure there are enough raw potatoes to last until evolution improves things.
Remember the word 'tripe', you might need it soon.
Surely if I were to interview an American who...you know... had a passport and knew where Iraq was on a map then it wouldn't be very representative? Oh meow.
These replies make me nervous. It reminds me that people read this rubbish.
As an american who doesn't believe in 'God', were not all evil :P
I wrote this before the hope filled years of Obama so I... blame republicans.
Post a Comment