In Lessons for Malaysians in Bush's victory, the writer made few claims about American values, their right to self-defence, their materialism, and, finally, their unilateral approach. I am not really sure how he came to such conclusions - that, too, based on (on all things) George W Bush's slim, albeit convincing, victory.

First things first. Bush won for one principle reason - he had a stronger election machinery in place. It brought out in far larger numbers people who call themselves conservatives to vote.

(The fact that 11 states had passed laws on the election day banning gay marriages obviously had an effect.)

A cross section of Americans - left to moderate had, in fact, gone Kerry. An analysis of the Exit Polls shows that Kerry won by an 86 to 13 margin among liberals, and by a 55 to 45 margin among moderates.

However, Bush bagged the conservatives by 84 to 15. And as the conservatives make up 34 percent of the electorate (as opposed to 29 percent four years ago), Bush clinched the victory.

So, should we then make broad conclusions, as the letter writer did, about Americans based on the results? I think that would be, let's say, naive.

Now, to rebut the four specific points the letter writer made:

  1. America remains as divided a country, if not more so, as it did four years ago. Bush campaign made it an explicit policy to woo bigots - the supposed 'moral' voters - into its ranks, while paying lip service to compassion, tolerance, unity, etc.

    (An American presidential campaign that was more infused with negativism as that of Bush's would be difficult to find.)

  2. We must be absolutely clear that Bush's brand of 'pre-emptive' war on Iraq remains as illegal now as it did before the election. The Bush administration rushed into war with Iraq without sufficient evidence.

    Even the purported casus bellum for invasion, such as upholding human rights, proved vacuous with the revelation of Abu Ghraib, and the systematic abuse practiced (almost as a policy) by the American prison guards.

  3. Bush economic policy didn't punish all equally. It clearly benefitted the rich. And, what he has done is to rob from the future, pursuing a fiscally catastrophic policy, and lie about it.

  4. And, finally, by any measure, Bush's 'go-it-alone-I'll-shoot-first-justify-later' approach has led America astray, in the wrong direction, down a path that is increasingly becoming lonely. (Hungary is the latest to announce that it'll be pulling out its troops from Iraq next March.)

America is the most powerful country in the history of the world. It could use the power to lead the world, or antogonise it. Bush, sadly, favours the latter and as a result the American military is now badly overstretched.

For now, Bush has received a fresh mandate. One, of course, hopes that he would pursue, unlike his past term, a more conciliatory and inclusive policy. Alternatively, being as removed from reality as he is, and apparently convinced that he is infallible, he may continue to make policies that primarily appeal to his Christian base. I am not very hopeful.