Who’re you voting for?

James, such words of wisdom, especially on the subject of American expansionism. Exporting "democracy" to people who never asked for it and then shooting them if they don't play ball seems like expansionism to me. Iraq is quickly becoming the new Vietnam, and my own dear Britain has blood on its hands too, so please US buddies, don't feel the need to be defensive on my behalf. Blair is obviously far more intelligent than Bush, but this only makes it more embarassing. One is no longer surprised at Bush's stupidity, its become his trademark, but Blair really has no excuse. He's an educated man who should have known better than to ally himself with such an ignoramous.

James...we can go on and on bantering who has been more corrupt. I could tell many damning things about Clinton and LBJ as well but why? So all the Europeans can point their finger at us and shout their self righteous BS some more? ...I don't think I was arguing about corruption. I believe most politicians are corrupt, even the ones who accomplish good things. I'm sure most of our Euro brethren live in countries with equally corrupt governments; a person who rises to the top without moral compromise is the exception, not the rule, in any system of government. What I was saying is that judging the Republican Party as morally superior to the Democrats is unfounded...it's an image they want to project but it is not accurate.

What should have Bush done? How would you have handled it? On a daily basis I do not feel like my rights are being infringed on....do you? I am sure it was a difficult choice for the president, but one he felt was necessary. If someone has a better answer please step up.

"The price of Liberty is eternal vigilance"- Thomas Jefferson. It would be an interesting discussion to analyze what TJ meant, and undoubtedly GWB could use it in his reasoning, but for me it means that each person needs to keep aware of attempts to curtail his/her own freedom. When our leaders vote into law a bill that allows indefinite detainment, overturns search and seizure laws, allows for clandestine surveillance without evidence of criminal behavior, and lays the tentative groundwork for a national ID system, that's an infringement of my rights. Not to mention that if all of these rules had been in place before 9/11, it would have been no easier to prevent it- no matter what Mr. Ashcroft says.

I may not have as many flowery words available in my arsenal as you but believe me...I watch enough news, listen to enough talk radio, and read enough newspaper/internet articles to form an informed opinion on matters. The average american couldn't tell you what the difference between conservatism or liberism is. I hear the ignorance on TV all the time. I watched MTV and heard a bunch of mindless twits exclaim " I don't know , as long as it isn't Bush." They couldn't even tell you who the vice president or who Kerry's running mate is. - Doesn't that tell you something? Even the least involved and informed elements of our country feel that this man has overstepped his bounds and must be replaced. And remember, when the mindless twits are in the majority, their opinion is regarded as superior to that of the smarter folks they outnumber in our democratic system. It's the double-edged sword of populism.

I would never presume to be as knowledgable or as articulate as you, I have read enough of your posts to realize you are a very intelligent man...but I am light years ahead of the average american on the subject of politics. So rejoice all you Europeans....there are alot of uneducated americans!!!!! Hoorah!!!!!!

...for the record, I AM somewhat apologetic for my writing style; I admit I'm too verbose and my sentences are needlessly complicated. It's a habit, and I've seen it get in the way of real communication before, but until I'm more able to express myself as clearly as possible, I'm afraid that's all I can offer. I'm fully aware that an intelligent statement doesn't necessarily require big words to back it up. I respect and envy people who can say brilliant things in a straitforward manner. 

but...whether you like it or not...we are still the richest and most powerful country on the planet and every other country ought to thank their lucky stars that the US government never adopted an expansionist mentality since the Spanish- American War.

I'd like it more if we had more virtue to balance the might. The things I love most about our country wouldn't change if we were #1 or #100 among the world's nations. Perhaps the reason we didn't become an imperialist nation earlier in our history is because we were a subject of the biggest imperialist tyranny and rebelled. BTW: that's one of those facts that some of our European detractors usually ignore...that many of them come from countries who were ruthlessly imperialist up until the last century. It's almost as if they'd rather condemn us than admit "we've been there, it doesn't work out". But don't place too much faith in the belief that we're not expansionist; how many people have talked about 'ensuring democracy throughout the world'? (John Kerry being one of them). That's essentially expansionist doctrine. Military occupation isn't the only way to spread your influence. Commerce and culture are much more insidious and effective ways of conquering your neighbors.

Don't mistake me for a critic and detractor- I love America like I love my own family. It's very difficult to understand some family members, and sometimes even fathers do very bad things that you simply cannot defend. And objectively I can't say that my family is the 'best'...but it is mine, and we succeed or fail together. I'd rather have us be respected and admired than reviled and feared.

Reed Lover

Like a Jew voting Adolf Hitler or a turkey voting for Christmas.

You sell your soul for a few tax breaks and presume everyone will applaud.Dont you see it is not about success it is about privelage! Where is the success of being born into money-it is a roll of genetic dice not something you can decide to do! They've brainwashed you into accepting crumbs from the table. Come on tell me.How much better off a year are you under the Republicans than the Democrats? I dare you to astound us with this fiscal saving from heaven.

When the gas chambers open will you be able to claim you are one of the elite? I doubt it somehow. How many private clubs could you get into? ( if you wanted to that is) How many black balls before you got the message?

[/QUOTE wrote:

Umm are you saying the Rebpuclicans are equal to Nazis? Wow.

Reed, I respect you but you are not close. Further more your view would be considered extreme to the left in this country.  Americans for the most part are wary of government. Policemen don't belong in our homes or in our wallets you might say.  Socialism has been attempted and overwhelmingly thrown off in this country just as communism has pretty much died around the world. Democrats will never try that again if they hope to stay together as a party.  America's support of Ronald Reagan made sure of that.  Yes, there is need for social programs but not to the extent it is in England or other countries like that. America still believes that people can help themselves among themselves without involving the government.  That is where churches come in and the good people who attend them and believe in the thought that we must help our fellow man. There are other people who don't attend church and they believe the same thing. I am not talking about the religious right which is a political organization and is on the far right. You will find most Americans to be in the middle a little right or left but not too far apart.  

Republicans may not want gay marriages but I can't see them getting a constitutional amendment to get gays thrown in hell!  That is our last saving grace is the Constitution and at the least the willingness of those in power to bow to it's finality. As long as they do that we are OK.  When they start tampering with the bill of rights whether through gun control, free speach, freedom of religion or search and seizure we are in trouble. We stop being a society where we do have choices.

[/QUOTE wrote:

Like a Jew voting Adolf Hitler or a turkey voting for Christmas.

You sell your soul for a few tax breaks and presume everyone will applaud.Dont you see it is not about success it is about privelage! Where is the success of being born into money-it is a roll of genetic dice not something you can decide to do! They've brainwashed you into accepting crumbs from the table. Come on tell me.How much better off a year are you under the Republicans than the Democrats? I dare you to astound us with this fiscal saving from heaven.

When the gas chambers open will you be able to claim you are one of the elite? I doubt it somehow. How many private clubs could you get into? ( if you wanted to that is) How many black balls before you got the message?

REED LOVER:You support a party who would have you rot in hell if the gay vote didnt count.You should be ashamed of yourself

Dick Cheney has a daughter who is gay and he hasn't condemned her to hell. I could fall in line with most of the other gay people and vote democratic but I have to weigh my gay needs to all the other issues at hand. I think I would be MORE selfish if I said to hell with everything else... I want gay marriage...sorry...I am not going to do that

Fine...let us tax all the rich until they are middle class. Then tell me, where is the incentive to succeed? Don't give some mamby pamby philosophical B.S either. Quite simply it is Money. It always comes down to money.

The socialistic(or should I say communistic-My god Stalin and Lenin won after all in Europe) veiwpoints tell me this Reed Lover: Let us All punish success and reward failure...sorry but that is retarded logic