More Bush angst

  • 2004-11-17
  • Giuseppe Mazzoni
Are we 450 million Europeans more blind than the 59 million who elected Bush? I am a European who, although enormously grateful to the Americans who 60 years ago fought and gave their life to enable me to live in a free society, cannot accept the current U.S. policy of unchallenged ambition in world domination, with no regard to other countries.
The European Union is the world's largest free market and trading bloc. Many more jobs in America depend on European investments or on European consumers than the other way round. Why don't we open up our eyes and realize how very effectively can we influence the U.S.A.?

Six months ago I stopped using my American Express card and sent a letter to its president asking not to support Bush during the electoral campaign. The marketing director of American Express, very worried, called me a few weeks later saying that they were "neutral" about the elections.

I gave back my American Express card a few days ago after the Bush re-election despite being a satisfied customer for 14 years. During the summer sales of Coca-Cola and McDonald's in France and Germany dropped by 15 percent - 20 percent, so it means that my action is by no means isolated.

Now Bush has been re-elected, and we cannot do much about it anymore, but the people who live between the Atlantic and the Pacific happily pollute this planet's atmosphere more than any other group of people on the planet. Apparently this is the main reason of strange hot summers in Britain, unusual floods in Central Europe or Bangladesh, as well as endless hurricanes in Florida.

European countries, together with most other countries have signed an agreement in Kyoto a few years ago, which tries to limit these catastrophes. Europe has allied with Russia on this effort. Bush has refused to sign it. Has he explained to its voters why he did that? Has he explained whether he is trying to give a hand to the oil industry, which happens to have financed much of the propaganda he needed to be re-elected?

Why not stop buying our petrol from Esso, owned by Texas-based Exxon-Mobile? And what about Wrigley's chewing gums, Mars bars, Motorola phones, Budweiser beer, Kleenex tissues and so on? Maybe in this way many people on the other side of the Atlantic will open up their eyes and understand that cooperating with their allies is more fruitful than imposing their will, and their leader will sign the Kyoto treaty.

Giuseppe Mazzoni, London

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