Date: 18 Dec 2012 03:00 am (UTC)
kaigou: this is what I do, darling (3 love the stars)
From: [personal profile] kaigou
Hah, I ran into the same thing in Sweden, since I was there only a few months after the Bush v Gore decision. The Swedes (such wonderful, if sometimes painfully, forthright people) were absolutely stunned that we didn't descend into utter anarchy when our electoral college didn't match up with our popular vote. Apparently they were on tenterhooks that we would all go running into the streets, flip over cars, burn down buildings, and who knows whatever other madness they thought would come over us. I'm not sure whether they were more astonished that we didn't riot, or that we actually took the whole thing rather nonchalantly, for the most part. (Were there even any protests? I can't recall, but if there were, they were mere blips.)

Sometimes seeing how other countries have done such a better job of incorporating democratic principles into their countries (especially post-WWII), it's hard to recall that they have, within a lifetime, a memory of very different ways of doing things. It's been far, far, far out of any living memory that America didn't have (at least in general) even the basic outlines of its democracy, however imperfect. My impression is that those newer democracies therefore see themselves as fragile, kind of by definition -- so when we're not quite so fragile, they're a little surprised.
(will be screened)
(will be screened if not validated)
If you don't have an account you can create one now.
HTML doesn't work in the subject.
More info about formatting

If you are unable to use this captcha for any reason, please contact us by email at support@dreamwidth.org

whois

kaigou: this is what I do, darling (Default)
锴 angry fishtrap 狗

to remember

"When you make the finding yourself— even if you're the last person on Earth to see the light— you'll never forget it." —Carl Sagan

October 2016

S M T W T F S
      1
2345678
91011 12131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031     

expand

No cut tags