Learn from Past?

[nashvol85]

Although things are greatly improving in China, they are still not a free country. I think most people would rather be free than live under communism.

The EU? That's not a country. That's a weak coalition. They may have the same currency and lower trade barriers, but the governments are still distinct and independent. If they had one powerful parliament ruling over all of then, then possibly, but until that comes about, they are not "the greatest country".

I agree, we have many things to resolve, but that doesn't mean that other countries don't have big issues of their own to deal with. Also, if we experience a depression, it would likely pull the other nations (including the EU countries) into a depression also, just like in the 30's and 40's. Anyways, a depression might be a good thing for this country. It makes us humble for the things that we do have...notice the difference in the way people from that era invest their money and spend it compared to a baby-boomer or anyone in the current generation.

[Scott]

I know why the Republicans in my life voted the way they did and those reasons are not pretty or church-like.

btw- Gas is at an all time high... its fat city for Texas oilmen and their Saudi Arabian business partners. We pay him $100,000 to be president... they pay his friends and family billions. Their deranged children fly planes into our buildings and the Bushes let them get away with it.

Is that so hard to understand...

[monsoon]

I know why the Republicans in my life voted the way they did and those reasons are not pretty or church-like.

btw- Gas is at an all time high... its fat city for Texas oilmen and their Saudi Arabian business partners. We pay him $100,000 to be president... they pay his friends and family billions. Their deranged children fly planes into our buildings and the Bushes let them get away with it.

Is that so hard to understand...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Its easy to undersand and I agree with you. I find the connection between the Bush's, big oil, and the Saudi's particularly disturbing. But what is hard to understand is Kerry's complete inability to put forth an effective message that dealt with this. He was almost like a deer staring into headlights. I really hope the democrats have learned from this debacle of a presidential campaign.

[Scott]

What people are saying is that we should be like them. That IMO would run counter to the best interests of this region. I agree that Kerry's campaign had little to offer because he wasn't a great candidate but that doesn't mean that he wasn't stereotyped by being from Massachusetts. I think of late Republicans from all over the country are too willing to go along with political dirty tricks and outright lies in order to see their candidate elected.

People should think that if they stereotype people from other regions it gives validity to stereotypes about them. That goes for everyone, particularly that idiot who justifiably got banned.

[murderingmouth]

What people are saying is that we should be like them. That IMO would run counter to the best interests of this region. I agree that Kerry's campaign had little to offer because he wasn't a great candidate but that doesn't mean that he wasn't stereotyped by being from Massachusetts. I think of late Republicans from all over the country are too willing to go along with political dirty tricks and outright lies in order to see their candidate elected.

People should think that if they stereotype people from other regions it gives validity to stereotypes about them. That goes for everyone, particularly that idiot who justifiably got  banned.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't think it is stereotyping to say that a candidate has to win the South.

Rather, the fact that the south (if we include TX, OK, FL) is where most of the country's growth is taking place, both demographically and economically. Kerry did, in fact, say that he could win without winning the south. Not only was he wrong, he was telling Southern Dems that they weren't his focus. That attitude is what has been making Southern Dems move to the Republican party for over a decade. It will accelerate unless the next Dem is more respectful of the greater power the South has in American politics now.

I'm not saying the next Dem candidate has to be from the South, merely that he has to acknowledge how important the South is - to America's economy and culture and to his party.

MM

[Spartan]

I agree we should withdraw from the UN.  That organization has become corrupt and it runs all the way to the top.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I completely agree with this statement.

The EU? That's not a country. That's a weak coalition.  They may have the same currency and lower trade barriers, but the governments are still distinct and independent.  If they had one powerful parliament ruling over all of then, then possibly, but until that comes about, they are not "the greatest country".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The EU is not a country (yet), but the switch to the Euro was a major step in unifying their economy. It is a significant part of the worlds economy too. This makes it a significant entity in itself. Its not all about a "government." I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the EU if I were you....

[Scott]

I agree we should withdraw from the UN.  That organization has become corrupt and it runs all the way to the top.

The UN had corruption in the Oil for Food program but this is a red herring. Corruption can also be found in some of the UN's biggest detractors. Look at the latest revelations about Tom DeLay's family making millions of charity events. All the ethics rule changes and Terry Shiavo exploitation may not save him.

Maybe we need to start at home instead of tearing down the body that saved millions of lives in Bosnia because George Bush and his right-wing cronies in the Congress say so.

[monsoon]

If I gave the impression that I was steriotyping the Mass. people then I apoligise for that as that was not my intention. What I intended to say was the liberal political arm of the Democratic party is no longer effective at winning elections and they need to take some lessons from Southern Democrats. The tie-in with Mass. came from the fact the liberal arm is based in the NE mainly due to the Kennedy family legacy.

It should be noted that while NC solidly voted against Kerry, (despite this being Edwards home state) the state also elected a Democratic governer. And here in Charlotte the at large part of the county council was solidly won by democrats. Democrats can and do win in the South, but its the liberal arm's control over the national elections that continue to strangle the party in the Presidential elections. Dean was just another interation of that control and I think it is a big mistake.

[Scott]

"liberal" arm ie Northern arm, right?

"liberal" arm ie anyone not from the south?

That is exactly what I meant. The conservative southern news media is so over the top it will have you believe that we all walk around in Berkinstocks because that is what people want to hear. Stereotyping people as evil or stupid or liberal helps make all those uncomfortable facts about who they actually voted for just melt away.

[Scott]

btw- A good example of this is Rush Limbaugh's extreme popularity in some areas. Around here we consider him little more than an OC junkie but in some areas he's a god.

[monsoon]

Well anything the news media puts out should be taken with a grain of salt. They have everyone in the South walking around barefooted, driving around in pickups with gunracks (and the guns still smoking too), and still performing lynchings.

[Scott]

I've found that the news media tends to give people what they want to hear. Fox News is an excellent example of this. My inlaws will often be talking about some foolishness and its something they heard over there.

Conservatives are strange people, I guess they send e-mails to each other so they know what to be outraged at today. Though that memo about politically exploiting Terry Shaivo kinda blew up in their faces.