American Politics

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

We will probably never know what kind of an adult this boy will grow into over in Qatar.  That society is so different from ours, that he might wind up as a street sweeper or get a fine academic or engineering education that leads him on to great things.  The important thing is that a Texas teacher is such a jerk that she deprived the country of what could have been a fine, upstanding man who would have been a great asset to the country.

This is an example of the knee-jerk fear that seems to permeate America since 9/11.  America has let the terrorists win.

[Larks2242 251]

Ahmed was meeting with known genocidal dictators such as Omar al-Bashir, I don't think he is a major loss, Anyone could create a clock, Can do that with a potato.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Ahmed was meeting with known genocidal dictators such as Omar al-Bashir, I don't think he is a major loss, Anyone could create a clock, Can do that with a potato.

Rather a non sequitur.  He didn't meet with anyone until that teacher upset the whole apple cart.  I suggest you tone down your fear and loathing.

[krbe 193]

Ahmed was meeting with known genocidal dictators such as Omar al-Bashir, I don't think he is a major loss, Anyone could create a clock, Can do that with a potato.

A balancing act after meeting certain other politicians with questionable track records as regards international law.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Gun boat diplomacy decried by China.

Echoes of the Boxer Rebellion.  The U.S. has better watch the skirts of its hegemony.  The British discovered you can only push the Chinese so far.

[raynev1 1,886]

   The only way a rich politician will get me to vote for them , would be if they were to say " I already have my fortune and don't want the taxpayer's money , I want to make this a better country for everybody , let's end poverty and not create it ."

   Everyone deserves an education not just the rich people's children . Education has held back millions of people from prosperity in this country for centuries . Why ? I'll tell you why , the undereducated can't grasp what our leaders have to gain by keeping them dumb . A huge number of slaves to work at dead end jobs for a little bit of money , to make the one percent live sooo comfortable . Instead of sharing the wealth with those that make them so prosperous they hold them down with debt and sickness . So they can have control . Control Freaks , that's what they are "you can't do this , you can't do that" ." I can do what I want because I have money and you don't ." 

   All this political mumbo jumbo , to me sounds like Blah Blah Blah . All of them are there for their own particular interest ,not for bettering the country for everyone , just their supporters .

   I could go on forever , but I need to take a break and get my blood pressure down . Peace everybody , sorry for the rant . It's just one of those days , maybe it's in the air IDK .

[MilitantRadical 2,844]

   The only way a rich politician will get me to vote for them , would be if they were to say " I already have my fortune and don't want the taxpayer's money , I want to make this a better country for everybody , let's end poverty and not create it ."

   Everyone deserves an education not just the rich people's children . Education has held back millions of people from prosperity in this country for centuries . Why ? I'll tell you why , the undereducated can't grasp what our leaders have to gain by keeping them dumb . A huge number of slaves to work at dead end jobs for a little bit of money , to make the one percent live sooo comfortable . Instead of sharing the wealth with those that make them so prosperous they hold them down with debt and sickness . So they can have control . Control Freaks , that's what they are "you can't do this , you can't do that" ." I can do what I want because I have money and you don't ." 

   All this political mumbo jumbo , to me sounds like Blah Blah Blah . All of them are there for their own particular interest ,not for bettering the country for everyone , just their supporters .

   I could go on forever , but I need to take a break and get my blood pressure down . Peace everybody , sorry for the rant . It's just one of those days , maybe it's in the air IDK .

So Trump 2016 then?

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

May whatever creator that may exist help the U.S. should the Donald become president.  But at least there would be a different point of view until some agency arranged his assassination.

[raynev1 1,886]

   The only way a rich politician will get me to vote for them , would be if they were to say " I already have my fortune and don't want the taxpayer's money , I want to make this a better country for everybody , let's end poverty and not create it ."

   Everyone deserves an education not just the rich people's children . Education has held back millions of people from prosperity in this country for centuries . Why ? I'll tell you why , the undereducated can't grasp what our leaders have to gain by keeping them dumb . A huge number of slaves to work at dead end jobs for a little bit of money , to make the one percent live sooo comfortable . Instead of sharing the wealth with those that make them so prosperous they hold them down with debt and sickness . So they can have control . Control Freaks , that's what they are "you can't do this , you can't do that" ." I can do what I want because I have money and you don't ." 

   All this political mumbo jumbo , to me sounds like Blah Blah Blah . All of them are there for their own particular interest ,not for bettering the country for everyone , just their supporters .

   I could go on forever , but I need to take a break and get my blood pressure down . Peace everybody , sorry for the rant . It's just one of those days , maybe it's in the air IDK .

So Trump 2016 then?

Do you think he'll do it for free ?

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Is it possible that the Donald could do something drastic to the military/industrial oligarchs or is he part of that mob?

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Hawaii Separatism.

"Civis Americanus sum" turns out to be not so great for the native Hawaiians, eh?

Is this the first crack in the American Empire?  Empires went out at the end of WW II, America.  What have you been doing?

 

[Larks2242 251]

Donald will never be president, People are just showboating their distain for Obama and the establishment, Once people wake up they will see Ted Cruz embodies everything that makes America strong, In fact people are already begining to realize that as he has climbed into 3rd place in the polls.

[Duke87 1,070]

Hawaii Separatism.

"Civis Americanus sum" turns out to be not so great for the native Hawaiians, eh?

Is this the first crack in the American Empire?  Empires went out at the end of WW II, America.  What have you been doing?

Meh. Despite decades of separatist rabble, Quebec is still part of Canada and Scotland is still part of the UK. I doubt any similar referendum in Hawaii would stand a better chance of success and even if it did, the US federal government would be unlikely to recognize the legitimacy of it.

If you think about it though it is pretty weird, geographically speaking, that Hawaii is a US state. Even Alaska makes more sense since at least it's on the same continent and as the crow flies it's only separated from the rest of the US by a little over 500 miles at its closest point. Meanwhile, the west coast of the continental US is as close to Hawaii as it is to the east coast (~2500 miles)

[Meg 368]

. . .

 

If you think about it though it is pretty weird, geographically speaking, that Hawaii is a US state. Even Alaska makes more sense since at least it's on the same continent and as the crow flies it's only separated from the rest of the US by a little over 500 miles at its closest point. Meanwhile, the west coast of the continental US is as close to Hawaii as it is to the east coast (~2500 miles)

 

Geographically, Hawaii is a nice place to have military bases.  The distance that you mentioned makes it a great stepping stone.

And then there are the pineapples.   Sanford Dole was President of the Republic of Hawaii for a while in there. 

Strategic location, agriculture, tourism.   Territories got their statehood for flimsier reasons.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

There are two(?) more proto-states:  Puerto Rico and Guam.  Distance doesn't seem to be a factor. 

And then there is D.C. which is an anomalous area that should really be part of Maryland.  I don't really understand the extra-territoriality of D.C. when our capital, Ottawa, is a real city in Ontario (province) with an overriding National Capital Commission that seems to get along fine with the other entities in the mix.

All these exceptions are weird.  And yes, we have three territories that have not got enough population to be provinces, and I suppose this is the same excuse for Guam and Puerto Rico.

[Larks2242 251]

I think we got enough senators as it is, Imagine the inability to get things done if we added even more then 100.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

If there are 51 states, don't you have 102 Senators?

[Larks2242 251]

If there are 51 states, don't you have 102 Senators?

Yes, two senators per each seat.

  Edited November 4, 2015 by Larks2242  

[Duke87 1,070]

And then there is D.C. which is an anomalous area that should really be part of Maryland.  I don't really understand the extra-territoriality of D.C. when our capital, Ottawa, is a real city in Ontario (province) with an overriding National Capital Commission that seems to get along fine with the other entities in the mix.

The idea of the national capital being its own political enclave is not unique to the US. Mexico, Brazil, Russia, and Australia all have the same sort of setup. The sticking point with the US' version of it is that residents of the capital district lack representation in their own national government. This could be solved without combining the district with an adjacent state, but no one has been able to get enough support for any one particular solution. Though we did manage to amend the constitution allowing DC residents to vote for president, at least.

All these exceptions are weird.  And yes, we have three territories that have not got enough population to be provinces, and I suppose this is the same excuse for Guam and Puerto Rico.

For Guam, yes. Puerto Rico, hardly. Puerto Rico is home to 3.6 million people, it would rank 29th out of 51 on population if it were a state. Puerto Rico is not a state largely because of politics.
- There is no majority support among the people of Puerto Rico in favor of statehood, it has been put to referendum several times and failed.
- Puerto Rico would likely elect a lot of liberal politicians, so Republicans in congress are naturally going to oppose granting it statehood.
- The primary language spoken in Puerto Rico is Spanish, and it is culturally part of Latin America. Making it a state would be mighty awkward for everyone who believes that in America everyone should speak English. Bilingualism and cultural tension would be unavoidable, it would create a Quebec-like situation.
- Economically, Puerto Rico is weaker than the mainland US. If it were a state it would be the poorest, and it has a very high level of public debt. This could create issues if it were admitted to the union, although it is often argued that many of its economic problems are largely caused by the legal restrictions of its current territorial status and things would improve without special assistance if it were to become a state.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

The (knee) jerks are at it again.

"Give me your tired, your poor
"Your huddled masses yearning to be free" ...

What could those idiot Republicans be thinking?  What have displaced refugees have to do with the people from whom they are fleeing?  Damn fools!

___________________________________________________________________________________

An interesting statistic.

The jobs that many people migrated for in the U.S. no longer exist, and in fact have been exported to Mexico.  Family ties and a lower cost of living makes taking a job at lower compensation more attractive for many Mexicans to go home on their own.

Of course, the current xenophobic attitude in the U.S. doesn't help much either.  I suspect these people feel safer among the drug cartels than they do with armed neighbours as well.

  Edited November 20, 2015 by A Nonny Moose  
Second topic.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Just how far will the G.O.P. allow The Donald to go?

While it is true, according to Rudy Giuliani, that there were pockets of celebration, with something like 10,000,000 people in the area, one expects some sympathizers with the criminals.  The Donald is saying 'thousands cheered'.

I don't know about the rest of the readers, but I was both shocked and saddened.  Then I was good and angry.  And it's neither my country nor my city, but I once had lunch in Windows on the World.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

One wonders why it took 16 slugs to stop a teen with a knife who was going away?

1.  How many officers fired?

2.  Did they reload between shots?

3.  Does police training teach these guys to always empty their clips?

4.  Gun happy cops need more training???

[Sabretooth78 808]

So what else has happened in this fading republic during the last 2 weeks?  I've been blissfully ignorant during that period; it's been great.

It was weird being in places where you didn't have to feel apprehensive when a police (or perhaps more correctly, gendarmarie) officer walked or drove by.  I'm sure if that Chicago cop had a body cam, it would have also conveniently been inoperative or "turned off".

[LexusInfernus 908]

18 hours ago, A Nonny Moose said:

One wonders why it took 16 slugs to stop a teen with a knife who was going away?

1.  How many officers fired?

2.  Did they reload between shots?

3.  Does police training teach these guys to always empty their clips?

4.  Gun happy cops need more training???

One wonders why they fired while there was someone standing between the guy with the knives and the cops. Seriously, the US army would do a better job at policing than the police. Perhaps you guys should lift the Posse Comitatus and use the military. At least then you get a heavily armed police force that actually knows how to handle that equipment. 

[MintberryCrunch 83]

On 12/29/2015 at 8:35 AM, A Nonny Moose said:

One wonders why it took 16 slugs to stop a teen with a knife who was going away?

1.  How many officers fired?

2.  Did they reload between shots?

3.  Does police training teach these guys to always empty their clips?

4.  Gun happy cops need more training???

I watched the video and it's just appalling. At least this guy is actually being charged with murder. I'm sick of all these "no indictment" results. Now we just have to hope that he'll actually be found guilty. 

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

The whole police force needs to get a comeuppance on this one.  I take it the pistols the cops have a fully automatic so that all they have to do is hold down the trigger.  This is nonsense.  That kind of thing is a military weapon and doesn't belong on the streets except, perhaps, in the hands of a SWAT team.

It is no wonder that many people in the U.S. don't trust their police.  This demonstrates that this particular one is unfit to wear his uniform.

[Duke87 1,070]

8 hours ago, A Nonny Moose said:

I take it the pistols the cops have a fully automatic so that all they have to do is hold down the trigger.

I have never heard of a US police officer being issued a fully automatic weapon. Even the rifles SWAT teams carry are only semi-automatic. If someone was shot 16 times, there were 16 trigger pulls involved.

One of the major problems we have is that there is a feedback loop involved in police violence and police trust. It doesn't matter how much you train the cops, if the cops and the community they serve are not on good terms with each other this sort of stuff will inevitably happen. Outbursts of violence like this are the direct result of the shooter seeing the shootee as hostile, a potential threat. Once basic reptilian survival instinct takes over, that is all that matters. If we want to stop the shootings, there are only two ways to do that:
1) don't let cops carry guns
2) build sufficient trust that the community and the cops see each other as allies, not enemies.

Option 1 is quite problematic and would weaken police to the point of being unable to properly do their jobs. When the bad guys have guns and the cops don't, the bad guys win.

Option 2 is a long difficult undertaking that will take time to achieve, especially given the racial aspect of much of this (the distrust is often between white cops and black citizens). This is one way in which racially representative policing can do a lot - whites make up about 32% of Chicago's population but about 49% of its police force. And this is relatively tame compared to some others. In now-famous Ferguson MO, at the time of Michael brown getting shot, the community was 29% white while the police force was 94% white.

The other problem you get in cases like this is the commuter cops. How many of those 94% white Ferguson cops do you think actually live in Ferguson? It goes against the spirit of good policing to have this sort of thing. When cops live in the community they serve, they have a vested interest in keeping peace and building trust. When cops go home to somewhere else after their shift ends, their own best interests and the community's best interests are not in line.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

How about getting rid of the present hand guns and going back to revolvers?  Much harder to fire, and you know you've pulled the trigger for each shot, of which you have few.  If a cop can't handle a situation with that, then let him call for backup.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Will Obama get another ulcer?

Whatever limited powers the POTUS has must surely be constrained by this deadlocked congress that is owned by the corporations in fee simple.

[MilitantRadical 2,844]

7 minutes ago, A Nonny Moose said:

Will Obama get another ulcer?

Whatever limited powers the POTUS has must surely be constrained by this deadlocked congress that is owned by the corporations in fee simple.

And Obama isn't owned by "the corporations"?