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

I as a British Citizen always vote.I remember that there were people in my countrie's past who died for the right to vote so I'm not ever going to to pass up my right to vote even when the choice I'm offered seems like no choice at all.I remember that there are people around the world who are dying for the right to vote and to have any choice at all so I turn out come rain,snow,sleet and hurricane to stand up and be counted.I remember the elation of the South Africans when they quietly and with great dignity lined up to vote in the first free elections after aparthied finished.At least when the government that we get screws up I can say that at least I voted and I HAVE a right to critisise their actions unlike those that couldn't even be bothered to turn out to place a cross on the ballot paper.It doesn't matter what you choose as long as you exercise your right to choose.If you don't how can you complain if bad policies are enacted in your name.Saying I didn't vote for that is a weak defence.

I found out today that the vote in America is on Tuesday. I asked myself if there would be more people voting on sundays. But think of it :with only 25% of the people all told the new president will be elected. So aren´t 75% against the specific president?

I only belive, there are diffrent ways of having a least likly corrupt governement, and letting people vote is better than some of the methods used in other contries, and those that have been used in the past.

But this leads far off from the first question, doesn´t it?

It means 25% of Americans are for the winner, a little less than 25% are against him, a few people voted for a third party canidate, and 50% of voting age adults are too stupid or apathetic to vote.

Personally, I don't want them to vote. God only knows who'd they'd vote for, because they don't. We already have too many people voting for a canidates just because of their party affiliation, rather than the canidates with views closest to their own.

It's important to read about these folks. Some of them for morons. I had to actually vote for a democrat during the last general election. The republican running for the seat (I think it was agriculture commisioner.) sounded like a democrat. He wanted more government handuouts to the farmers. The democrat wanted to reduce regulations, and help farmers help themselves. The democrat got my vote. I also generally vote against my state and congresional republican representative, because I don't care for how their positions.

Read then vote, or don't bother voting at all.

Incidently, I do think this applies to the orginal question of What's wrong with Americans, becasue thsi is one of the big things that is wrong with us. We've given the franchise to too many apathetic morons. Now look at the leadership we have.

>Some of them for morons. <

I obviously need a proofreader. That should read Some of them are morons. Makes me look real bright doesn't it.

Who says that nonvoters do not vote? In Germany they evan call them the "Party of non-votors". In socialwork we say not doing somthing is an act of doing something. (I guess there is some psychological background to this).

Just look at the Britisch. Only 20% took part in the last european election. That says something about the way Britains see Europe, doesn´t it?

I really don't think most non-voters are making a statement. There may be some who stay home in protest, but I think most are too lazy or apathetic.

The most basic observation about politics is that the country is run by people who show up to meetings. In our decentralized government, it all you have to do to affect the government is to show up to the meetings. You can easily change the way things work locally.

Heck, it's not hard to be a viable canidate for anything. Most of the elections in Georgia are uncontested. Last time around, our member of the house had no competition for either the primary election or for the general election. If my job didn't prohibit running for office, I'd be running for every office I could. (It's not actually prohibited, but you have to take upaid leave. The last guy who did it was a major when he ran for sheriff, when he came back form leave he was a patrolman.)

I don't really understand the EU set up. With all the power your nations are giving up, I think the british are really shooting themselves in the foot by not voting.

If you don't vote, you don't care or you don't understand.

More a case of disillusionment with the fat cats at Brussels I reckon.

Well I've never voted. Because I have never, since I was old enough to vote, lived in a country where I had a vote. Not that I don't pay taxes, of course, Oh, yes, you're not exempt from that!

But if something bugs me, like at my kids' school, or with the parking system in town or somewhere else, I have the option of talking to the headmaster, writing to the local paper (so far the most effective), contacting the Authorities concerned directly. On a higher level, I don't reckon there's any point in trying to do anything. The politicians do what they want, regardless of what they promised before the election. In fact, it is nearly always the "Yes Minister" syndrome - they get swept into the current of parliamentary immorality and habits and forget what they went there for in the first place.

The Green party here in Germany have been a prime example of that - getting in because of their principles and now just changing all their basic ideas to suit the system.

I've been reading "Notes from a Big Country", and he noted that an incredible amount of TV in the US was biased towards America. As research, he watched a couple of News programs; NBC's main evening news had about 5% content of news around the rest of the world, and of CNN's 22 items, all 22 of them were about the USA! This was on a main evening news program called "CNN World Today" (I may be slightly out on that title).

I haven't gone into great details of other examples as my lunch break's nearly over , but would this be part of the reason why a lot of Americans seem to have an over-inflated view on the importance of America over the rest of the world?

Sorry, meant to read ""Notes from a Big Country" by Bill Bryson,"

Apologies again.. meant also to note that the BBC start their headlines with International news just as often as news of home.

I also manage to weaken my argument by not checking it all before posting.. DOH!

I think the British don't get out and vote in Euro elections because they don't really understand what it's all about. Maybe they think that Euro Government is so far removed that it's irrelavent.
Most, however, are blinded by the xenophobia inherent in much of the press and think if they go out and vote, the French will be sending their armies down the Channel tunnel the following day.
In fact, the European Parliament (for all the stories about straight cucumbers and banned sausages) can really be a break on the national government, for instance with human rights legislation, and can be a powerful force in world trade. The latter point is necessary as America obviously favours its own, but gets stroppy if the EU decides to buy bananas from the Windward Isles instead of South America. As part of a 'union' the UK has a lot more power.

How can anything that produces 'Frasier' be bad?

the state i live in will give its votes to gore.no self rightious republican could stand the thought of loseing to the likes of al,so dubya was offered up.no big lose to the party should he lose.there would have been more takers had they known the race was going to be so close.bush will do more to discredit the republican party and the two party system of things sould he be elected then anything esle or anyone esle,so i hope he wins.a vote for nader?while i thank him for his efforts to advance a third party,my vote for him would be a lie akin to someone voteing for bush for no other reason then party loyolty..so i say one man one vote.and it looks like my vote doesnt mean much this time around.maybe next election.one man one vote one man one vote one man one vote

There are several other parties that you can vote for. Those votes do send a message to the major parties. Many issues that are started out as third party issues became part of the major party platforms. That's why I vote for libertartians whenever there isn't a compelling republican canidate.

If you want to emphasize freedom in this nation, you can vote for the libertarians. If you want isolationism and an authoritarian government you can vote for the reform party. If you want to emphaisze enviormentalism and socilaism, then you can vote for the greens. There are also smaller parties where you can vote for racism, communism, and some other peculiar ideas.

I'm a republican, but I want my party to represnt more than just the christian conservatives. I think they're doing a better job this year than most, but I think they can do better.

>I've been reading "Notes from a Big Country", and he noted that an incredible amount of TV in the US was biased towards America. As research, he watched a couple of News programs; NBC's main evening news had about 5% content of news around the rest of the world, and of CNN's 22 items, all 22 of them were about the USA!<

I think this is a universal phenomena . Big areas tend to focus on themselves, and ignore what's around them. For instance, if you live, I live in a suburb of Atlanta, GA. The local news is full of news about shootings, traffic fatalities, and politics in Atlanta (the Atlanta press is particularlly blood thirsty). They rarley cover anything about the city of Stockbridge or Henry County.

i met a group of americans lad at the reading rock festival. they shared their beer, told funny stories, and it's the only time in my life i have ever been addressed as "ma'am". loved em!
but...
they could not tell me where the 'i' goes in the american pronunciation of 'aliminium'
surely 'al-oom-in-um' would be spelt 'aluminum'?
any thoughts on this matter?

In the American pronunciation of 'aluminium', the 'p' is silent.

In about seven and a half hours you better believe I'll be walking down to the polling station with my voter registration card, and voting. This is one scary election, and if it goes badly I'll be looking for a planet to emigrate to.

On the matter of what percentage of the electorate votes, has anybody mentioned that in this country a convicted felon is disenfranchised? And in respect of imprisonment, several Americans have uttered asides about the cushy life in prison. I beg your pardon!! Maybe Michael Milliken and Ivan Boesky lived a comfortable life, but in most of our prisons, I am certain you would rather go straight to Hell without passing Go than to spend one month in an American jail.

Another wrinkle in the American system is the Electoral College. It is entirely possible that, if tomoorow's election is as close as the pollsters say, candidate A might get a majority of the popular vote but still lose to candidate B, who gets the electoral votes of the "key" states.

Trigger-pumper, are you really serious in saying you hope that voters stay home tomorrow? I think you must be having us on. You should have the confidence of your political opinion (if you are truly in the majority, make it a BIG majority), and allow others to have the same. Frankly, I think non-voters should be fined. And made to wear signs saying "I failed to uphold democracy" or something obnoxiously patriotic like that.

A fine for non voters is a great idea. If voting became compulsory though, there should be a 'no preference' option.

The pronunciation of Aluminum is discussed in the British English forum. The American word is spelled "aluminum" without a second i and is pronounced "aloo-min-um". It is the original name given to the element by Sir Humphry Davy. This was later changed in England to "aluminium" with the extra i, for reasons as yet unknown to this researcher.