Presidential Election Tomorrow...

[RickSpencer]

Tomorrow, we ( in the USA) will go to the election polls to vote for a new President, I will review your posting prior to leaving.

Please be objective....



[This message has been edited by RickSpencer (edited 06 November 2000).]

[Dr_Woland]

sorry, in which country are these elections?

<hehehe, just a gentle reminder that the USA is not the only place on earth... >

Thank you for your kind edit-job, Mr Spencer

Dr W.

[This message has been edited by Dr_Woland (edited 06 November 2000).]

[oca]

Dr_Woland:

This election should be very important to the world, because the man who becomes the next president of the United States of America is going to make decisions that will affect us all.

<hehehe, just a gentle reminder that the USA is not the only place on earth...>

There was the time my dear Dr_Woland, when GB was the center of the universe, so, when one of your royals broke wind, the entire world trembled. So I guess it is the USA's turn to call the tune (or the air) for now.

Tomorrow it will be somebody else's turn.

[Dr_Woland]

Hi Oca

My problem was not that the USA holds a position of hegemony in the world.... but that it was suggested that "we will elect".... WE won't elect him, only USA citizens will do that.

It concerns me greatly that Americans are so used to writing about themselves alone, that they forget that there are any of the rest of us here at all? Anyone who's ever tried to buy something online will know what I mean. I tried to buy some music cd's from a USA site... it rejected my London postcode as an "invalid USA zipcode", even though I had already checked the box for overseas delivery. If you don't have a USA zipcode or a USA Driver's Licence, you are Citizen Of The Rest Of The World (II-nd Class).

>> Tomorrow it will be somebody else's turn. <<

We're waiting anxiously. The fate of the whole world hangs on the votes of about 1500 Florida jews who seem to have emigrated to Israel anyhow? <g>

Dr W.

[Ronald_Barbour]

Dear Dr. Woland:

I regret that folks in the UK and elsewhere have trouble with the "invalid zip code" thing when trying to order merchandise over the world wide web. Perhaps if you E-Mail our Grand&Glorious inventor of the internet, one Albert Gore, Vice President of USA and Genius First Class, he could help you (grin).

In regards to American nationalism, may I gently remind you mate that the USA for nearly 200 years was a loyal member of the British Empire, and even one year after the revolution started the Union Jack was still part of the American flag. I would note too, that in language, philosophy, religion, culture, and government the UK and USA are on the same Anglo-Saxon page. In fact, in terms of the ancient world, the UK is the Greece to America's Rome.

In reference to the presidential election -- this is a serious issue, not only for the USA, but for the world as well. I would note that since 1992 with the election of Clinton to office, American politics have been very unstable. Clinton, as you are well aware, was the first U.S. President to be impeached since Johnson, just after the U.S. Civil War in 1868 (and like Johnson not removed from office by the Senate). Thus the party of the left - the Democratic was already extremely bitter towards the party of the right - the Republicans for the impeachment of "their" president for "only" a tawdry sexual affair. The Democrats, in short, view the "Monica Affair" as the criminalization of U.S. politics and the Republicans as evil people for trying to drive Clinton from office the "best president in American history."

Enter "Decision 2000" (Perhaps more accurately Indecision 2000) with Gore running on the Clinton record of the best economy in "world history" --- and promising record social spending (more accurately MORE socialism). He is opposed by G.W. Bush who wants a "right turn" back to lower taxes, smaller government, a stronger military establishment, the rule of law, capitalism, and high moral standards for those who occupy high offices, and individual rights.

This is situation as I see it: a vote up or down for capitalism or socialism, with the public almost evenly divided between the two giant parties, both of whom have polled in excess of 48 million votes. It will be interesting to see the outcome: maybe another civil war? In 1860 the South would not accept the election of Lincoln....

[Dr_Woland]

Hello Ron

>> Perhaps if you E-Mail our Grand&Glorious inventor of the internet, one Albert Gore, Vice President of USA and Genius First Class, he could help you (grin) <<

I'll do so, and ask him in a PS to pass on my best regards to Tim Berners-Lee and the CERNE group who assisted him inventing the Internet a little bit :-)

> may I gently remind you mate that the USA for nearly 200 years was a loyal member of the British Empire <<

Hmmm, not quite. Not all parts of the USA were British - Spain and France held large possesions, something to do with a guy called Columbus? <g>

>> In fact, in terms of the ancient world, the UK is the Greece to America's Rome. <<

OK, that sits alright with me, but I still think that the greatest influence of the UK on America was in the sphere of jurisprudence. All the other areas you mention are in various stages of divergence, for multiple reasons, from their original inspiration. By the way, I greatly respect American usage of English, it's added immensely to the vocabulary in general usage today.

>> for the impeachment of "their" president for "only" a tawdry sexual affair. <<

Speaking as a foreigner, I and many of my countrymen find it astonishing that Clinton got impeached for a sexual liaison, yet Nixon did not for his many more serious misdeeds. Similarly, the Ollie North scandal left the President in office.

Thanks for your perspective on the merits of the candidates. I cannot share your endorsement of Bush - a pro-gun, pro-death- penalty fanatic whose stupidity is exploited by more sinister far-right extremists (to paraphrase you, Ron, "MORE fascism") who believe they can enact their agenda from behind the curtain.

I view the prospect of a stupider and more fanatic version of Ronnie Reagan with alarm, and predict we'll see the return of conflict politics, and an America elevated to the status of fascist bully-boy nation of the world.

Dr W.

[Killian_McManus]

Dr. Woland,

Just wanted to say that I'd have to agree with you there... maybe our foreign prospectives?