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

I've never seen *that*, in a movie or anything else! (Come to think of it, I saw Michael Gross and Reba McIntire in a movie, Tremors, satirising survivalists... Does that count?)

This just came out in the Economist, on an article on gay marriage.

opening line:
"SO AT last it is official: George Bush is in favour of unequal rights, big-government intrusiveness and federal power rather than devolution to the states"

The economist has supported many of Bush's radical government changes, or at least held back from being a harsh critic, but it appears the gay marriage issue crossed a line with them as well. Some more juicy quotes from the article:

"The weakening of marriage has been heterosexuals' doing, not gays', for it is their infidelity, divorce rates and single-parent families that have wrought social damage. "

"Indeed, in America the constitution expressly bans the involvement of the state in religious matters, so it would be especially outrageous if the constitution were now to be used for religious ends."

http://www.economist.com/printedition/displaystory.cfm?Story_ID=2459758

I have little doubt that if left unchecked the Bush administration would turn this country into what could only be called a Theocratic Police State. Between his religious conservatism, his anti-terroristic fearmongering and his and Ashcroft's rabid attempts to dismantle the bill of rights, I feel one more term and he will get his way.

Nothing like extraterritoriality to win friends...

"Canadian fined for trade with Cuba, given probations for smuggling"
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/040227/w022798.html

""you're not allowed to violate the laws of this country just because you live outside it," said assistant U.S. attorney Joseph Poluka in an interview"

Yes. You are. It's called juristiction. Maybe you heard about it briefly in law school Mr. Poluka. It means that US laws do not apply outside the US. If the defendant was living in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (As he claims to have been) at the time then he broke no law.


This is particular pet peeve of mine. U.S. law and foreign policy embraces the idea of extraterritoriality - the idea that U.S. law applies outside the U.S.-notably in the Helms Burton act that in essesence forbids businesses or individuals doing business with Cuba from doing business in the US and under the presidential order signed by Ronald Reagan giving the FBI and other agencies the right under US law to arrest anyone, anywhere in the world, for committing a crime against a US citizen, and bring that person back to stand trial in the United States. The are empowered under executive order to do so, with or without the cooperation of the local government.
So if I accidentally knock over an american with my car and the Japanese or Canadian legal system fails to send me to jail for it, the FBI has the right to kidnap me from Tokyo, drag me in cuffs back to the US and put me on trial. Sorry if I don't recognize that "right" and sorry if a bunch of FBI officers get busted for illegal weapons possesion and firearms smuggling if they try such a stunt.
At the same time, the U.S.　military in Japan and at most of its other overseas bases operate under a Status of Forces agreement that gives them virtual immunity from prosecution at the discretion of the base commander. U.S. military personnel are under the legal authority of the U.S. Military Justice system, and are not subject to civilian authority unless the Military chooses to hand them over to civil authorities. Which they don't always do here in Japan. Because in Japan, the suspects legal rights are fewer than in the US (you aren't allowed to have a lawyer present when being interrogated) the US hasn't always handed over suspects in cases of serious crimes (rape, robbery) and has in fact transferred some suspects out of the country.
The GIs in Okinawa (and I'm told Korea) know this and behave accordingly (ie- any way they damn well please)

no they don't rev.

*sighs*

I wish the American government would just get over this petty little sibling rivalry it has with Canada. Canada is better, they know how to run their country, and that is that.

On the topic of gay marriage, I am hoping that one day some nice man in Congress will tape Mister Bush on the shoulder and explain to him that church and state are seperate in the United States of America, and that gay folks are gonna get married whether or not his morals oppose it.

Stupid bigoted man.

I'm constantly amazed at the ability of politicians (esp Bush & the repubs) to take what is seemingly straightforward (eg separation of church and state) and muddle it badly. If they want to protect marriage, if marriage is religious, then don't have any government, at any level in the US, recognize it. Simple.

But will that ever happen? No way. They'd rather attack a minority/marginal group. Makes for better press.

I expect the Republicans don't entirely believe in separation of church and state, so long as they're the ones representing the largest church.

nowt wrong with them

Dave,
I've seen it with my own eyes. You forget I live over here. There are big bases in the Tokyo area. The jarheads and swabbies drink in Downtown Tokyo and know that if they get in trouble with the cops, unless somebody gets killed, they will get off scot-free. The military is responsible for trying and punishing them, not the civil authorities. It is one of the main reasons the people in Okinawa want the US bases closed. That and the noise of the jets and helicopters coming and going.
You'll see a number of stories linked here.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/1418171.stm

<>
I'd heard that this was the case...

The thing is though, marriage *isn't* a religious ceremony, and hasn't been for a long long time. I'm a Satanist. I could get married if I wanted to. That's what civil ceremonies are for...

So it's incredibly stupid. And to have an un-American President in power isn't good.

Believe it or not, the gay marriage issue isn't really about religion or the sanctity of marriage... It's about businesses having to fork over benifits to even more dependents. Dubya knows his big bidness buddies don't want to pay the benifits they are required to now... so they'll be damned if they're going to pay the benifits for a bunch of [insert typical redneck epithet here]. Keep in mind, this administration doesn't believe in paying overtime or a minimum wage! If their business interests happen to coincide with the religious right's disapproval of gay and lesbian lifestyles, all the better to them.

And even better, if this whole discussion (and I don't even believe the president himself actually believes he'll get the 2/3rd majority approval of congress he needs to pass this) distracts from issues such as the 'wars', WMD, the exponentialy growing deficit, the possible bankruptcy of social security, the unemployment rate, his and Cheney's involvement with Haliburton and other companies that may have defrauded the government at the taxpayers expense and his administration's complicity in garnering large government contracts with no competing bids for companies 'friendly' to his campaign and many other topics , then they will have taken care of many problems with one great red herring.

Well said, CZ!

Civil and religious ceremonies are easily separated, they just aren't because of economic issues. Of course there is the fundamentalist christian faction as well....

A coworker of mine has a wonderful bumper sticker... It says "The Religious Right is Neither!"

There's nothing wrong with Americans that a bit of toilet training and a rolled up newspaper can't sort.


Bet that got your attention!

Every culture picks on another culture when telling gags. If your English then the following generaly apply:

Mean with money: Scots
The answers obvious: Irish
Animal related: Welsh
Eating weird things: French
Pre programmed reactions: German
Inbreeding: Manx
Smallness: Japanese
Blowing the **** out of any insignifigant object: American


But we take the Michael (poor lad) out of ourselves too:
Theft: Scouse (Liverpudlian)
Blowing the **** out of any insignifigant object and not refering to "yanks": Mancunian (Shortened to Manc appropriately)
Wheeler dealing: Cockney (London, Not many left since the world invaded it)
Slow reactions: Brummie (Birmingham)
Shooting welshmen inside the city limits with a bow and arrow after midnight: Cestrian (Chester, This is still a local bye law!)
Tough guy: Geordie (Newcastle, not star trek).

The trick is not to take stuff personaly. I have many friends who fit into the above list and laugh at such jokes themselves.

It only becomes a problem when it's meant vindictively, and then the joke is the person telling one.

Was the above post a reply to the topic starting post?

Maybe it was meant for the non sequiters thread.