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Friday, June 30, 2006

Christiano Ronaldo and Spanish Politics

Unlike everybody else in this big world, I don't care much about club football. But, the news piece on Christiano Ronaldo joining the Real Madrid was a little stunning. No, I'm not surprised the very fact that Real Madrid is getting another starplayer into their already star-studded team, (which i think isn't doing very well for its great players), but the way Villar Mir plans to win over the presidential elections by calling in Marci.
Well, its something to know that the Europeans are crazy about soccer. Its another to know that they would elect their president on basis of his work in football team management. After all, how much time will a football manager have in order to run a country?
I oncet thought that India was the illiterate country that couldn't think straight and elect their leader. I was of the impression that all politicians of the first world had to really have leadership qualities, and having the ability to take the best decisions that satisfied everybody in the country. Only when you really think about it, you realise all countries elect their leaders with certain (almost hilarous) idiosyncracies.
The United States chose their president on how morally clean he is. No one condemns the contender for President for material corruption, mostly, he's pulled up for sexual immorality. The American President aka, president of the free nation is the one who tolerates homosexuality, occult practises, riots, and peace. At the same time, he must be a fine handsome charming man, (preferably white) who has a wife, is a good Christian, and beliefs in peace, except when he has to fight. In the United States, very rarely do the people look at the party the President represents, but the person himself.
But in a country like India, the politicians are always the puppets of their parties. India, with its multiparty system have coalations between two parties that tend to split when the candidate does not listen to the party leaders. The contenders promise freebies to the people, if elected. They provide clothes, money, lodging to the illiterate poor, and convince them that they will allow for free, maybe illegal, lodging.
Well, one can point out that the criteria for being elected also depends on the culture of the place where the elections are held. India has, ever since the British left them, had religious unsettlings and insecurities. So, the politician, in order to rake his votes promises to in some way or the other make life difficult for the minority religion/community.

Atleast here, in India, we take a stand. The wannabe president of the United States has to carefully sit on the fence, and yet sound very convincing.

Every political leader, though however silly it may sound, uses his inethical tactics however detrimental they may be to the country) to round in their votes. Well, this is the chaotic world we live in. I just praise God that He is in control over the leaders of this world!!!