On November 04 2010 06:23 SlyinZ wrote: (Its not a troll post). I see the US politics as a "TV show" , a illusion for make citizens of USA believe they are free, and that they can have a impact on their country.
I know exactly what you mean! it's kinda like watching a soap opera xD,
On November 04 2010 06:27 Mothxal wrote: I think there are polls where they let European citizens choose between Obama and McCain for president, and Obama gets like 80% of the vote. Dutch media also view and often show the Democrats as reasonable and the Republicans as insane.
Obama is very popular in Asia except for the time when he said China was getting in the way of the US economy that really stung a nerve for quite a bit
we asians have a visual novel made in the name of US government what else do you need?
I'm probably getting a very biased view of the American political climate, seeing as how I hang around with quite left wing people, and have rather heavy leftish opinions overall. What few American forums and such I frequent are also rather pro democrat.
But it seems completely insane, and dominated by complete and utter maniacs without any connection to reality at all. The right wing propaganda I see is hilarious if a joke, and sad if real. People have such ridiculous opinions like calling Obama a socialist, and making abortion/gay rights into bad things at the same time as they rage about their liberty being curtailed.
So hypocrisy and complete stupidity seems to be the reigning ideal that I'm exposed to. But I'm fairly sure I just get to see the extreme cases.
On November 04 2010 06:16 Xiron wrote: My two cents from Germany:
What I get to hear from your politics is for example the vote on gay marriage. It seems as there are really people and politicans who think it's something wrong with it. I'm not gay in any kind, but why would I even think about what others do with other guys when they live together? [...] And last I think that your politicians dont ever do what they promise, but all those fat old americans are cheering for them like rockstars. Are they that blind?
There is no gay marriage in Germany, too (although the "Lebenspartnerschaft" is the same except for the name) and German politicians also don't do what they promise like our current government...
@topic: I really love shows like "Real Time with Bill Maher" etc. and I just can't get how far right half of the country is. I mean our current government is the most right we can get in Germany, but they would be considered moderate or even left democrats in the US.
I'm Swiss and often time US politics crack me up (or scares me) because I find it sometimes so strange and contradictory.
IE. we have obligatory health insurance for a long time now and it works fine. When I see people in the USA militing against it, arguing that it doesnt work, I find it strange.
When I see people in the USA calling Obama a socialist it makes me laugh, because in switzerland and many other countries in Europe, Obama would be quite far in the right.
And there is one thing I will never understand : everyone (well or almost) can carry guns and then they wonder why criminality is so high (common... if no one carry them, then no one can shoot with them, seems intuitive and it works). But well, some things takes time to change.
One of the best thing the USA have imo is Obama. In Europe he is, in general, very well thought of.
I study political science in Vienna and I think that some U.S. politicians are just to be called fascist. Although we also have this right partys rising in the E.U. , we at least name them for that and try to deny political power as hard as we can. You seem to lack a whole lot of political conscience.
100 % of my friends and colleagues agree : How can you be against socialism. It is one of the great human achievements. HCR, best thing in the world. You need to help those who cannot help themselves. Wealth does not trickle down, nor ever will it.
This might still be a unipolar world with the U.S. to the A. on the top but this is going to change fast. You have to prepare for this now - Not only your typical enemys like china or russia, also india, brazil - to name few. And, in case you didnt know, the E.U. We want to be independent, get our oil reserves and trade in € and have our own army with camparable size to the U.N. in 2020.
Another big problem with the U.S. : In my eyes you should pay millions or billions to every country that your CIA overthrew in the last 50 years. This is not theoretical left wing propaganda, you did overthrow them. Exactly YOU ! Just kidding, but you always inherit the sins of your parents. The world police has to realize that democracys do not only have to maintain their own democracy but spread it.
I am more worried about the U.S. that I am about china... I think china will change a great bit in the right direction in the next years to come while I am not sure if the U.S.A. is willing to be just another country in this wide world. Well if you ever come down from your horse, we welcome you in our ranks.
EDIT : How can you be against gay marriage and abortion. Please dont be, this hurts your image su much.
And : Religion has nothing to do with politics. Try to keep it out of it. God bless America. Well, tell god to go and bless your family. The country as a whole is not religious, you are. Or not.b
I get the feeling due to that stereotype of americans being dumb its like watching a senior citizen driving a hummer... A lot of power in the hands of a spastic retiree complaining about lack of respect of religion. I kid of course, the UK loves American politics and pretty much covers as if it were its own, so I guess we respect it....?
On November 04 2010 06:21 Blasterion wrote: My 两分钱 (2 Cents in RMB (China) get the joke? ahahahaha) What I hear is that the people give too much crap about politics, we hold American politics in low regard, actually we hold politics at all in low regard, have the people run the country like they been doing, they are doing an ok job at it (the people up there aren't phenomenal but they get things done).
Also we think Bush is stupid.
Doesn't that have to do with China trying to stop people from caring about politics since it isn't a Democracy?
And there is one thing I will never understand : everyone (well or almost) can carry guns and then they wonder why criminality is so high (common... if no one carry them, then no one can shoot with them, seems intuitive and it works). But well, some things takes time to change.
Criminality is higher in jurisdictions with very strong gun control. It has more to do with minorities and poverty than guns.
Gun control in the US is probably tighter than in Switzerland, actually. Don't you all get a gun after service?
Here the general population think americans are pretty much borderline retarded but have really no idea of how the politics work there so they pretty much know what the press feeds them without realizing they are equally idiotic. Still almost no one could understand how Obama didn't won with like 85% of the votes.
The ones who do know shit either laugh or are scared with the idiocy that is the Republican party.
I have a pretty low opinion of US politics. There isn't much content. Instead of a grown-up discourse about the issues facing the country (and there are many) the politicians attack each other. The fear of socalism is frankly laughable as is the big role religious beliefs play in campaigning. Many "discussions" focus on mostly irrelevant issues. The election campaigns are turning more and more into a farce, due to the sheer number of wacky candidates.
Sorry US, I'm afraid you're heading in the wrong direction, and that quickly.
Here is a fairly long English article from a German magazine that I mostly agree with: A superpower in decline
In very general broad strokes this is how I feel most of my surroundings see it.
Democrats: Almost has european points of view. Republicans: hate gays, finds social system a joke, Ted nuggent, guns fur everyone! Tea party: stranger then sciencetology
Hm, a lot of misconceptions about American policy.
On November 04 2010 06:33 Tufas wrote:
100 % of my friends and colleagues agree : How can you be against socialism. It is one of the great human achievements. HCR, best thing in the world. You need to help those who cannot help themselves. Wealth does not trickle down, nor ever will it.
Wealth does trickle down, see the 1970s supply-side recession for an example. But anyway, the US has Medicare, Medicaid and now ACA.
EDIT : How can you be against gay marriage
Not many European countries allow gay marriage, last I checked.
and abortion. Please dont be, this hurts your image su much.
America has looser abortion standards than much of Europe.
And : Religion has nothing to do with politics. Try to keep it out of it. God bless America. Well, tell god to go and bless your family. The country as a whole is not religious, you are. Or not.b
Religion has as much to do with politics as any other ideology; them's the facts of life.
honestly why the hell do people get into politics? because they're power hungry idiots who want to steal money.
they debate over pointless shit like gay marriage because they need to have something to do. if they didn't, people would realize they're sitting on their asses doing nothing.
On November 04 2010 06:06 KwarK wrote: I find it absurd to the point of amusement until I remember the global position of the US and then I die a little inside. The importance of religion in American politics (how is abortion an important issue for anyone anywhere ever?!?!?!) and a Cold War fear of socialism are rather quaint from a European perspective.
Thanks for summing it up pretty much perfectly for me Kwark <3. So yeah, kinda absurd.
From germany's point of view i think we prefer more the democratics then the republicans. In the Bush time we really thought that america must be a group of idiots if they vote such an "idiot" but since obama is president all this "anti america fun" is gone.
We see him as a positive präsident and he have no fault of the problems in the last years and so we also wonder about americans problems with "healthcare for everyone" because its in germany since 1948 and the most normal thing in the world for us.
Because USA dont have it it was always kind of a "3rd world" thing in america and we are shocked when we see americans say obama is like hitler because of that healthcare thing
We have alot of tv shows about the usa vote and i think generally they try to be neutral but you can hear that democrats are more liked because for the most people alot of republicans look for us like ranger from texas with no clue of the world (like bush).
But if you really support enough this "tea party" i think this funny bush time american is 3rd world and china will be soon power nr 1 thing is coming back really fast because .... i mean ... sry i have no words for such policits ^^ for us it seems really like FUN xD but not in a positive way
And there is one thing I will never understand : everyone (well or almost) can carry guns and then they wonder why criminality is so high (common... if no one carry them, then no one can shoot with them, seems intuitive and it works). But well, some things takes time to change.
Criminality is higher in jurisdictions with very strong gun control. It has more to do with minorities and poverty than guns.
Gun control in the US is probably tighter than in Switzerland, actually. Don't you all get a gun after service?
What is this 'service' you speak of?
Anyway, American politics are quite interesting. But it's an idol contest and that sucks. Don't really see a lot of changes if another person gets the power in America. Obama had nice speeches, but you americans seem so stupid to not give him at least another two years or so? I mean, what can you actually accomplish in such a large country in only two years? Why are the republicans as stupid as the so called 'left parties' here in the Netherlands?
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