How can you be so stupid!!

[Alcon]

A few things that I think need to be said:

1. Just because one holds a strong opinion does not make anyone who doesn't hold it stupid. They can be wrong in one's eye, but attempting to push away their opinions, calling them "stupid" without providing reason, is foolish, because it results in no understanding of why something happened, whether you agree with it or not.

2. Bush is every American's President right now. It may not be the President every American preferred, nor one that every American accepts, but he is legally the United States President. He belongs to no one.

3. The rest of the world cares about our elections because we are a major super power. What we do affects the rest of the world profoundly. They have the result to seek out information and voice their opinion if they wish. They have just as much right to be interested in the American elections as we do and telling them to stop paying attention is pointless.

4. 37% of people in Massachusetts voted for Bush. 38% of people in Texas voted for Kerry. That's more than 1-in-3 people. There are Democrats in Texas, and Republicans in Massachusetts. The electoral system makes it look like we are much more divided by city vs. country than we actually are. The truth is, 37 or 38 in 100 people represents a huge sector of the population. Generalizations do not help.

[Alcon]

What we do does not affect Great Britain or France, except as it relates to trade.

You are underestimating the power that America has worldwide.

We have the power to destroy entire nations via trade decisions. We set culture standards throughout the world. We are the most important nation in the entire world.

And, moreover, even if we weren't, why isn't their seeking information and expressing opinions a good thing? Just because they disagree with you does not make their opinion any less valid.

[Alcon]

Yeah? Well just be glad you don't live here then.

Maybe we think you're stupid for electing the people you elect. Where, Sweden? Not that many of us know who runs your country, I must mention, because no one really cares!

Sweden's Prime Minister is Goran Persson, I believe, although I may have spelled it wrong. And it's our right to think who they elect is stupid. We also have the right to care about Sweden if we wanted to, just like they have the right to care about us.

Your not caring about Sweden is a personal decision, as is their caring about our elections.

("Your not caring about Sweden is a personal decision" may be one of the stupidest sentences I have ever typed, by the way.)