I happen to be only 20 so my knowledge is limited. However, I am not thoroughly ignorant and have done enough reading to despair at the current state of American politics.
The economy is not the only important thing. Yes, another Republican would probably improve the business climate, thus pushing CEO pay higher and probably just letting worker pay flat-line amidst inflation (or decrease) as it has the past decade or two… or three.
However, Obama shows promise internationally as a diplomatic leader. The current “point guns at everyone who is a threat to America’s international energy empire” could end one of two ways; total submission of the world to America’s whim or global nuclear war.
Simply put, we “youngsters” are sick of being poor, sick of war, sick of global warming, sick of fake messianic missions with ulterior motives, sick of a small elite population steering the oceans of people towards and against eachother for short-term wealth and power, and sick of the fact that no matter what happens we will inevitably still have to be the ones to clean-up this debt-ridden forsaken pile of trash after you all have had your fill of the treasure.
I think its funny that nobody cares about the fact that if the tax cuts are implemented, ceos and entrepreneurs would restructure their pay so as to avoid it. They would rather make less money than submit to a tax increase that would benefit the education, transportation and disaster-aid sectors of the economy (all of which have seen cuts under Bush), further benefiting the millions of people who made them rich in the first place.
As for “gutting the military”- so? We have already proven through the indo-china wars and Iraqi war that our offensive military not only devastates the populations of those under attack but also the young men and women (some younger than myself by years) serving in the military. Cutting a swath through the BS, everybody knows that the war in Iraq was to take control of the oil supplies, tightening the loosening stranglehold we have on the world’s energy economy. Iran right now threatens to complete a Eurasian energy grid, being the third leg of a gas and oil pipeline tripod already involving China and Russia, effectively neutering the US’s global energy dominance. So is it any surprise they’ve become a target?
This reckless war mongering proves that, like Japan in the 40s, we do not deserve an offensive army. We should focus solely on defense and let an international coalition of nations, with an international army, decide who is a threat and who is not. An over-sized, over-aggressive military, because of its frightening nature, is more of a threat to the US than one that is too small.
Perhaps the US doesnt need to have the world’s strongest economy. Perhaps it doesnt need the world’s strongest army. Perhaps we could all enjoy a comfortable level of wealth and peace in the world.
