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The election in the United States is over, so maybe the other important things throughout the world will again be reported on the various U.S. media channels. Thankfully, over here in this part of the world the election didn't dominate the media. Other matters of importance such as the events in Syria, the Communist Party Congress in Beijing currently in progress, the financial crisis in Greece all got their fair share of coverage each day which is good.
For those of us who may have followed the election whether we live in America or not - one thing was really disturbing and that was a report that came out almost at the very last day of campaigning.
A friend sent me an email containing the findings of a report by the Center for Responsive Politics which said that the amount spent on this election was $6-billion. I was shocked even though in a previous blog a few months ago I did make comment about what seemed to be excessive spending in that area. However, never having heard of the Center for Responsive Politics before, I instantly thought this was some sort of joke as the figure seemed so way "over the top". The report also said that this figure of $6-billion was sufficient to pay for 981 Public Elementary Schools, 451 small hospitals and one year of lunches for 11-million school children. Unbelievable.
The following day I was equally surprised to hear one of the anchors on CNN mentioning this particular report and the figures I have stated above in an equally shocked tone. It was no joke. It was all fact.
I live in a country where incomes are extraordinary low and I work with students who are struggling with trying to pay for their university education because they come from poor farming families - some of whom at times may only earn $20.00 in a month. So to me, spending $6-billion on an election seems utterly disgraceful and decidedly immoral. But I live the other side of the world in a country that does not receive that much aid/help as yet from the United States.
Nevertheless, if you look at the situation there where the unemployment figures are enormous, where thousands cannot afford to pay their mortgages and so have their homes re-possessed, where thousands of children go hungry because their families cannot afford to give them lunches to take to school, and where some school can't even find the money to provide the necessary items to give a good education (although it is not always considered a popular thing to mention these facts), the figure of $6-billion dollars for an election seems even more immoral and disgraceful. Both parties are equally responsible. Both parties happily asked some people to pay $10,000, $25,000 and even $50,000 just to have a dinner with a candidate! $5-million dollars raised at one dinner. Can they not do the same to help those who need help?
Surely some there can speak up about this and get it changed before the next round of elections starts up. The time will come around very quickly.
