Page 18 - link magazine

18 The Link Magazine • November 2004
Who is to become the leader of the world's super power?
In a few days the race for the White House will end and the lives of not only Americans, but hundreds of millions around the world,
as well as the health of the planet will be determined. Alex Ogle from Peatmoor says the result is too close to call
What began as the rumblings of evised, thus carefully scripted, bates illustrated a negative reac- do the American people stand to
the initial Democratic primary town hall meetings and, for Bush, tion to his huffing and scowling to gain from this game, played out
process to appoint a challenger to invite-only rallies; both camps eu- charges his administration has with many millions of their tax
George W. Bush over 18 months logizing the same vague princi- 'made mistakes' in the execution of dollars?
ago culminates in the roar of the ples of 'freedom, strength, and the Iraq war, he spent the last debate After President Clinton's record
most expensive election in his- opportunity.' with a fixed grin, at times laughing budget surplus in the 1990s, the
tory. The 24 hour news networks In the three debates in early Oc- jovially at such accusations. winner will have to contend with a
are alive with shiny analysis, be- tober, opinion polls and media Yet as past campaign schedules record budget deficit, along with
hind-the-scenes exclusives and pundits unanimously considered have been a finely honed cross- spiralling petrol prices spilling
interviews with undecided vot- Kerry the winner, with many prais- country operation, withprivatejets from the turmoil in Iraq.
ers looking decidedly confused. ing his careful, articulated ap- whipping candidates and entou- Furthermore, he willhavetostay
Every day the President and proach. By contrast, Bush was al- rages from Long Beach, LA to Long the course in Iraq and continue to
Democratic challenger Senator most comically inconsistent. After Island, NY, this election seems over spend many more millions, and
John Kerry are head down in tel- polls following the first two de- already. Just a glance at the net- will have to consider the possibil-
work news colourfully show the ity of instituting a draft to supple-
five or six 'important' states for ment a strained at ms
each candidate; with the
CO-OPERATIVE FUNERAL SERVICE other states regarded as g^
SWINDON 'safe' for either party.
of
F L'1 V y^ Thenowfamousred-blu ' •
439 Cricklade Road J charts invented on election
night 2000 are back, show- r
'/ A rvvrsroe m rcon r.
(01793) 534759 ing how confined this elec- : t ,:
tion is; only Florida and a
& Temple House, 4/5 Temple Street few of the Mid-West states
are really up for the taking. 1
(The closest funeral director to the Registrar) Here in Pittsburgh, Penn-
(01793) 491091 sylvania -home of John Ker-
ry's wife Teresa Heinz and
24 hour service her colossal 57 varieties cor-
Private Chapels of Rest • Monumental masonry poration - this special sta- Alex with presidential chalicnticr J//r;;
Funeral pre-payment plans tus means a lot of attention. Pittsburgh on 20 October
Just in the last few weeks,
www.mywishes.coo
the city has been graced with the Despite the overwhelming apa-
presence of Kerry's running mate thy of the American public to poli-
Senator John Edwards, billionaire tics in general - more than 50 per
Kerry supporter George Soros and cent did not vote in 2000 - this elec-
tion has polarised the nation to the
former-State Department director
• •i of intelligence Greg Thielmann, extreme. Antagonism and hostility
who eloquently explained how the
are the cornerstones of political de-
Bush administration doctored in- bates; bitterness abounds between
telligence data on Iraq's WMD for political viewpoints.
political gain. With the candidates deadlocked
Community Dividend Scheme John Kerry himself made a fleet- in the polls, it may be the presence
ing appearance. With 13 days left of third party candidate Ralph
A minimum of he has been urging on early voters Nader that could decide the elec-
1% of the inFloridaoneday,blitzingthrough tion, as many have claimed it did
four western Pennsylvania stops
Society's profits the next, ending up in the biggest in the 2000 election. Then Nader
took thousands of voters away
are returned swing state of them all, Ohio. from Gore, allowing Bush to - ar-
to projects to His Pittsburgh rally, supported guably - win the state of Florida by
benefit the somewhat unnervinglyby rock star a few hundred.
Jon Bon Jovi, energised a crowd of As Nader pointed out to me at a
local community
8,000. The president, said Kerry, is rally a few weeks ago, there is no
through the 'living in a fantasy land,' when it essential difference between the
Community A £7 JJ -o-op community dividend grant to Upham comes to Iraq, charging the admin- two candidates. They both have
Road Day Centre will be used to refurbish the istration with 'simply not telling great corporate ties and care little
Dividend 'snoeze/en'room - a carefully designed space that is
re/axing and safe, equipped to provide stimulating the truth to the American people.' for the average low waged Ameri-
Scheme. sensory experiences to those with /earning difficulties. Kerry's anti-war rhetoric has can. Establishment politics, he said,
including a heated waterbed bean bags. a projector made it easy for Republicans to would never seriously examine the
If you think a project with images of colourful shapes and patterns. a mirror cast their opponent as a wimp. It is problems as they would claim to
you know of could ball and CD player ft a/so includes an electric hoist so
that clients can be safely lifted in and out of wheef- clear machismo is as much a part do, because neither has genuine
qualify for a grant chairs. Mrs Ray Gellman, left, and her 25 year o/d son of this election as domestic policy, ambition to raise up those millions
of up to £1,000, call: Alex, right. with Bonny Greenwood assistant manager. And whilst the 'war on terror,' is from dire poverty.
Groundwell Road Co-op.
the stump of any political address Like 12 September 2001, all the
call 0800 43 5902 - be it Bush or Kerry - Vice-Presi- world's newspapers will have the
same front page story on 3 No-
dent Dick Cheney has clarified the
for more information Republican position stating vember. The victor will either be a
America would surely beattacked white multi-millionaire with close
Oxford, Swindon & Gloucester again if voters did not make the links to the oil industry or a white
right choice in November.' multi-millionaire with interests in
But, for all the commotion, what the Heinz fortune.