[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by Ea

Yees.... but that was King George's government of over 200 years ago. I wouldn't want myself to live under a government as it was in Denmark at that time. But things have evolved quite a bit since then - to put it mildly. In my 'world', I see my government serving me, or us - it's not them against me or us. That's why I don't understand the fear, it seems groundless.

maybe fear is not quite correct. it should probably be trust. and I should have included that first. I used to have a bumper sticker that read;

I LOVE MY COUNTRY, IT'S THE GOVERNMENT I DON'T TRUST

Originally Posted by Good Old Neon

She had every opportunity to speak for herself, and when she did, she made it blindingly obvious that she didn’t have a clue regarding foreign policy, among a long list of other topics. She and she alone is responsible for the ignorant, nonsensical garbage that spewed and continues to spew forth every time she opens her mouth. The media and/or SNL is not responsible for her downfall – she is – her excuses as to why she came across as an ignorant know nothing are her own, she owns them.

For the record - direct quotes:

ok now, you're just being silly. are you going to continue to PARROT Tina Fey? you are giving great strength to my point that the election became a parody and only existed in not ready for PRIME TIME comedy

"As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where– where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border." --Sarah Palin, explaining why Alaska's proximity to Russia gives her foreign policy experience, interview with CBS's Katie Couric, Sept. 24, 2008

"They're our next door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska." Sarah Palin On her foreign policy insights into Russia, ABC News interview, September 11, 2008.

and the good madam provided the proper sequence of the quotes, in context and everything! before I got back to the thread;

Katie Couric did ask the question why does the closeness of Russia to Alaska enhances her foreign policy credentials but she was asked another question before SP could finish her answer.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/...in;contentBody
I can see the Atlantic Ocean from my back deck, but believe it or not, that doesn't make me a marine biologist.

fascinating profession! do you have a specialty?


As for Harmon, the self described “authority”, well, he’s as blind to reality as you are, apparently. *snip*



An excerpt:

And none of it matters, so long as you remember a few months before Election Day to offer them a two-bit caricature culled from some cutting-room-floor episode of Roseanne as part of your presidential ticket. And if she's a good enough likeness of a loudmouthed Middle American archetype, as Sarah Palin is, John Q. Public will drop his giant-size bag of Doritos in gratitude, wipe the Sizzlin' Picante dust from his lips and rush to the booth to vote for her. Not because it makes sense, or because it has a chance of improving his life or anyone else's, but simply because it appeals to the low-humming narcissism that substitutes for his personality, because the image on TV reminds him of the mean, brainless slob he sees in the mirror every morning.

you are SO eloquently proving my point (or should I say *our* point as you seem to be making a good case for it!) of the FACT that the entertainment industry took over this last election
Sarah Palin is a symbol of everything that is wrong with the modern United States. As a representative of our political system, she's a new low in reptilian villainy, the ultimate cynical masterwork of puppeteers like Karl Rove. But more than that, she is a horrifying symbol of how little we ask for in return for the total surrender of our political power. Not only is Sarah Palin a fraud, she's the tawdriest, most half-assed fraud imaginable, 20 floors below the lowest common denominator, a character too dumb even for daytime TV — and this country is going to eat her up, cheering her every step of the way. All because most Americans no longer have the energy to do anything but lie back and allow ourselves to be jacked off by the calculating thieves who run this grasping consumer paradise we call a nation.

Ok, you're just being slimy and innapropriate now

Originally Posted by kazbates

The idea of the original system of government that was established by the founding fathers, where there were strong state governments and an overseeing federal government that kept the states together (providing services like the military, etc.) was to keep from having a huge and cumbersome bureaucracy that no longer focused on the people. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. The politicians and special interests have stomped all over the Constitution. Our Federal government has gotten too big. The Republicans were supposed to downsize, they didn't. The Democrats are all for bigger government. Neither party has the people's best interests at heart. It's all about power.

back to Jeffersonian Philosophy... he also firmly believed that government, even to the point of revolution needed to re-invent itself periodically. it becomes stale and hackneyed. perhaps we are due for a significant adjustment

*snip*
People haven't forgotten. Our politicians have forgotten.

Originally Posted by kazbates

As to the original topic:

I must say that I'm surprised by the vitriol of the left leaning participants in this thread. I think Joe Biden is a bit of a twit and has made more trouble for President Obama than he has helped him. Having said that, I wouldn't take to posting ridiculing and negative comments if he were to publish a new book. I would just ignore it.

my biggest fear given who and what this President is, is that Biden will in fact become President

Originally Posted by Ea

I can understand it's not the same scale, and I hope you understand I'm not proposing the same system for USA. That would be ludicrous. It's the feeling of fear of the idea of governmental influence as it has been expressed here (among other places) that leaves me - to be honest - bewildered. And if the reason for that fear, as it was explained, is the British government as it looked like in the late 18th century, then I'm even more

awww! but you see... this is an intrinsic part of our government, part and parcel of our Bill of Rights, and what makes us who we are!

Originally Posted by Madam Broshkina

When quoting the interview with Katie Couric you stated that Sarah Palin was responding to a question concerning her foreign policy experience. The quote which you sited came from an differnent question that was asked. Plus you did not include the whole quote just so you could portray SP in a negative light.


Katie Couric did ask the question why does the closeness of Russia to Alaska enhances her foreign policy credentials but she was asked another question before SP could finish her answer.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/...in;contentBody
thank you for pullingthat out and sharing it!

Originally Posted by 93terp

And the best example of that, in my opinion, was the Terry Schiavo debacle a few years back. Conservatives were absolutely tripping over themselves to rush right into the middle of that medical decision, telling Terry's husband that he had no right to make end of life decisions for his wife, that only the likes of Tom Delay, George W. Bush and Bill Frist were qualified to make that decision (because they - conservatives - represent "the party of life". Give me a break!). As I recall, W flew back from Crawdad in the middle of the night to sign "emergency legislation" regarding the situation. Hyprocrisy in it's most absurd form.

this is, one of the major problems of the Republican party at thi juncture. not only the whole "right to life" bit, but the continued union with the conservative christians. they SERIOUSLY need to get out of that bed

Originally Posted by ardeegee

Just about any idiot can get "a college degree" these days. It is little more difficult than an high school diploma. You just have to show up for classes and make the minimum effort into making passing grades. do tell? what is your non-idiotic degree in? I can't tell you how incredibly amazed I was when a newly minted business degree graduate bragged to me that he had not written a SINGLE term paper in the course of his studies. and this fellow did not get his degree online... it was one of the biggies out of the southBeing educated in no way needs to be connected to training for a profession which is what most college degrees are. Being educated is being knowledgeable in a wide scope of areas-- even ones that do not have a direct effect on your daily life-- and having a thirst for continued learning. I can tell that Palin lacks that by the words coming out of her (NOT Tina Fey's) mouth.

different things sound differently to our ears. southerners sound to me like uneducated backwoods hicks. I lived in Alaska for my early years and that particular dialect sounds normal to me. go to Germany and have a Hessian tell you what a Bavarian sounds like

So she managed to make it (over 5 years and 6 schools) to a 4-year degree in a light-weight subject, just like many millions of other Americans. How does that make her stand out to lead the free world? When I mean educated, I mean people like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine and all the other educated people who helped frame the philosophy and the fact of this country. I mean intellectual giants with deep thoughts and advanced educations. *snip* what's your criteria then? how many books read? how many intellectual discourses coursed? did it ever occur to you that most folks simply aren't giving the woman a half a chance to be heard?.

wow.... simply wow!