I have been amazed lately at the strong opinion of western non-U.S. citizens concerning our election. They seem more concerned with our President than their own and in their minds for good reason.

First off, I have yet to meet one non-American westerner that does not adamantly despise George Bush. The reason is almost unanimously Iraq and the “war for oil”. I’ve asked many how we would get this oil, but so far haven’t determined the plan. Perhaps there is a secret pipeline being constructed as we speak? I will refrain from teasing now.

I actually believe they do have a good reason to be so concerned. Currently the USA is the most internationally relevant nation in the world. In fact I can certainly understand their frustration knowing they have no say at all in who we elect, after all, he is more powerful than their leaders. How did that happen, was it chance? Does France really have to care who our president is? I only remember theirs because his name rhymes, oops that was the last one. Who can keep up?

Anyway, we can not relate to their position. At least American citizens get to vote for the supreme ruler of all the world. Yes, talking to internationals you would think so. It is after all Bush that led Britain and Australia into Iraq, and not a single Iraqi benefited from it. Not one. Yes, that is the talk I find so difficult to endure. However there is another side to this.

Domestic policy. An honest Australian made this very clear in her statement: “what do I care about your taxes?” Of course she doesn’t care about our taxes. Remember, they only know about Iraq and what a completely unredeemable act of savage aggression that was and that only to steal oil. Not to mention our President’s outright lie that dragged them into it. (Again from their perspective, not mine.) At least that is what it has boiled down to today. Not only do they not care about our taxes but they don’t know about Roe vs. Wade. Despite their cheers for Barack Obama, one person actually said that they did not believe that late term near-delivery abortions were legal in the U.S.A. and said it would be “abhorable.” You see, most European nations and Australia slipped right through this issue without question. The U.K. has very stringent rules on abortions after 24 (current age of viability) weeks. Australia has no Federal mandates, it is handled by the states, with most observing similar limits to at what point in pregnancy and for what reason an abortion is legal. In the U.S.A. the “abhorable” is reality, and Barack Obama demonstrated in the Senate and campaigned on promises to maintain if not increase support for the “abhorable.” However, as is common in such conversations final acceptance of the reality of this fact will likely result in a shrug and another rousing applause for Obama. After all, he will not have a Texas accent.

Now I probably tease too much, but I have to be a little cynical. Is it really possible that most Europeans/Aussies do not know about Roe vs. Wade? How about other Americans, could they really not know that 73+ babies a day are aborted past the age of viability? Meaning simply they could be born and survive without any further help from their host. This is perhaps the most polarized divide between the Liberal and Conservative parties and it has polarized so far that we now have a President elect who will likely repeal the partial-birth abortion ban (President Bush 2003, yes he did other things besides war mongering), elected by the majority of the American population. Inconceivable!

Well, just in case you’ve made it this far let me give you a little summary of what the Judicial Committee says about the impact of Roe vs. Wade:

” Thus, the [Judiciary] Committee observes that no significant legal barriers of any kind whatsoever exist today in the United States for a woman to obtain an abortion for any reason during any stage of her pregnancy. ”

So if you wonder why some people have a hard time with Roe vs. Wade, and Barack Obama. One reason is in that last few words: ” for any reason during any stage of her pregnancy.” Some of us believe that to be murder and 73+ per day far outnumber the loss of life in Iraq. In fact, having only just been born, for some, makes the loss all the more tragic.