First of all: I do have the right to have an opinion about this issue. Even if I am a foreigner. (or isn’t this cyberspace)
Second: The main reason for my opinion about this are the influence and power the president of USA have on people and nations outside the USA. It’s this that makes it relevant for me to have an opinion. Clinton’s words have a lot more impact than for example the words of the president in Brazil (Don’t even know who it is)
It’s Bush foreign policy that interest me most and not how he plans to run USA. (I don’t even know much about his policy when it comes down to this)
I voted for Gore. I think that he would be a better president than Bush. However, I am incredibly offended by what Quincy said about Texas when he described it as:
I understand that you are concerned about Bush’s foreign policy. And well you should be. However, fucknut, I’m originally from Texas. I’ve never shot a Watermelon before in my life. In fact, I don’t know anyone who has. Personally, I’m against firearms, though I wouldn’t want to stop anyone else from owning them. Most of my Texan relatives feel the same way.
Texas is one of those places in America that is uniquely American. There’s no place on earth quite like it. Keep in mind that Texas is a big, big place (everything’s bigger in Texas). But since it is such an enormous place with such a diverse population, you can’t simply categorize all Texans as Bible-thumping gun nuts. Just like we can’t categorize all Europeans as elitist, chain-smoking Nazis.
And just where the hell are you from, anyway? You seem to be dodging the question.
I don’t know how to start making sense of that, or of any Quincyquotes so far. Still, like a fool, I can’t help wondering out loud, as it were.
English Economy - what is it? Were you to explain your views on the economy, or, if you prefer, Economies, of the rest of the U.K., it might help to make your point more clear. (Or, of course, it might do nothing of the kind.) “Why “also” - compared to what?” Why does economy need upper case? Why is a singular noun “are” anything? Who are “we” who haven’t strike (sic) all the time? And the “we” who have low crime rates “comparing” (sic) to the U.S.
Look, since you do seem to be posting in a language foreign to you, don’t you think it would be wise to check the sense and grammar of your posts before setting them loose on the big wide world?
And, of course, my guess is that you are, in fact, posting in your mother tongue, but have somehow neglected to learn anything at all (about clear thinking, writing, expressing noisy opinions without much knowledge etc.) from your school. A 13 year old could do better. I do very much hope that I am wrong, because otherwise, there is a school somewhere that is incapable of teaching its pupils even some pretty basic skills.
Oh, and you still seem to have neglected to spread enlightenment as to which country has the pleasure of claiming you as its own. No doubt you will be rectifying that omission soon.
Hey–have you ever tried firing a 12-gauge pump-action Mossburg loaded with 3-inch hollow-point slugs at a ripe, juicy melon from ten yards away? It’s no wonder as a defenseless foreigner you’re unable to fathom the exhilaration one feels witnessing the ensuing explosion.
By the way, we don’t spend all our spare time on melonic destruction. I spent some of mine builting a pneumatic potato cannon (powered by compressed air at 150 PSI), thus multiplying my vegetable destruction a hundredfold. Let’s see some foreigner invade while I have this.
OK, first of all, blowing up watermellons with a 44 magnum is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.
Second, there is a strong streak of religous fundmentalism that runs through the USA. The Democrats have been taking a beating across the south because of their positions on guns and abortion.
Third, I kinda like the image of a president with a bible in one hand and a gun in the other.
I’m not an expert on the subject, but I have the impression that the number of unemployed in UK, and in other European nations, have decreased the last 5 years or so. More people have work and the debt(s) are a lot smaller.
I know that my English are far from perfect, but I do think that you people are able to understand me and have conversations with me.
Don’t think so.
By the way, what are trying to do with this? maybe to impress some of the Americans who disagree with me?
Actually, it would behoove you to do your homework. We first and foremost voted for the next president of the United States of America, not supreme ruler of the world. Therefore most Americans (not all, but most) will go with a candidate who they think will do the best job running this country. The rest is secondary.
The fact remains, as evidenced in the nearly even split in Congress, the president has to be very adept at creating a bipartisan coaltion, something that Bush has actually done quite well. He’s received numerous endorsements from Democrats as governor of Texas, and more than a few from Texas Democrat leaders as a candidate for the presidency. As governor he has been successful at overcoming the partisan animosity so endemic in our political system.
Gore, on the other hand, is at times arrogant and condescending, with a clear implication that those who fail to share his political views are little more than clinical idiots. It is a disturbing trend I’ve seen in a lot of Democrats – not to say that Republicans don’t share some of that arrogance, they do, but it is particularly vicious and much more prevalent in a fair number of Democrats. I do not believe that Gore could create that bipartisan coalition that this country will so desperately need in the wake of this election.
Your profound ignorance on this particular matter speaks for itself. I would just like to point out, though, that no true Southerner considers Texas to be part of the deep South, and most Texans would agree.
Then my suggestion to you would be to emigrate to the US, apply for citizenship, and participate in the political process. If you are so obviously better at selecting a US President than the citizens of the country, you owe it to us – and the world – to share your expertise. Really.
You left the word ‘asshole’ off the end of the above sentence.
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First of all. Europe are a continent which consist of a lot of nations with a lot of different languages and historical tradisions, it’s not a country like most Americnas like to think. Not everybody is a member of EU either.
*Uh, yes, I think we all know that here. Let me amend my statement. Europe as a whole is fucked up.
The Economy are strong in many European nations and have been so the last 4-5 yars. (I heard that USA just had their first + in the national budgete since 1971 or so, seems like they also had a struggle some year ago)
I don’t live in UK, but I think that The English economy are pretty good also.
*Due to the severe taxes in countries like France and Germany, England looks like heaven, in fact many French people move to England for this exact reason.
*But England is still fucked up. Sorry it is Tony Blair who fucked up with the Dome. Most it’s major assets are owned by foreigners. We sold other stuff to foreigners too, much it’s shitty stuff and we’re getting the last laugh, remember Rockefeller Center to the Japanese, and the Hollywood studio (don’t remember the name) to Sony? We would never sell Boeing to the Germans or MS to the Japanese. National Health is a well meaning fiasco and they still don’t have dental care. Sales tax is 18%?
*Germany is taking steps in the right direction, but I don’t want this to become a long lecture, only a short sarcastic, flippant flame.
*Strikes. Don’t even bring that up. European strikes are much more common and more destructive than ours. It doesn’t happen because your workers have more rights. It’s because of some stupid taxes or policies on the part of their goverments. The last major strike you’ve had over there is because of the 300% tax on gas. And the English had to do a under the table kind of deal with the truckers that couldn’t even be publicized. Don’t make me laugh. Citizens don’t strike when it’s uptopia, they strike when they’re being fucked. What’s funny, is you got yourselves into it.
Actually I think it’s US that’s fucked up, and have been since the vietnam war.
I think you exaggerate a lot here.
Yes, the taxes are high in many European countries, too high in some nations. But we does infact get free medic care.
I find the American medic care system completely sickening.
Read my last reply
Actually I’ve heard that the “gas-strike” in UK isn’t over yet. I’m not 100% sure though
As someone who has a done a fair bit of traveling and living outside the U.S., I rarely form opinions about a place unless I have been there. Too bad Europeans as a whole can’t follow this philosophy when it comes to the U.S. Are we sometimes arrogant, insular, misinformed, etc.?
Sure. But we’ve built the nation we wanted to have. We used our massive resources to make a country so powerful it is pretty safe from almost any kind of devastating upheaval-political, economic, or military. I think the snobbishness some Europeans exhibit is an attempt to disguise jealousy over this fact. They tazlk about us being “barbarians” who have the death penalty and guns everywhere so that they (the Europeans) will not have to consider that their continent was the setting for more violence, desperation, violations of human rights and outright butchery in the 20th century alone than any other place in recorded history. And it was all aided and abetted by…Europeans!
Do Americans have anything to be sorry about? Yes. Racism was very real here (maybe still is). But the Roma of eastern Europe have it as bad or worse than any black person ever did in America. Does economic exploitation of the poor happen here? All the time. But nobody who truly wants to escape poverty will find it impossible to do so here. They can go to college anywhere, move anywhere, get a new job anywhere one is available. Can anyone honestly say that about the majority of Europe?
As for your remarks about the “high crime rate” here…I grew up in rural Ohio, where probably 70% of the population owned guns, in a county of about 30,000 people. In 125 years the county has had exactly 28 murders. Does that sound like “high crime” to you? Crime in general is something that affects few Americans that don’t live in big cities. But since that is where ALL of the major media centers are located, crime that happens there gets tremendous publicity. The country in general just isn’t that way elsewhere. The biggest opponent to gun control here is the National Rifle Associatein, i.e. the NRA. The NRA draws 90% of it’s membership from rural areas. The NRA’s biggest opposition is focused in large cities. Seen this way the whole debate over “gun control” makes perfect sense. Why should people wjo live in rural areas-who have no or very little crime, and who use guns for legitimate things like hunting- give up their rights to sole the problems of pedople in big, far off cities? Of course, since Europe is mostly white and mostly urban, you don’t have much of a mosaic of political opinion, so one view overwhelmingly holds sway. It’s called “diversity.” We got it, you don’t. That’s why we are what we are, and you are what you are. Frankly, I would rather be here than wherever you are. And if our immigration history is any indication, so would a LOT of people.
Excuse me. When I said “mostly white and mostly urban” I meant OVERWHELMINGLY white and urban. The U.S. itself is “mostly” white and urban, but not overwhelmingly so.
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I’m not so interested in the plans that Bush for America. As I said earlier, this was first and foremost an “outside” look on how the foreign policy would be.
And it’s just an opinion.
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Maybe so. I don’t know so much about this.
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Maybe I exaggerated when I wrote this, but much are based on how texans them selves want’s us to see them.
Of course I don’t believe that all use their spare time blowing up watermelons:)
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Actually I think it’s US that’s fucked up, and have been since the vietnam war.
*You’re kidding, right? The US is by far the strongest single nation in the world right now and has made immense strides since the Vietnam War.
Yes, the taxes are high in many European countries, too high in some nations. But we does infact get free medic care. I find the American medic care system completely sickening.
*Free medical care? In England in order to get surgery you need to get in line to get an opportunity to get in line. i.e. you need to get in line twice. People pay twice for medical care. One for National Health and again when you get sick to see a private doctor. National Health is a joke. I saw a Benny Hill re-run from a 70’s this year and I was surprised to see National Health jokes from the 70’s already. Your “free” medical care is a sick joke. When Heads of States from countries like Jordan get sick, where do you think they go? You think they go and sign up for National Health? No they come straight here, for the best medical care in the world. Fuck you.
Far be it for me to defend QUINCY but…
I know sod all about your health care system and you know sod all about ours.
You have your opinion and have been provoked somewhat but try not to let it lead you in ways that wind up others.
I ate crow over your gun laws, learning something in the process, and I would not presume too much about your nation without first gauging what your opinions are.
So QUINCY is a tool ? maybe it’ll pass or not, no need to descend to those levels.