The Senator, the President, and the Sea Lion
by Donella Meadows
— December 21, 2000 —
The drama of the presidential election, they say, has awakened the interest of the public, and especially of young people, in the democratic process.
So welcome, young people, to the entertainment that never ends. Once the question “who won?” is settled, other questions begin. What are the people who won up to? For whose benefit? [...]
The 2000 Election in the Cool Light of History
by Donella Meadows
— December 7, 2000 —
The crowds demonstrating outside Florida courtrooms and counting rooms have been reminding me of the historical opera “Boris Godounov.” It opens with peasants milling about, waiting to find out who will be their next tsar. Every now and then a handler comes out and whips them up to yell for Boris, who is not [...]
The Campaign Glass Is 95 Percent Empty
by Donella Meadows
— October 26, 2000 —
In the spirit of celebrating good news wherever it appears, I would like to point out one excellent development in the presidential campaign. The candidates have flailed at each other so much about numbers — how much of that tax cut really goes to the top one percent? how much surplus is there really? [...]
Hard Questions for the Candidates
by Donella Meadows
— October 19, 2000 —
Well, the “debates,” carefully controlled by the major political parties, are over. I guess it was too much to expect that hard or important questions would be asked. But the candidates are still on the road, where they might be queried by an unscripted citizen. Or by a reporter who believes that fitness to [...]
“Debating” All The Way From L To P
by Donella Meadows
— October 5, 2000 —
I wish everyone would stop calling them “debates.”
Even back when the League of Women Voters first televised confrontations between presidential candidates, they weren’t debates. At best they were stiff, unnatural political discussions. Now that the two major political parties run them, they are carefully controlled soundbite gotcha matches. Like most everything about our campaign [...]
