2008 US Presidential Election - Page 33

On October 22 2008 06:29 Jibba wrote:
Just out of curiosity, how many people here took US History from a sports coach?

On October 22 2008 06:29 Jibba wrote:
Just out of curiosity, how many people here took US History from a sports coach?

On October 22 2008 06:29 Jibba wrote:
Our elementary schools are actually near the top and I'm not sure how you can criticize our colleges, besides the admission process. There's a lot of idiots that attend, but the schools are generally much more rigorous than many other modern countries and almost every state has an excellent, cheap public institution for those that wish to learn. Even community colleges have been improving dramatically over the past 10 years.

The math/science failure exists because of a shortage of qualified teachers for physical science, biology, algebra, geometry, etc. at the middle/highschool level. We don't need ridiculous testing standards like Japan or China, but there are way too many 'football coach' teachers in our schools.

Just out of curiosity, how many people here took US History from a sports coach?

My first Civics teacher was an unqualified idiot, but the rest of my teachers were actually pretty good. Junior year we were actually reading Howard Zinn as one of our textbooks.

On October 22 2008 06:29 Jibba wrote:
Just out of curiosity, how many people here took US History from a sports coach?

On October 22 2008 06:51 yoshtodd wrote:


I did.

(to those in swing states) I would suggest voting against McCain, which means voting for Obama, [but] without illusions, because all the elevated rhetoric about change and hope and so on will dissolve into standard centrist democratic policies.

Over time, the general population, a large majority of the population other than the very wealthy, tends to do considerably better under democratic than under republican administrations and the reason is [...] they reflect different elite constituencies. [...] It's not that the democrats represent public opinion, they don't. In fact, like the republicans, they are pretty well to the right of public opinion on a host of major issues, including those of most importance to the public.

To say it doesn't make any difference who wins is simply to express your contempt for the general population, because it does make a difference. A lot of what they (third party supporters) say is correct, the two parties are effectively two factions of one party, the business party, but the factions are somewhat different.[...] The spectrum within the political system is well to the right of popular opinion. [...] If you're in a swing state, you have to ask: is (the difference between reps and dems) enough for me to pick the lesser of the two evils... or is it worth trying to act to create a potential alternative. For example, should I vote Green because maybe someday their party will be a real alternative, or should I express my disdain for the right-wing orientation of both parties by not voting... or should I pick the lesser of the two evils, thereby helping people?

On October 22 2008 06:03 Haemonculus wrote:


Fixed. Remember to adjust for inflation next time.

On October 22 2008 13:36 oneofthem wrote:
source?

“Mark my words,” Mr. Biden warned at the Seattle fund-raiser, according to reports from network producers traveling with him, “It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We’re about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember, I said it standing here, if you don’t remember anything else I said. Watch, we’re going to have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.”

He added, “He’s going to have to make some really tough - I don’t know what the decision’s going to be, but I promise you it will occur. As a student of history and having served with seven presidents, I guarantee you it’s going to happen.” He said he could envision four or five scenarios that might arise to challenge the new president, citing Russia or the Middle East as possible sources of trouble.