Of course a nice moderate is better than an idealogue, but I’d take a right winger over a left winger if that’s the choice. How do you think Bush has hurt small businesses? The most recent tax cuts would have done nothing but help my business if it was already up and running.
Given the potential for damage that BOTH sides have given unfettered ability to establish policy over a long period of time, doesn’t the “swing” from left to right help in the sense that as soon as the “other” side gets into power, the first thing they do is to undo the “worst” that the opposing side has done?
Doesn’t this also allow the “Good” program that (of course) the opposition was against initially to quietly survive if they are working, worthwhile endeavours? Perhaps the “swing” acts as a filter to allow the best from each side to survive and eliminate the radical and ineffective ones? What if we were forced to continue misguided programs because the status quo would not allow us to end or change them? Societal evolution is not a destiny that can be “mapped out” with a direction chosen and adhered to, it is an ever moving target that demands adjustments and re-evaluation to be positive and not regressive.
It may very well be that this ebb and flow protects us from all of this and more, causing the advancement of North American civilization to steadily but inexorably plod toward improvement and equality for all…
Maybe?
“Society is always taken by surprise at any new example of common sense”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Long time listener, first time caller. What an interesting thread. I’ve been scaring my wife and kids by laughing at the computer one minute and then turning around and screaming at it. As a dual citizen of both Canada and the United States (no, I’m not Peter Jennings nor am I Brian Adams) I’ve got a unique perspective that I’d like to share
US=GG, while I cringe at your methods, I do identify with of your opinions. My guess is that, like me, your viewpoints are reactionary. Over the last eight years I’ve watched my adopted homeland get dragged through the mud. The Clintons and their kind made this world a very dangerous place. Their weak, wishy-washy, please-everyone, look the other way, DIRECTIONLESS foreign policy made this mess that we now find ourselves in.
Cupcake, in the future I beg you to choose your words more carefully. I am a Jew and the eldest son of a concentration camp survivor. I’ve lived in fear of history repeating itself for years. After following JWrights advice and looking up US=GG’s previous posts I can say you’re mistaking conviction and pride for fanaticism and murder. US=GG strongly asserts his opinions but that doesn’t make him a Nazi. If he were a Nazi he’d disagree with you and then he’d take you up on your offer to come to Casa Del Cake and put a bullet in your head. Casually calling US=GG a Nazi, even if it is to say that his tactics are Naziesque, was a mistake. A ridiculous figure he may be, a Nazi he certainly is not.
As for the other assertions on this thread (from other Canadians-sigh) that America ignores international law and takes what she wants when she wants it, I’d have to say you’re not being realistic. If that was true, the US would have annexed Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Germany, France, Japan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt, Russia and Panama long ago.
Brian
“Peace has to be created, in order to be maintained. It is the product of faith, strength, energy, will, sympathy, justice, imagination, and the triumph of principle. It will never be achieved by passivity and quietism.” ?Dorothy Thompson
cup von cake said:
“It may very well be that this ebb and flow protects us from all of this and more, causing the advancement of North American civilization to steadily but inexorably plod toward improvement and equality for all…”
I have always thought of politics as a tug of war on top of a precariously balanced plate. One group pulling to the left, and one group pulling to the right. (And a few idiots pulling in weird directions.) If any group pulls us too far, the plate falls. This tug of war tends to keep us balanced.
That being said, I believe that one side has been winning so much that the plate has become very unbalanced, and need to be rebalanced. My political preference is to be an outsider looking in, otherwise you “can’t see the forest through all the trees.” (Not a perfect quote, I know.)
Also it is a good idea to be able to read “between the lines.” Anything going on about the war and Bush right now is nothing but politics as usual. The parties are trying to win an election right now, so much of what gets reported as “news” is just politics.
Both parties have become masters at using the media in an attempt to manipulate people to their side, though in different ways.
Just like anyone here reading about the dangers of protein, the benefits of soy, how steroids will kill you, but testosterone replacement is good, and ephedrine will cause your head to blow up… you have to actually know what is going on. Few people know as much about this stuff as the regular readers of T-mag. We just need to be aware that we might be this same “uninformed and manipulated” person when it comes to these political stories.
I am amazed at how little people know, including myself. We all know about the Watergate break in, and the attempt to place bugs. But we don’t know that both parties did it, and was a small part of years of political dirty tricks. (I am using this as an example, not an attempt to start another political discussion.)
Let’s just find out what the political games are, and start demanding that our politicians stop playing them.
“Where’s the Beef?”
~ Gandhi
[quote]Let’s just find out what the political games are, and start demanding that our politicians stop playing them.
[/quote]
Well said, Mage!
Cuda, I believe I fit on your list somewhere.
Thank you friends for your support. I especially want to single out Derek6 and Pelopidas for their kindness.
Pelopidas, I cannot express how much I appreciate your honesty and support in my moments of horror and sadness after being called a “nazi” by cupcake. I even had to take a couple of days off of my quest to educate the democrats, anti-Americans, jealous Canadians, and other malcontents. I found your rebuttal of cupcake to be quite moving. Your comments are much appreciated.
cupcake,
I appreciate the concilliatory tone of your last post and the offer of your hospitality. It did assuage my anger somewhat. However, at this time I must respectfully decline your offer. Those words you used are what we Americans call “fighting words.” I cannot think of a worse insult to a thinking and feeling human being. Therefore, I would be a rather unpleasant house guest at this time. Time will tell whether you are capable of the needed apology.
US=GG,
Just like a liberal to think you are entitled to an apology (hee hee!)… especially when you are the one who started that whole pissing match by calling Cake out. I must say that this new sensitive side of you that I am seeing is possibly refreshing though. As my business partner would say, “Don’t get your panties in a wad!” I didn’t think it was that easy to ruffle your feathers.
In defence of CupCake, I think that you misconstrued his use of the term “Nazi”… Your personality type was the easiest to recruit in that period of history, because you are so intensely nationalist that you go with “your side” whether right or wrong, and you are so passionate about your side that help draw more people to your cause. I love this country, but I don’t follow the leader blindly. I question every action no matter who holds the office. I am sure you did a lot of questioning when Clinton held office. We have done a lot of great things, but we have also made some serious mistakes in history, and we continue to do great things and make mistakes. Your approach is to brand everyone who questions our country’s actions as traitorous vermin, and to me THOSE are fightin’ words!
I am sure that this post will label me as a bad guy, which I think is comical anyway, but I am not trying to pick a fight. I am trying to reach out a little here, to get you to see the perspective of some of the people you label as bad guys. I can’t remember exactly who posted this on another thread, but I really liked what he said… He basically said that we are all on the same side in that we all just want what is best for America. Judge the intent before you go throwing your labels around, and if you don’t like getting labelled yourself then maybe you should realize what your labeling of everyone else does to them.
Great post Roy. At first I thought it was me you were talking about at the end of your post but I’m sure now it wasn’t. I did say something to the effect that we are all “good guys” or a better way of saying that would be we are all trying to make good things happen. Its just our points of view on what is good is what causes the problem. Sigh. 
United States=Bigconan
=Gay Guy
Rod
come on in there is plenty of room.
Arcane,
Actually I believe it was a post of yours that I was paraphrasing (badly obviously). So, get that chin back up in the air! 
At least no one stooped to calling anyone a Communist… =-)
An apology…
Hmmmmmmm…
Tell you what, it seems as though we are in what’s referred to as the “Negotiation Stage” of this conflict, let me be the first to put an offer on the table…
us=gg Hereby promises to:
Stop trying to minimize other posters by refusing to Capitalize where necessary. It was childish when you first drew attention to it early in your posting here and it has only served to demonstrate a strange, pedantic character flaw.
Refer to himself as the one who is in charge of "my quest to educate the democrats, anti-Americans, jealous Canadians, and other malcontents. This responsibility is the very one that McCarthy felt he was born for too.
Slander a intelligent forumite who extended us=gg’s VERY OWN logic to lead to the inevitable conclusion that having a terrorist living in your country makes you a terrorist Nation. Twisting this sound bite is weak and made weaker still because you are the one who sets it ablaze and holds it aloft in an attempt to insult and degrade a fellow forumite (kind of like calling them a “Nazi”…right?)
Learn how to read things in “Context” and cease all arguments that rely solely on spurious interpretations of said context.
Develop the debating skill whereas one employs the “give and take” method that furthers thought instead of a steadfast refusal to EVER acknowledge another’s point.
Cease and desist IMMEDIATELY all un-earned “Victory Laps” around the threads claiming victory like Apollo Creed in Rocky 2. The brash, egotistical, self-righteous vanity of your posturing is distasteful and only serves to make you look desperate.
Never…EVER type the name Cupcake again. For no reason. Ever. Unless there is a thread regarding pastries and other delectable’s, you have no need to comment on me nor my screename. I will certainly reciprocate.
There may be more to come but we can start here and barter over the others…
PM’d apologies have been made to the other offended parties, yours will come at the successful conclusion of these negotiations.
“Ever negotiate with lawyers at a huge company? If they saw you drowning 100 feet from the shore, they’d through you a 51-foot rope and say they went more than halfway”
~ Paul Somerson
Thanks Roy. If it was you, you made my words sound more eloquent(sp?) than I did. I also think some people are here to win arguements and to try and make themselves appear smart, rightous etc. rather than to have a true intelligent discussion. I wonder if we had a scientific argument with some of these people if they would blindly ignore obvious claims such as gravity etc. “No idiot things fall down because nothing is holding them up.” Hehhehe. 
Gee…
Seems I type and proofread as well as I play Golf…
These two (2) items:
"Refer to himself as the one who is in charge of "my quest to educate the democrats, anti-Americans, jealous Canadians, and other malcontents. This responsibility is the very one that McCarthy felt he was born for too.
Slander a intelligent forumite who extended us=gg’s VERY OWN logic to lead to the inevitable conclusion that having a terrorist living in your country makes you a terrorist Nation. Twisting this sound bite is weak and made weaker still because you are the one who sets it ablaze and holds it aloft in an attempt to insult and degrade a fellow forumite (kind of like calling them a “Nazi”…right?)
Should have a “cease to” preceding the paragraphs.
**It should be noted that these addendums are binding and will be considered as part of the original offer pending closure of negotiations. Any attempts to null and void these addendums shall be construed as bargaining in bad faith and negotiations will cease immediately.
“Any society that needs disclaimers has too many lawyers”
~ Erik Pepke
*sorry Boston…
Time to hijack this thread.
Boxers or briefs?
both - boxers for everyday, tighty whiteys for lifting and sports.
Cupcake - if you seriously get to him, EVERYONE will love you, as if we don’t already.
Commando.
“Remember, Sully, when I promised to kill you last?..That’s right, Matrix. You did!..I lied”
~ Matrix
hey actually US=GG, it’s hyooge, not hyoge. Secondly, the sources I used for Roosevelt were authors like Howard Zinn and James Loewen. Professors who know a hell of a lot more about history than your ass. Now, I know you got all feelings because I would not admit I was “wrong”, but see I used CREDIBLE sources for my shit, I didn’t just punch up Roosevelt on Yahoo search and use whatever came up for my argument.