Perspective from the U.K.

Promise, will stop obsessing about the election results soon . . . in order to start obsessing about the planned reauthorization of the Clean Air Act. In the meantime, here's a note from a British friend of mine.

Over here in the UK we are also depressed about the election. But it has been so inspiring to hear about all of your work, commitment and stories. From 2,000 miles away I can't help feeling that even if Kerry didn't get in, a much more important victory has been won: a new generation of young and minority voters has been politicised and mobilised. If that momentum can be kept up ... and I have no doubt that Bush and co will fuel the anger for it to be so, then you have begun a revolution.

The immediate consequence of Bush's reelection for us has been on foreign policy: the redeployment of British troops to Baghdad (much higher conflict levelsand coming home in bodybags already) so that the US troops have been freed up to begin their bloodyassault on Fallujah. The news programmes have all been very heavily focused on Iraq this last week and the anti-war movement that was so strong 18 months ago is starting to reawaken . . .

The only likely contender to beat Tony Blair in the next British election is the conservative (right wing party) leader Michael Howard (most famous for introducing the Criminal Justice Act which crackeddown on the right to protest here in the early1990s).... Howard has refused to officially congratulate Bush on his reelection and the irony of this right-winger playing to get the anti-Bush sentiment is too painful for me to contemplate.

Love to you all
amanda x