Americans are really sensitive when us furriners have opinions about their domestic affairs. I would be more sympathetic had not the U.S. been doing just that since 1823 as official policy.
The USIA has closed down - I guess the end of the cold war made it inevitable - but Radio Marti is still going strong. Granted that Cuba is a dictatorship, but Allende was democratically elected and don’t tell me many American pundits, politicos and Joe Averages don’t have strong opinions against the numbnut Hugo Chavez.
In other words, we Euro types aren’t allowed to voice opinion or try to sway opinions of Americans - but Americans are allowed to do just that to other countries.
Hopefully the diplomacy will hold up; I just hope they never decide this is a jihad. Remember when Bush used the term “crusade” to characterize the war on terror? :eek:
Though handled better, the WTC would be another example. If an enemy managed to release a biological weapon in a major city, would people have the first idea what to do? Or what if it’s something we haven’t even anticipated?
That would put a nice dent in their business, but other countries would still buy and take up slack. Supposing we don’t/can’t develop technologies fast enough? I can’t remember where I read it, but I saw a prophecy that one day, maybe not too far in the future, we’ll go to war with China over oil. We’re just on a collision course with them, the article said.
Unfortunately I think we end up in these dilemmas in part because of the friends we make. E.g. if we’re all high and mighty about human rights, why do we import so much from China?
And even more a propos, the US role in the Iran-Iraq war:
On 9 June 1992, Ted Koppel reported on ABC’s Nightline, “It is becoming increasingly clear that George H.W. Bush, operating largely behind the scenes throughout the 1980s, initiated and supported much of the financing, intelligence, and military help that built Saddam’s Iraq into” the power it became, and "Reagan/Bush administrations permitted — and frequently encouraged — the flow of money, agricultural credits, dual-use technology, chemicals, and weapons to Iraq.”
Shoot ourselves in the foot much? The politicians don’t always tell the American public what’s really going on and then we’re left scratching our heads.
Since when is Europe shy about their opinions of the United States? We have been ragged on since at least 2003. It just gets old. Nobody here wants to hear that Bush is a moron anymore. Do you really think we don’t know this already?
Crucial postscript. I once said on this board that the reanimated corpse of Hitler had a better chance of becoming president than Clinton or Obama. The latter surprised me. I admit he has surprised me. I now think that perhaps he’d wedge out Zombie Hitler but wouldn’t quite make it past medicated Charles Manson.
The last time some disconnected wanker had any say in our politics we beat his ass and sent him back to England. d’you really want to follow that act, Lobbers?
As someone who has been an avid reader of Obama’s webpage for over a year now (been a subscriber to updates for over a year as well) I can say that 90% of Obama fans are in for a HUGE suprise when he is elected.
Now I have to go about reading John McCain’s positions and performance record. The first packet should be arriving by African swallow tomorrow, I expect the Google ads to be teletyped in. And do you have any idea what it’s like translating morris code into HTML? Why the hell didn’t Ole Sam just start out with a binary system in the first place?
In short The Isle of Man is going to have to wait in line behind Puerto Rico with everyone else, they have dibs on being next. Until then feel free to send us some tea to float in our harbor.
(Seriously though, I do commend the OP for his passion toward our political well being as well as the obvious self interest to his own political well being based on the outcome of an election he has no way of affecting that takes place across the pond. Lobsang can tell us to vote for Obama all he wishes as long as we can still make fun of Chuckie’s ears."
Oh, thanks. You just gave me a reason to vote. To cancel yours out. Not that it will do any good in the end, but it’ll make me feel better. McCain a RINO? Give me a break. Now Bill Clinton, he was a DINO.
Note to self: now at least there’s a reason and goal in mind to drag my cynical ass to the polling place.
MCcain can lose this election if he continues to piss off every Republican on the planet.
Yes, you are a Maverick :rolleyes: I’m sorry you spent 6 years in a POW prison but come on man, fight Obama or get out of the fight now.
A civil debate? Where is this written into the rules?
Don’t worry, Lobsang, we Democrats are not taking this election lightly at all, nor are we blind to the great challenges that confront Obama, not the least of which is a resurgence of racism that has even infected friends of ours. Having said that, however, Obama will be the next US President.
Worse, the other countrys are the cornfield, collectively. They’ll be wandering amongst the ears, perhaps looking for a private spot to canoodle, or get a bit of the old slap and tickle, and there’s this ghastly jack in the box monstrosity, El Yucko!
“Ere now, whats all this then?”
“The Americans put it here, most like.”
“Whatever for?”
“Didn’t want to have to look at it. Very sensitive, the Americans.”
Seriously, it’s this kind of attitude, expressed among several thousand people, that can affect an election. If you want him to win, then vote. Or don’t, whatever. Just don’t not-vote and then turn around and say “See? Told you he’d lose.” Self-fulfilling prophecies and all that.
How about that electoral college, huh? Sez wikipedia:
*In the elections of 1824, 1876, 1888, and 2000, the candidate receiving an aggregate plurality of the popular vote did not become president (although, in 1824, there were six states in which the legislatures appointed the electors rather than a popular election doing so, so the true popular vote is uncertain). *
Yes, McCain has become quite the weasel since eight years ago when he was the only Republican in my life I actually was prepared to vote for, but McCain won’t win this time either. The only thing the republicans have is “don’t vote for the scary black guy” which, I agree, will be used to the hilt, and will have an impact, but it won’t be enough, and because the republicans will overestimate the nation’s appetite for racist vitriol, some of it will backfire. The Republicans will continue to Reverend Wright us to death and trot out the reverse-racism card to little effect. McCain will not only successfully be cast as a continuation of the old guard, but as simply old, and the funny thing is McCain will do it to himself. And finally, the democrats are more mobilized than ever in my lifetime, and will become more so as Clinton’s supporters join us. Oh yes, Obama will be the next US President.
