It took me a long time but I finally got it: McCain is old, doncha know?
I've been following the US Presidential campaign since the beginning of the primaries. I've read and watched the attacks from both sides in the newspapers, blogs and video clips. We all know that Obama is a slick, flipflopping, race-baiting, inexperienced Muslim while McCain is ... what?.. old? That's the theme of all the attacks against McCain. One blog that I read is WTF Is It Now (http://maruthecrankpot.blogspot.com/) and that's the gist of practically all their posts about him. I keep waiting in vain for the mean stuff to start. We all know John McCain is a despicable disloyal spouse who dropped his first wife to golddiggerly marry a younger richer woman, a sexist old (there's that word again) pig who called his second wife a "cunt" in public, a stupid ignorant fool who knows nothing about politics, geography, economy, computers, etc.. etc. When are the Democratic campaign and the left blogs going to mention all this in their attacks?
It seems like all he's being criticized for is being old. This morning, Paris Hilton issued a reply video making fun of McCain for .. yep, the crime of being old.
And that's when the lightbulb finally clicked on for me. In the US (and probably in all Western countries), it is, if not a crime, at least a sin, to be old. People can make fun of you for being old, and you are supposed to be ashamed of being old. It's not great being an airhead, like Paris Hilton, but it's, like, a hundred times worse to be old.
It was obvious to everyone in North America but me. Because I'm an Oriental, I kept waiting for the insult, and it was right there, in front of my nose. The insult is: You're old, booh!
This reminds me of the time when I first arrived in Montreal and I read on the wall of the metro: "Il est interdit de blasphémer" ; instead of being insulted, I laughed when I heard the local curses: tabernacle, hostie, ciboire, etc... I would probably also laugh if a Haitian witchdoctor threatened me with a voodoo curse.
What I'm trying to say is: People! Go at him with real hurtful insults! Don't just mock him for being old, there's no shame in being old, it's not his fault and you'll be old too (at least, I hope for you that you'll get old). Sheesh! Westerners!
2 comments:
It is not a crime to be old but I don't think it is acceptable for a country to have a president that is 72 years old. Just as it wouldn't be appropriate for him/her to be 22 years old.
I think the appropriate age would be 45-65.
At 72 you don't have as much energy. There is a reason why they put the retirement age at 65.
USA president is one of the most stressful job in the world. Sorry McCain age is an issue. It is not about being disrespectful. I would have the same problem if he was 22: too young.
I appreciate what you're saying, and in theory it makes sense, but I think it's going to be less and less of a problem in the future. With the previous generations, people were considered old when they reach their fifties. But with the progress in science and medecine, baby boomers in their 60s-70s can still be very sharp and healthy, with the added bonus of experience and wisdom. We used to think that women were too old to have babies once they reach their thirties, and now many new mothers are in their 40s or 50s. McCain shouldn't be President because he's a ignorant vicious SOB, not because he's old. And similarly, Obama shouldn't be elected either, even though he's in your ideal age group, because he's a lying unprincipled dilettante with no experience in any field. Just my opinion, of course. And thank you for your comment.
P.S. You know, I think we disagree because I'm 61 and you're probably in your late 20s, so to you, anyone older than 30 is an old coot. ;-) So get off my lawn, already!
Post a Comment