International Relations

On our last cruise, everyone wanted to know about Ferguson, even Americans. This year, it’s the presidential election, especially given the large non-American passenger list on this jaunt (who are, to be honest, universally aghast at the success of Trump; Trump supporters can take that for what it’s worth – just my observation). 

None of the few Americans we’ve met so far has even brought up the subject at all! Maybe we know from experience, or Facebook, how divisive the topic can be and avoid it. As tempted as you might be to think, “Hey, it’s our business, not yours,” that is, in fact, untrue. Whom we elect makes a “huge, really huge” difference to the rest of the world. We ignore that at our peril.

First we quote Tina Fey, “I hate them all.” While the line usually gets a laugh, even that isn’t funny, because the implications of it are significant. However, the best line so far (foreign category) came from a New Zealander: “Here in New Zealand we are kind of happy about the whole Donald Trump thing. It seems that you Americans are finally getting what you deserve!” 

My go-to line has become this: “What worries me is that whomever we elect as president will come into office being DESPISED by almost half the country. That just cannot be a good thing for governance and our future as a country.”

Prior to President Obama, almost every chief executive I know of got a honeymoon period after his election, no matter how short. Sadly, the 2008 election eliminated that and we now go straight to divorce court. Unfortunately, that’s really not funny either.

Please, for the sake of your country, I would urge you try to keep that in mind if your candidate does not win; I pledge, on my oath as a citizen of the United States, to (try to) do so, as well. 

We must restore respect for the office (even if undeserved by the holder of that office, in your political opinion) or things will just get uglier, and our political process is already so ugly it could “it on a tombstone and hatch ghosts!” (Credit Moms Mabley) Our politics may have never been pretty but they have obviously deteriorated with age).