2012 Election
Puerto Rico - I was not aware of this before, but Puerto Rico held a referendum during yesterday's election. Puerto Ricans were given the choice of opting for statehood, outright independence, or becoming a sovereign nation with association to the United States.
Puerto Ricans voted against maintaining the current political status, with a vote of 53.9%. In the meantime, 61.15% of Puerto Ricans voted in favor of statehood. This does not necessarily mean that it will become the 51st state, because both the House and the Senate would need to approve the measure, and the President would then have to sign this into law.
There might be some opposition from Americans here who are opposed to bilingualism, since Puerto Rico is, obviously, predominately Spanish-speaking. Let's see what happens now.
This marked the first time that Puerto Ricans have been in favor of statehood.
California - Also, in California Proposition 37, which would have required labeling for genetically engineered food, was defeated, despite some 90% approval among Californians. No longer would it have been acceptable to replace "genetically engineered" with the word "natural". I get the feeling that this is not the last time that this issue will make it to an election.
Washington & Colorado - As mentioned in yesterday's blog, voters opted to legalize recreational use of marijuana, while Oregon rejected a similar measure. However, there are still questions, since the Federal government remains strongly opposed to the legalization, and national law supersedes state laws in such cases. Also, the Governor of Colorado was not happy, and vowed to fight it.
A Side Note: The Language of War
I have spoken before about the persistence of the language of war here in the United States, where we tend to be overly obsessed with combat and confrontation. We spend enormous sums of money on the military, and have done so since the days of World War II. of course, back then, we were fighting a monumental war that was thrust upon us by a sneak attack. Plus, there was no question that there were aggressive nations, particularly Germany and Japan, that truly threatened the world. After that, we got involved in the Cold War, so arguments could be made to justify the enormous military expenditures, year after year after year, decade after decade.
But for a decade following the end of the Cold War, military expenditures continued to be incredibly high, while the justification for this inflated budget seemed to be low. Then came September 11th, and the so-called "Global War on Terror" that followed. If the Cold War seemed to drag on and on, this new, and very different, unconventional war, seems to be going on and on, and indeed, there is no end in sight. We hop from one country to another, one bad situation to another, and it seems that there is always some other country that is on the verge of exploding. Look at the situation in Syria and Turkey right now, or look at Lebanon or Israel and Palestine (as usual).
So, yes, we are a nation that is obsessed with military, but it seems to bleed through in other elements of our society, as well. We see it in sports, particularly in football, with terms like "blitz" and "touchdown" and "Quick strike" offenses that are "explosive". Tough, physical defenses are often "crushing".
We use military terms in other areas, as well. The "objective" of some "operation" or "mission" is to be designed and met, and when it has been completed, we clap each other on the back and say "Mission Accomplished".
But I noticed that this tendency has infiltrated even further. When Sandy hit, we continually heard that the Jersey Shore looked like a "war zone". Not so much a disaster area, not a terrible tragedy, and not a land ravaged by nature. Nope, it was a "war zone", and I even heard some references to those areas most affected as "Ground Zero".
While watching the election coverage, I noticed that the political parties allegedly had their "war rooms", with which to devise their political strategies.
Really? Have we gotten so used to war, that we consider almost everything that we do, increasingly, to be some kind of combat mission? Have we cheapened the concept of war so much, grown so detached from reality, that we now view each other as obstacles to achieving our missions?
Perhaps it is to be expected, but the greater political divide in this nation came following the Cold War. But I do not think it is necessarily a coincidence that these greater divisions within the United States itself came after the Cold War, and not before. Prior to that, there seemed to be greater civility and, yes, let's be frank, maturity, in terms of political discourse. Now, we have grown further removed from the truth, and separated from each other. Despite what Obama might say, we have the Red States of America and the Blue States of America, and that divide seems more real now than ever before. When we view all things in warlike terms, perhaps we should not wonder why the divisions that exist here are stronger than they ever have been before, seemingly. War is not something to be trifled with, yet we approach it so lightly and unthinkingly here. When we view our political adversaries not as people who might raise interesting points or voice their concerns, but as obstacles towards achieving our stated political ends, then the very notion of political compromise is over, apparently. Why are we so surprised that the nation is so divided as it is, then? It is our own damn fault.
Maybe it's time to put the toys of war language away, grow up, and start talking, thinking, and acting like adults.
The Nor'easter
It sucked. I had to drive to work, and conditions were bad. The roads were slippery, and it was a strange kind of a storm. It snowed for a few hours without sticking, and although it stuck to the roads eventually, it was not enough really to justify plows. I did see a plow or two on the road, although they did not seem to be actually improving matters.
This marks the second year in a row that we have had significant snowfall well before Thanksgiving, even. Last year, we had that freak monstrous snowfall in late October, that downed many trees and power lines, and did quite a bit of damage. Now, we have another measurable snowfall very early in the season. It is, after all, only early November.
Last year, the storm in October came when most trees still had their leaves, so the trees were more weighed down than usual, which helped to contribute to the severity of the storm and the closed roads due to downed trees and power lines and such. This storm came later, and most of the leaves are already gone. Yet, this storm had stronger winds and, I noticed that while driving, the snow falling silently early in the drive turned to the little thudding of hail, which is far worse to drive in than snow. A lot of people were driving far too fast for the conditions, and you had the obligatory people (often SUV drivers) who drove as if it were 70 degrees and sunny, rather than inclimate weather conditions.
Around the World
Guatemala & Mexico - an earthquake killed 48 people in Guatemala. Some roads crashed down, and debris from buildings and such fell on cars. The quake measures 7.4 on the Richter scale.
France - The question of Gay Marriage is now an issue in France, as well. The cabinet came up with a measure in favor of it, despite strong opposition from the Catholic Church, which has traditionally been dominant and politically influential here. New President Francois Hollande had vowed to legalize same sex marriages. But it will not come easily. It will now go to the National Assembly, and then the Senate. It could be voted on by January. An opinion poll suggested that 65% favored equal marriages for gay couples.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/07/world/europe/france-marriage-rights/index.html?hpt=wo_c2
Bahrain - 31 political activists here were stripped of their citizenship as turmoil in Bahrain continues. Amnesty International condemned the measures and called on the government to reverse their decisions.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/07/world/meast/bahrain-activists-citizenship/index.html?hpt=wo_c2
Japan - Two American soldiers were indicted on rape charges.
Israel - It was announced that Israel will be planning to build new homes in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Syria - Seven generals defected to Turkey. In the meantime, 50 Syrian rebels were killed in a suicide attack earlier this week, as the violence here continues. Russia's top diplomat dismissed a call by the United Nations and the Arab League which demanded a change of power in Syria, claiming that there is "no need for any type of resolution."
http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/05/world/meast/syria-civil-war/index.html?hpt=imi_c2
I thought that this article on the origins of the Syrian conflict might prove helpful for any remaining ambiguity. It goes back to explain the origins of the conflict.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/24/world/meast/syria-101/index.html?hpt=wo_bn9
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