Current or modern politics in the United States

[dethtongue]

Originally Posted by 9876543210

bombermouse,



I think you just hit the nail on the head with "a central authority decides which textbooks will be used in all public schools." Which brings up an interesting question. Doesn't "a central authority" sound like Communism? So Texas is a Communist state?

Heh, heh. I can hear heads blowing up in Texas all the way up here in Wisconsin.

Your typical conservative might not get the reference I'm afraid. In the US we've been very heavily indoctrinated to equate and confuse socialism with totalitarian police states and the ability to spend money with democracy. Your typical American conservative wont be able to grasp the notion of free and democratic countries with socialist programs designed to make society better for all (such as most western European countries...to a greater or lesser extent) nor totalitarian states with healthy capitalist economies where the life of the unlucky masses can boarder on Darwinian. (Such as many east Asian countries currently)

Ideological enemy number one was the Soviet Union for about five or six generations. It was a totalitarian police state first and a socialist "paradise" a very (very, very) distant second. When socialism was first invented however the notion of social and economic equality absolutely horrified the rich and elite. The same rich and elite who tend to own endless social and media outlets for endless waves of political and social propaganda about the evils of communism and socialism wrapped in a critique of totalitarian police states while espousing the virtues of freedom and democracy by pointing out how many nice (if unnecessary) things you can buy. Most adults here in the US have been subjected to massive, unrelenting propaganda since literally the moment they were born and it informs their world view in literally everything they see. It will be their kids and their grandkids that can look much more objectively at these things.

To this day words like socialism and communism flip switches in the American mind with visions of ice-bound gulags and barbed wire. While the notion they they may be suffering from another form of exploitation seems absurd because of all that cool shit they can buy, and if they cant really afford it...so much the better for their masters.

[Puhbear69]

Originally Posted by 9876543210

Puhbear69,

The problems here are not from a lack of intelligence, they're from a lack of the "use" of that intelligence. Americans aren't any smarter than anyone from any other country. Nor are they more stupid. In my opinion they are lazier, at least as far as their critical thinking skills are concerned. Lazier than people from other countries? Probably not. But lazier than Americans from earlier generations.

I meant exactly the same with my words. Many seems to be really unexperienced; which I don't understand, all kind of different colored info is available. It's about the way to get it, if you are interested.

Originally Posted by 9876543210

That used to be the case but is no longer. Most of the "press" has their own political agenda which people "should" be aware of but, sadly, most people are not. Just look at Faux News which is the communications arm of the Republican/Tea Party.

Oh well, you have some independent Newspapers as well. We do have too some "private" stations who manipulate more or less openly. The public stations do too some times. Just take the info from different sources and make an own picture.

Originally Posted by 9876543210

It would be nice to think that a forum like this one could make a difference (and maybe it can) but lets be realistic. Judging from the "Thanks" given by people in these threads there are maybe 10 to 15 people that most are from. There are, of course, others that keep an eye on these threads and say nothing. Which if OK. But those of us that actually comment in here are a very small minority. So the amount of education going on here is pretty minimal.

Not one forum, there are several others, I'm sure. This one is quite good moderated and so a lot hatred is avoided. Do not look at the "thanks" given by members, a lot of others seems to avoid this button as if they would order a new washer in the same way, pushing it ... also at content posts. But that's an other thread.
I think, many a little makes a mickle. Sure, it's minimal. Any idea starts in a small circle.

Originally Posted by 9876543210

Most all of our third parties have no role at all. I think there is only one Socialist in the Senate (Bernie Sanders from Vermont) with few, if any, in the House. We have a Green Party whom I've voted for but they've never done very much. The last time I remember a third party having any impact was Ross Perot back in the 80's and 90's. He didn't win but he did create a heck of a stir when he got about 20% of the vote (I think I voted for him twice).

The example Ross Perot did in the US, what I meant. Here it was the start of the Green Party, brought the other parties into action and into other positions. Now they are too established; and the Pirates entered a country parliament by 8.5% from nothing in a about year.
The US parties are looking kind of "frozen" to me. Some new impulses came from the "Occupy Wall Street movement" which wasn't a party.

[Puhbear69]

Swiss referendum 'backs executive pay curbs'


Swiss voters appear to have backed proposals to impose some of the world's strictest controls on executive pay, projected referendum results suggest.

(....)

The new measures will give Switzerland some of the world's strictest corporate rules, our correspondent adds.

Read more: http://vintage-erotica-forum.com/sho...75#post2392075
------------------

OK, a bit off topic (as it is an American thread) , but one can dream of this example - or am I wrong?

[bombermouse]

Originally Posted by Puhbear69

Swiss referendum 'backs executive pay curbs'


Swiss voters appear to have backed proposals to impose some of the world's strictest controls on executive pay, projected referendum results suggest.

(....)

The new measures will give Switzerland some of the world's strictest corporate rules, our correspondent adds.

Read more: http://vintage-erotica-forum.com/sho...75#post2392075
------------------

OK, a bit off topic (as it is an American thread) , but one can dream of this example - or am I wrong?

Only a dream, Puhbear. Nothing of this sort will happen in the USA in the foreseeable future.

[Puhbear69]

Originally Posted by bombermouse

Only a dream, Puhbear. Nothing of this sort will happen in the USA in the foreseeable future.

Here too, here too, I suppose.
But thats the advantage of living in a direct democracy were it doesn't need to go the way over a senator or any other politician. If enough voters are available, it comes to the vote/referendum - and the politicians have to follow the plebiscite.

What makes me angry: here those corporate manager show up the US and talk about they could earn even more in the US (true or not, who knows?). Any sane discussion is finished at this point.

[Puhbear69]

Originally Posted by begos

[...]

"I still believe in the people of America. And so Ann and I join with you to earnestly pray for this great nation.

Thank you, and God bless America."

[...]

Thank you for the translation. I was a bit clueless, what "to hell" had the author meant with this message.

-------------------------------
I have to admit, I'm sometimes clueless with the voting-slogans in my country too:

"The Middle"

An other party:

"The Middle Strengthen"

Well, from a mathematical point of view the middle of something is a point (without any dimension). Should the whole country being fixed to a point? That would never work!
From a political point of of view - were is the middle of what ???

"Nearer to the People"

Well this party was farer way from the people in the past as ever. No wonder that they are searching the near. But I don't want them in my near.

"Tackle it! For Our Country"

What they tackle, went enormously wrong. See the enormous cuts in our social system.


"Out of the Crisis Only Helps Green"

Does it mean we should go into the green an having a rosy view ?


"Here and in Europe"

And here I spare any comment.

[9876543210]

begos,

The mittster and his wife were on a Sunday talk show this weekend which I've seen excerpts of and the clown has learned not a thing. He still thinks his 47% comment was "taken out of context" or "not reported correctly" etc., etc. Both of them were blaming everyone but themselves. "Oh, if only the people really got to know the true Mitt we'd be in the White House today". "We didn't connect with the minorities".

Those people are a joke. The 47% comment (amongst others) finally sunk him. But he doesn't realize that.

[Puhbear69]

Sorry, but it might be more serious, that about 8.000 ... 9.000 teachers (as I have read) are getting their jobs lost at civilian schools.

The public school education isn't really a high standard in the US, it will get worser with it, I think.

Because of this "Punch-and-Judy show" in your House of "Representatives".

[Puhbear69]

Originally Posted by begos

[...]


Yet, the Republicans blame all our fiscal woes on the "greedy 47%" of Americans who are struggling to survive while below (or barely above) the poverty line and who refuse, for some strange reason, to vote Republican!


[...]

Here are working (officially said !!! ) about 24,6% below or struggling to the poverty line, + 7,4 % are jobless at all of the working population. How many retired are below the poverty line, I do not know.

You can well add 2.. 3% who aren't in any statistic.

At all we are having ~ 830 Billionaires (EUR >1.000.000.000) that counts ~0,02 % (of the working population).

[richardoe]

Being a bit cynical and also ex military I wonder if cancelling the Thunderbirds at the USAFA graduation is a very political move to draw attention to the cutbacks? I would have thought that the USAF would have made certain that the Thunderbirds would have been at the graduation no matter what.