A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Well, that's unfortunate.

I've been reading a lot lately of post-modern political theorists debating what will come after democracy and what the political landscape will be in the new century. Many people I have read think that the age of large nation states is coming to an end. More and more people will be bound by culture and tribe.

What struck me about this election was that no states (with the exception of New Hampshire) changed sides from the last election. Also, the regonial contrasts were very interesting.

In the 80's, Joel Garreau wrote a book called "The Nine Nations of North America" he asserted that North America can actually be cut into 9 nations drawn together by common interest and culture. With only one exception the vote last night proved out his thesis. New England, the Industrial North-East and the west coast went Democrat. The South and Mountian Zones (Garreau called it the "Empty Quarter") went republican. Only the Midwest was split between North and South. (the other three nations were Quebec, The Carribean (including Miami, which went Democrat) and "MexAmerica (including LA and San Diego which went Left.)

It seems to me that it is become more evident that one federal government cannot serve the needs of the entire country as is. This is further evidenced in the state and local races in Massachusetts, where the choice between Red and Blue wasn't between left and right but between left and farther left. Perhaps it is time that we begin to move to a more conferdarate model, or perhaps even independant nation-states within an economic community.

Overall, four more years probably won't be the end of America. A draft seems more likely now, and the chances that China or Europe will try to increase to superpower status to challenge the American hegemon also seems more likely. What is truely unfortunate is realization that for four more years the mounting problems of the Developing World are likely to be ignored. Bush's policies in Africa have led to a huge leap in HIV infection rates, and his refusal to fund any aid agencies who teach anything but abstinance are making (Evangelicals pay attention here) Abortion the birth control of choice for more and more of the Developing World. Perhaps Pro-Life only means Pro-American-Life.

Unfortunatly for me, this time I may actually live in the US for the whole 4 years...