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Re: The US election

Rickard wrote:

So if you were born American, contrary to aspiring to be an American, you're not expected to know the answers to those questions?

No, you said you didn't think most Americans could pass the test.  I said they shouldn't have to because if they were educated in this country, then they've already passed it in a sense.

I'm just arguing for the sake of arguing. smile  Actually, if you read the entire test, and not just that dude's snippet of it, it is VERY difficult.  Its not easy to become a US citizen, it requires some homework.

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Re: The US election

dmz wrote:

I'm just arguing for the sake of arguing. :)

Me too :D

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Re: The US election

I just read this comment on another forum...

"Why change horsemen mid-apocalypse?"

Not my personal take on things, but amusing.

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Re: The US election

http://www.stefangeens.com/000443.html

Not really related, but kind of :)

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Re: The US election

*sigh*
Bush will win....
i just know it, Kerry doesnt stand a chance.

but another full 4 years with Bush in power will be hell..

Indocron
$theQuestion = (2*b) || !(2*b);

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Re: The US election

Gary13579 wrote:

but another full 4 years with Bush in power will be hell..

Outch sad
4 years, very long 4 years,

1 - War on Iran
2 - War on Syria
3 - Some one destroy something in USA
4 - state of emergency need cancel any elections and another 4 years
etc

If your people come crazy, you will not need to your mind any more.

107

Re: The US election

zaher wrote:

1 - War on Iran

Very doubtful, unless Iran nukes Israel or something extremely drastic happens.  There's no way we could pull this off given the current deployment of our military.  If war breaks out in either Iran or N. Korea, I'm going to quit my job and spend the rest of my short days getting drunk somewhere tropical, because its all over for all of us.

zaher wrote:

2 - War on Syria

I could see some sort of military "pressure" put on Syria before Iran, but again there's no way this is going to happen.  Too much going on in Iraq, military is overdeployed, no real reason to do so, etc.

zaher wrote:

3 - Some one destroy something in USA

My fear is that this is inevitable anyway, regardless of who wins the Presidency.

zaher wrote:

4 - state of emergency need cancel any elections and another 4 years
etc

And now, the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution of The United States of America:

"Section 1. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once..."

Forbidden by our laws, so unless our Constitution is changed or Bush stages a military coup (never happen), you need not worry yourself with this notion.

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Re: The US election

Constitution is changed or Bush stages a military coup (never happen)

Why i think someday will be happen not "(never happen)" ?

If your people come crazy, you will not need to your mind any more.

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Re: The US election

zaher wrote:

Constitution is changed or Bush stages a military coup (never happen)

Why i think someday will be happen not "(never happen)" ?

I'm not sure I understand you.  While it is entirely possible that the Constitution could be altered (Presidential term limit has actually been a hot topic in recent years), it is just not feasible that a sitting President would/could stage a coup in this country.  Too many things would have to fall into place, or rather fall apart, for such an event to happen.  Is that what you were getting at?

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Re: The US election

http://www.globalvote2004.org/

Bush really isn't all that popular outside the US. I have yet to hear one positive remark regarding the re-election of Bush from a European polititian. I did hear one interesting remark though. Bush might not have needed UN support to invade Iraq, but he will definately need it in the withdrawal of troops and peacekeeping efforts that will follow.

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

111

Re: The US election

don't worry tony blair will be supporting him tomorrow (now hes sure bush has won)

112

Re: The US election

This article actually claims he will do the opposite. Oh well, we'll see :)

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

113 (edited by dmz 2004-11-04 03:28)

Re: The US election

Even after the millions of dollars the Democrats and "documentary" makers spent in anti-Bush efforts... he still won reelection, and by the largest popular vote in US history WITH a margin of 3.5 million votes.  He may not be popular elsewhere, but he sure seems to be here at home.  How 'bout them Republicans:

"Bush maintained or increased his vote in every state but Vermont. Republicans picked up seats in the House and Senate, and continue to dominate state governorships. Also making history of a sort, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle lost his election, marking the first time in half a century a Senate leader has been defeated."

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Re: The US election

So 51% of the popular vote is what you call "a margin"? I'm not saying there is any discussion as to who won. Bush won, fair and square. I wouldn't call it a "landslide" win though.

From CNN:

Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they expect Bush to unite the nation during his second term.

During the 2000 campaign, Bush promised to be a "uniter, not a divider." But in this week's election the nation seemed nearly as divided as it had been in Bush's first election.

I'm looking forward to seeing how he is going to pull that off.

The thing that shocked me the most about the election was how important moral questions were. It seems people care more about e.g. gay marriages than the economy or the "war on terrorism". What the hell is up with that? Who cares if homosexuals are allowed to marry or not? What ever happened to "the land of the free"?

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

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Re: The US election

Over three million votes is a margin, yes.  I didn't claim it was a landslide, but it was probably the largest voter turnout in this country ever, and he did win more popular votes than any other President in history, including Reagan.

There is a huge Christian voting population in The United States, why does the morality question surprise you?  True, there are more pressing issues (economy, war, etc) but people live their day-to-day lives with certain beliefs, and that very much affects the votes they cast.

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Re: The US election

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/internat … ;position= this is the first act after re-election of mr Bush.
http://news.google.com/news?q=macedonia … amp;tab=wn

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Re: The US election

dmz wrote:

Over three million votes is a margin, yes.  I didn't claim it was a landslide, but it was probably the largest voter turnout in this country ever, and he did win more popular votes than any other President in history, including Reagan.

The fact that more people voted than ever is of a good thing, but it hardly changes the fact that Bush won by a margin of 2% (274/252).

dmz wrote:

There is a huge Christian voting population in The United States, why does the morality question surprise you?  True, there are more pressing issues (economy, war, etc) but people live their day-to-day lives with certain beliefs, and that very much affects the votes they cast.

It surprises me because I had hardly heard any of the candidates discuss the morality questions. All I heard was terrorist this and terrorist that. I also think it's sad that we let the religious beliefs of some people dictate the lives of other people.

While writing that, I thought about "freedom of religion" and googled around a bit. I found this:

The Establishment Clause has generally come to mean that government cannot authorize a church, cannot pass laws that aid or favor one religion over another, cannot pass laws that favor religious belief over non belief, cannot force a person to profess a belief. In short, government must be neutral toward religion and cannot be entangled with any religion.

IANAL, but would a ban on gay marriage not be in direct conflict with that clause?

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Re: The US election

I am not much into politics, but I do care a little what's going on. I would like to know what do you think of this. If you can't watch the whole movie (360MB) then watch the short one (4MB).

As far as I am concerned it's a dirty and disgusting game!

Re: The US election

All I have to say is that the American public has been completely besieged by all the propaganda that the news can throw at it.  Bush is an absolute moron and all that he has successfully generated throughout his past 4 years (other than the insurmountable debt he has left) is multiplying hatred against the US 10000x over.  It was bad enough for the American public before he was elected president but he has successfully recruited at least 10000x more terrorists against the US since the invasion of Iraq.

Why would I say that - for each family member that is inadvertantly killed in Iraq, it generates a great hatred for those who were responsible.  I'm sure most people have watched Sopranos and therefore follow this logic (for those who can only relate to what the TV has to say).  For those of us with minds, this was no different than the attacks on NY in 2001.  How many people joined the military because of 2001 in the US for retaliation?  From all accounts, a very large number.  Why?  Revenge of course.  Now what do you think about the Iraqis and how their homeland has been invaded and for what cause?  Correct - there was no reason other than the fact that GW Moron had his own agenda with his hand picked crew of oddfellows.  So what will their motive be?  Revenge of course and what better way to do it than to join a radical movement.  So there, we are no different than them other than the fact that the war was announced by the US (pompous act).

I understand attacking Bin Laden, but Iraq was a mistake.  For all of those who voted Bush, all they've done is totally unlocked Pandora's box.  He is a loose cannon.  Sure Kerry wasn't much better, but he would have closed some of the wounds that Bush has created.  One country cannot impose their will on the world and that is what is happening today.  Only those who completely support Moron are rewarded. 

I do condone the acts of all terrorists and they should all be brought to justice or death, but invading a country for no reason was the biggest mistake one could make.  Fear for your children as the American adults have made a very large mistake in allowing another 4 years of tyranny to rule.

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Re: The US election

Rickard wrote:

The fact that more people voted than ever is of a good thing, but it hardly changes the fact that Bush won by a margin of 2% (274/252).

Those are the electoral college numbers, but the actual votes cast yield a similar number.  59,369,452 for Bush vs. 55,853,451 for Kerry.  Still, its a majority, and with our form of government the majority rules.

Rickard wrote:

It surprises me because I had hardly heard any of the candidates discuss the morality questions. All I heard was terrorist this and terrorist that. I also think it's sad that we let the religious beliefs of some people dictate the lives of other people.

Iraq was the big topic, yes, but the candidates spoke to morality issues throughout the campaign.

I tend to disagree with you *to a degree* about the religious beliefs dictating the lives of others.  Most civilized societies are governed by some basic rules of right and wrong (thou shalt not kill, for instance) and I see nothing wrong with those sorts of religious beliefs turning into laws to govern by.  Issues such as homosexuality, abortion, stem cell research, etc. are another story.  A lot of folks feel that this falls into playing God territory, and while some may see this as being backwards you still have to remember that Christian conservatives have a lot of pull in The United States.

Rickard wrote:

IANAL, but would a ban on gay marriage not be in direct conflict with that clause?

Again, majority rules.  The majority, regardless of how slim that may have been this time around, has spoken and they do not want gay marriages.

countryfullofmorons wrote:

Bush is an absolute moron

Opinions vary.

121 (edited by middleground 2004-11-05 01:35)

Re: The US election

Agree with dmz on that reply....


Rickard wrote:

It surprises me because I had hardly heard any of the candidates discuss the morality questions. All I heard was terrorist this and terrorist that. I also think it's sad that we let the religious beliefs of some people dictate the lives of other people.

IANAL, but would a ban on gay marriage not be in direct conflict with that clause?

Does it surprise you that european "propaganda" only provides news of our big and nasty appetite for terrorists, and not about all the other things that make up our country.

You see statements like this are typical of the attitude toward Americans- you only know what you are told. Any American understands the delicate balance of church and state and the current issues that we as a nation need to resolve. There is considerable coverage here in the states on all these issues, but it seems it doesn't get over across the pond. In general, in case you missed it during the debates- Bush noted his "religious" beliefs impact his political decisions, with that one statement he garnered a ton of votes from rural / religious america. Anti-abortion and no funding for stem cell research and he gets a bunch more.

Unfortunately, as dmz noted, majority rules. Guess at the percentage of American who make up the following:
Religion / Morality- Bush pandered to the religious right and it paid off. Note the big swath of rural america that went his way (states up the middle).
Upper class- Bushonomics tend to favor the rich with trickle down economics, a lot of upper class people.
Fear- He managed to fool a large number of persons into thinking they are safer with him. Yes- unfortunate as it is, a large number of people seem to lack the intellect to sort out the truth.

Take the total percentage of: Religious moralist people, those with money to make under his "plan", and add some scared gullable people, and guess what- a majority is born.

So you see, or can't see, the reason people voted for Bush is not just always war. There are many issues in the US that Bush (and the republican party) represent, and it is the summation of these that gets him the majority.

So- please consider you all do not know enough about americans, our way of life, or our political situations as you all would like to think.

---------------
Only one comment on the "making of terrorist" comment above, my question:
If an American kills an Iraqi you say it makes 1000000x more terrorists, so I guess when a fellow Muslim detonates a car bomb and kills an Iraqi that this will create 1000000x anti-terrorists??

If one cannot see who is killing who these days, then no need for any further discussion from me.
---------------
I gather from the general views expressed, and the manner in which they are expressed here, that a majoirty of those posting are late teens to early twenties in age. Just as I did when I was but a young adult, you think you fully understand the world around you and have a total grasp on all the things that make it work. BUT I think you'll all learn, as I did, that as one matures, experiences more than one election or war in their memories, and learns to "listen" to ones elders as bit, you'll find things are not as clear cut as you all think.

Every Day Above Ground Is A Good One!!

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Re: The US election

middleground wrote:

You see statements like this are typical of the attitude toward Americans- you only know what you are told.

To be fair, a lot of times its the same on our side of the pond.  wink

middleground wrote:

Unfortunately, as dmz noted, majority rules.

I hope you don't really mean that!  Or did you mean unfortunately in the sense that Bush gained reelection?  Its always tough when your side, whichever that may be, doesn't get its way.  But that's also the best part of living where we do... if enough people get sick of the status quo, it can be changed, unlike other parts of the world -- and in that sense, we're all on the same side.

middleground wrote:

that a majoirty of those posting are late teens to early twenties in age.

I'm 29.

This thread could go on forever, and the election has come and gone, so I'm going to move on as others have.  Hopefully, everyone posting out here realizes that sharing opinions and learning from one another is what really matters, and nobody walks away from here with any hard feelings.  That is sometimes the dangerous part of Internet forums.  I've enjoyed reading all of the opinions in this thread, especially from those who are so far away from me (I'm in Sioux Falls, SD).

See you around...

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Re: The US election

I really can't blame Bush for the US making more enemies among potential terrorist. Sure, he hardly made the US any more popular, but don't forget that the anti-American mentality of muslim fundamentalists is something that has been going on for a long time. Just look at how the US supported Bin Ladin during the Soviet-Afghanistan war and then, when it was over, left him for dead. I'm not saying he deserves more than that, but people must understand that the US, at least to some degree, has itself to blame for what happened on 9/11. I think a lot of Americans believe that the muslim fundamentalist hatred towards America is rooted in envy of the western civilization or in religious beliefs, when in fact, it isn't.

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Re: The US election

Rickard wrote:

... I have yet to hear one positive remark regarding the re-election of Bush from a European polititian. ...

I'm sure this will change.

No matter how much a country dislikes Bush, it will benefit them to be on the good side of American policy themselves. This will provide incentive for many European leaders to talk nice about him, even though they disagree with, or even hate, his policies.

I also expect these leaders to try and keep this praise off the front-pages of their own domestic media. And some Americans will want to see this foreign praise and say "see, I told you the world would come to their senses". But I'm sure it will be almost entirely politicking on the part of the foreign leaders.

dmz wrote:

...he still won reelection, and by the largest popular vote in US history .... it was probably the largest voter turnout in this country ever, and he did win more popular votes than any other President in history, including Reagan.

Saying this might give the wrong impression--especially when splitting hairs with non-native speakers of English here.

People might read this and wrongly think that Americans as a whole support Bush more than they've ever supported "any other president in history". The margin of victory is certainly more representative of Bush's support--51% vs. 49%.

As has been pointed out, the voter-turnout was much larger than normal. Kerry himself also received more votes than Regan did in either of his elections.

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Re: The US election

ShawnBrown wrote:

I'm sure this will change.

No matter how much a country dislikes Bush, it will benefit them to be on the good side of American policy themselves. This will provide incentive for many European leaders to talk nice about him, even though they disagree with, or even hate, his policies.

I also expect these leaders to try and keep this praise off the front-pages of their own domestic media. And some Americans will want to see this foreign praise and say "see, I told you the world would come to their senses". But I'm sure it will be almost entirely politicking on the part of the foreign leaders.

Yes, I agree. The Swedish head of state said that now, although he dislikes Bush's politics, it is important for us to work on improving the transatlantic communication and collaboration.

ShawnBrown wrote:

People might read this and wrongly think that Americans as a whole support Bush more than they've ever supported "any other president in history". The margin of victory is certainly more representative of Bush's support--51% vs. 49%.

As has been pointed out, the voter-turnout was much larger than normal. Kerry himself also received more votes than Regan did in either of his elections.

That was exactly the point I was trying to make. You did a much better job at it though :)

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."