How To Fix American Democracy

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Aug 15 2006, 09:34 PM) [snapback]303910[/snapback]</div>

I see the Democratic Party as following the Republicans to the right, not moving to the left. The Democrats think liberals and progressives will vote for them as long as they are to the left of the Republicans (the "lesser of two evils") so as the R's move to the right, the D's crowd them, keeping as close as they can and moving farther and farther away from the left. Note the fact that while a few D's have voted against Bush's proposals, everything Bush has done has been done with significant support from D's. The war, the Patriot Act, the assaults on the environment and civil liberties, have all met with significant (if not unanimous) support from the D's.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Aug 16 2006, 10:03 AM) [snapback]304035[/snapback]</div>

You are joking, correct?

Patriot Act - at the English version which is a bit stronger just prevented the mass murder of thousands
Environment - is not the air and water cleaner today than 6 years ago?
Civil Liberties - name one you lost?
War on Terror - if you believe we are not locked in a war with "evil" (Islamofascism) that is your choice. My view is that you can be living in 1938 or 1942. If you have been following the news the battles are being fought on several fronts all revolving around Iran which is trying to become a nuclear power - that is the end game, when they get a nuke the game is over.

Dems -
Witness Lamont and think about the direction the dems are going in. Do you remember McGovern? Again history serving as a template.

Best of luck Daniel my Brother

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dbermanmd @ Aug 16 2006, 09:22 AM) [snapback]304048[/snapback]</div>

This was humerously overblown by the WH. There was no immenent threat. This was yet another overreaction by the WH to draw media attention away from something that threatens them (Lamont's success) and put the public back in a state of fear in attempt to bolster support for the Pres. Oh wait, that's not humerous.

Gads no

Give me a break. The constitution has been repeatedly ignored by the Bushies. If there was any accountability in the Senate, W'd have been impeached long ago.

Yes, I think we should be trying to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power. But I think we should do that with deplomacy, something W seems to be incapable of. By referring to them as part of the "Axis of Evil" we are just giving them fodder which emboldens their nation against us. Meantime, we are weakening our defense in a stupid war against a country that wasn't a threat. We are coming closer and closer to living in ~1940 but it is largly because of circumstances we are creating.

No, sorry, not old enough.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dbermanmd @ Aug 16 2006, 10:22 AM) [snapback]304048[/snapback]</div>

Maybe it would be easier to name one we didn't loose.

http://www.aclunc.org/911/scorecard.html

We are tossing people in jail for years with no charges, the constitution is being pissed on by our president over and over.

The arrests in London did not rely on the patriot act or anything like it, they relied on GOOD DETECTIVE WORK and good TIPS by civilians which we seem to be in short supply on here. The patriot act breeds lazyness in our investigators, real boots on the ground and actual human intel is what is needed to stop terrorism.

The TSA is simply a JOKE. Bush has appointed four different guys to run it, all left with failure. None of the guys have had an ACTUAL security background.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dbermanmd @ Aug 16 2006, 04:22 PM) [snapback]304048[/snapback]</div>

That's just plain wrong. You are spreading false information. The recent rolling up of the network was based on plain, good old traditional intelligence work.

I give you three choices:
1- Provide evidence for your claims
2- Just mention that you made a mistake (everybody can)
3- You are a liar.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wildkow @ Aug 16 2006, 06:06 PM) [snapback]304409[/snapback]</div>

You're kidding about getting your news form those sources right?

Fascist would describe our current system best IMO.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wildkow @ Aug 16 2006, 11:45 PM) [snapback]304542[/snapback]</div>

I just thought you were joking about taking FOX news seriously or putting much faith in it. Same with the other common stations since they are all owned by 6 corporations with their corporate sponsors interests as a #1 priority instead of whats best for the nation and the education of the public. I mean seriously, why should we be concerned with Michael Jackson's escapades or whats up with Kobey Bryant when there are MUCH more important issues going on in our world? Not an attack on you, was just curious because I thought you were joking.

As for the fascist comment. I read the title of this thread "How to fix American Democracy" and Fascist was the first thing that came to mind considering our goverment bodies are rules by corporations and they hold those corporate interests above the common good of the populace.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wildkow @ Aug 17 2006, 03:06 AM) [snapback]304409[/snapback]</div>

I'm pretty confident that I receive more British news than you do, from a variety of highly regarded sources. There are no grounds so far for this claim.
It's not because FOX found two Brits that were willing to tell this that it's true. Of course there is nothing wrong with watching FOX, but be aware that they are not particularly unbiassed.

 

Sure it is not perfect, but it has worked so far.

Everyone wants to see their improvements implemented, but overall the darn things works. :blink:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Lil Mo @ Aug 18 2006, 06:51 AM) [snapback]305283[/snapback]</div>

Thats the problem though, it will not continue to work. You can run and jump off a cliff and think to yourself, "i'm flying". Indeed you may be, if only for a brief time. Then you lose your forward momentum and stand to fall yet you think "No biggy, I'm still airborn and nothing has happened yet". By the time you realize you are no longer flying, that you falling, it is too late to do anything about it. That scenario works well with our problems concerning the environment as well. Its a very dumbed down excerpt from ishmael- Daniel Quinn

Corporate money is spread heavily in our government system. You know how many millions of dollars was given to the Bush campaign by the Oil, mining, pork and energy industries?

gtreat reads on the subject are:

The Bush Agenda - Antonia Juhasz
Crime Against Nature - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Environmental Lawyer)

if you want a quick glimpse of the Kennedy book look here Crimes Aginst Nature

 

It's not the fall that kills you.

It's the sudden stop.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Aug 14 2006, 06:35 PM) [snapback]303282[/snapback]</div>

Proportional representation results in fragmentation which in turn causes instability.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wildkow @ Aug 18 2006, 06:29 PM) [snapback]305668[/snapback]</div>

Does Wikipedia qualify?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wildkow @ Aug 18 2006, 09:29 PM) [snapback]305668[/snapback]</div>

To all that have been following this:

I have been on vacation. I responded to Wildkow's PM tonight. I made a comment. I thought that in the past, he MIGHT have posted a message and did not quote the source. If I'm wrong, I'm sorry. I don't have the energy nor desire to check. In the future, before making any comments, I will make sure that I am 100% correct. I didn't think that we on FHOP were this sensitive and I'm sorry to Wildkow for hurting his feelings.

Congratulations to Wildkow for SUCKING the fun out of PriusChat. You can't take this stuff too seriously, you really can't. It's just for fun and now it isn't anymore. If your intent was to get me to stop posting from the Left, you may have succeded. Good for you.

 

Welcome back eyeguy.

Ok now, apologies have been made, hopefully we can all move on now. And have fun.