America, please look at the world...

Firstly, let me first excuse myself for the content of this post. This blog was supposed to be about my travels in Argentina over the course of a year. Lately, however, it has proven to be difficult to ignore the upcoming US elections everything it brings with it. This has been shown mostly in the form of angry comments regarding the US economy and the retorical incompetence of both Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama. I'm sorry.


It is very easy to criticise the US without any arguments today. Most of Europe seems to host some kind of innate hostility towards the States and you can find lots of clips on YouTube if you search using the words "stupid" and "Americans". (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ghdwINqirU) Please excuse us for this. I apologize.

I would like to see myself as an unbiased person, looking only objectively at the problems concerning the superpower that is the USA, but I know this is not true. I listen to an iPod, write this post on a Dell, and use a Texas Instruments calculator. I, too, am a European, and because of this I am naturally angry at the United States. For this post, however, please look past this subjectivity and try to read the facts behind my arguments.

I just finished looking at the second presidential debate (even though I should be studying for my tango theory exam) and had it not been for the "town hall" format I would have thought it was a rerun of the one they had 2 weeks ago. Of course, this is partly because of the financial crisis the world (not just America) is in and it is somewhat justified. When I know what the candidates are going to say before they are going to say it, however, it's just scary. John McCain cannot stop talking about his letter warning the treasury about the credit crunch (not a breakfast cereal) and Obama cannot stop talking about the 4 billion dollar tax-break McCain proposes to oil companies or his new and improved health care system.

To my surprise, the topic of global warming and energy dependence came up as a question. Unfortunately the question was skillfully avoided by both candidates with a mere hint from Obama to drill for more oil, and McCain proposing alternate fuels such as solar and clean coal. If I ran for president of the United States, I would base a fundamental part of my program on the environmental world crisis. How can we let a comparatively small financial crisis get in the way of discussing the environmental crisis.

Americans, please look at this graph.

The approach to the solution proposed by both senators is fundamentally wrong. "Ask not what your country (read: environment) can do for you..." Americans MUST see that their usage of oil resources and energy is "way off the charts", as some people would put it. The solution to the energy crisis is not "Where can we get more energy from?" but rather "How can we use less energy?".

Do American people not know how much energy they spend or are they just ignoring this fact disguised by the excuse that Canadians use more? Any Americans reading this post, please comment on this. I would really like to know.

I would also like to show you this graph which shows the average municipal waste per capita:

I feel ashamed that Sweden occupies the 25th place and everyday I ask myself what I can do to reduce this. I am no saint, however, and change and sacrifice of luxuries is difficult for me too. But at least I know what I need to do, and I try.

In the debate John McCain admitted that he knew there was a dislike against America because of the country's foreign policy and war in Iraq und so weiter. I, however, believe that this is only partly true. I believe the US's inability to act regarding the environmental crisis is just as good a reason for the dislike.

"We are the most powerful nation on earth!" claims McCain. OK, I believe you. Congratulations.