At a threshold?

Tomorrow, the Americans are going to do (or not do) their little quasi-democratic thing. It's not nearly as significant as most Americans think it is; it is not nearly as unimportant as most Europeans (and other folks in the world) would like it to be. There's a lot at stake, as is so often the case, not enough people are aware of just how much.

While the US president is often characterized as the most powerful man in the world, this is simply an exaggeration. The president is for the most part only as powerful as the American Congress allows him to be. He's simply a lot more show than go, but, he can, we should at least recognize, cause a lot more harm than good. He's a button-push away from fundamentally changing life as we know it, but he's not nearly as near doing anything positive. What he does, or doesn't do, will affect Americans much, much more than the rest of us living outside of America. It will catch up to us eventually, but at least we have some time to prepare for it.

What is different about this election is that it has a lot more to do with the future than the present, and it is significant insofar as many other countries - for whatever reasons - have tied their own fates to that of the US. It's a foolish thing to do, even if it seemed like a good thing to do at the time. Given the simplicity of the American system, though, it is at least possible to think about the consequences.

Think about it: if Governor Romney is elected, all that is wrong with America will be the new order of business and the out-and-out lying and blatant hypocrisy that have characterized his campaign will become institutionalized; everyone outside the US must know that America can not be relied on in any way anymore. That's not part of his agenda, and it is not why he was elected. If President Obama is re-elected, all that we don't want to be wrong with America will continue as before and the illusion of someone who claims he can will continue be confirmed as the one who just won't; everyone outside the US must know that the behind-the-scenes selling out of American morality will continue unabated. The agenda you see is not going to be the agenda you get.

Truth be told, it will be interesting to see how the voting public in America decides. More importantly, though, it will be interesting to see how the reactions of everyone else are portrayed. No matter what the outcome tomorrow, the spin machines will be operating in high gear, mirrors will be set up and smoke will be blowing like rarely before. What each of us has to decide - whether we're living in the US and directly confronted with the results or living elsewhere and directly impacted by them - is just how much we want to be affected. That choice is still ours, regardless of who we are or where we are.

I wish my countryfolk and I wish the rest of the world all the best for tomorrow. There's little to hope for, that is true, but it's an excellent opportunity to start thinking about what it is we really want for our lives.