A propos de la politique...

I guess the next big thing to talk about is politics. I know that a lot of the French have been waiting for Bush to pack his bags, and to be honest, I have too. BUSH IS NOT A GOOD CONSERVATIVE. Government spending has never been more out of control, the war in Iraq is a mess, and I'm sure we can find a few other problems with the administration. I just need to get that off of my chest, and also to show all the left-wingers out there that there are conservatives who are just as upset as they are.

Of course, I consider myself a conservative (in case you hadn't guessed), but I think I might be rethinking some of my politics. Now, let's not be crazy and think I'm going all liberal... but libertarian might not be that far off (I don't think I'm a very good one I might add). I'm still not for big government because I think that's absolutely ridiculous, but I'm starting to by into the French idea of la vie public contre la vie privée. Here in France, there is a clear distinction between the two.

***Quick digression: I eat with a French family 4 times a week, and I've discussed some of these issues with them.***

So, for instance, although the mother and father of my family don't agree with gay marriage, they don't feel like it's their place to make a political decision on how others should live their lives. Another huge difference to be mentioned is the complete separation between Church and State (the French call that laïcité). I think that we Americans should work on having a more defined definition between the two as well.While watching the inauguration of Obama, they found nothing more hilarious than the prayer at the beginning and in the middle of the ceremony. Again, they place religion in the private sphere and French politicians just don't acknowledge that part of their lives while working. And though I consider myself a devout Catholic, I still think that this might be a good deal for all parties involved.

Basically, I've come to the point where it's not that I don't care about social issues; rather, I feel like I don't have the authority to make those kinds of decisions for those around me. Of course, I can still choose to live a semi-traditional, conservative life, but I can't expect that from people who have different backgrounds and outlooks than me. I feel that this is a big step for me, and I guess this sort of separation makes me a libertarian (though I still want public schools, health clinics, and other things). I mean, let's be honest, as long as you're not messing with my funds, I'm good.

Oh, and let's not forget about marijuana. Of course, I'm not a smoker (of anything), but if the States were to legalize pot, think of all the money we could make from taxing it!!! I think it's a great idea. Granted, I hate smoking, the smoke in the air, the stench it leaves behind, and the stupidity that usually ensues, but I'll suffer stupidity if I can make some money from it. It's not my brain, after all. I know that's not how the usual argument runs, but I'm not the average guy.

The trip to France isn't what got me thinking about all of this. Actually, this last election cycle and all the campaigning had me thinking about the future of our country and the direction I want it to go in. I don't think the Democrats have all of the answers (or the majority of them, for that matter), but I don't think the Republicans have done all that well at leading the country. The war in Iraq was a horrible idea. The Republicans should have called Bush out on it. Forget partisanship!!! (I'm not for an immediate withdrawal though, because we've destroyed their way of life and we need to re-establish some sense of stability before leaving- just to clarify). So, the French didn't make me change my politics, but I think they do the best job of expressing what I've been trying to find all this time.

There's a lot of thinking left to be done about the subject, but I think I'm growing as a person. In my opinion, that's what college is all about- growing as a person, tolerating other perspectives, and thinking critically. Oh, and another thing- I don't like that people consider being open-minded with being liberal. That's not at all what it means. Being open-minded is the willingness to accept that there are people who live differently from you, have different values than you, or have a different worldview. It does not mean that you have to agree with these values, views, or lifestyles. You can very easily know about the differences and still think that they are not the best way to live one's life!!! There, now that that's all clarified, let's review.

The least you need to know:

1. A new president; a new era.
2. Libertarian? Yes? No? Maybe so.
3. Let's all try to be a little more open-minded ( but still maintain the definition of words... some things aren't open to interpretation).