Bush was elected for a lot of reasons that people outside the US don't know about or simply don't have access to... I) The US press and Television were supportive towards Kerry and at times almost vulgar towards Bush. This "turned off" (offended) alot of people because at times it became overbearing..It was like 'enough already"! II) Kerry had offended alot of veterans of the war in Vietnam..alot of veterans in general. III) Kerry is seen as naive in world affairs. IV) Kerry and the Democratic party surrounded themselves with organizations and characters that are unpopular or for the most part unaccepted/unpopular in the general public..Trial Lawyers' (agendas), Gay marriage/Homosexual agenda, Vast (new)insurance programs, michael moore, hollywood-millionaire liberals, "Vegatable rights n' peace" liberals,..and etc.. V) If Bill Clinton had run in this 2004 election, Bush would have lost..and John Kerry ain't even almost as popular as Bill Clinton. VI) John Kerry's wife,T Heinz Kerry, is a 'flake'. She talks when she shouldn't and the things that she does say border on simply embarrasing,.."she said what..?!" So yea, the world in general may think that Bush was a "gonner" But Kerry had a lot of problems too. And for better or worse the voters chose the better of the two..or the less worse of the two..however you cut it...
- By: James Clifford on November 8, 2004

"They didn't start abjuring it until we Americans taught them, twice, at gunpoint, that war was not the answer. Screw 'em." Trouble is, old boy, you've gone back too far. America didn't "teach" until WW1 (and you didn't enter until it was almost over). Any war before that, given your immigrant background, you participated in. But that is a red neck way of looking at things. Stuff happens because of events we mere tax paying normal people don't even know about.
- By: Mike on November 8, 2004

Gee, its not like we were getting a lot of help in the first place, is it?
- By: mick on November 8, 2004

"EUropeans will never fall into this kind of BULLSHIT." 100 Years War. Spanish Inquisition. French Revolution. World War I. World War II. The Holocaust. The Balkans. Europeans are PURELY about this kind of "bullshit". They didn't start abjuring it until we Americans taught them, twice, at gunpoint, that war was not the answer. Screw 'em.
- By: Antoine on November 8, 2004

Well I am ashamed that the state of Illinois went Kerry. If it was not for Chicago Bush would have had Illinois. I find it funny that some Americans make Christians out to be evil. Yet you call us fearful but I believe you are the ones that are fearful. For once Christians are standing up for themselves are what is right. God forbid his people have a say in America. If you remember or not our fore fathers were Christians. Just about every state's constitution states God. Us Christians realize that we are in the 21 century, that is why we are fighting so hard for out rights. Some politicans are working so hard against us. Since I believe in the Bible I know there is a day coming when America will turn its back on its history. May freedom prevail. To all people of the world. God bless.
- By: Derrick on November 7, 2004

OH! Jesus W. Christ!
- By: Roba on November 7, 2004

I am ashamed of the results of this election. My state went with Kerry. All I can think about is the Frederick Douglas quote "Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will." I understand that the secular freedoms that are hardwon in America are eroding under evangelical efforts. Couple that with the obsessive focus of the Bush dynasty on their own wealth & power and what hope is there for the future? Now the struggle begins in earnest. Each slimey Bush Administration tactic must be stopped, each evangelical must be confronted with the reality of living in the 21st century. In short, there are more freedoms now for women & people of color & we are not yet across the threshold of what freedoms could come. The god quoted by evangelicals is not directing them. Rather, they are led by fear and self interest. May peace prevail.
- By: Lillian on November 7, 2004

As I read these comments, I am reminded of a phrase a high school teacher of mine used: "What is popular is not always right, and what is right is not always popular." As an American, it is difficult for me to hear and read about people outside America, and even some Americans themselves, who villanize Americans and their elected officials (read: Pres. Bush)who have chosen to take a strong position and to be proactive in this global war on terror. We are not perfect, and we will make mistakes, but our goal in fighting this war is to make the world safe - notice I said world, not just Americans. And so, if in making a right and good decesion, we are criticized and villanized by others then we can take it. Because at the end of the day, this war is not about religion -about attacking Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus or people of any other faith - but about the security of all people and the freedom from fear. The sooner that others in the world, and even some in America today, realize this truth, the better off we all will be. I will not be forced to feel ashamed for who I am and where I come from.
- By: Ann on November 6, 2004

Yes the most moral and upstanding thing to do is not fight back and let the Muslim fanatics attack and oppress all tehy want then proclaim from our moral high ground to please stop! That would be just what you want. As Muslims around the world show the kinder side of their religion through violence and oppression, people will realize, as in the Cold War, we are fighting for something better and no one can be a perfect angel in a fight and expect to win!
- By: jake on November 6, 2004

Amazing a guy who gets death threats from Islamic fascists and you give US the middle finger?
- By: Tom on November 6, 2004

I think Bush is an idiot, but I cannot agree that Americans have caused terrorism or deserve what they get. These issues are much more complicated that that. That kind of mindless simplicity is exactly the way many in Bush's Republican party thinks. There are many Americans who completely disagree with the way he's done things. I'm new to this site, but I look forward to following Hoder's comments in the future. I wish him luck in staying and publishing his thoughts on line. Peace from the USA to our Iranian brothers
- By: Sambut on November 6, 2004

Americans deserve what they get. Unfortunately, the rest of the world is just collateral damage for the US. We set up and trained lots of these people who are now attacking us, and our politicians (kerry) are too spineless to say that not only was the iraq war stupid, there was no good reason for it. Ah yes, and it violates the US constitution. Personally I am sick of the republicans's support of this warmongering idiot, and of the democrats's refusal to try to impeach him. I mean, the GOP impeached clinton for lying about an affair... and yet impeachment was never mentioned when Bush was starting his little grudge war. America is screwed, and I'm leaving as soon as I can. PO'd american, 15.
- By: casull on November 6, 2004

I so disagree. America is starting to come to a point where they have morals. Thank GOD for Bush. America doesn't stand alone. America is unlike any country in the world. I believe Americans have more rights than Canandians. Bush never said all musilims were terrorists. there are terrorists every where. It is part of America's duty to protect the world. Some people act like they know everything about Americans and America. How can you when you don't even live here. John Kerry was so two faced. One thing is he supports abortion. Everyone has a right to life and Bush also thinks that as well. Some of you greedy selfish Americans make me so angry. All you care about is yourselves and your money. Well guess what I voted for Bush. And I am proud of it. YOu liberal Democrats are so funny. Its not okay to liberate people but it is okay to kill 4000 babies every day.
- By: Derrick on November 5, 2004

Thanks! We will really need a lot of luck... If only California could join the other blue states to found the United States of Serious America... All the reds could go on being the United States of Religion!
- By: Rafaela Lombardino on November 5, 2004

I think from 2 years ago democrats thought they will win in next election and they didn't work hard for this race, they lost the best opportunity.
- By: Today on November 5, 2004

"Now you can fight your "global war on terror" alone. You've caused it, and you'll have to win it." I must have missed something -- just who was it, besides the Brits, that you thought was helping us in any substantial way, before Bush was re-elected? There *ARE* small contingents from another of other countries, but they are more a political presence, then a military one. If you include countries like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, who are helping us because failing to do so puts their regimes at greater risk -- well, I'm grateful, but I don't think either you or I believe that Kerry's election will change much on that front. The Brits are wobbling, but still there, and likely to remain there as long as 'the Hook' keeps showing up in the British tabloids to remind them of the threat to themselves (And, they remember that the "Shoe-bomber" was trying to kill a bunch of Brits.) The Aussie's don't have a strong presence, but, post-Bali, aren't likely to go anywhere either. The French will never -- and have never -- supported us, since 1780. If they are ever attacked directly, the average Frenchman is more likely to piss himself, than to sign up to fight. I always find it amusing when Democrats and Europeans say things like, "Well, let THEM go fight, then", as if they would have been the ones fighting. When Clinton sent troops to fight in Bosnia or Somalia . . . those troops were almost exclusively from the "red" states. The US military is disproportionately composed of Southerners, but includes very few recruits from the NorthEast. In other words . . . the people who voted for Bush ARE the people with family and friends fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- By: Ben on November 5, 2004

Spooks and Goblins "For our class on genetic free speech, Lessig used a pre-print of Posner’s new book, Catastophe: Risk and Response. Posner relates the following statistics on American adults: • 39% believe astrology is scientific (astrology, not astronomy). • 33% believe in ghosts and communication with the dead. Ponder that for a moment. One out of every three U.S. adults believes in ghosts. Who knows what their kids think. People’s willingness to believe untruths relates to the ability of the average person to reason critically about reality. Here are some less amusing statistics on American adults: • 46% deny that human beings evolved from earlier animal species. • 49% don’t know that it takes a year for the earth to revolve around the sun. • 67% don't know what a molecule is. • 80% can't understand the NY Times Tuesday science section. Posner concludes: “It is possible that science is valued by most Americans as another form of magic.” This is a wonderful substrate for false memes and a new generation of bogeymen."
- By: Dimitar Vesselinov on November 5, 2004

A little perspective is called for people. First of all, this was a CLOSE election, not a Republican landslide. If you look at the electoral map you'll see that there was a sharp geographical divide too - the educated, prosperous, and more secular coasts preferred Kerry. The more culturally homogenous interior preferred Bush. Not exactly shocking. Now I'm a New York liberal, so of course I voted for Kerry. But to describe the American political scene now as McCarthyist, or fascist, or whatever, is a little nuts. No one, not even in the Bush states, is saying we should "kill the Arabs." There's no popular support for endless war or endless blood. There is, however, the widespread view that if we fail to confront religious extremism (and the totalitarian regimes that have served as its enablers), then the whole world will pay a far steeper price in blood in the future. Images of Saddam's atrocities - which have been circulating in the American media for a decade - reinforce this view. You may disagree with that perspective, but it's not the world view of fascists or lunatics. Most Americans still wish very deeply for respectful relations with other countries.
- By: Jonathan Dworkin on November 5, 2004

We gave the middle finger to all of the world. France and Germany in particular. We have been fighting this war alone since it began. The rest will join in when they see the "light". Even pathetic Spain will find out that their kowtowing will not keep them safe. So yes, we give all that deserve it, the red, white, and blue middle finger.
- By: Tim on November 4, 2004

1 - American violence threatens far more lives than Islamic terrorism. 2 - Not all terrorists are fundamentalist Islamists, or even Muslims. Some are white Americans (see Timothy McVeigh). 3 - Fanaticism is a good word to describe the rampant bloodthirstiness of those who have swallowed Bush's 'War On Terror' excuse whole. 4 - The greatest threat to freedom comes from governments who seek to rule their populations through fear.
- By: the urban fox on November 4, 2004

More then ever now I am convinced it really is a Battle of Civilizations.
- By: Babak on November 4, 2004

What does occupying Iraq have to do with fighting Islamic Jihadists? If you attack Mexicon, for example, for whatever reason, it would certainly be followed by the resistence of her people against the occupiers. What would you call that war? Bush's argument is that the Iraqi people's insurgency against the occupation is a part of War on Terror! What happened in the United States of America on November 2nd 2004 is the beginning of a slide into an era where religion and the state will begin to overlap. Americans are very poor students of history and have just made one of the biggest blunders in their young history. I would argue that this election was the beginning of the end for the myth about the shining city on the hill! The Iraqi insurgency will grow to make the Vietnam, War look like a walk in the park! and you it will be all on the shoulders of the idiots who wanted blood after 9/11 (no matter who's blood and for what excuse) and on the shoulders of the idiots who voted for the half-witted rich boy!
- By: Farhad on November 4, 2004

There is a difference between "fighting terrorism" and righting wrongs and a country using it's position as the dominant world power to bully it's way around. "President" Bush has used smear/blitz tactics and smokescreens to get his way on just about every issue, and if you disagreed with him you were branded unpatriotic/unamerican /against "freedom" Most americans i know, republicans included - are ashamend of what we have done under this president and when WE meet forgeingers we want to apologize to them, and let them know "We arent all like this" Bush has strongarmed and BSed his way into another 4 years and we can only hope that his (foolhardy) actions will teach us all wisdom and the damage can be undone when he is finally retired from office. I personally cannot believe w/ all the controversy over George Bush and his administration he managed to gain another term in office. The vice president, secretary of defense, and president were all up for impeachment and it was only the power political sway of the majority republican government that stopped it. Bush's gestapo tactics will be exposed as such in hindsight but it looks like for now we will all have to learn how to put up with him for another 4 years
- By: Quinn B. on November 4, 2004

Dear Hossein I am not agree with u, saddam, ben laden, Mullahs &co are western creations so let them destroy these monsters
- By: irani on November 4, 2004

You are absolutely right G Resaba! W Bush to his fanatic christian followers is exactlly what Binladan& Co are to their fanatic muslum followers. Fair enough! You know,BBC recently has made a 3 episode documentary called "The Power of Nightmares" about how Conservatives INVENTED this phontome enemy(so called AL-QUAEDA)to keep their adventure loving nation entertained and at the same time alerted,in desperate need of protection! Franckly it wasn't about you and youre family living safely ever after, but about Republicans being reelected again and again and again...sadly it was(and is and will be) a "party thing" game and you seemingly haven't quite got it!
- By: Roba on November 4, 2004

From what G. Resaba is suggesting, Bush should kill all muslims! another great example of why I hate telling people that I'm an American.
- By: Ali B. on November 4, 2004

It's fun to join the army of left-wing hypocrites, now that you're safely living in Canada. You're a great hypocrite yourself obviously, and judging by your comment, full of respect for democracy. You wanted Kerry? Well he wanted to talk and be friends to the Iranian government - remember Iran? Islamic Republic? It's the place you couldn't stand living in. The terrorists were planning 9/11 under Clinton, in case you were not duly informed. The Bush administration, whatever its flaws and faults, is the first administration trying to stamp out terrorism and fascim in the Middle East, not that you care, you're safe and settled in a liberal-democracy, so that's alright then..
- By: Alidad on November 4, 2004

Hoder, why did you move to canada?
- By: matt on November 4, 2004

.... there was no other way ...it's the way the history goes ... if people haven't learned the values of freedom and democracy and civil rights, they won't get it by force, they should feel how important it is .... Unfortunately, like in Iran, there are some smart people like Cheney and Ashcraft who get advantage of these less logical people in order for their own personal financial goals. There is no hope that Micheal Moore's Farenheight 911 would change these closed mind people. ...They are so busy with their daily life, that prefer somebody else think instead of them. Just look at how weak is the level of math in the US schools compared to every other country in the world. Who cares to think about the roots of social problems. They want to be preeched not helped to learn themselves. .... Add to all these problems the poorness, and not having health care system for almost 43 million people in these Red States. They don't realize the real problem, and they 'think'! that the problem is the one that are told in the church, the gay marriage, abortion, ... which is against the God's will. .... In sum, I do not believe that I see the people of US, even under a democratic leadership, will be that much liberated from these uncivilized way of thinking. .... Today as the result of new America under Bush, we decided to get our PhD finished and migrate again to either Canada or Australia, to look for some educated people, even though I have a good offer for job right now. Becuase I just simply don't want to waste my life in here.
- By: Kamran on November 3, 2004

.... Then I wondered why they should really feel freedom while they haven't gained it. The America was made by puritans and cowards escaped and immigrated from Europe to the new world. They didn't like the secular system, so they came to the new world, where they wanted to make a religous country. A country for Jesus to come - which is the idea of some sects of Christians that Jesus is going to be appeared in the US some day. The American people, I guess that were kind of lucky to have some brilliant help from France to get a democratic constituition, even though it was just for the North. The South had his own racism rules. It could not be any similar to the north, so the Civil war happened. Again the US people were lucky that North won the civil war at least in the ground. North cancelled slavery rules, but not from the heart and mind of church-going un-educated farmers and cowboys. It was in their mind and it became hidden, sometimes it came out as Klu-Klux-Klan, some other time it came as killing black civil right activist in 1960's in Mississippi by Sherif of the county, and sometimes it came out as hatred about all non Christian world. Some other times it came out as voting to a war criminal as Bush. ... It became all clear then to me, that this society is so divided and needs a big change, something similar to what Europe saw in 15 century and something similar to what Iranian people saw after religious revolution. .....
- By: Kamran on November 3, 2004

...To know the people better, I started to read their 300-year history .... Here is my thinking. The people in the Red counties (even in the Blue democratic states) are deeply religous, they are who believe in a lot of super natural things. If you look into their favorite movies is enough to see through the whole story. Ghost, looking for some kind of survivors, and more specifically some sort of bibilical version of super natural things. In Oklahoma I met a lot of people (almost all of them who I met), who were church going people, who were reading bible every other day, just to think that it forgives their sins. The same way of thinking that Islamic hardliners have back home in Iran. I remember when I was in school, I was told to read Quran, more and more to be a good person. By passing the time, I was really surprised how the people of this so-called first world is so much alike with the un-civilized hardliner part of Iran...
- By: Kamran on November 3, 2004

Note: I want to put my comment here -maybe to get relaxed a little bit.... I came to the US one week after Bush went to D.C. in 2000 from Iran. Like many of other new generations of Iran, who have fought for democracy, I was thinking that US is a country which is governed secular, scientifically, and favorable of democracy. I tried really hard about 4 years to get into here, although I had a very good job and life back home, just to see the paradize of US. I came into one of the so-called 'Bible States', Oklahoma. Very soon, my images of US were becoming damaged. I figured out that above 70% of people are so much religious. Our friends used to call our small town 'US Qom'. I was seeing that how simple-thinking the people of US are. I was really stunnished. I was ery active back home in favor of democractic movements. So I started to talk with different type of people. But the more I talked, the deeper I figured out the catastroph. Till September 11 happened. Since then there was no way to talk with people. They were not just thinking you are even a human. The only thing in their feared mind was the thing put in their mind by TV.. (TV of nation)...
- By: Kamran on November 3, 2004

I'm beginning to understand Iran a bit more. You can't get rid of your religious fanatics who choose to rule rather than govern, and neither can we in America. God help us all.
- By: wiresearcher on November 3, 2004

I think in the world now, those of us who wants to work for freedom has to do it without the help of the largest superpower. We may even need to do it without the superpower watching over our shoulder. Hoder, I would like to encourage you to have a good look at PGP -- Pretty Good Privacy. Allthough it is not a complete solution, it can help us talk about how to help each other come to solutions to help bring about reform for those living under oppression. I think we need this. So, I would like to encourage everyone, Hoder in particular, to consider generating a keypair. It is not too hard, but it needs much attention to handle correctly. I believe it is worth it. You can read about the background for PGP here: http://philzimmermann.com/EN/background/peace.html I think you'll agree that it was made for us. PGP can be bought directly from the inventor at http://philzimmermann.com/ and there is a free implementation at http://www.gnupg.org/ which is excellent. Once theys are generated, please head over to http://www.biglumber.com/ and get yourself registered, and start building a web of trust.
- By: Anonymous Coward on November 3, 2004

Whether or not we like the vote, it is the way the people have spoken. Terrorism is only one aspect of the campaign and I dare say most Americans couldn't care less - as long as this so called War on error is fought away from their shores (like WW1 and WW2) then they are happy. As for the terrorism - even though Americans may have instigated this tide of hate against what we term the West, we all have to fight it. It is an unfortunate fact that these so called Islamists can't see in shades of grey, only black and white. Hence the kidnapping of completely innocent people in Iraq, the indiscriminate bombing of civilians, no matter what their religion, nationality or creed. Europena do realise that Islamic terrorism affects their freedom. So does nationalist terrorism, such as that practised by the IRA and ETA. So does ideological terrorism and criminal terrorism. Yet we can't attack everyone who is Islamic, any more than we can attack all Irish, Italians, Albanians, Basques etc because they are supposedly tainted by the extremists in their midst. Hell, a whole heap of Muslims really like the way the West is - it suits their life style and they enjoy the freedoms enough to want to fight to preserve the status quo. What the hell was my point again? Oh yeah - just because Bush won, we can't just let him go it alone. Better help out in his war and make sure he doesn't do anything dramatically stupid. And don't let's all get anti-Islamic and say they have the monopoly on terror. Remember, there's probably more Muslims fighting on "our" side.
- By: Mike on November 3, 2004

Islam==Terrorism
- By: mark on November 3, 2004

Russian president Vladimir Putin is a WAR CRIMINAL. The ongoing genocide of the Chechen people is a CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY. EUropeans will never fall into this kind of BULLSHIT.
- By: A on November 3, 2004

No-one is FOR terrorism here in Europe, but perhaps we (or most of us) can see a bit more clearly the vicious circle of violence that current US policies help to produce and maintain. Fight fire with fire is sometimes the only option, but as a long term solution it just leads to more violence. I and many others outside the US are worried about the re-election because what Bush does affects us as well, whether we want it or not. John F. Kennedy said in a messaga to the Soviet leader Kruschev after the Bay of Pigs disaster: "What your Government believes is its own business; what it does in the world is the world's business".
- By: Vibbe on November 3, 2004

Everyone who voted for Bush should sign up for military service. They wanted a holy war with the Middle East, now they're going to get it. If you had the stupidity to vote for Bush, have the balls to fight in the Middle East. To folks in Iran and Iraq, I'm sorry so many of my fellow Americans are so stupid, as to elect a president that is not only hurting the world, but our own economy. They vote with the same kind of foolish religious Zeal, that leads terrorists to commit suicide bombings. Really, the world would be better off without religion.
- By: Jack Black on November 3, 2004

I second that motion. Now Hoder, you see why I'm ANGRY iranian.
- By: Angry Iranian on November 3, 2004

Today i'm thinking about what John le carré said newly :"America has entered one of its periods of historical madness, but this is the worst I can remember: worse than McCarthyism, worse than the Bay of Pigs and in the long term potentially more disastrous than the Vietnam War."
- By: zigourat on November 3, 2004

Like we said many many times before - we didn't start the war, it started with islamic terrorism. Our weak responses to it only emboldened the muslims, culminating in Sept 11. After that many Americans (the ones the voted for Bush at least), finally understood the fanaticism of the opponent we face, and decided to fight back. Wether we fight the terrorists alone, or with allies, does not change the fact that the islamic terrorists must be defeated. However, we are not alone, and we see the Russians finally understand after the massacre in Beslan of children. The Austrailians understand after the Bali terrorist attacks. Recently a Dutch filmaker was murdered because of his views on Islam. Maybe the EUropeans will realize that Islamic terrorism threatens their freedom before its too late.
- By: G Resaba on November 3, 2004