OT: Soviet Re-Birth

[geoschmo]

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.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

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

[Captain Kwok]

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

Err... he's a Pastor at a Christian church...

[narf poit chez BOOM]

...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?

[Baron Munchausen]

geoschmo said:
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.

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.

[Randallw]

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.

[Fyron]

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.

[Atrocities]

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.

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.

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?

[Atrocities]

The ultimate determinant in the struggle now going on for the world will not be bombs and rockets but a test of wills and ideas-a trial of spiritual resolve: the values we hold, the beliefs we cherish and the ideals to which we are dedicated. - Ronald Reagan

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

General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! - Ronald Reagan

[Randallw]

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"