Living in America

Recently I was talking to someone from Thailand about America's economic instability and if our money was safe in our banks and what do you think is going to happen next kind of talk. Then he said something in the lines of how bad a president George W. Bush was and what a joke. I snickered at this point and he said, "Oh, are you a Republican?" I replied "I was just thinking about how your Thai's prime minister up and fled the country to England." He understood what I was saying. I am all for people sharing one's opinions, but wow, isn't he grateful that the government isn't completely corrupt. That there are checks and balances and the decision of a bill to pass is not made by the one ruler, but can go through the House or Representative and through the Senate?

Now it's not like I think the United States is the best place to live. I love it here and I choose to be here and I think it is a privilege, although I know there are lots of wonderful places to live other than America. But I was thinking about the turmoil the Thai people have gone through lately. Not only has their Prime Minister (Surayud Chulanont) escaped to England for assylum, the next one (Samak Sundaravej) was booted out for something he said on a cooking show, and then third one (Somchai Wongsawat) is related to Chulanont and the position is still strongly influenced by the one who doesn't even live in the country. Not only that, the Thai people have been protesting for over 100 days and no talks have even been initiated. As if their complaints on the street don't matter to the government at all. It is as if the people are not heard and do not have a voice.

Yes, I know there is a lot of turmoil with the bank situation and it is so difficult to get a loan etc, but at least we don't have to worry about a coup, or to rally and take our president by force to get him out of office, or that the military is going to break into our house and take us to prison for our outspoken views of the government.

Okay so I know President Bush is not going to go down in the history books as one of the popular presidents of time, but I was just thinking how his decisions were made with the American people in mind and not for selfish gain. I was thankful for his ethics and his trust worthiness - we don't have to worry that he is robbing the government and he won't be fleeing with a boat full of money. Let's put things in perspective and in the scheme of things - we can't really bad mouth a person who is really trying to do the honorable thing when there are leaders out there who are corrupt and who are not considering the masses of people under their care.