USA Politics Thread - *No gun debate*

[belgerot 33]

no(ho)pe

[Mr_Tea 0]

He did a perfect campaign the last months, while others tried to throw dirt at him he stayed cool.

Now let`s party.

[sudayev 27]

As a European I say that it is a big chance for US and for Europe to overhaul relationships with Europe, we would like to be an equal partners and deal cards together with US and not be only an audience listening what american eagle has to say. What I dont like about Obama that he endorses legal abortion throughout the country. Many people of different skin colors, religions, social status, poor and abandoned share the same expectations that their lives will improve and us county will move forward onto a new level.

[lecholas 2]

As a European I say that it is a big chance for US and for Europe to overhaul relationships with Europe, we would like to be an equal partners and deal cards together with US and not be only an audience listening what american eagle has to say.

You may be right. Untill now The United States weren't an equal partner for Europe because they were much stronger. If Obama weakens US, maybe US and Europe will be equal partners.

[kavoven 4]

I don't have enough knowledge to say "He is the right one" since I didn't follow their programs. But anyway, I don't expect anything to change.

[jakerod 254]

Quote[/b] ]What I dont like about Obama that he endorses legal abortion throughout the country.

I don't like that either but I do think there are some complications to the issue as well. The Dalai Lama, someone who I thought would be diehard against it even said that in certain situations he thinks it coule be the right thing. For example if the health of the mother and/or baby was at stake because of it. If some young girl is raped, gets pregnant and is going to die because of health reasons if she doesn't have an abortion I don't find it appropriate to say "Well tough luck you shouldn't have gotten raped we are just going to let you die and probably the baby too."

Obama did say that he is against abortions at certain times and that he wants to educate people and try to reduce the number of abortions that occur.

As far as I recall I do not remember hearing McCain say that he is against abortion either only that he is against Roe vs. Wade which makes it illegal for the federal and state governments to make abortion illegal. That does not mean that he is against it though only that he thinks the states have a right to choose. I will admit that there is a good chance that he is against it but I do not recall him saying specifically that.

[igor drukov 0]

The fervour and hope Obama managed to raise are very moving.

Still, I'm curious to see how this young, cunning, smooth-talking politician with no executive experience will live up to his fans' and the world's expectations.

Well done Obama, don't let anyone down!

[Halochief89 0]

The only thing I dislike about Obama is he wants to ban weapons which breaks our 2nd amendment.

[jakerod 254]

The only thing I dislike about Obama is he wants to ban weapons which breaks our 2nd amendment.

Article about Obama not wanting to ban firearms

So now you have nothing against him right? He is trying to ban some weapons but the 2nd amendment says that you have a right to bear arms but it never said it had to be a semi-automatic pistol or an assault rifle it could just be some form of hunting rifle.

Even if he was against it though I see pros and cons to both sides of the argument.

[sanctuary 19]

Good to see Obama coming on top, no more of the republican bull**** for at least 4 years.

If he can live up to his promises, international relationships should now improve instead of being in the permanent state of distrust Bush put them with his actions to get more oil against the UN approvement.

Possible normalisation of those relations is a key to a world a bit more stable.

I appreciate that Obama is not a naive idiot and that he clearly stated that despite he is in favor to dialogue and diplomacy, he does not remove other options if rogue states push too far.

That's a good point that should reassure all those people afraid of losing their "american edge", blaming those "damn hippies" and other stupid argument they came to support Bush various and dangerous mistakes.

But, he has a very lot of work to do to deliver what he promised not only to the world, but to the american people themselves, will there be more help to the poor, will charity to the less fortunate be really implemented in the hearts of all those people that never cared , will there be more equality between his citizens ?

That are already big challenges he has to face, maybe even more difficult that improving international relations.

I hope Obama was not an empty bag full of air and is the decent man he seems to be according to his program, the world needs more stability not more stupidity.

[chops 111]

Obama baby! Yeeeah!

Have to say I was very impressed with McCain's concession speech (though he's had a long time to work on it). He was very noble and gracious in defeat

I only wish Obama had fired Biden and offered the job to Pallin, that way we'd have a sane man at the top, and still a steady stream of hilarious Youtube vids.

Imagine the scene... Bush having to show Obama around the White House. I bet he get's lost

"This here's the Library Osama errr.... Barrack... I don't go in here none too much"

[Wolfrug 0]

It's true. 8 years of non-stop Internet hilarity is coming to an end :O Woe be all the monkey-memes and Palin-is-stupid articles, a new era has been ushered in. Bring it on!

Next step: FEMALE president.

Next step after that: female BLACK (/hispanic/minority/non-white) president

Ultimate step of badassery: female, non-white, GREEN PARTY president.

I never thought I'd see this day. Maybe, just maybe, I'll live to see at least one of the above landmarks yet in the grand ol' US of A. Here's to hoping. Good luck all y'all!

Regards,

Wolfrug

[CameronMcDonald 146]

Ultimate step of badassery: female, non-white, GREEN PARTY president.  

Heheh, badassery, or insanity?

Wilderness, n - the space between a Greenie's ears.

[lecholas 2]

It's true. 8 years of non-stop Internet hilarity is coming to an end :O Woe be all the monkey-memes and Palin-is-stupid articles, a new era has been ushered in. Bring it on!

Next step: FEMALE president.

Next step after that: female BLACK (/hispanic/minority/non-white) president

Ultimate step of badassery: female, non-white, GREEN PARTY president.  

I never thought I'd see this day. Maybe, just maybe, I'll live to see at least one of the above landmarks yet in the grand ol' US of A. Here's to hoping.    Good luck all y'all!

Regards,

Wolfrug

You forgot about one step: the half-parrot, half-man, half-woman, three-quarter badger, ex-bigamist negro preacher, for whom banjo-playing was very difficult, and he never mastered it although he took several courses and went to banjo college ... er ... and everything...

...competence, competence.... nah

qualification... no, they're not in my dictionary. Jolly good.

[SWAT_BigBear 0]

Well, since he has won President elect, do I have to wait until January not to make mortgage payments and get free gas....... or does it start now?

[Commando84 0]

The united Nations should send peace keepers to america and remove the weapons from the dangerous americans so their kids don't get shot  

Seriously the 2nd amendment is ridoulous in a modern society..

It was nice to have during ww2 and the cold war but it should really just apply to people living in the desert and in farms where bears and wolves and stuff can attack you  

I read a story in the news a few weeks ago about a kid thatwas at a gunfair and got to hold a weapon and accidentally slipped and shot himself ,there was a gun expert nearby but they let the kid hold the weapon is wacked out.

Guns seriously guns get people killed and less people would have to die if people kept guns out of the hands of children at least..

[Rhodite 3]

Certainly not being any expert on the matter, I do feel Obama is the right choice, but time will tell!

However my biggest concern, however outlandish it may seem, is his own safety from those that would prefer to see him dead.

There is no question in my mind that the secret service have a big job on their hands ensuring he does not get shot or worse!

[sparks50 0]

Kids and guns go well together. I started shooting shooting 22s when I was five, as did most of the kids in my community.

You aren't going to teach your kids safe gun-usage by treating guns like some sort of taboo.

[kavoven 4]

Kids and guns go well together. I started shooting shooting 22s when I was five, as did most of the kids in my community.

You aren't going to teach your kids safe gun-usage by treating guns like some sort of taboo.

You do. And you will never need any guns at all.

Children having guns is one of the most stupid things I ever heared. You complain about abortion, but ignore the fact how many people die trough guns...I don't get it.

[sparks50 0]

ILLEGAL guns, not legal. Theres a big difference.

[gsleighter 0]

Actually, half of all gun deaths are suicides. 40 percent of gun deaths are due to illegal firearms, and only 2 percent of gun deaths are deemed legal, in the US.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/wireStory?id=5279335

Personally, I'm a bit split on this issue. I like gun ownership, but I'd also like to see inner cities safer. Most illegally owned firearms started as legally owned firearms, so banning many weapons would reduce the number of gun deaths. But, I strongly feel that if we pursued a war on poverty as aggressively as our war on drugs or terror, crime in general, including gun deaths, would decline.

[scubaman3D 0]

You complain about abortion, but ignore the fact how many people die trough guns...I don't get it.

Cars kill more people per year than guns do.

Should we make cars illegal too?

You have made a ridiculous argument. A gun is an object and therefore holds no moral value. A "gun" is just as moral as a marshmallow, a piece of rope, or a coffee mug. Abortion is an act, made after a decision is reached to terminate the developing baby and therefore. Such a decision falls into the relm of ethics. "Guns" don't fall into ethics. Murder does.

Also, I own several firearms. I got my first rifle as a gift for my 13th birthday. Its a .22LR and its still a beautiful gun. I have never and will never point that rifle at anybody.

[ralphwiggum 6]

knock it off with gun arguments. We've had it before and it never went well. No more gun politics talk.

[Wolfrug 0]

You forgot about one step: the half-parrot, half-man, half-woman, three-quarter badger, ex-bigamist negro preacher, for whom banjo-playing was very difficult, and he never mastered it although he took several courses and went to banjo college ... er ... and everything...

...competence, competence.... nah

qualification... no, they're not in my dictionary. Jolly good.

Hehe. Those too!

Your counter argument ("competence is more important than catering to minorities etc.") is in fact no argument : in my opinion, the president should at most have more or less the same role as the Queen : a mediating public face of the country, as opposed to someone who wields actual executive power. For that we have the elected representatives of the people, and the government : the president is, as it were, nothing but a third wheel in that equation.

That notwithstanding, I recognize that the US (and large parts of the world) have a different system of governance where they allow a single person to have a little bit too much power, but that's not something I can do anything about. From that point of view, the "right" person won these elections, or, as it were, the "better" person. Still doesn't mean I don't think this person has too much power and influence both at a national and international level, and the old adage of "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely" still stands - no-one's perfect, which we'll soon enough find out, I'm sure.

Ahwell, anyway!

Regards,

Wolfrug

[lecholas 2]

"Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely"

Lord Acton's words IIRC, right?

And after 9.11.2001 Patriotic Act was established which gave US government institutions a lot of power. Republicans are not all for increasing the control of the government of both free market and civil liberties so it wasn't that bad so far. But now US have a Democrat as a president (and the majority in Congress) who has socialistic tendencies (regulation of the market, redestribution of goods, welfare state) and Patriotic Act at his disposal. We'll see.