Saffire

The only think keeping western democracies from turning authoritarian is a distant memory of World War 2 and Nazi Germany. When the economy gets bad, people grant politicians more authority, because they think they can "fix" it like it's a machine. In fact Obama even uses that language: "The gears of our economy are slowly starting to turn again..." etc. Look at FDR as an example. He devastated the US economy during his time in office, but he kept getting reelected with even greater majorities each time.

Damnit, Nick! You don't own a boat?? That was your main selling-point. I no longer think you're attractive. ;) I tend to dress far more conservatively than my music would indicate.

*facepalm* Don't count on it. I don't think there's ever been a recorded incident where a government has ceded power back to the people... except via revolution, like in Iran.

No, they won't. They'll forgive them in four years. That's the way America works, it's like a pendulum swinging between two really crappy political parties.

And Obama is a smoker himself. How much more blatantly hypocritical can you be? Maybe once Kirstie Alley gets elected president she'll pass your National Calorie Act, Nick. ;) Wait till the new mpg standards kick in and Americans aren't allowed to buy big trucks or fast cars anymore. I'm really crossing my fingers Obama gets some semblance of his healthcare ideas put into law, too. So much to do! So little time! [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVFdAJRVm94]YouTube - He's Barack Obama[/ame]

Why? The preponderance of evidence points to it being real.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2009/jun/21/fit-watch-kingsnorth-arrests Looks like you guys suffer from the same problem much of the US does...

http://apnews.myway.com/image/20090621/Iran_Election.sff_TOK102_20090621022709.html?date=20090621&docid=D98V3RO80 I love this caption by the AFP: According to the AP, she was "allegedly shot". Never mind that we've got footage of it and blood gushing from her chest. Also they call the Iranian police "security forces". Heh.

More than sad, it's outrageous. But don't think your government wouldn't do it any differently if you were out there protesting after an election. Some governments are based on a silly religion, others are based on silly documents that people pretend to take seriously. In the end, they're all the same.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/5586543/Is-this-the-death-of-the-dollar.html Anybody heard about this? Two Japanese guys were arrested in Italy trying to pass over the Swiss border, and they had a briefcase with a hidden compartment in it. Inside the compartment were $134bn in $500m-denominated US Treasury bonds... and according to the governments involved, they were fake. Of course, that makes no sense. If they were fake, how did they manage to forge them? You can't know what a $500m piece of paper looks like without access to the real thing. Second, you need to have access to incredibly good technology to fake something like this - we're not talking about a hundred-dollar bill, here. And third, who were they going to give these notes to? What could they possibly have wanted to trade them for? So yeah, you'd have to be a complete dimwit to believe the government's explanation of this. The bonds were real, and for a short while there Bill Gates was not the richest man in the world... not by a long shot. Governments are trying their best to dump US bonds quickly before the dollar collapses.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0609/Obama_calls_on_Iran_to_stop_all_violent_and_unjust_actions.html Obama sez: "Stop all violent and unjust actions!" This is the perfect opportunity for Ahmadenajad to counter, "As soon as you stop arresting peaceful marijuana smokers."

Nick, your approach as a statist is far too subtle for my taste. I say we just nuke the whole place! Hopefully Ahmadinejad won't pull an Indiana Jones and hide in a refrigerator.

I didn't see a thread about this, but it's a pretty big deal. I love a good revolution! :D Watching a government crumble is beautiful... too bad it will be replaced with another one ;) Obama: "The last thing that I want to do is have the US be a foil for the..." oh shut up. I mean, seriously? You won't give the protesters moral support because you're afraid the government will use that as an excuse to crack down on them? Aren't they already blaming the US? Aren't they already shooting protesters? Lame.

Heh, I'm not sure I'd believe all those quotes. Remember that this political party's enemies are probably not 100% honest when it comes to accurately portraying them, and that particular quote about rape sounds "too good to be true".

Oh my gosh, this is the excuse I'm going to use from now on. "But Mom, I was facilitating group bonding!"

This thread made me poop on your Cheerios.

Why you people even bother to vote is beyond me. Your current crop of politicians are all corrupt bastards, regardless of the party they belong to. Do you really think a new batch would fix things? Politics is a distraction from real life. Just worry about your own problems and not any of the countless boogeymen these goddamn politicians dream up to scare you with. Evil foreigners, evil doctors, evil business owners, evil liberals, evil conservatives, evil... How about EVIL POLITICIANS? Just dispense with it all. Quit voting, it never changes anything.

Yeah but although many people hold that viewpoint, they're obviously wrong. Whether or not somebody gets a job is between the applicant and their employer. The government is trying to act as a third-party and intervene on this relationship with violence.

Everybody just click the link in my signature for a primer on how you treat your fellow man, and politics.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KBXcpJfmj4]YouTube - Billy Mays -- Big City Slider[/ame] This is entirely relevant.

I won't even honor this thread with a resp-- Melanie. While her husband's out of town on a business trip. It's business time. I'll be wearing my business socks.

Americans view their own country's history as a sort of fairy-tale of constant progress toward and undefined perfection, spiked with intermittent dark moments brought about by brown people and capitalists. The country's financial situation is so dire that it'll be amazing if it can keep its military in its current form... but it's not a big deal because France and Britain have nuclear weapons.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDznJMSoAoQ]YouTube - Amazing Hammer Skills[/ame] This is too cool. Talented!

All politicians are losers, I don't know why you guys are acting so surprised! :laugh3: The ones who we respect and admire are the ones who simply did a better job of hiding their shenanigans.

It's "climate change" now, Nick! Don't you know anything?