h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well, now we are in post-post-election times. Not that the issues regarding voter disenfranchisement have disappeared, but it's time to look forward.

According to tonight's Daily Show, President G W Bush used the word freedom 27 times in his inaugural speech, which will probably amount to more times that the word will be used in any legislation over the next four years.

We are living in interesting times, and I foresee that we will continue to have plenty to discuss.

Do I get a FTTF mug?

I am very skeptical about the next 4 years but then, you all knew that.

congrats GDZ!!

The future is now!! We must go forwards, not backwards. Onwards, no upwards. And twirling, twirling, always twirling!!!

*Pops in*

We're having a general election in Denmark in three weeks time and I'm afraid we'll end with the same party/ies as now in government

I'll listen in on your debates and maybe contribute, if it's allright.




tartaronne

By the way...
I have Doonesbury sent to my mail every day. So I may have a distorted knowledge of your president and his politics.

Didn't Bush rush through his 35 word oath yesterday. It was almonst like seeing a rabbit in the headlights.

It was once said about Doonesbury in relation to a presidential election sometimes in the 80s (I think, I have long forgotten which) that it was believed to have moved a significant number of votes. But - noone was sure which way they moved

And Uncle Duke did run in 2000...

Lil, since this is a backroom, and since the next 4 years are going to be long and frustrating, I was just wondering if we could take the bar that was unceremoniously stuffed in the rift portal and move it in here. I mean, if any conversation group is in need of a bar, it's this one.

Do you feel that Bush has entered his second term on the back of making sure the country was at war during election times? I mean it's always unlikely that a president will change halfway through conflict.

"The rulers of outlaw regimes can know that we still believe as Abraham Lincoln did: 'Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and, under the rule of a just God, cannot long retain it,'"

I just find that terribly worrying seeing as America is so...cencored censer cencer that word where the media is moderated as are papers etc etc.
Plus the fact that the looming elections in Iraq can hardly be expected to work so soon after a major war when people are still facing conflict and candidates are being assassinated! That is NOT a demoncratic election if people don't know who they can vote for in advance or what they hope to bring to the country. This is a malformed forced democracy and I can only wonder at Bush facing it with a smile and saying it will work.

Sorry that may have got slightly off-topic.

Welcome, Kat!

The thing that got me was the obvious hypocracy in his inauguration speech. "Fight bigotry?"

Yeah, except against Muslims and homosexuals, apparently...

Also the women kept in servitude in the kitchen in strict bible belt counties. Or where they not what Shrub meant in his speech?

Heya Scan, I decided I needed to take part in more serious conversations to broaden my mind

I hope you all had that abortion you were hankering after already.
I'm just very very glad I live in the UK...what with being gay, having muslim family backgrounds and having had an abortion...ya know...I might not be at the top of his fan list.

Actually...this would be interesting...we've ALL heard from people who are anti-bush..but there MUST be a large number of people who aren't because he got voted in again...so where are they? Have we scared them all off? I'd like to hear from anyone who did vote for him.

Sorry, Kat. Can't help you out there. I voted for Kerry - twice. Really! And both were legal.

We have to hope that the Senate Dems hold W's feet to the fire over judicial appointments. Otherwise, we're pretty much doomed.

We have all this animosity against administration policies. We need to pick an issue and focus on it and do a really good job with it instead of flopping around all over the place protesting everything and being generally ineffective and sounding like harpies.

Kat we had this problem during the campaign. We couldn't find a republican on H2G2 and I had to play devils advocate at times.

The 'we' I was referring to is the DNC. Not those of us in this conversation. We never sound like harpies.

*workbots enter carrying in assorted fixtures and pieces of furniture, which they assemble around the researchers standing in the middle of the room*

*when they have finished there is a bar along one side of the room, with several tellies mounted on the wall behind, all showing news but with the sound turned down and captioning on*

*small round tables are studded about the room, with chairs, so that everyone is within hearing distance of everyone else*

*the bots then perform some quick plumbing and put Guinness, Sam Adams and Toccata's Finest Ale on tap*

*the bots complete the decor with several large potted palms from the conservatory and a couple of ferns*


Welcome to the discussion, Kat! As you've already been told, we've had bad luck keeping republicans in the discussion. My theory is that the cognitive dissonance involved in keeping hold of their beliefs gives them a headache. They resolve it by escaping our arguments...

So, we have a bar now. All I ask is that this not turn into what Titania so aptly calls a smileyfest. Cogent discussion here, no drunks!

I seem to remember an occasional Republican trying to participate, but nobody seemed to last very long. And we weren't even mean to them. Perhaps it was because we proved unable to be converted and so they weren't interested in sustaining the debate.

D**n Well - as long as it's not the tables that are studded...

It's been suggested here and there - a.o. by Mr Blair - that GWB has changed towards more consensus seeking. It was also discussed on Danish telly *points at right-most TV * but wasn't believed to be really apparent from the speech.

Can anyone see signs of that??

Oh, and Hi, Kat!

There were a couple of republicans around Ask but I don't think they made their way to the Atelier. They did rather seem like lone voices in the wilderness. Why is that, do you think?

*Collects a Duff Beer to toast the Duff President*

What you mean Kelli like John the Southern Baptist?