Maybe, maybe not. But this article made for some interesting reading.
Yes, I read about a dozen a day, mostly European but a couple of US ones sometimes. Strangely enough, I find publications like Der Spiegel amongt the only ones that give all slants and don'y shape opinion for us. Murdoch's lot, I don't bother most of the time because they are all right wing propagandist drivel and worse. You are so right, it is like Russian roulette.
Strange, isn't it... At the beginning of May Sheila put up this post. Messengers of doom were saying the Euro would no longer exist by the end of that week. A few sceptics still throw in their penny's worth every now and again but by and large interest in the topic has declined, the article Sheila posted looks futile and we still have the Euro. Sterling and the Dollar had their moments of big exchange rates to the benefit of those travelling into the Eurozone but they slipped back some. So, come on back out of the woodwork sceptics, show your faces and explain why three months later the Euro is still with us, not one country collapsed and there are still potential future members of the single currency. Go on, I'm curious.
Celeste, I agree with everything you said. Bravo!!!!
I like what you said David. Well written!
I've always felt that Shrub was a born again Texan. Rather like the old aristo English used to send their miscreant sons to the furthest outposts of the Empire whence they would return twenty years later as rich men with "bottom" so Old Bush was glad to see Shrub depart to Texas and dig some dry wells and use the family fortune to buy an athletic team which made him a true Texan. This process of cleansing allowed Shrub to reemerge reborn as an authentic pioneer who shoots from the hip and smokes them varmints out. A pity therefore (for the Republicans) it was left to a man of color to give the executive order for the extra-judicial killing of the old man of the mountain.
I will say that most liberals live on the West Coast and the Northeast Corridor of our country. These are the Americans that are usually the ones that travel to see the world. Nine times out of ten, the ugly Americans are the ones that come from the deep religious and conservative South. Their world does not exist outside of their communities. President Obama and Clinton both embrace the world. On the other hand George W. Bush represented the isolationism of the ultra conservatives. Our near future will be determined by our next President. Pray to God that Obama gets a second term. If so, we feel that he will be bold and issue executive orders if Congress does not act since he wil not be eligible for a third term.
That was for Jerry's comment btw!
*LIKE*
Jerry, fair enough, but look at David's comment on Tuesday and the final sentence which shows how the rest of the world occasionally receives the likes of your Congress. That an 'American' could have written the article that raised this discussion and would appear to be of the most 'Armageddon's gonna get you unless you vote religious fundamentalist conservative' calibre has little to do with anything that happens anywhere in Europe at all. Our nutcases are very different to yours. But beyond that, of course be proud of what you are and stand for because 'they' are not you. Only out to get you!
The USA does has its problems but you cannot can a whole nation on the action of these lunatics. I live in Washington DC so I get to see up close the actions of the crazies on a daily basis. But half the country is very progressive and diverse in its behavior and actions. We have these battles between the right and left as in many of the European countries. Right now we have a progressive President whos hands are tied by a far right Congress. I bought a house in the French countryside to retire to eventually as I am tired of the violence and how hardened the rich have become to the plights of the poor. But I feel fortunate to be born in a country where I have enjoyed freedoms not available to many in the world. We are not perfect by any means and have a lot to learn from the rest of the world. But I am proud to be an American and a member of the world community.
Couldn't have put it better myself David ;-)
Spot on David!
I do wonder sometimes about the lunacies that spring forth from the US of A. Then you have to accept that the country was founded by religious loonies and it has gone downhill after that. I doubt that any country which produces politicians who see NHS dentistry as tantamount to communism has anything valid to add to the debate.
I am by chance rather than design or blood almost as German as I am Scots. The myth of the Germanisation of Europe has gained far too much credence given it is a country where there is a degree of self-loathing that is occasionally stunning. Unfortunately since roughly the 1970s they have bred a generation of politician who is master/mistress of conveniently forgetting the past and making out as though they are the nation to lead Europe. Do not please compare the nutters who drive the far right with the cold, calculating people behind the loonies like Hitler in the past. Politically these people, and actually the le Pens are an exception to that, are far too crude in their political methodry to hold power or indeed persuade enough of an electorate to support them. But where I agree, although it is not especially part of the Euro picture, is German greed. Put that in a union with British, French and other greeds and there we do not find an EU that is for the people as it claims, but is the cash till of the extreme rich and getting richer. Economically, killing the Euro will not change that, but it as sure as damn it would cover over the truth for a long while more for those same people to bleed populations dry. OK, I admit I come from a 'socialist' point of view looking in at the situation as it is, and know that some kind of 'revolution' is probably the short term solution, but know what - I personally fear the excessively wealthy would somehow come out of that on top this time - so what is the point? We are, to all intents and purposes better off with what we have right now and ought to be sorting out the present debt situation before any other ambitious scheme.
Purchance to dream
wakey, wakey!
As you all know I have no political knowledge...not even my right from my left.
What I do know is that the truely wealthy were really gentlemen they would give up
some of their treasure and help create stability in this very turbulant world which
offers security based on finances alone.
Guesse I am dreaming too much.
:-D couldn't better Johnny and Brian's "analysis" and wanted to keep my thoughts about the bloke polite ;-)
And the bottom line is that neither Johnny nor I actually bothered with serious analysis - not worth the bother!