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admin
130 Posts |
 Posted - 15 Jan 2008 : 19:04:43
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Poll Question:
Who do you hope to become the next US president?
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| Results: |
| 1. Hillary Clinton (Dem.) |
 [10%] |
5 votes |
| 2. Barack Obama (Dem.) |
[74%] |
37 votes |
| 3. John Edwards (Dem.) |
[4%] |
2 votes |
| 4. John McCain (Rep.) |
[4%] |
2 votes |
| 5. Mitt Romney (Rep.) |
[0%] |
0 votes |
| 6. Rudy Giuliani (Rep.) |
[0%] |
0 votes |
| 7. Mike Huckabee (Rep.) |
[2%] |
1 votes |
| 8. Other candidate |
[0%] |
0 votes |
| 9. I don't care |
[6%] |
3 votes |
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Poll Status:
Locked »» |
Total Votes: 50 counted »» |
Last Vote:
14 Feb 2008 16:52:59 |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2008 : 19:01:03
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Looking at the results so far,its just like the Gambia only one man in the running!!
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jan 2008 : 15:57:52
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only one mand and only one party  |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jan 2008 : 17:54:09
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| "you may well say that,but I could not possibly comment" |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jan 2008 : 13:28:55
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My heart is truly with John Edwards. I like his two America argument and his resolve to fight "corporate greed". However, Hilary Clinton, backed by her husband could bring the much experience to the White House. Obama is the epitome of change that Americans seem to be yearning for. He is the Dr. King, Jimmy Carter, J.F.K., and L.B.J. all combined.
I like Dennis Kuccinich's idea of turning the White House into a "worker's White House". I don't think anyone could be more socialist than that...
The truth-slinging McCain could be either loved or hated, but not ignored, for his stand on immigration and campaign finance reforms.
Ron Paul and the guitar-playing evangelical Huckabee could share the 'peace prize' for attempting, for the first time in American politics, to get rid of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) once and for all...
But this has to be for the long haul because Fred Thompson (remember the Law and Order guy) hasn't started running yet; he is walking...
You know who might end up next president ? Giuliani! Now this might be a '******', but Rudi has 'booby-trapped' Florida waiting to ambush (in the night) anyone who dares enter there...
I will wait for 'Super Tuesday... |
Edited by - kayjatta on 20 Jan 2008 13:46:32 |
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njucks
Gambia
1131 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jan 2008 : 10:12:34
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quote:
Originally posted by kayjatta
.........However, Hilary Clinton, backed by her husband could bring the much experience to the White House.
she will not bring any change. she tried to push for some of her polices when the husband was in power but i think the insurance companies refused. with the state of the US economy, this is not the time for Government Funded Social programmes.
lets assume Clinton wins, like her husband she will be taking over from another Bush that went to War in the Gulf. perhaps by the time she does her two terms in 2016, one of the Bush twins or Bush's Florida brother would be 'ripe' to take over. Mind you Chelsea is learning a lot from Mum & Dad. i wonder when is her turn?
its the death of a democracy. |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jan 2008 : 10:44:58
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Well the good thing about U.S. politics is that the field is open to everyone, not only the sons and daughters of ex-presidents.
The U.S. political system is a rigorous system where each candidate is tested against his/her ideas, beliefs, ideology, experience, and position on issues that greatly matter to the people.
The chances of a political dynasty by one family or one party is very negligible here, because it appears inconsistent with the American notion of freedom, liberty and self-esteem. Democracy is not dead here, it is very vibrant instead. This is not to say it is a perfect system; but by-and-large it is a very superior and workable system... |
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turk
USA
3356 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jan 2008 : 11:24:00
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Superior? Make me laugh. Democracy is much more than process of electing the representation/leadership. Considering the power of 'interest groups', the success of leadership rated by the campaign funding, legislative process is controlled by lobbies. At best, american democracy may be defined as Fascism.
European democracy is superior.
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Corporatism and Fascism
Some critics equate too much corporate power and influence with fascism. Often they cite a quote claimed to be from Mussolini: "Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." Several variations of the alleged quote exist. However the veracity of this quote is highly doubtful since the most common cited texts for the quote do not contain anything like this alleged quote.[1]. Despite this, the alleged quote has entered into modern discourse, and it appears on thousands of web pages [2], and in books [3], and even an alternative media advertisement in the Washington Post.[4]. However, the alleged quote contradicts almost everything else written by Mussolini on the subject of the relationship between corporations and the Fascist State.[5].
In one 1935 English translation of what Mussolini wrote, the term "corporative state" is used,[6] but this has a different meaning from modern uses of the terms used to discuss business corporations. In that same translation, the phrase "national Corporate State of Fascism," refers to syndicalist corporatism. The dubious quote is sometimes claimed to more accurately summarize what Mussolini did and not what he said. However many scholars of fascism reject this claim. See Fascism and ideology.
There is a very old argument about who controlled whom in the fascist states of Italy and Germany at various points in the timeline of power. It is agreed that the army, the wealthy, and the big corporations ended up with much more say in decision making than other elements of the corporative state [7]  [9]. There was a power struggle between the fascist parties/leaders and the army, wealthy, and big corporations. It waxed and waned as to who had more power at any given time. Scholars have used the term "Mussolini's corporate state" in many different ways[10].
Franklin D. Roosevelt in an April 29, 1938 message to Congress warned that the growth of private power could lead to fascism:
The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power.[18][19][20]
From the same message:
The Growing Concentration of Economic Power. Statistics of the Bureau of Internal Revenue reveal the following amazing figures for 1935: "Ownership of corporate assets: Of all corporations reporting from every part of the Nation, one-tenth of 1 percent of them owned 52 percent of the assets of all of them."[18][20]
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diaspora! Too many Chiefs and Very Few Indians.
Halifa Salah: PDOIS is however realistic. It is fully aware that the Gambian voters are yet to reach a level of political consciousness that they rely on to vote on the basis of Principles, policies and programmes and practices. |
Edited by - turk on 21 Jan 2008 11:27:29 |
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Alhassan
Sweden
813 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jan 2008 : 11:52:57
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kayjatta,
Is USA a democratic country? I suggest you go inte their history for the past 5 years. There is nothing democratic in that country. It is all false. We have seen how the American intelligence colaborate with foriegn intelligence and bring a lots of lies just to break a country down.The lise that George w Bush and Tony Blair made true are all seen today as lies. I cannot imagine how they can go shamelessily among people and laugh. But it is always birds of the same feathers that flock together. What do you call the american dianal of Hamas victory in their elections? Kay, I think you should reconsider you admirance of the Yankees. |
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mbay
Germany
1007 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jan 2008 : 12:25:32
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The world is already paying the price for giving them so much power.
As we are seeing the economical case going on right now!
A democracy in US I don't where some people are still living, between mother earth and Jupiter? |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jan 2008 : 12:46:15
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| Thanks... |
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njucks
Gambia
1131 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jan 2008 : 20:14:11
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dont fool yourself to think it is superior. everybody in the Senegal got to vote before everybody in the US could legally vote. euroepan democracy is not that better either with their unelected monarchs.
turk Europe is full of hypocrisy , European democracy allows jounalists to insult islamic prophets in the name of free speech but jails historians for 'denying the holocaust'?
i agree with you the US is a great country but they have allowed one man to destroy its image, reputation and capability to lead effectively.
we can argue if US democracy is death or dying. thats fine with me. |
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turk
USA
3356 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jan 2008 : 20:23:12
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njucks
Excellent example that in USA Gore had more popular votes but bush became president. What kind of democracy is that?
I disagree with your statement about european democracy in general. Your points are valid about jailing historians for denying the holocoust and insult the prophets. That could have been dealt much better. However, europe has the democracy established superior to any other example in the world, while it is not perfect, but it is better than other democracies in the world. |
diaspora! Too many Chiefs and Very Few Indians.
Halifa Salah: PDOIS is however realistic. It is fully aware that the Gambian voters are yet to reach a level of political consciousness that they rely on to vote on the basis of Principles, policies and programmes and practices. |
Edited by - turk on 21 Jan 2008 20:24:55 |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jan 2008 : 07:10:51
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Okay in hindsight "superior" is probably wrong choice of word, but I used it comparatively to other 'so-called' democracies around the world, in Africa and elsewhere.
I had acknowledged that the U.S. system is not perfect but it is not hard to see that the U.S. system is working for the voters. The Electoral College, campaign finance and the power of lobbyists remain critcal issues in American politics, but there are many features that make the U.S. system unenviable in the world.
I fully understand it is hard and unpopular to say anything good about the U.S. today without its "professional bashers" (to use Ali Mazrui's words) come up at you. To castigate the United States' modern democracy for the troubles in the Arab world like Alhassan would or for historical happenings like Njucks would is of realy bad taste. We have to judge nations by where they stand today; no country will look good all the time if judged by all of its history.
Thanks fellows for your perspectives. |
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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jan 2008 : 14:47:32
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after casting my vote ,i will join the already intense debate here. brother kay ,can you please educate me here on whether there was democracy during the civil right movement in the u.s? i was reading this link of martin luther king today and i couldn't help but ask you this question. this is time magazine records of the late dr king.
http://www.time.com/time/archive/collections/0,21428,c_mlk,00.shtml |
Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jan 2008 : 08:28:52
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Thanks Santafara, this is a good question. The answer is simply NO. There was no democracy in the U.S. during the civil rights era. what was then considered 'democracy' was in fact democracy only for the adult White male American. Blacks were just emerging from slavery and were still treated as second class citizens. Women were also largely marginalized.
It took people like Dr. King and others who struggled for the realization of the America we now live in. That America is now exemplified by the candidature of both Barak Obama and Hilary Clinton, a black male and a white woman. That is why many viewed this years presidential race in the U.S. as a historic race, because it symbolizes how far America has come.That is also why America recognizes the contributions of Dr. King and others by celebrating his birth day as a national holiday.There were other black and women candidates in previous presidential elections but none had the seriousness of Obama and clinton.
Now having said that, there are people who continously judge the U.S. by its history. I have said yesterday that no country will look good all the time if judged by all of its history all the time. Every country has had actions and conducts in the past that it feels very bad and ashamed about today. The U.S. has actively sought over the years to correct or reverse the damage it has caused to race relations in America. There are several laws and programs such as the Equal Opportunity in Employment, The civil Rights Act, Affirmative Action, and other anti-distcrimination laws that have been enacted to ensure equality in America. It is still not perfect, but a lot of progress have been made.
It is unfair to judge the U.S. TODAY by its conduct in the 1960s. If we continue to do that, we risk missing all the progress it has made during the past forty or so years. It is fair to judge people and nations by where they stand in the presence, not in the past. This is why repentence has significance both in religion and law.
Here is a story I want to share with you. There is this friend of mine. He is a white male American completing his PhD. in anthropology. He had wanted to obtain a medical degree but has no funds to do so. Here is what he said to me "if I were black and a woman I would have gone to med school with free government money or atleast a highly subsidized government loan". This is one of the many ways to illustrate how far America has come.
This is notwithstanding to ignore the beauty of American politics itself. The separation of powers, checks and balances, the powerful free media, the term limit for the presidency, the bill of rights, etc. the U.S. presidency is perhaps the most powerless presidency in the world. Apart from his war powers and the power to enter into international agreements ( foreign relations) the president of the U.S. has to literally beg the congress and the supreme court for everything he wants to do.In short leadership in the U.S. is transacted, not waged... |
Edited by - kayjatta on 23 Jan 2008 08:35:15 |
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