The 2012 Election and the World

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Before you begin reading, rest assured that this is not a political post. See, I have friends and family with varying political views, and the last thing I want to do is cut down my readership by going on a rant about one side or the other. Just as it is not my aim to offend any person from a different country or culture with views about religion or rights, it is thus with politics. I'm a firm believer that to change people's ideologies is damn near impossible, and well, I have better things to do.

The purpose of this post is to share with you the general feelings from people of other countries in relation to our upcoming election. You see, us Americans think we are the center of the world. Don't deny it, y'all, we do. We think that everyone is waiting with baited breath to see who the next person will be to be "The Most Powerful Person in the World".

Guess what?

People don't care that much.

Sorry.

Ask any person who has travelled around the world, and they will tell you the same thing.

But this is not a post about our overdeveloped egos and our relative insignificance in the world. There will be one later though, so check back if you want to have your opinions of our world presence shattered.

Now, as I've said before, what I am sharing with you is the general opinion that I have been privy to, through my living situation and my students. I'm sure there are people in each of these countries that feel differently, just as there are opposing views in our own country.

United Kingdom

The majority of the people I have come across in England have a more liberal set of views. The fact that there is such a bad recession in the country (way worse than the US, so stop complaining) makes people more open to new ideas and possibilites. The UK has a national healthcare system, and while they know it is not perfect, it is still useful for all people. The majority of people in the UK are situated in and around London, and just like NYC, it is a fast-paced modern city with broad ideals.

As far as our election results go, the Brits are not too fussed. While US TV and radio has been bombarded with stories (and lies), they are not getting a lot of it over here. Most people do not care about who wins. They also say they do not have enough information to make an informed decision. Those people who do have an opinion, usually formed said opinion based on one article they read, or story they saw- sadly, like so many Americans. Unlike the Americans, though, it is not a big deal to have a skewed view, as they are not voting!

Russia

The Russian people mostly view the election from a defensive point of view- they are for whichever candidate supports relations between the US and Russia, and does not want to cause any problems with their lives. The Russian people have been through so much in the last 20 years, and some people are no better of than they were before the fall of the Soviet Union. The candidate that respects the Russian people is the one they like. Just the same, if there is President who wants to keep things civil with Russia, but not get involved more than that, that is fine too.

Saudi Arabia

Like Russia, Saudi Arabians are more concerned with how they benefit from the candidates, than about how we will. The US and Saudi Arabia are on good terms right now, and they want to stay that way. Traditionally, the Saudis would agree with the more conservative views, but the fact is that it doesn't matter to them what we do in our country, as long as we don't force it in theirs.

China

The Chinese people are all about what is cool and hip. They love Justin Bieber and all things Apple. They love the idea of Obama, though I doubt any of them know anything about his politics. Like the Russians, they are going through major changes as a country, and are a bit like children in that they just want to be loved. When I lived there, I noticed a love/hate relationship. People talked to us to our faces, telling us how happy they were that we were there. Behind our backs, they cursed us. Some people yelled at us for not speaking Chinese, other people told us not to bother trying to learn it. There is a huge difference between the younger and older generations in relation to globalization, but regardless of age, the election results bother the people very little.

As I noted, the views I expressed were those of the people of each country that I came in contact with. Obviously, the governments have different ideas, as I'm sure the people living in different socioeconomic levels from me do too.

Can you share opinions you have noticed from people of a different country? Maybe different opinions from one of the countries I mentioned? Comments welcome!