On politics

I spent a good part of the weekend sleeping, with news TV stations running in the background, which means that I got to "sleep-watch" a CNN TV show featuring no less than 7 former Secretaries of State, the first presidential debate, Jon Stewart's take on the presidential debates and financial crises, our own social democrats' launching the candidates for elections, the counter-party by the liberal democrats in Cluj and subsequent discussions on the topic.

I know now why I cannot take myself seriously when I vote. I usually try to boost my morale by saying that "indifference" is worse than anything and not using your voice is a crime. Truth of the matter is that, having spent a weekend listening to a lot, and not hearing ANYTHING, makes me wonder how we can still hope something decent will come out of this political class that we have to vote for because there is no option.

Facts of the Romanian political launches: everyone spoke about winning elections, no one spoke about fixing some problems, everyone accused the others of messing up and praised themselves for doing the little that was done, former adversaries brown-nosed each other forced by win-motivated alliances, people who, a year ago, were indicted for fraud were named future presidents, people who cannot read were main candidates and people whose wives shamelessly flaunt 30k bags named as country-saviors.

Facts of Romanian media: live commentaries remained fixated on the lackluster performances and rubbish that was being spoken without any recourse to common sense. it may have helped to point out the few simple facts noted above.

No decency. No common sense.

The only simple moment of decency I found, not here, was in a commentary which pointed out that Obama called McCain to ask whether or not they should have a joint position visavis the financial collapse of the US. Somewhere inside that man, something decent moved for a second. I saw no movement on this side of the world this weekend. Next weekend I will drive to my grandad's where the TV does not work.