The plot of the movie is not complicated. The dramatic arrangement of Bard’s vote became the key vote to determine the final result of the presidential election. It also triggered a series of farce afterwards. It seems a bit absurd, but it also reflects the current development of American democracy. Many problems. The film was taken in 2008, but looking back today, the problems exposed in the film have not been resolved.
The essential feature of democratic politics is that everyone has democracy and freedom. But for people who have the highest education in elementary school like Bard in the film, they don’t understand what democracy is, they don’t understand the qualifications of voters, and they have never registered. How to elect the president? Their opinions are usually ignored, just to see who the next president will be on TV after the election. If it hadn't been for his daughter Molly to register for Bard, his opinion would become a key vote by mistake, and unemployed workers like Bard might never exercise the right to vote under the constitution. Blacks, women, the lower-class people, and the unemployed are supposed to be protected vulnerable groups, but in the history of the United States, they have been discriminated against and restricted in political rights. Compared with other groups, it is more difficult to truly defend and protect them. Realize your own rights and interests. In my opinion, democracy and freedom in the United States are divided into classes, and the democratic rights of disadvantaged groups can hardly be guaranteed. If the majority of groups in American society can enjoy equal rights, then the United States can break through the predicament.
One of the major problems directly exposed in the film is the shortcomings of the American election campaign. In the film, in order to obtain the support of Bard, the two parties specially arranged many TV propaganda to cater to Bard's own ideas. Bard liked to fish, so he launched propaganda to protect the ecological environment; Bard felt that abortion was not good, so he temporarily announced abortion. The strong opposition to the bill, the shooting and related costs plus the previous publicity in several states, the amount of money invested can be imagined. This not only wastes money, but also goes against the starting point of democratic politics. The election in the United States is, in a sense, a competition for financial resources. If the candidate himself has no money, he must find reliable financial resources to support his campaign. The financial consortium supports politicians behind, and politicians seek benefits for them in front of the stage, thus forming a unified interest group and manipulating the rules of the game of democratic politics. Is the will of the politicians at this time for the people or for the benefit?
There are also many problems with the two-party system in the United States. The Democratic and Republican parties have a strong sense of partisanship. They pay more attention to the self-interest of the party in the election, and see whether the candidates of their party can get the post of president, so as to make the party famous and profitable. Therefore, when propaganda, the two parties will make many promises in order to win the votes of voters. Of course, it is undeniable that some of the promises are made out of the political ambitions and plans of the two parties, but some are only for the minority, who seek to swing. The support of the centrist is like painting a cake in the air. Moreover, during the two presidents of different parties, how can those politicians who want to win the election to ensure the stability of the implementation of policies, on the contrary, lay hidden dangers to the development of American democratic politics.
The democratic political system of the United States has its own advantages and conforms to the current national conditions of the United States, but there are also disadvantages that are difficult to overcome. If the shortcomings are not broken, the development of democratic politics will also be hindered.
Finally, this is also a movie watched at the request of the teacher. Unexpectedly, in the after-view sharing session, many people tend to praise the American electoral system, believing that the film reflects the protection and importance of the United States' civil rights. I felt that I might have read too much negative news in the United States. The first reaction I felt was that the film was a satire, and the feeling after writing was also picking up the sarcasm of the American system. So it’s good for everyone to share their thoughts and collide with different viewpoints together.
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