What day is this?

I have had difficulty keeping track of the days. Back in the office, it was easy, because life was defined by the weekends. Indeed, life seemed to only exist on the weekends!

This weekend is different here, because today is Election Day, when half the city finds it necessary to shut down because, well, I still haven't figured out why. Someone told me there are no alcohol sales because they don't want people getting into fights about politics. When Bulgaria became democratic, did someone forget to tell them violence about politics isn't the way to make the system work? Shoot, even in the States, there aren't political fights, though I suspect this is because of one of two reasons: 1. Our hate-filled political talk radio and television is a sort of year-round mental violence and Election Day is no different than any other day; 2. The type of person who tends to get into bar fights in the US does not typically vote, as our 40% voter turnout (for presidential elections - it's less during off years) is the lowest turnout in the democratic world. More people than not simply don't care or feel like they don't have a voice in the system.

I noticed something that I hadn't thought about before I saw the Bulgarian election signs. US campaign signs never have pictures of the candidates, just the names, but European campaign signs almost always feature a photo of the candidates. I suppose, though, that some people shouldn't put their faces on signs - it might scare people away. Like this guy!

So much of American politics is based on the superficial and artificial. It's all about image; hence the reason we don't always elect the best guy or gal for the job - too many people vote based on whether or not they'd like to sit down and have a beer with the candidate or whether or not he is religious enough. This has a lot to do with the media - it hasn't always been like this! Franklin D. Roosevelt most likely would not have been elected had there been a television in every home back then, as he was in a wheelchair. Today, not only would people see that as weakness, but the other party would attack him because of his disability.

Of course, American politics is much more complicated than this, as I've tried to explain to several Bulgarians who have been outspoken about their views on America, but I am not going to get into that now, as I am still trying to sort out my thoughts on the topic. (I feel like I am the first American many of them have ever met.) I imagine that other countries vote superficially as well. Since I don't understand what the heck people around me are saying, I don't really know the issues, although I am sure the teacher strike, which has prevented children from starting the school year, is a major one.

Politics - evil, but inevitable. How else could we control ourselves? (Corporate rule is not the answer, either!)