I assume most presidents around the world are atheists but it's a rare sight, even for a president wannabe, to see a political figure not don the cape of Captain Hypocrisy, especially when engaged in country president related stuff.
I must say that I have little true (as in being moved by pathos) interest in what is generally considered earthly affairs. I do take note and have something that might be called opinions but otherwise I try and stay as far as possible from politics and all related areas.
Even more, I don't even really consider myself as a citizen of this country, this is because it was very confusing when growing up to decide who to hate the most: those dastardly neighbors on the third floor, those guys from that bad neighborhood, that annoying little city next to ours, that country who stole some land of ours (who or what is this ours anyway?) some ages ago (and the horror only increased when learning in history class about all other sorts of thievery, not to mention that I wasn't sure whether my ancestors were the thieves or the robbed).
It is obvious that I had problems in assimilating the otherwise very simple concept of 'them vs. us'. It's just that it was very difficult holding all those contradictory ideas about who is us and who is them. So I try to see myself as a human being (the definition there being very fuzzy) or, my latest find, a product of the Verse, whatever that means.
But when I see something like this, I just have to raise a Spock-like eyebrow, I mean:
See what I mean?
Remus Cernea is the presidential candidate for the Green Party here in Romania. I mean here you are sure to get all sorts of monkey business when election day is close by, but this is very different from the grotesque spectacle that floods all media outlets.
On one hand we have the cliché candidates with their snoozefest speeches and attitude, making the sign of the cross like cross-making automatons, and on the other we have a plain, straight to the point man who doesn't fit this hypocritical picture.
I mean, during one debate (which he attended in casual wear) the moderator asked if he can rise to the level of etiquette required of a president. He rolled a saving throw by pulling out a tuxedo out of a bag, but that was an easy one since all things politics are dead boring predictable.
And it's true, just like in the 'I'm a PC, I'm an Apple' commercial when asked who would you hire, most people would chose the suit over the hip guy. We are slaves to appearances, and it's not always a bad thing, just that sometimes it becomes really ridiculous.
Speaking of ridiculous, one blogger (I cannot be bothered with looking up the link) said that his main objection against Cernea was all the hair and looks, which according to him would somehow lead to women no longer shaving or something. This comes from a twenty year old hip guy (vanity photo was included in the blog), but still better than those from the right wing 'Heil Hitler' youths that have grown in number the past few years (get off my lawn you damn dirty kids!). Anyway, if I were to reply in kind I'd say that all that hair gel seeped through and reached his already malfunctioning brain, damaging it even further, I recommend lobotomy.
It's no surprise really. It is in human nature to react as such to all things different, but I think we've made progress. So far this year only two strangers more or less kindly suggested I get a haircut, and only one was mildly aggressive and implied that rockers (though I prefer the term metalhead) should be involved in some sort of oral activities pertaining to his persona. And I'm not kidding, this is progress.
And I view this whole thing as progress too. To put it in the 'faith in humanity' meme (is it a meme? it should be) mine has increased two points. Not because I believe that he can win (that I do not know but 2% in the polls doesn't give much hope) but because it shows a possible future where reason, science and tolerance are not just words, but realities embraced by all humans, and compared to all the misery this world has to offer, I don't see that as a far fetched dream, we're already living the nightmare. Or something like that, like I've said, I don't really care that much.
Oh, and two more things.
First, this one goes to /r/atheism and in case you still have to ask 'yes, he is an atheist'. When I first saw his some months ago on a talk show the host asked 'are you an Orthodox Christian?' to which Cernea replied that he is a humanist, or something. The host, a man in his fifties, then proceeded to put on his good ol' condescending father figure. Those poor kids, they are so rebellious when they're young. We all know there is no such thing as an over forties atheist.
Second, the ground for metalhead presidents has already been prepared by the straight-out-of-the-dungeon goth daughters of president Zapatero of Spain.
See what I mean? Again?
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