Some how I lost the interest I used to have in American politics and elections. It is, to me, turning out to be a competition between individuals who are using their money (and someone else's) and presentation skills to buy the people's votes.
Surprisingly some of the people are buying-in to that, as one from time to time hear the emotional cheers despite what is being said is immature and hasty. I happen to be in the US during the last few months of the Reagan / Carter elections and at that time I was 24.
Now I that am 60, I am watching the 2016 Trump theater and keep wondering weather the American politics lost value or is it that the American people lost faith in it? Or is it me? As what impressed me at 24 may not impress me at 60?
Could it be that the people are sick and tired of un-kept promises and lies? Or could it be that the American presidency has less and less impact on peoples daily lives.
It takes a visit to America to notice the big and paradoxical gap and imbalance between the marvelous American success in education, infrastructure, the intellectual and Industrial production and creativity on one side and on the other side the American political game and how some times it is cheaply conducted.
I remember bringing my tape-recorder near the TV to record the last Reagan/Carter debate and listening with great interest. I kept repeating the tape and it struck me now that some of the nasty words and personal attacks being used today among the competing parties were not common in the good old days.
Has social media (which were not present then) played a negative or positive role into how American politics are playing out? People used to need to listen to a TV or a radio or read a newspaper to know what is happening. Now not only it is all in their pockets and at their fingertips, but they can give feed back on the spot.
The other aspect is weaknesses within the system. Weaknesses which become more obvious all the time.
God bless America. We don't like what it does but we love it. Another Paradox.
Hamad S Alomar
Riyadh
