Why? I’ve always rather liked it. I grew up in dairy farm country in NW New Jersey. It was lovely. Now I’m in Trenton, which isn’t scenic, but has some beautiful architecture, and the least expensive real estate in conjunction with some of the hottest job market in the country. This is a good place to live.
I don’t think you understand the US electoral process.
Those rules and laws says he is entitled to vote and that is all that matters. If America did not want him to vote the law would reflect that.
And again, I think it is the duty of all of us to make the world a better place and not to make a choice which might benefit a certain nation in the short term but make the world a worse place for everybody in the longer term.
Somehow, I seriously doubt that Oy! would say this if he (or she) thought that Alessan was likely to vote for McCain…
<ahem>
The above quotation is from Robert A. Heinlein.
You know, Alessan, you & I don’t see eye to eye on some issues. I have no particular faith that you would vote with or against my choices. But I think perhaps there’s a point here you haven’t considered.
The USA is a superpower. It’s hegemonic. Even your country is under its wing. There are literally a billion people who will be affected by its decisions that can’t vote at all. Never mind taxation without representation, how about embargoes (e.g., Cuba), intimidation (throw a dart at the globe–aim roughly at South America), interference in one’s land’s border policy (e.g., Mexico/Guatemala), even basic freedom of movement (e.g., unintended consequences of the Iraq invasion).
Why should you be concerned that you’re not really an American in your heart when this decision will affect a billion others who are even less American?
I don’t want people whose loyalties lie with another country to be influencing our politics. I simply do not think it is ethical. And I think it is too much of a slippery slope.
Imagine if several million dual citizens decided to influence the vote in a small country like Israel, where a few million votes could make a significant difference. Would you be okay with that?
According to that logic, you should vote. Cuz I think you shouldn’t.
As I said, I believe our first loyalty should be to humanity. And whether you think it is ethical or not is irrelevant. If you think it is unethical then you can work to change the law but for now he has the right to vote and I would even say a certain duty.
I would be fine with that if the Israeli people decided that is what they wanted and it probably IS that way as many Israelis hold other nationalities as well.
Furthermore, if more people could vote in more than one country I can ssure you that would be a good thing because it would contribute to defusing tensions and avoiding wars.
European countries are gradually giving voting rights to other EU citizens and even to non-EU citizens and I think it is a very good thing.
Again, I am a citizen of the world first and foremost and my priorities are for certain moral principles, not for any particular people. I believe those who vote for a people as opposed as for principles are doing the world a disservice.
I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree, which is fine by me as it appears no amount of arguing will sway you from your “citizen of the world” position.
I shall now find 4 million close friends to gain dual citizenship and take over Sweden. Pretty girls and nice summers and all.
FYI: NY has more than one close race for the House of Representatives. It’s not just about the Presidency.
You’re right, I stand corrected. On the Congressional, State and Local level his vote may matter greatly.
Vote.
Thank for the advice, everyone.
Now-
Let me address the whole “citizen of the world” thing.
I am not a citizen of the world. The world has not offered me citizenship, and I doubt I am high on its waiting list. Which is OK, because there are parts of the world I care about more than others. To be blunt, I the part of the world I care about more are the parts that care about me.
So yes, I will vote according to my own interests. I’m not ashamed of that.
However, **Leander **also made a strong point - I would not be happy if thousands of people outside Israel voted for Israeli elections (and indeed, Israel does not have an absentee ballot system). What right do people sitting comfortably overseas have to tell me how to run my country? If you want to get involved, come here and involve yourself, physically. Politics has no room for dilettantes.
In short, I still have a lot to think about.
Oh and DocCathode - you got a problem with New Jersey!?
(Actually, my dad is from Teaneck, which means that he thinks of himself as a New Yorker who happened to grow up outside of New York; while my mom is from Atlantic City, which is more of an alternate dimension)
Given the bonds between the U.S. and Israel, I’d say you have more of a stake in the upcoming election than you seem to think.
If that’s the way you feel then the answer is clearly that you should not vote.
Ahem :Points at own username: Perhaps rather he should not vote, since I think he should, & I am advertised as a fool. Admittedly, I am not reliably well-meaning, especially when it comes to Israeli interests.
Alessan, you answered your own question. You said you consider yourself an Israeli first. I don’t see more than one answer that can lead to.
If you are a citizen of the US, it is your country, for the purposes of voting. I suppose we could imagine fancy scenarios where millions of people have citizenship in some tiny country but live elsewhere, but that’s not really the case here, and I find it 100% unlikely that it could ever, ever be the case; people would change the voting laws long before it became an issue.
Do you feel you have a horse in the race? If so, vote. If not, not. I don’t think there’s really a larger moral issue here.
If I may add Alessan –
I find it entirely commendable that you would be so thoughtful and considerate in this matter. Speaks volumes, IMHO.