Een commentaar op een commentaar op een commentaar. Bill Maher in gesprek met Sanders-supporter Cornel West. Het gaat over de kandidaten van de grote partijen in de Amerikaanse presidentsverkiezingen. Was Hillary Clinton (HRC) een even slechte kandidaat als Donald Trump of toch niet? Zes maanden na de verkiezingen leidt die vraag nog steeds tot verhit debat. Maar als Hillary Clinton de mindere van twee kwaden was hoe kon ze dan van de historisch onpopulaire en slecht voorbereide Donald Trump verliezen? Hoe slecht moet een kandidaat ingeschat worden die van de brekebeen Trump verliest? De Amerikanen komen er niet uit. Ze blijven ronddraaien in hun gesloten wereldbeeld. Met een corrupt politiek systeem. Een reactie uit Europa:
HRC lost the election because of HRC. Not because of the loony left. HRC was a candidate of big money and Wall Street. A presidential candidate doesn’t have to be an adversary of big money to win an election. It can take a neutral position in an attempt to restore the balance of power and the importance of Joe Sixpack.
Yes, the political system of the US stinks. Because of Citizen United, the Koch brothers, Sheldon Adelson or other sponsors who buy and ‘possess’ lawmakers. It is not in the general interest, it is not righteous and it is not effective.
An attitude which says ‘that is the situation we have to accept’ is fatalistic. Let there be hope and a perspective to bring down a corrupted political system of the US. The beginning is the diagnosis that is accepted.
Let Americans look at other countries as an example to learn from. For instance to North and West Europe where public service (health, education, infrastructure) is better arranged and managed at a lower price. And that is not communist or even socialist policy, but regular middle of the road policy which is widely accepted. Or always was until recently. But Americans stick to the wrong idea they are exceptional. Can they really believe this any longer?
The US has the bad luck to be left with American politicians and to have a distorted self-esteem. That is the pitfall of which the corrupted political system is a reflection. Not the cause. Shameful is that president Trump’s steep learning curve is no exception, but the rule that the Americans themselves do not recognize adequately.
Foto: Schermafbeelding van deel artikel ‘Such Bullsh*t’: Watch Bill Maher and Cornel West Explode Over Whether Hillary’s as Bad as Trump’ op Mediaite, 19 mei 2017.
George Knight 