OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

Looks like the old boss is the new boss. Russia acting old school.

Love those T90 battle tanks and those heavy howitzers.. Wonder how they will do against our Abrams? After all, it was our money for their old nukes that helped to fund the development of those things. Glad we could re-arm our old/new enemy.

How nice.

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Smartest things U.S.A. ever did:

Two-term limit on the president. I wish we would do something similar for Congress.

No prime minister, so no one could pull the switcheroo that Putin just did to get around Russia's term limits.

Clear separation of powers among the 3 branches (at all levels of gov't).

Clear subordination of the military and law enforcement to the civilian authorities (at all levels of gov't).

Clear separation between military and law enforcement.

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Greatest things the USA ever did:

Establish our nation as a republic. (Democracy is fine but it can best be summed up as two starving wolves and a sheep deciding whats for dinner.)

Ratifying our Constitution and the Bill of rights. Secured by the fact that our nation is a republic and not a democracy. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Our rights cannot be arbitrarily taken away from us... not counting the Patriot Act which puts too much power in the wrong hands IMHO, and desperately needs to be revisited and tone way the hell down.

Where have all of our intelligent patriots gone? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

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I'm a Canadian and I must say that I agree with you guys 100%. Though most 'claim' otherwise, I know that if it wasn't for the greatness of the USA, Canada would not be the way we are. I'm constantly in awe of American patriotism. We don't have NEARLY the level of proud Canadians as you have proud Americans.

Something that I found out is that in the USA there is no restriction on how many terms someone can run for president. FDR was president for 3 terms. It's an unofficial tradition. Apparently, it comes from George Washington. When his second term was up, he was asked to run for a third but said that the purpose of creating the US was for the leadership to change, to allow others to take the lead. Since then, it's been the tradition that no one would run more than twice. In FDR's case, it was because we (you) were in the middle of WWII that caused him to run for a 3rd term.

Though it is true that no one has ever Completed 3 full terms.

Not to split hairs, this is just an interesting point of trivia.

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I think that's wrong - after FDR it was written into law that president can only serve 2 elected full terms , but can still serve more if he/she got into thru illness , assasination originally

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bearclaw said:
"We don't have NEARLY the level of proud Canadians as you have proud Americans."

I dunno... "patriotism" has transformed into a cudgel wielded by wanna-be autocrats to bash everyone else into complying with their anti-constitutional leanings these days. If you don't immediately support such measures, you're patriotism is immediately called into question, and you may even be called a terrorist or terrorist-sympathizer... We are living in the McCarthian 1950s again, sadly. The tactics have become more subtle and sophisticated, but its disgusting nonetheless.

mrscrogg said:
"I think that's wrong - after FDR it was written into law that president can only serve 2 elected full terms , but can still serve more if he/she got into thru illness , assasination originally"

But only if they serve less than 2 years of the remaining term due to death of the elected president. Otherwise it counts as a full term.

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'If you're against us, you're evil' is a common tactic in debates to avoid actual debate.

For example, there was a recent article in the Vancouver Province newspaper warning of potential terrorism at the upcoming Vancouver olympic games - Due to 17 incidences this year - egg-throwing, graffiti and similar (To the best of my memory).

Or, right back to the Romans, 'Barbarian'.

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<<===== Proud Canadian!

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Given that my history lessons in school were about first, the US, second Canada and third, the rest of the world...

...I live in Canada. Shouldn't Canadian history be a priority???!

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Well patriotism is nothing more than love and pride in one's country. There seems to be a rather widespread belief however, that being proud of your country means you cannot, nay, must not acknowledge it's faults.

I love my country (as much as one can love an inanimate object, at least), and I'm proud of all the good it's done, but the economy is borked, health care is a mess, the east-middle-west balance is fuxored, and Stephen Harper is a tit. See? Not so hard.

Unfortunately, in an awful lot of cases, American patriotism tends to lean towards the, "America is the greatest place in the world and the best at everything and everything American is better than everything else and everything America does is good and America never does anything bad and people who don't like us are jealous and people who say America does bad things sometimes must just be really evil so they think good things are actually bad because America is perfect and incapable of wrong because America is the greatest place in the world" vein of patriotism.

And people accept this as patriotism, but at the same time any man who held such opinions about his significant other would probably be considered unstable/deranged/probably a threat to her safety.

And the sorts of things people get riled up about in the States rather confuses me as well. I remember a while back there was some big "controversy" over Barack Obama not wearing an American flag pin/Placing his hand over his heart during the Pledge of Allegiance, and after he responded to initial criticisms by saying that he believed one's patriotism should be shown by real actions, and not just meaningless symbolism. And all sorts of people went to town on him over it. I remember thinking to myself, "Would these people actually prefer to have a president who is "patriotic" because he runs around saluting flags, puts his hand in the right place at the right time, wears little pins and keeps telling people how great America is, while he simultaneously ruins the country and violates the very principles on which the nation was founded?"

Then I remembered the results of the last two elections, and realized the answer was yes.

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The 22nd amendment instituted an official 2-term limit on the US president. Prior to that it was only a tradition. One that was broken only by FDR.

By the way, FDR did serve three full terms. He was elected four times and died during his fourth term, just short of the end of WWII.

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@AZ: Well, that and his preacher (Don't know the term) is apparently a muslim fundamentalist.

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

Err... he's a Pastor at a Christian church... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

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...Hmm, apparently my memory mis-remembered.

I blame the new pill. As an anti-depressent, it's working. Wanting to take a nap half-way through the day, however, defeats the purpose.

Besides, what's the point of being either insane or on pills if you can't blame them for any embarrassing mistakes? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

And the fascinating fact is, he took office within weeks of Hitler (Hitler's swearing in as Chancellor of Weimar Germany -- 30 January 1933, Roosevelt's first inauguration -- 4 March 1933 ) and he died in office within weeks of Hitler (Roosevelt's death by stroke -- 12 April 1945, Hitler's suicide -- 30 April 1945). These two men shaped twelve years of epic history.

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Personally I find the US electoral system perplexing. It seems to be a factor of american worship of the individual that you vote for a "President" instead of the party. The Republicans already have their candidate and the Democrats can't even make up their mind. Just vote for the party you support, then choose the leader of the winning party. Here in Australia, and I imagine Canada, we just vote for party members and whichever party has the most elected members places their leader as Prime Minister. At the last election here the Prime Minister himself was voted out.

I'd go on about how the Communists, led by a salacious drunk, ended up winning, but you don't want to hear the details.

As for the main topic, I was just reading yesterday of how Georgia is readying for war with Russia, and Georgia is trying to join, if it hasn't already, NATO. that'll be nice. A war between NATO and Russia.

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Parties weren't even supposed to exist in the first place...

The problem with having the legislative branch choose the president is that the president is not a legislator. The executive branch is meant to be totally separate from the legislative, so it needs to have its head voted on by the people, not by the legislators. These weird systems that mix and match legislative and executive branches worry me.

NATO isn't going to go to war with Russia. That would lead to World War III.

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Wow. Impressive and profound. I congratulate both of you on your astute and very true to life reflections of this most important virtue. Patriotism should never be yielded as a weapon of ignorance or lack of tolerance of opposing points of view. After all, come victory or defeat we are all sons of our respective nations are we not?

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To the new Russian President/Czar I say remember these immortal words:

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Well speaking as someone without much of a personality I prefer a bureaucratic system based on ministers who know what they're doing, such as a doctor as minister of health, and a figurehead picked from the party, rather than a personality who only got elected because he knows how to charm people. When you get down to it most people would be more comforatble with the sytem they already live under and know I guess. Well except those rabid anarchists.

You seem to have something called impeachment for your Presidents when they become unpopular. Here if you are causing too much bad publicity for the party they'll vote you out and replace you with a new leader even if the person on the way out was the Prime Minster. Those communists I mentioned did such a thing last time they were in office. At one point they were so unpopular the Governor General kicked them out. They made a big fuss about it being unfair but it didn't help them get elected in the snap election where the electorate unsurprsingly pointed out they were indeed unpopular.

and yes, to any Australians following this, I am a Liberal.

anyway as Gerald Ford sort of said once

"Personally I've never found voting to be all that important to the process" http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

A very good quote there Randallw. Funny and true.

"You have been told time and again; do NOT provoke the Borg." - Q

Much can be said about those folks who are driven to vote. They can vote for you, or against, such is the nature of the American voting beast.

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Which quote. The Futurama one or Donald Duck?. I wonder because you mentioned not annoying something. As for Donald's attitude not being what he is famous for, I read that as Deadpool would say

"It sort of all depended on who's writing the book at the time"

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I think it's quite a compliment that in a forum for a game that so many people show not only interest and knowledge but a passion for a topic not associated with what we normally talk about

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Impeachment is not about popularity; it is a last resort for breaking the rule of law. Granted, blatantly violating the rule of law tends to make one rather unpopular, but that's correlation, not causation.

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

ah right. I tend to have a "leadership can do no wrong" mindset, so the only way the leader can be wrong is if he is unpopular. It goes without saying that the opposition, being unpopular in the first place, are always wrong. What I mean is you wouldn't impeach your own leader, and any attempt by others is just them taking a chance to sabotage the people they are trying to replace.

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

If you think about it, if the US was to impeach Bush --who is currently rather unpopular-- It would propel cheney (who can only be awesome with a shotgun) to the oval office. cheney is less popular than bush. So let's impeach both?

Nay, that would propel Nancy Pelosi into the whitehouse as the first female president and she's less popular and far less likable than bush, cheney, hilary clinton, and a molded turkey combined.

The impeachment process exists to legally remove a seated government official from power for criminal prosecution as to allow the government to continue operations without dividing said official's attention. It also helps with PR if you say Former-President instead of Current-President at the conviction and sentencing hearings.

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

On its way, in certain parts of the economy, yep.
That it is. But at least when my appendix had to be removed a couple years back, it didn't throw me into massive debt :p
No disagreement here.
Well I'll disagree with you there, hell of a lot better than the Liberals... and the NDP would be just horrifying http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

So, Obama, Hillary or McCain ?

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

I vote Xintis for president.

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

I vote Xintis for present. (2)

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

Dancing Nekkid Phong FTW!

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Renegade: My main issue with Harper is the fact that he seems quite in favour of passing his conservative Christian beliefs into laws. I have no particular issue with leaders having conservative (or any other) religious views, but when they attempt to force these beliefs on people who don't share them by enacting them as secular laws, such action tends to reduce me to an incoherent frothy-mouthed zealot whose most eloquent statement on the subject can be summed up as, "RAHHH! YOU BAD! AZ SMASH NOW!"

State <============================================== =======> Church

Isn't that how it's supposed to work?

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

My stance is that these are morals that they believe in and believe are good for people. If you don't let them try to enact them then you are basically saying "ok you can be in government but don't try to do what you think is best". The end result is that you are not allowing certain people a chance at government. Once you disallow one part of the community from taking part who else do you think is unfit to hold office. After awhile there is only a small selection of the population fit to serve. If everyone can't agree you may as well have seperate nations each populated by a community that all agree on the same thing, except of course then you have people demanding another countries laws change because they are "wrong", not that they are prepared to live there. As is my want here's a bit from Blackadder

M: Oh, has there been a general election, then, Mr. Blackadder?

E: Indeed there has, Mrs. Miggins.

M: Oh, well, I never heard about it.

E: Well of course you didn't; you're not eligible to vote.

M: Well, why not?

E: Because virtually no-one is: women, peasants, (looks at Baldrick) chimpanzees (Baldrick looks behind himself, trying to see the animal), lunatics, Lords...

M: ...but it hardly seems fair to me.

E: Of course it's not fair -- and a damn good thing too. Give the like of Baldrick the vote and we'll be back to cavorting druids, death by stoning, and dung for dinner.

M: So, who are they electing when they have these elections?

E: Ah, the same old (?): fat tory landowners who get made MPs when they reach a certain weight; raving revolutionaries who think that just because they do a day's work that somehow gives them the right to get paid...

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

The one thing that simply just won't go away, truth. But then again all truth is speculative depending on who's editing the story or video. You decide: The Truth About Obama - or so they say. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

In the face of that could happen in the next eight years, world wide, who do you think will be best suited to fight the good fight. Will Russia fall back into Soviet era thinking, wait they pretty much have already done that, so that point is mute. The question is, how bad will it get. With the rising demand for oil and the falling availability of that resource coupled with the genuine lack of government and private sector involvement in conservation and development of new fuel sources, China's ever alarming way, world wide food shortages, bizzar world wide weather patterns, and a global onslaught of terrorist activity, who will step up and take the reigns of freedom and righteousness and lead us all well and good into the future? And what will that future hold?

I will not be voting this year. I do not see any candidate worthy of my vote. I am for all intents and purposes sickened by the options now before us. In the face of these ever growing threats to world peace, our options for the next eight years are not good ones. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

I'd suggest voting independant.

Also, change has to happen locally.

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

More like Obama or McCain, as much as I prefer hiliary, she's run a sloppy campaign.

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Since I'm Canadian, my opinion on the matter is rather irrelevant but if I were able, I'd give my vote to Obama for one simple reason: He's the only candidate not campaigning on a platform of hate. Clinton, McCain, and most of those no longer in the running, all of their campaign message seemed to boil down to: "Ooooh! Be afraid! I am the only one that can save you from a future of global calamity! Economic disaster! War! Famine! Disease! Death! TERRORISTS!!!" Whereas Obama's message seems to be along the lines of, "If we go running around the place, terrified of our own shadow, we're inevitably going to end up doing something really stupid. So let's just not go down that road." And when you look at it like that, I think Obama's the only one who could repair the damage done in the last eight years. Well, him and Ron Paul, but I'm quite sure Ron Paul is out of the running.

And AT, as much as I hate to say it, it sounds like you've been getting smacked around with the fear-stick just a little too much lately. Truth is not in the eye of the beholder, it is the interpretation of the truth that one must watch out for. I am endlessly amused by Fox News' claims to be "unbiased" because the fact of the matter is that there is not a single person on the face of the planet that is unbiased. And there's nothing wrong with that. But being aware of someone's bias is extremely important, because if you understand their bias, you can understand how it colours their interpretation of the truth, and interpolate from that the actual undeniable truths of what their saying.

Sometimes this is very difficult, sometimes it is quite easy. For example, in the video you posted, as soon as the narrator used the word "Muslim" as if it were incriminating, that set off my Ignorant-Right-Wing-Nutjob Detector, and it was soon clear that most of his opinions had a tenuous relationship to the actual truth of the matter, at best.

To avoid another rant (I have a 1 per day limit http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif ), I'd just like to point out that a massive survey of the Muslim world was completed a few months back, and one of the things they discovered was that somewhere in the neighbourhood of 80% of Mulsims wanted to see an improvement, and a closening of ties between American & the Muslim world. Of the 20-ish remaining percent, roughly 90% said they'd prefer a distancing, and wanted to have as little to do with America as possible. That only left about 2% of the Muslim world wishing harm upon America.

Now, if we are to accept the argument that someone with a Muslim heritage should be disqualified from taking the highest office because a small percentage of Muslims would like to see harm visited upon America, then we would have to disqualify any Christian candidates as well, since a small percentage of Christians believe that America can only be redeemed by the death of the majority of it's population.

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

I believe pretty much every person OUTSIDE of the US would want/vote for Obama. At least i feel that way, with all the coverage the US election is getting internationally, i believe so have a decent grasp for whats going on. McCain is an old republican, Hillary is so mad for power. I have the impression that Obama is young and has a not yet corrupted spirit and all his "we can do" just makes you believe in him.

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

If I could I'd vote for McCain.

I find the Democratic arguments dangerously...umm, uncaring. I'm no expert but their arguments seem to come down to, and I may be wrong

"Precious American lives are being lost in Iraq. We should just leave them. It was not our role to overthrow Saddam. The lives of Iraqi civilians aren't our problem"

their supporters, such as overpayed actors who feeling guilty at their obscene paychecks think they need to earn it by campaigning against every perceived slight under the sun, decry President Bush for being too religious. I would distrust someone who was too secular. In my mind there is soemthing wrong with people that don't believe in something. Also as a teetotaller that would go so far as to say I loathe and despise alcohol and consider anyone who drinks it to be an alcoholic (Caffeine also) I admire a person who gave it up.

The Democratic argument also seems to lean towards, and yes I may be defensive, the position that it is time for a woman or an african american to be President, as if someone's gender or the colour of their skin makes any difference to their suitability to hold office. Reverse racism still involves racism. Barrack Hussein Obama is as much white as he is black anyway.

The African American democrats also criticise Condoleeza Rice as not being black. As she said she doesn't need people to tell her what she is, she knows what she is.

Most of my vehemence is focussed on the fact that they seem to portray an attitude of caring and being the righteous ones and yet their actions seem to be the exact opposite. Granetd however I'm not American, I may not be aware of the subtlties of American society.

I so have to avoid commenting when I'm depressed.

I should probably apologise. I'm very much a cynic and am generally disgusted by appeals to sentimentality and such things. To me the cry to heal the planet so your children don't suffer is a blatant threat to do things someone's way or your children will suffer. Pathetic.

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

I don't like any of them.

Obama in debates seems to end up flustered, Hiliary went from being likable to insurance industry puppet and McCain went from bucking the GOP establishment to Rah-Rah-Rah GOP Cheerleader.

I want...

Cthulhu http://www.summeroflovecraft.com/images/cthulhu-6.jpg

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

This is the first time I've even considered voting. The next 4-8 years really are going to be a major turning point for the US and indeed the world. The thing I don't get is how Clinton had impeachment proceedings against him for lying about a affair while Good ol boy GW just says "our intel was wrong, don't look at me" and nothing happens. If you take the nation to war and it turns out that the reasons you did it weren't accurate you need to be held accountable. I guess like someone earlier said, the choices if Bush were impeached just get worse and worse. I'm not sure really which party I would be considered, I agree with the democrats that the wealthy (who have much more to give) should make a much larger contribution to the nation then the poor (who don't have much to give). OTOH I strongly believe in the 2nd amendment so that would put me with the republicans. IMO we NEED to get rid of the party system, or at least get more then 2 parties. Also the whole voting system (electoral college) deciding who wins is flawed. Whats the point in even counting the popular vote? If the two are in agreement ok, if someone wins the electoral and loses the popular, then something else needs to be done.

McCain wants us in Iraq for another 100 years. Obama seems to have good ideas, but in the debates I've seen never really says how he intends to accomplish them. Hillary has good ideas as well, but I can't help but wonder how much would be her and how much would be Bill. We don't need what Russia has now. Also as flawed as the argument is, are their only 2 families that can run the US? If I do vote it will probably be for a democrat.

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So are you saying we should allow the christian fundamentalists to destroy science education by putting ID as a first-class member of biology class? We should deny human beings rights based on sexual orientation, just because some fundamentalists read the Bible incorrectly (along the same exact lines as gender and racial discrimination in the past)?

Humanist egalitarianism is not something valid to believe in? Secularism is not a lack of belief in anything, its belief in not governing by an arbitrary organized religion (since that has always lead to tyranny against the other in the whole of human history).

30% of 1,000,000 is a hell of a lot more money than 30% of 40,000. Whatever happened to the principles of liberty and equality?

The point is that the US is a confederation of semi-independent states, not one singular mono-nation with power stemming from the top. It was set up the way it is so that every state at least gets some say in the government, regardless of population. If you do away with the electoral college and go to a straight, nation-wide popular vote, you also need to do away with the Senate. It creates vastly disproportional representation in the national legislature as well. You should probably also do away with the separation of powers between state and federal governments, since its all part of the same basic form of government. The electoral college is a far more complex issue than one might imagine. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

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It is indeed. I guess because I am a very right-leaning person, that I see him as much better than the crap-*** Liberals we had in for far far far too long previously (and, by the way, I still think he's 10 times better).

Plus, you have to like a leader who doesn't go around bashing our largest trading partner and biggest ally (the US) like the Liberals (and NDP, who continue to do so... hippy bastards) did the last few years they were in.

And yet, at the same time, isn't afraid to wave the big stick at the US when the time is right.

Remember a few weeks ago, maybe even a couple months ago, during some US Democratic campaigning ****e, Obama and Clinton were both yapping about renegotiating NAFTA because they were whining that it was hurting the automobile manufacturing sector in states like (I think) Michigan and Pennsylvania, to be more in the US's favor.

Harper's comment was something along the lines of... Ok, we'll renegotiate NAFTA, but remember, Canada is the largest supplier by far to the US of energy, primarily in the form of oil, so if you want to renegotiate NAFTA, we have a way better bargaining chip.

In other words, he's not afraid to wave the big stick, while also not pointlessly bashing the US like previous gov't's have. That, I like.

=========

As for the US election... I think you're screwed no matter who you get. Sorry, but that's how I see it.

As long as someone has to be extraordinarily wealthy to come into the highest political office you have, there's something wrong with the system. When you have to spend millions of your own money to even stand a chance at having your name known to the voting public, or to stand a chance of being your party's candidate, the system is screwed.

There could be plenty of people out there, ready, willing and capable of leading your country to better times, but they lack the financial resources to make it happen, to even be considered. This, in my opinion, is just wrong. That said... I don't know how to avoid it with your current electoral system.

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So liberty and equality = rich live like kings and poor homeless, well thats just their problem, at least their equal to the rich...until it comes to who has the $ to throw around. Sorry, there's no such thing as equality when it concerns humans. As far as the election thing goes, I never said base it solely off of popular vote, but the way it is now the pop. vote is pretty much discarded (to my knowledge anyway).

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Everybody thank you all for playing nice and please continue to do so. Thank you.

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I think one of the big problems facing America right now is the concept that you must chose between Democrats and embrace all liberal ideals, or Republicans and embrace all the conservative ideals. But most people I know don't fully subscribe to the right or the left. Personally, my views on civil matters (gay marriage, healthcare, education) are fairly liberal, though some (ie: Abortion) are closer to the conservative view. But then my economic views coincide quite well with the conservative outlook, though I have some economic opinions that approach socialism.

Which inevitably means that I wind up voting for a different party every election. I might vote liberal one year so they can pass protections for "alternative lifestyles" one year, then conservative the next to fix the economy.

I think most countries would be a lot better off if they just dropped this right-left division, and let people vote for the candidate they felt best represented their views.

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

Red herring. The only people that are actually homeless are those that have already given up. Noone that makes an effort to live a decent life falls that far. Do you have an actual argument to present?

No it isn't. The popular vote determines who gets the electoral college votes in each state. There is simply a false dichotomy presented about the nation-wide popular vote in the simplified electoral college "debate" as presented by various politicians. Its important in a strong centralized system of government where provincial governments are simply subdivisions of the national government, but that is not what we have in the US. How the national popular vote goes is irrelevant in the confederation style of the US, where the federal government is elected piecemeal by the states. This piecemeal nature defines everything about the entire governmental structure of the US, and you can't just arbitrarily pull out pieces of it like a Jenga block tower.

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I don't know what form of ID you are speaking of but the idea that God created Earth is theology not biology. I also don't know what fundamentalists believe. If it's not Catholic or Orthodox I just label it as Protestant and delve no further.

Violence isn't an aspect of religion, it's an aspect of people. People are flawed and ruin whatever they claim to believe in. I've seen advertisments by atheists and their level of vehemence shows me just because they can't believe in God doesn't mean they aren't cruel and vicious. I don't exactly know what Humanism is.

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

Not trying to get into a fight with you. I just feel that if taxes are going to be "equal" across the board then pay and cost of living should be as well. However since they aren't I feel taxes shouldn't be either. If I make 20k a year and 10% goes to taxes that 2000 is going to hurt me a hell of alot more then the 10k that would come out of someone who makes 100,000.00. Sure their paying alot more, but they also have enough to still live comfortably and not have to worry about do I put gas in the car for work or food on the table? Do I pay the medical bills or the utilities bill? I can understand if your someone making something like 55,000.00 or more or really any amount how you feel it's unfair that you have to pay more than others, but put the shoe on the other foot, your the guy making minimum wage working 50 hours a week and still struggling while the guy who owns the place you work for pays the exact same amount as you while making 3-4 times what you make. Shouldn't everyone have a equal chance to live the american dream or should it just be for the wealthy? I'm pretty sure I know the reaction this will have, "everyone has equal chance, they choose not to take it" Not everyone is born in the same area with the same chances and nobody gets to choose what kind of life their born into. Anyway, you either get what I'm saying or you don't. I won't be responding to anymore regarding this subject as apparently a mod is thinking we're fighting (even though I've seen much worse on these forums).

As far as Russia, I'm not going to be too worried unless they go back to communism which I doubt they will do. It's pretty obvious that the whole president-prime minister thing is just a way to get around the term limitations, seeing as how the president is supposed to be his hand picked successor. Maybe we should get them to join NATO? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/shock.gif

Re: OT: Soviet Re-Birth
 

There is only one form of Intelligent Design. And if it gets into our schools, watch 2 things happen.

1.) A generation of the dumbest americans to ever exist.
2.) Endless lawsuits by fringe groups suing the government's education system into bankruptcy to get their religion's theory's pushed into schools. After all, GOTTA TEACH THE CONTROVERSY!

Mark my words, if ID gets in, in months we'll be teaching Lord Xenu in history class, The earth is flat in geography, and teaching other things that shouldn't be taught in schools.

All funded by your taxpayer dollars.

Like that public ally funded islamic charter school in Minnesota.

Secular school systems are a very strong and good thing. polluting it with religious ideology