Americans Prefer Not to Know

[Jarhead]

of course they are more corrupt - they definitely have more to play with.

 

[Unser_Giftzwerg]

So in a nutshell the Yank politicians are as corrupt as the Brit ones then?

Well fcuk me...never.

I think they trade off the pace-setter position from generation to generation, but, yeah.

 

[msgsmiley]

Well actualy all politicians have the same disease. But in talking about the US Attorneys there is no questioning the fact that all are political appointees. Every President upon election usually accepts the resignations of them and appoints those who share his political views and are likely to support them. Also this occured severalmonths after the election in November of 2006 and not in a mid-term. When Harry Truman was a Senator he tried his best to get the Attorney General and the US Attorney that had prosocuted his friend Mr. Pendergass. His friend was put in jail for tax evasion since they couldn't get him on the political corruption charges they orginally went after. When Mr. Roosevelt died and Truman became President one of the first things he did was fire the attorney Genreal and that US Attorney that has prosocuted his buddy. And this with a war going on. It doesn't matter what Arlen Spector thinks. But if you think for one minute that if a law had been broken the Dems would not have cited it and moved for impeachment? I could care less about this nothing flap. It is political drama for the masses. They all do it when they get power. Duh!

 

[Bergen]

Bubba, wrong, wrong, wrong. Us attorneys are appointed by the president period. And fired by the president period. No consent clause concerning them. Only the attorney general is confirmed by the Senate. Not each US attorney.

You must get so tired of spouting crap and then being proved wrong time and time again.

The governing statute is Title 28 Section 546: United States Attorneys are to be appointed by the President of the United States for a term of 4 years 'SUBJECT TO CONFIRMATION BY THE SENATE'. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Attorney

The president may dismiss US Attorneys without reference to the Senate. The US Attorney General may appoint interim US Attorneys to fill vacancies for a period not exceeeding 120 days.

In March 2006 Bush used the inappropriately named Patriot Act to slip a clause into the legislation which bypassed the statute and attempts to prevent Senate oversight of US Attorney appointments. Bush and the Republicans are corrupting the US legal system and the office of US Attorney General for their own political purposes and their machinations in firing 8 US.A's are being exposed on a daily basis.

The people of the USA deserve better than these criminals in much the same way as the people of the UK deserve better than Mr. Bliar. All eyes should now focus on British Attorney General Goldsmith and be on guard for any attempt by him to prevent the prosecution of Lord Levy et al.

The next few months will be interesting in the UK and the USA and we can already see the governmental criminal enterprises on either side of the Atlantic begin to crumble.

RM

 

[wet_blobby]

Bergs, with ref to lord Levy, cash for honours etc, why do you think there has been so many leeks? I can hear them crying the wont get a fair trial already because of the media. wonder where the media got the leeks from?

 

[slim]

I think that I read somewhere this:

"In the UK we have the finest politicians that money can buy"

Pretty apt.

 

[Bergen]

Bergs, with ref to lord Levy, cash for honours etc, why do you think there has been so many leeks? I can hear them crying the wont get a fair trial already because of the media. wonder where the media got the leeks from?

It's a fine line Blobs. Reading between the lines I think that the Police Team are leaking just enough of the case to make sure that Goldsmith can't refuse to prosecute on either "Lack of Evidence" or "Not in the Public Interest" Grounds.

RM

 

[wet_blobby]

Goldsmith is tonys mate...he should step aside...then again whats the point of having power with out abusing it?

It all stinks mate.

 

[onions]

Bergs, with ref to lord Levy, cash for honours etc, why do you think there has been so many leeks? I can hear them crying the wont get a fair trial already because of the media. wonder where the media got the leeks from?

WB, I had nothing to do with it, honest! (Look at my avatar)

Semper Strenuissima.

 

[Unser_Giftzwerg]

on the contrary, dubya, no matter how corrupt his policies are or may be seen to be in the future, will escape office without being impeached. saying anything else is denial of reality.

Jarhead,

This makes 100% sense but what can I say? My trick knee is throbbing the way it always does before big political shakeups.

The thing of it is, right now the Bush administrationis acting like a pressure cooker lid with a broken saftey valve. Most Presidents, when they get in a battle with Congress engage in a little give-and-take. An inept stooge like AG Gonzalez is ordinarilly thrown to the wolves. Congress slakes its blood-thirst, and it's back to business-as-usual.

But the Bush Administration yeilds nothing to Congress. Bush claims the Constitution puts virtually no limits to his power. Congress and the President continue to but heads and the pressure builds.

But the Constitution specifically lays out one power Congress has over the President. Congress can impeach the President, the VP, the various Cabiniet members, and so forth. Since Preisdent Bush will not bow to any pressure short of impeachment, impeachment he shall have. With no emergency pressure release, the entire cooker will blow.

 

[msgsmiley]

Bubba,
In you own post you say that the prseident may dismiss US Attorneys without reference from the Senate. Case Closed. It is all about nothing. If it was illegal why is impeachment not being pursued?

 

[HarryBosch]

Just because I like or dislike a foreign leader does not color how I view the individual citizen of that nation.

Dear msg,

I've just read the whole thread and I have to say that I have not really detected any vitriol about the ordinary US citizen. For the record, I have yomped, parachuted and gotten pissed with US Airborne, USMC, US Rangers . I've also had many interesting times and conversations with a great many US students, mostly post-grads. On that count then I would declare myself as a non-hating Brit.

I wonder if perhaps you are bing a touch over-defensive, msg? I can understand that, I haven't liked the way we have gone from Arab friend to total enemy over the last 4 years either! Should one look beneath the usual anti-US rhetoric I think one will find that most Brits quite like America and the American people. However, many of us find US Govt deference to big business distasteful, especially in relation to drugs companies, global warming, the secret wars in Latin America 60s-80s, Halliburton and Iraq, the lack of welfare for the vulnerable, the ugly contempt for the poor in New Orleans, etc., and that's even before one mentions Guantanamo, Abhu Graihb, etc. In short, peole like me do not hate individual Americans, we hate Fox News, cowards in the US media, and the fact that those who should have known better supported and continue to support one of the most corrupt and arrogant adminstrations in US history. I may be wrong but I think history will judge the Bush presidency as a disaster, both internationally and domestically.

Put simply, I hate Bush, the neo-cons and all that they stand for. I do not hate the silent majority of US citizens i.e. those with little representation in the media or those stuffed by the rough and tumble of the pork barrelling and high finance stakes of an administration which purports to be by the people for the people but which in fact actively excludes it's own ordinary decent majority in favour of religous and right wing nuts.

Kind regards,

Harry

PS New labour has followed suit, so no lectures on that count please

 

[Flemish_American]

The problem with much of this string is the assumption that the average American has anything at all to do with policy. I can stomach attacks by foreigners on the George Bush presidency, the U.S. handling of Ir..er...most any foreign policy, the death penalty, abortion, gay marriage or gun control laws. However, America is one of the most diverse countries in the world and to attack Americans in general on any of these issues is, well, näive.

The U.S. is isolationist based as much on geography as anything. Go someplace like Miami, Las Angelas or New York where they see foreigners everyday and locals will still show interest in hearing about your country. They will show you a "down home" hospitality that is not predominant in most countries.

I dare you to go to any tourist area of France or Spain and try to get a local interested in the fact you are English, German or even Australian. I guarantee you won't get the same treatment.

And by the way, before you criticize our foreign policy too much, take in mind the words of one of the United Kingdom's greatest leaders in history who recognized our natural good will and intentions:

'You can always count on Americans to do the right thing ... After they've tried everything else.' - Winston Churchill

 

[flatscrubber]

"Why are Americans so uninterested in world events, in serious concerns?" Doh! Its not the TV and Internet - they haven't been around two hundred years have they?

The question is why must Americans be interested in World events?

If we lived in a country the size of Europe which has all the recreational facilities you could ever need and all the opportunities for materialism anyone could desire. Would we be all that interested in the rest of the world - unless our fellow citizens were dying in it? There is nothing wrong with being insular - especially if you dont need to be anything else. We shoudn't judge others by our standards, there is no proof that our standards are better - except that we intrinsically believe they are............

Totally agree with you F169,theres no need whatsoever for normal everyday Americans to give a toss about the rest of the world.
And modern Britain is no example for Americans to be lectured about how to live in a "modern, inclusive democracy".
Given a choice i'd rather be in the States anyday than this pathetic, Liberal socialist, experiment of a Country we now live in.

 

[AfterSSE]

'You can always count on Americans to do the right thing ... After they've tried everything else.' - Winston Churchill

Can you recognize a double entendre?, I don't think Winny was too enamored with the "johnny come lately's" and especially didn't like getting snubbed while Roosevelt rubbed shoulders with Ivan, and missed an opportunity to march on Moscow because Winston saw the wall coming.


As for Americans being interested in foreigners, don't make me laugh.....Lol...it's a known fact that a large percentage of your countries people through your education system barely know about your neighbour to the North, unless of course you don't consider us foreigners... 8O

The point is, most of the people on this planet know more about your corrupt administration then do your own people....and like most I have nothing against Americans, I have relatives in Flint and Tampa, I used to go across through Detroit on a regular basis.Been to Boston more times then I can count and Florida as well as New York and Norfolk and San Diego etc. I have always had a good time and have been treated well, and I would hope us here in Halifax treat the US sailors just as well.


And if you want, I would appreciate it if you would call our politicians ********* and idiots, but George Dubya didn't even know our PM's fecking name, course he was a frog from Quebec (Chretien or Cretin) and can be forgiven...

Do I sound like we get ignored a lot..... :cry:

But you guy's are your own worst enemies, you always get defensive and take things personally and why? if your foreign policy sucks, well get over it and elect intelligent people who know more then what is the today's special at their favorite Washington restaurant...... :roll:

 

[msgsmiley]

My My, so many miss it when a little American piss tak takes place. I repeated it over and over , who cares about the US Attorneys sackings? It is all politics. Guess what? Life goes on. Maybe some of you spent too much time in the Bogs? As far as hospitality to foreigners, we Americans take a back seat to none. My wife and I have hosted common soldiers from Europe in our home for traditional thanksgiving dinners. These were soldiers I met that were here for Electronic Warfare Training. They were very gracious and we still communicate to this day even though we do not see eye to eye on everything. There is a special bond between military worldwide that some on here absolutely miss. I say again, to much time in the Bogs Lads. And oh, did you catch any Rats while you were there or did they all get away? Nanna nanna boo boo. Hope you understand American piss tak, so don't take it personal lads.

 

[NZ_Bootneck]

I think the point people are trying to make is that YOU should care;
1)When millions of Federal (Government )Emails are deleted (conspiracy?).
2) When the Attorney General appears before Congress and cannot recall or remember details of meetings etc and sits there with a smug [email protected] grin on his face, that pi$$es off even Republican members.
This behaviour by YOUR Government should concern you, the fact that it doesn't speaks volumes.
NZB

 

[aussiepint]

LOL Electronic Warfare Training??? OK I'll post it again...
http://usera.imagecave.com/aussiepint/1zqd2y1bl0.jpg

 

[asst_dep_to_dep_asst]

Only been to the States twice, visiting my sister's family who live in Iowa. When the immigration desk officer saw our destination, he said "Waterloo, Iowa? What the hell are you going there, for?"

We were treated with respect and welcomed wherever we went, even given credit for walking most places, rather than climbing into a vehicle for every journey.

I think that what rankles most with Brits is that our society, more or less slavishly, cherry picks and emulates the very worst US practices, such as litigation laws. We don't do the sensible things, like give discretion to home owners to defend their family and property against violence and intrusion. We watched in wonder while the USA elected ********* like Clinton and Bush, then did exactly the same thing ourselves. We envy the fact that Americans have maintained a reasonable standard of living, but we insist on keeping one of the most expensive welfare states in the world, so much so that a huge number of migrants are keen to cross some of the oldest and most established civilisations in the world to get to us.

I'm immensely proud of being British, but largely for historical reasons, rather than because of our modern society. I've trogged around the WW1 cemeteries and seen the evidence of Britain's right to a place in the free world and we still do our level best to support the rights of free men and women everywhere, but having been part of the means for several years, I would say that.

Truth is Britain is not geographically isolated, does not have much in the way of raw materials and, apparently, needs to get on the the rest of Europe. I suppose it's better than being at war with them.

Anybody who thinks that the average voter in the UK is any more knowledgeable than the average voter in the US is going to be very disappointed, not least because many UK citizens vote traditionally, rather than on the issues.

 

[msgsmiley]

NZ, the average American will never have any dealings with a US Attorney because that is a Federal level and deals with things the average citizen just does not get involved in unless you are like the head of a Union and steal from the workers. Lot's of that over here. I say again who cares, but am touched that do. Aussiepint, obviously you have no clue as to what EW is as you probably have trouble adjusting you own knob. Are you a Bograt or just a piss ant?