To be fair I just recieved this in my inbox
There will be a large crowd alright just not welcoming him.
Here’s a quick comparison between GWB and his “opposition” (if you’ll accept his immediate predecessor as representative of that opposition):
A news story from May 2000 and from Sept 2000.
A news story from Feb 2003, and one from May 2003, and from last month.
That’s part of my point (and why the BBC, despite the derision aimed at it in this thread, strengthens British democracy), but not the whole enchilada. It’s the tortilla, though, and that’s the most structurally important part.
Apology first for calling Kerry a “loathsome prick.”
He isn’t. I think worse of you for comdemning him so mindlessly and idiotically than I would if you supported Bush. You’re not helping defeat Bush by spreading crap like that about Kerry. Why not just vote for Bush instead?
If defeating Bush is a priority, than I encourage strongly to take another, closer, look at Kerry. Without strong support–which Kerry deserves–he won’t beat Bush.
In fact, I strongly believe Kerry will make an excellent president. I didn’t think so several months ago–I believed ignorant morons like Tee–but after following his campaign closely, I realize: this guy is good. He is very, very competent, he’s thoughtful, he has great things to say, he’s careful to make sure what he believes is supported by evidence, and he backs up what he believes with action. He might not have the personal charisma of a Clinton or Reagan, but that has nothing to do with how well someone can do the job of president, anyway.
Back to the OP. I wish to hell the press had reported more accurately on Bush’s president. Without exception, every media response I saw made him seem a lot more articulate and a lot less confused and inarticulate than he actually was.
ACK.
Make that, on Bush’s press conference.
You may enjoy this comment article by a admitted biased by IMO accurate nontheless source then Hear no evil, read no evil, speak drivel
Hey blowero FUCK. YOU.
That’s pretty much alls I have to say, bein hows I don’t know any more bigger words.
Pretentious Bastard.
How is not wanting any sitting President to amend the Constitution to retract rights granted to every US citizen a knee-jerk reaction? Incidently, I’m proud of the fact that the US Constitution was written to evolve with the times. That, by itself, is its most brilliant construct. Clearly, however, enacting restrictive rights amendments goes against every intent of the framers.
The point of my post, which you seemed to have disregarded, is that Bush’s own words do not fit his ideology and he has about as much lack of respect for our Constitution as you seem to. That is troubling because he is the President. (Really I could care less what foreigners thinks of our Constitution as it wasn’t written for them.) Personally, I see much of Bush’s PC babble as smoke and mirrors.
What your comment had anything to do with the OP eludes me.
(quoting xenophon)" Where I strongly disagree with our British pal is that he appears to think (correct me if I’m wrong, Werewolf) the malady is the US political system. I think that the systemic failure which led to the Man Who Fell Up coming to power has little to do with what’s installed into our system of government, and much to do with what is missing. I think we’ve simply failed to respond constitutionally to the technological advances that allow plutocratic forces a major advantage in the forging of public opinion."*
This certainly takes driveling incoherence to a new level.
Our British pal, who previously informed us that Bush’s being elected is a mark of the failure of our political system, now zeroes in on the chance that he could be re-elected.
So the real defect in the American Constitution is that it permits us to re-elect Presidents. What a stunning revelation!
Of course, if we’d done it right the first time around, we could have avoided re-electing Lincoln, F.D.R. and even Bill Clinton, with historical repercussions even our British pal might regret. But thanks for the advice.
Putting aside the ridiculous notion that there can ever be such a thing as “objective” reporting, there is no country in the world that enjoys a predominantly fair and unbiased press. And the notion that one could codify an obligation for media “fairness” into law is, I’m afraid, completely at odds with the First Amendment - another one of the gross systemic defects our British pal apparently wants to remedy.
To look on the positive side, fulminating about the “corporate-capitalist” media agenda is not quite as screwed up as our pal’s previously stated convictions, in which he argued that the U.S. could not have a reasonable Middle East policy because Jews Run The Media.
I believe I mentioned that on another thread. Un-fucking-believable. I believe the words I screamed at the television were something along the lines of “OH EAT MY ASS YOU CHEAP LITTLE FUCKWEASEL!” Then Mr. Bunny made me turn the channel and stop yelling at the TV. We watched Kill Bill Vol. 1 instead. Very theraputic.
First off, you think it’s “arrogant” to place value on the consideration of others? A position that contrasts with “Who cares about world opinion? We’ll do as we damned well please!” is an arrogant one? That’s an interesting suggestion.
As for cites for the feelings of the so-called “small minority abroad,” here ya go.
That’s a long way to come from the practically universal feeling of solidarity that people across the world expressed three short years ago. It took a real effort to fuck that up, but hey, you had the right man for the job.
I’m going to start yelling that at the television whenever Shrubya appears on it.
I realize that the legend of a “practically universal feeling of solidarity” for the U.S. right after 9/11 has become established, but that’s all it is…legend.
There was a good deal of finger-pointing and outright gloating among the traditional America-haters immediately following the events.
Excerpt from a 9/13/01 editorial in The Guardian:
"Nearly two days after the horrific suicide attacks on civilian workers in New York and Washington, it has become painfully clear that most Americans simply don’t get it. From the president to passersby on the streets, the message seems to be the same: this is an inexplicable assault on freedom and democracy, which must be answered with overwhelming force - just as soon as someone can construct a credible account of who was actually responsible.
Shock, rage and grief there has been aplenty. But any glimmer of recognition of why people might have been driven to carry out such atrocities, sacrificing their own lives in the process - or why the United States is hated with such bitterness, not only in Arab and Muslim countries, but across the developing world - seems almost entirely absent. Perhaps it is too much to hope that, as rescue workers struggle to pull firefighters from the rubble, any but a small minority might make the connection between what has been visited upon them and what their government has visited upon large parts of the world…
As Mahatma Gandhi famously remarked when asked his opinion of western civilisation, it would be a good idea. Since George Bush’s father inaugurated his new world order a decade ago, the US, supported by its British ally, bestrides the world like a colossus. Unconstrained by any superpower rival or system of global governance, the US giant has rewritten the global financial and trading system in its own interest; ripped up a string of treaties it finds inconvenient; sent troops to every corner of the globe; bombed Afghanistan, Sudan, Yugoslavia and Iraq without troubling the United Nations; maintained a string of murderous embargos against recalcitrant regimes; and recklessly thrown its weight behind Israel’s 34-year illegal military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza as the Palestinian intifada rages."
I wouldn’t argue against the proposition that actions of the Bush Administration have caused an increase in anti-American views. But let’s not pretend that there was a huge consensus of pro-Americanism around the world that GWB has squandered.
And by the way, xeno, while I intend to vote for Kerry, I’m under no illusion that he and his party will do any better than GWB in running up monster deficits.
Jack, are you up for a wager on a year-by-year deficit comparison if Kerry is elected? JFK’s first four years against GBW’s four? (Don’t know what form the wager would take, but I’m open to some sort of loser-doesn’t-post-in “X” forum for “Y” days type of thing)
So your arguments against Kerry are that:
-he’s a rich white politician
-some bush haters are idiots
-and you just don’t trust him. Well, this last one at least can’t really be argued with…
Make that “*almost * never been out of the US” and he’d be right, though.
Damn you. I was hoping to get in on that action, but I guess you beat me to it.
Then again, I was hoping for some bourbon.
Jack, while you’re bitching about Kerry, keep in mind that he would have to top Georgie’s record deficits. Records like in highest, ever.
If it sweetens the deal, I’ll even give 2:1 odds. 3:1 if there’s a Pubbie controlled congress.
-Joe
Hey Desmo? Did you read THAT?!? She actually accused ME, of all people, of being a member of the far-left as a reason to supposedly deny any merit in my position. How fucking funny is that?
Me? A member of the far-left? Heh Heh Heh… yeah right…
Look, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. For the last 18 months the USA has been striding the world stage making announcements about standing up for freedom, and protecting America’s security etc etc etc. Well, large parts of the REST OF THE WORLD have since been attacked by terrorist attacks during that time, and Iraq is obviously a train wreck in full flight. America’s President has no qualms on making judgements on the rest of the world, so by extension, accept the quid pro quo. Any efforts to avoid that quid pro quo merely confirms the widely held belief that the USA is country full of double standards on the world stage.
Now, you can take that on board or not. But be aware of something… my comment just then is one which is coming from a friend OK? A loyal friend of the USA and her people. When friends feel the need to speak up like that, you know there’s an issue afoot.
Don’t worry, I’ll be happy to credit you both in early 2009 for economic omniscience, should it be warranted.
Remember though, I said “I’m under no illusion that he and his party (note the italicized part) will do any better than GWB in running up monster deficits.” Call me an dreamer, but I was foreseeing economic policy under a Kerry Administration and a Democratic Congress.
Still want to make that bet?
[hijack]
:: looks up in the sky; screams: “Oh, the humanity!” ::
[/hijack]