Questions for our American friends

[Arturo2nd]

Originally Posted by Brian249x

So far, we only have a Gulag for black people.

I neglected to mention that the Trump Administration has set up a temporary holding Gulag for brown people (Hispanics and Muslims) prior to kicking them out of the country.

[deepsepia]

Originally Posted by xyzde69

I always was surprised by the "pedigree" of some of your Presidents or even candidates.
A seller of peanuts, a d-series actor, a sexual addict, an ex-alcoholic grandson of billionaire and now a... a well-

By "a seller of peanuts" -- I'm assuming you're referring to Jimmy Carter, one of the smartest Presidents we've had.

Carter trained in the naval nuclear engineering program, graduated from Annapolis. He had extensive experience with nuclear reactors, and indeed cleaning up nuclear accidents (see "Chalk River"), before he had a political career. He owned a peanut farm -- fun fact, to avoid conflicts of interest, he sold his farm before taking the oath of office, and so was well acquainted with agricultural economics.

Today, in his '90s, he still teaches Sunday school.

I interviewed him once, years ago. He was an impressively brilliant man, so, no, "seller of peanuts" doesn't begin to do him justice.

[Roubignol]

Originally Posted by deepsepia

By "a seller of peanuts" -- I'm assuming you're referring to Jimmy Carter, one of the smartest Presidents we've had.

I interviewed him once, years ago. He was an impressively brilliant man, so, no, "seller of peanuts" doesn't begin to do him justice.

Thank you very much for your comments.
In fact, I didn't know that much on this President.
When I wrote my message, it was based on a comment said by my teacher when I was 12 years old. He told us something like: "Look in the USA, everybody can be a President. Jimmy Carter was a seller of peanuts."

I suppose that all the mates who were with me in our classroom remembered that... Jimmy Carter was a seller of peanuts.
Then the few facts that I related to him were the military debacle in Iran and his loss against Ronald Reagan.
So I didn't know that he was a very smart man.

But knowing a little bit more on Bill Clinton, I also was not correct with him, he was far more than just a sexual addict.

[Decadence]

Originally Posted by deepsepia

Carter trained in the naval nuclear engineering program, graduated from Annapolis. He had extensive experience with nuclear reactors, and indeed cleaning up nuclear accidents (see "Chalk River"), before he had a political career. He owned a peanut farm -- fun fact, to avoid conflicts of interest, he sold his farm before taking the oath of office, and so was well acquainted with agricultural economics.

He was a former Georgia State Senator and also governor of Georgia right before running for President. I recall the campaign & media made a big deal of his HUGE smile and what were portrayed as big teeth.

And then there was his brother Billy.. who was portrayed as the consummate redneck. They even gave him his own brand of beer.

Originally Posted by deepsepia

Today, in his '90s, he still teaches Sunday school.

Yes, and I believe he's also still involved with Habitat for Humanity and other worthwhile causes.

Originally Posted by xyzde69

Then the few facts that I related to him were the military debacle in Iran and his loss against Ronald Reagan.

The Iranian hostage ordeal killed his chances at re-election. The economy also sucked badly at the time ( inflation, mortgage rates were 18%, today they're 2-3%) which didn't do him any favors.

He did attempt a rescue as I recall.. it ended badly when the helicopters were not properly equipped to deal with the sand. After 444 days as captives (one of the captors went on to be President of Iran) the hostages came home the day Reagan took office.

[Arturo2nd]

Originally Posted by xyzde69

But knowing a little bit more on Bill Clinton, I also was not correct with him, he was far more than just a sexual addict.

I dated a woman who had met Bill Clinton. She said her pussy got wet the minute he walked into the room and it seemed like the other women in the room would have mated with him then and there if he had asked. With that kind of charisma, it is no wonder he couldn't resist them all. It kind of explains why Hillary could be so grumpy and mean at times.

[Rogerbh]

I knew a woman who was the roommate of one of Clinton's girlfriends while he was a professor with political ambitions. He was also married to Hillary at the time. She told of the time she was driving him to a speech he was giving. He was in the passenger seat and the girlfriend was taking a nap in the back seat. Clinton took her right hand and put in his lap, on top of his genitals. She pulled it back cuz her friend was right in the back seat. So when I saw in one of the articles about his womanizing this same exact move, I had to laugh out loud.

Every time I see Slick Willy, I can still hear her voice saying in its long Southern drawl, "He's soooooooooo charisssssmmaattticccc."

[Roubignol]

In your point of view:

A) Which State(s) in the USA, seem(s) to be the best balanced/healthy/represented

1) politically?

2) economically?

3) socially?

B) Would you want that the global rules in USA would be more like the rules of your State or would you want that your State and the USA get the same rules as another State?

[deepsepia]

Originally Posted by Decadence

The Iranian hostage ordeal killed his chances at re-election. The economy also sucked badly at the time ( inflation, mortgage rates were 18%, today they're 2-3%) which didn't do him any favors.

He did attempt a rescue as I recall.. it ended badly when the helicopters were not properly equipped to deal with the sand. After 444 days as captives (one of the captors went on to be President of Iran) the hostages came home the day Reagan took office.

Yes, it was a complicated time. He faced a primary challenge from Ted Kennedy, which hurt him politically. There was very high inflation, and high unemployment . . . Reagan ran on the so called "misery index", which was "inflation+unemployment", would have been in %20-something percent range.

Basically Carter had a major Vietnam hangover, plus oil shocks. It wasn't a happy time in the country, and he wasn't a good communicator. He's rather prickly and technical, remarkably un-folksy for a Georgia peanut farmer; big smile nothwithstanding he struck people as strict and not warm.

But he was and remains a very smart and thoughtful person.

He was the first guy to suggest that the way to deal with the Middle East was through energy self-sufficiency; paradoxically that's pretty much how its worked out, though no one liked the message at the time.

Somewhat like Trump, he came to town with a staff that was really alien to Washington, and didn't get along well.

But the thing about Carter is he won with an electoral map that I don't think we'll ever see again, take a look at it:



I can't see anyone winning the Northeast and the South, and losing the West ever again . . . its a map of an American political alignment that's evaporated.

[Roubignol]

As a Confederation of States, do you have enterprises or businesses or manufactured products that only are allowed, sold in one state but not in others?

As examples: Do you have Arizona (or Missouri, Colorado) ketchups or chips or limonades that are not sold in other states?

Does the electricity, the public road network management depend of the State or national ?

[deepsepia]

Originally Posted by xyzde69

As a Confederation of States, do you have enterprises or businesses or manufactured products that only are allowed, sold in one state but not in others?

As examples: Do you have Arizona (or Missouri, Colorado) ketchups or chips or limonades that are not sold in other states?

The Constitution establishes that interstate commerce is a Federal prerogative, not a state one. That is, individual states cannot ban or impose taxes on goods from other states. I make it in Oregon, I can sell it in Nevada, without asking Nevada -- though I'd have to pay Nevada sales tax.

There are regional brands-- Dr Pepper soda, for example, was very local to Texas for many years, not really know in the North or West. That wasn't because New York or California banned it, just that it was a local brand.

With foods, you'll see lots of local milk and dairy brands-- so here in the Pacific Northwest you'd see Umpqua milk and icecream, but only rarely further afield.

Things that ship well -- like chips-- are mostly national brands, but there are a few regionals, things like Utz potato chips, typically seen in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland.

Originally Posted by xyzde69

Does the electricity, the public road network management depend of the State or national ?

Electricity is mostly generated by private companies that maintain the electric grid in regional consortia-- the consortia have a Federal government component, because its "interstate commerce".

Public roads are of two kinds, State and Federal. You will hear Americans refer to highways as, say "I-84" or "SR-13" -- the "I" would be for "Interstate", which would be a Federal highway, the "SR" would be "State Route". The actual maintenance of the highways is typically done by local authorities, with the chief difference between the Federal and State roads being who's paying for it. . .