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

Did you hear about the Bush's little boy and what he stands for? It seems if Bush, Jr. in his campaign for the presidency, believes in:

The elimination of minimum wage.
The secession of the USA from the UN.
Increased economic sanctions against China and for Taiwan.
The putting of bibles back in public schools.
The rewriting of textbooks to eliminate bad statements about US officials.
The illegalization of homosexual marriages and abortions.
The elimination of health care.
The insertion of troops back into Panama.
and last but not least: The opposition of the ideology of multiculturism.

If I understand this correctly, we are in for the second civil war.

I'm English. I know nothing about US politics and what the parties stand for. But if I did live in the States, and if I was eligible to vote, I wouldn't vote for Bush Jr. Don't ask why, it's just a gut reaction to the man. But then, a lot of elections are decided that way. Maybe that's the problem with democracy.

Not to stray off the topic too much, but in this city, democracy isn't. Isn't functioning properly, I mean. The stupid city council wants to go ahead and annex surrounding "non-city" portions around the city--despite the fact that nearly everyone is against it, whether they live in the city or in the portions to be annexed.

This is nuts! It seems to defeat the whole purpose of democracy, doesn't it?

Oh, and BTW, I wouldn't vote for Bush, Jr.--that is, if I could vote at all! But, I'm only 15...

Okay, rant over.

and what city is that?

Let's not forget the great democratic election of 1996, where California voters passed several progressive laws:

1) The Medicinal Marijuana proposition: Approved the use of marijuana as a medical treatment for things like glaucoma, luekemia, and cancer. The treatments for these diseases, and others, kill the appetite as a side-effect, which can be restored through marijuana use. This law was decried by Slick Willy (he did not inhale, my ass... I think he smoked the whole bag) and they threatened to arrest any doctors who tried to prescribe it.

2) The Illegal Immigrants proposition: Approved, by a narrow vote, a law which would deny illegal immigrants (of which, in California, there are many) free benefits from the taxpayers, which included free public education, medical care, welfare, and food stamps. Declared unconstitutional by a federal court... curious to know what their basis was...

There was a third that was approved by the voters and struck down by the authorities, but I can't recall what it was. Suffice it to say, democracy is dead in the United States. Voter apathy and ignorance has combined with governmental corruption to send it to its grave... we now live in an oligarchy made up of ex-hippies who went to law school.

Dubya stole that "eliminate the minimum wage" line from the Libertarians... too bad he didn't take any of their GOOD ideas...

You wouldn't know. Just some dumpy town in the Inland Empire of Southern California. Emphasis on the word "dumpy". There's nothing to do here and nowhere to go. So I become a hermit with naught but my computer for communications to the outside world...

at least it's better than a suburbanite who's only knowledge of the outside world is through the boob tube, the idiot box, and such...

Empire?! HAHAHAHAHahahahahahahahaaa......

Console yourself with this fact - G Dubya is currently Governor of Texas, which means that he has to live here in Austin, the state capital, which also happens to be the most liberal and left wing city in the whole of TX. That must get right up his nose.

Getting USA out of UN wouldn't really hurt now, would it? USA has done nothing but veto the sane and proposing the insane, all the while neglegting to pay the obligatory UN fees that make the organization run.

There are those who claim USA is being run over by the UN. They say that the UN is some sort of commie/jewish/satanist conspiracy (my favourite!). They haven't done their research. There are three powers that has hindered the UN in it's work (apart from an immensly overgrown beuraucracy): 1. China has veto. 2. Russia has veto. 3. USA has veto. Remove these three obstacles, and the UN might be able to do more that nip at the fringes of human degeneration.

As for the rest of your rant: Yes, just what we need! . Why doesn't americans wake up and realize we're living in a mulitnational world with more than ONE religion, more than ONE truth? (Please excuse the generalization, I've never been to USA, I just watch their movies...)
You could add the death-sentence thing. I've never understood how a nation of doo-gooding world police could attack deathsentences in the middle-east, yet celebrate deathsentence in their own mid-east...

Oh well.


JAR, dismayed by SuperPower

I know a UK citizen didn't just criticize the performance of the US at the Security Council, without mentioning their own country, when you consider that the UK has consistently voted with the US on, well, everything. China and Russia generally vote the other way, and France carries the swing vote. Who thought giving France the swing vote would be a good idea?

hwo thought giving the US a vote in the first place a good idea?

hmmm.. probably the US. They're among the founding members, are they not? (Notice thin ice beneath my feet...)

Now, Colonel Sellers, Private 1079 JAR! I might have misunderstood you, but if you critizised me for attacking USA, without attacking my own nation, the UK, you are slightly mistake. I am not British. You could critizice me for not mentioning Norways "participation", but that's mainly because I have no idea how Norway (my home) is using it's spot in the UN. I only know our dyslectic, uncharismatic and rather strange King is trying to earn us a spot in the Security Counsil right now. I do not know if I want him to succeed. Colonel Sellers!

*Former (and rather illoyal) Royal Guard JAR suddenly realizes the army was successful in brainwashing him, as he returns to "at ease" position after adressing Colonel Sellers...*

NO!!!

JAR

Um... what's that thing where you order them to relax... ummm... oh yeah... take it easy, soldier!

Sorry for the mix up... it's pretty easy to assume that, when an outsider is attacking the US, they're British. After all, they are, as a group, the most xenophobic people I've ever encountered.

Anyway, I think the US is becoming more reluctant to participate in the UN because we've seen the pattern before in our own history. The UN is a collection of sovereign states organizing loosely for common goals, which closely matches a form of government we once had under the Articles of Confederation. And just like the Confederation, the UN is mired in bureacracy, self-interest, and a vacuum of leadership. Just like the Confederation, it is useless because of it. The solution to the Confederation was to scrap it in favor of a strong central government under the current constitution. Such a fix for the UN would provide exactly what all those idiotic rednecks fear... a one world government. Then when you consider that, the few times the UN has been able to actually enforce anything, nearly the entire burden has fallen on the armed forces of the United States. Is this fair and equitable? Can you see some justification for why the US feels reluctant to maintain their forces in the Perisan Gulf, and ALSO pay the highest UN dues in the world? Popular opinion in the US is shifting in favor of limiting the involvement of home forces in the affairs of others. Our government goes where popular opinion goes. You can see why less involvement in the UN is a part of that.

hmm... how did i just KNOW that this convo was started by NYC?

since when is it not?

[sea] you're the only person i know that calls him "dubya"

rest assured, I could call him much worse things...