American Politics

[Zaxian]

You guys need Obama. You have no idea how badly your country looks to the rest of the world. Obama has given you guys a more humble image that you desperately needed.

Thirded. I remember having a discussion with a group of friends after Obama was elected that basically ran along the lines of 'Blimey, America has elected a remarkably sane and sensible guy as president. Definitely a step forward!' And whether or not you disagree with some of his policies, surely re-electing him has got to be better than the alternative of Romney and his cronies :S

 

(Edited for typos. That's what I get for posting from a touchscreen...)

Edited August 14, 2012 by Zaxian

[Princess Artemis]

You have no idea how badly your country looks to the rest of the world.

Hmmm...so, you think that hearing how much the rest of the world looks down on us as ignorant savages for years on end wouldn't convince us that you guys don't like us?

 

I think I do have an idea, yeah.

[LascielsShadow]

Could someone explain what Obamacare really is? I keep seeing people saying stuff against it, but I can't really understand what they're really upset about. And-as a person who's not American-I dunno, it just weirds me out when people are like "No free healthcare!" because we have excellent healthcare here. I'd appreciate it if someone gave a brief rundown.

 

(The only interest I have in this topic is because some politicians want to change our healthcare into "the American way" which I'm totally against.)

 

 

If you'll accept a link, here's a really good breakdown of everything in it, what is already in effect and what isn't, and when the rest of it will come into effect.

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/...nd_what_did_it/

 

A lot of it is blocking insurance companies from discriminating against people by denying coverage due to disabilities, being transgender, or "pre-existing conditions", which could be anything from having a heart defect to being a rape victim or having been a victim of domestic abuse. (some fairly egregious examples of coverage denial are listed here: (be warned, it's in slideshow format)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/17/m...s_n_464984.html

 

ETA another link about denial of coverage horror stories, focusing on rape victims who have been denied.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/21/i...-_n_328708.html

 

There's also a section that prevents insurance companies from dropping people when they become ill; i.e., when they actually NEED to use the insurance, as well as one that eliminates lifetime limits on insurance coverage and restricts yearly limits. Additionally, children may now remain on their parents' insurance until age 26, there are no longer 'pre-existing conditions' for children under 19 (meaning, an insurance company can no longer deny coverage to your newborn who happens to have a hole in her heart), and insurance companies now have to tell their customers what their money is being spent on.

 

I think the most potentially objectionable thing that's actually in the act (as opposed to the things people have made up, like death panels) is the individual mandate.

 

I'm American and even I can see that. *shakes head*

 

Yes. This.

Edited August 14, 2012 by LascielsShadow

[lightbird]

You guys need Obama. You have no idea how badly your country looks to the rest of the world. Obama has given you guys a more humble image that you desperately needed.

This. I think that ever since Obama got into the office, you Americans have had a better rep. Romney will flush that in the toilet. Heck, look at the things he and his people kept blurting out on his European tour. I think he fails to see that a president should be not only a leader but a decent ambassador as well.

Edited August 14, 2012 by lightbird

[dgsunburst]

i agree with zaxian i think obama might be a better solution if he cleaned up his act but he did something none could do he got bin laden

[~Kat~]

@Kat; You're being slightly blunt in your opinions, could you tone it down? :\. If you blatantly think those things about someone you know nothing about, then at least tone it down a tad? 8c. It bothers me someone would just be so... saljdklsaj. 'obama was horrible blah blah blah'.

How would you like me to rephrase what I have said? I am sorry that you find them blunt.

 

These are my opinions and I am only talking about how I feel myself, I am not attacking anyone else for their opinion.

 

I have worked all my life, getting up between 4.30 am to 5.00 am and this economy effects me and my family and us trying to get a head.

 

Politics is always crooked and dishonest, that is a given.

 

Obama did not get Bin Ladin. One of the Navy Seals did. Again, thank god for our military and it soldiers who keep us safe from people like Bin Ladin and terrorists. We need a very strong military to keep us safe from others who would like to over take us. Look at all the illegals here in our country, and people who defect, why do you think they want to live here?

[Kestra15]

You guys need Obama. You have no idea how badly your country looks to the rest of the world. Obama has given you guys a more humble image that you desperately needed.

Agreed.

[inlaterdays]

You guys need Obama. You have no idea how badly your country looks to the rest of the world. Obama has given you guys a more humble image that you desperately needed.

No offense, but I'm voting for Obama because I like his policies and ideas, not because of "what the rest of the world thinks".

[lightbird]

No offense, but I'm voting for Obama because I like his policies and ideas, not because of "what the rest of the world thinks".

I'm not Syao, but I don't think that there's any offense to be taken. c':

I agree with most of Obama's policies, too, AND I think he's a good ambassador.

 

Look at all the illegals here in our country, and people who defect, why do you think they want to live here?

I think part of that problem is that your country has had a long history of carrying this stereotypical image of LOOK AT ALL THE FREEDOM WE HAVE, even if it's not really true.

Edited August 14, 2012 by lightbird

[KageSora]

We need a very strong military to keep us safe from others who would like to over take us.

Maybe, just maybe, if we kept to ourselves more and didn't make other countries hate us by being arrogant jerks who assume we're the police of the world, then they'd not really be as interested in attacking us?

 

 

Just passing along some sentiments I've heard from non-American friends.

[Kestra15]

We need a very strong military to keep us safe from others who would like to over take us.

Like who?! Seriously, please name three nations that want to try and take you guys over and, more to the point, have a snowball's chance in hell of succeeding?

 

Look at all the illegals here in our country, and people who defect, why do you think they want to live here?

Because, for all your flaws, you are marginally better than some other countries.

Edited August 14, 2012 by Kestra15

[Alpha1]

Created more private sector jobs in 2010 than during entire Bush years

 

Obama said his biggest mistake was not being a better storyteller. Well, I guess you can chalk up this as being one of them. It's misleading. Romney also did this by saying Obama created no jobs.

 

Heck, look at the things he and his people kept blurting out on his European tour. I think he fails to see that a president should be not only a leader but a decent ambassador as well.

 

Are you talking about his comment on the Olympics? It was mildly put from what I read, and his assessment was based on actual security problems.

 

Obama did not get Bin Ladin. One of the Navy Seals did.

 

[~Kat~]

Maybe, just maybe, if we kept to ourselves more and didn't make other countries hate us by being arrogant jerks who assume we're the police of the world, then they'd not really be as interested in attacking us?

 

Just passing along some sentiments I've heard from non-American friends.

 

It is not because of us that terrorists are terrorists. Some people are not as civil as we are and want more than their share. Look at all the fighting in other countries amongst themselves, killing many innocents. We go over there to take down the bad boys.

 

Sure, I feel sometimes we intervene more than we should, but it is for the good of the innocents that are being killed.

 

Do you think I like war when I have one of my own sons who has been through 2 tours and plans on going back to Afghanastan. Talk to some of the soldiers and let them tell you how they feel about the terrorists and others. They are glad to take them out. Some of the inhuman things my son has told me about would make you sick. Oh, children are included.

 

Just like the drug wars in Mexico. They do not care who they kill including children. The government knows where some of these people are. Our military needs to go down and nuke the drug lords and their compounds. I have talked to some of the agents because of the job I am in. I do not have time right now as I have to go to work to tell you some of the things they have seen and witnessed as well as know.

[Kestra15]

It is not because of us that terrorists are terrorists. Some people are not as civil as we are and want more than their share. Look at all the fighting in other countries amongst themselves, killing many innocents. We go over there to take down the bad boys.

I do hope you're joking about America being such a 'civil' example. And I hope when you say 'nuke their compounds' you are talking figuratively and not literally.

 

Yes, I have talked to soldiers - being from a military family, going to a military school, working with the military hospitals and rehabilitation clinics, I know as much as a civilian can about these warzones without actually being in the theatre of war. And when they talk about a country where everyone has a gun and is not afraid to carry or use it, that people are left to die because they cannot afford the trip to hospital, that religious leaders hold sway over the public, that anyone who does not conform to their way of thinking and tows the line is seen as an extremist who is a threat to their nation...are you starting to see the parallels?

 

Who made America the police of the world? Why is it your God-given right to sort it all out? And if it is, why are you not in South Africa? Why didn't you help in Northern Ireland? What about the injustices of the USSR? How many did you commit to Sierra Leon? Why are you not in South America taking care of the drugs trades and human trafficking there?

 

Don't tell me yours is a more civil country when someone can walk into a cinema with a machine gun and open rip, with weapons that are completely legal for you to buy in a supermarket and on the Internet.

[Rosedamai]

If you'll accept a link, here's a really good breakdown of everything in it, what is already in effect and what isn't, and when the rest of it will come into effect.

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/...nd_what_did_it/

 

A lot of it is blocking insurance companies from discriminating against people by  denying coverage due to disabilities, being transgender, or "pre-existing conditions", which could be anything from having a heart defect to being a rape victim or having been a victim of domestic abuse. (some fairly egregious examples of coverage denial are listed here: (be warned, it's in slideshow format)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/17/m...s_n_464984.html

 

ETA another link about denial of coverage horror stories, focusing on rape victims who have been denied.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/21/i...-_n_328708.html

 

There's also a section that prevents insurance companies from dropping people when they become ill; i.e., when they actually NEED to use the insurance, as well as one that eliminates lifetime limits on insurance coverage and restricts yearly limits. Additionally, children may now remain on their parents' insurance until age 26, there are no longer 'pre-existing conditions' for children under 19 (meaning, an insurance company can no longer deny coverage to your newborn who happens to have a hole in her heart), and insurance companies now have to tell their customers what their money is being spent on.

 

I think the most potentially objectionable thing that's actually in the act (as opposed to the things people have made up, like death panels) is the individual mandate.

Thank you, LacielsShadow-I will now go off and read it Much appreciated! I've friends in the U.S who will be directly affected by this (they didn't want to go into a healthcare debate with me, so I haven't asked) so it's an important piece of info for me.

 

But the part that people can stop someone from getting health insurance bothers me. I've seen the highly controversial documentary Sicko, as well as first-hand accounts of my friends' experience in the U.S, and..that scares me. We almost never have them here because everyone's insured at birth.

 

Some people are not as civil as we are and want more than their share.

Uh, you mean like the people who eradicated Native Americans? I do agree with Kestra that the "civil" bit sounds a bit forced, but I think I'll just pass comments on the other parts here. I just want to know more about the health care system in the U.S-I don't want to get mired up in other debates.

 

ETA: After reading the reddit link, I must say that people who are refusing Obamacare based on a mandate...confuses me. Our country basically jails you if you don't get national healthcare. Basically once you get born and gets a birth certificate, you automatically get enrolled in the National Healthcare system. And it's worked fine-the longest I've ever had to wait for a doctor was 30 minutes, and that was for a regular check-up at a relatively prestigious hospital.

Edited August 14, 2012 by ylangylang

[Zaxian]

If you'll accept a link, here's a really good breakdown of everything in it, what is already in effect and what isn't, and when the rest of it will come into effect.

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/...nd_what_did_it/

 

A lot of it is blocking insurance companies from discriminating against people by  denying coverage due to disabilities, being transgender, or "pre-existing conditions", which could be anything from having a heart defect to being a rape victim or having been a victim of domestic abuse. (some fairly egregious examples of coverage denial are listed here: (be warned, it's in slideshow format)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/17/m...s_n_464984.html

 

ETA another link about denial of coverage horror stories, focusing on rape victims who have been denied.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/21/i...-_n_328708.html

 

There's also a section that prevents insurance companies from dropping people when they become ill; i.e., when they actually NEED to use the insurance, as well as one that eliminates lifetime limits on insurance coverage and restricts yearly limits. Additionally, children may now remain on their parents' insurance until age 26, there are no longer 'pre-existing conditions' for children under 19 (meaning, an insurance company can no longer deny coverage to your newborn who happens to have a hole in her heart), and insurance companies now have to tell their customers what their money is being spent on.

Eeeesh. I've heard horror stories about the American healthcare system before, but those ones pretty much take the biscuit.

[~Kat~]

I do hope you're joking about America being such a 'civil' example. And I hope when you say 'nuke their compounds' you are talking figuratively and not literally.

 

These drug lords who are as bad as the terrorist need to be irradiated from this earth period in my opinion. They launder money and drugs that kill people all over the world, and they do not care who they hurt, even if it is small children. Money is all they care about. If they want you to work for them and you tell them no, they will kill you or a member of your family one by one.

 

Do you know what some of their methods of killing people are? The put you in cement up to your neck and you roast alive. They also tie your hands and feet and then pull you apart, they also cut your head off as well. really nice thoughts isn't it. Real nice people, would anyone want to be friends with people like this?

 

Now if you think they should not be put out of business, that is scary my friend.

Edited August 14, 2012 by ~Kat~

[Rosedamai]

These drug lords who are as bad as the terrorist need to be irradiated from this earth period in my opinion.

I seriously didn't want to get into this, so if I sound hesitant or meandering, please-hear me out.

 

Nuclear bombs should not be used to kill ANYONE, period. Okay, so as a Korean, I don't lose any sleep over the nuclear bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, and never will, as without that my country's suffering would have been prolonged, my family members could have been drafted forcefully into the military, and I could be not here. However, bearing that in mind, do I feel bad that the civilians had numerous side effects and such after the bombing? Hell yeah. Not all of them were Japanese, even. Most of them were civilians who were brainwashed by the government into thinking-in some cases-that the war was almost won/didn't even know about the war. Some of them were Korean/Chinese/Filipino who had been forcibly drafted. (TL;DR: I agree with the end-that Japan surrendered and we got our freedom-but not the means, you could say.)

 

Nuclear bombing-even a relatively "harmless" nuclear power plant explosion-makes EVERYTHING suffer, from the plants to the children of the people living in said area that cannot get out because they're too poor/uneducated/cultural reasons (the area they live in is their ancestral homeland and such). I don't agree with drug cartels. But nuking them is a bad idea.

 

And tbh, there are a lot of people who do worse stuff than what you've described, such as sex trafficking and such, we can't punish everyone in the world by nuking them, the earth would be uninhabitable

 

ETA: I wonder what the difference between terrorists and freedom fighters are. Not saying that those fundamentalist Muslim militant groups are freedom fighters, just curious as to what the difference actually is. Could anyone clarify for me?

Edited August 14, 2012 by ylangylang

[Fuzzbucket]

I seriously didn't want to get into this, so if I sound hesitant or meandering, please-hear me out.

 

Nuclear bombs should not be used to kill ANYONE, period. Okay, so as a Korean, I don't lose any sleep over the nuclear bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, and never will, as without that my country's suffering would have been prolonged, my family members could have been drafted forcefully into the military, and I could be not here. However, bearing that in mind, do I feel bad that the civilians had numerous side effects and such after the bombing? Hell yeah. Not all of them were Japanese, even. Most of them were civilians who were brainwashed by the government into thinking-in some cases-that the war was almost won/didn't even know about the war. Some of them were Korean/Chinese/Filipino who had been forcibly drafted.

 

Nuclear bombing-even a relatively "harmless" nuclear power plant explosion-makes EVERYTHING suffer, from the plants to the children of the people living in said area that cannot get out because they're too poor/uneducated/cultural reasons (the area they live in is their ancestral homeland and such). I don't agree with drug cartels. But nuking them is a bad idea.

 

And tbh, there are a lot of people who do worse stuff than what you've described, such as sex trafficking and such, we can't punish everyone in the world by nuking them, the earth would be uninhabitable

 

ETA: I wonder what the difference between terrorists and freedom fighters are. Not saying that those fundamentalist Muslim militant groups are freedom fighters, just curious as to what the difference actually is. Could anyone clarify for me?

What she said.

 

It is totally not OK to descend to their level - even if they had sunk that far. Nuclear is NOT AN OPTION. (and nor is "irradiation".)

 

Bankers only care about money too, and have harmed MANY more people by their recent irresponsible behaviour and cheating. That is why we are all in such a mess now - internationally.,

 

In fact an awful LOT of people only care about money.

[Vhale]

The US needs to move into the 20th century and have health care. One aspect of it that I haven't seen mentioned is that if you move between jobs, your healthcare drops. In the US, it used to be that you'd hold onto the same job for decades. Now, the average is every 5-6 years, you switch. So, every time you switch jobs, you switch health care. At any of those times, you can be dropped for a pre-existing condition. And, if something happens to happen to you while you are waiting for that new health care to kick in, you are screwed. A couple of months ago, a coworker of mine, Amelia, had this happen. She went to another company that was closer to home and better pay. But, you have to wait a couple months for your health care to kick in on the switch. And once you leave, it's gone. In that month, she had a pulmonary embolism and died. So, her family was given the full hospital bill while trying to fly down from Wisconsin to Texas and arrange the funeral.

 

It really peeves me that there is a battle over the Health Care at all. The original template was Romney's, and Republican. There is no way that the entire thing should not have been bipartisan, but pride and stubborness. It makes me want to take people and knock their heads together.

 

I'm not impressed with Romney, I really feel the best Republican candidate was Huntsman. Romney feels like he's just buying his way into the election. But this article explains how I feel about the Ryan plan pretty well. http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2...2411942844.html

[angelicdragonpuppy]

Don't tell me yours is a more civil country when someone can walk into a cinema with a machine gun and open rip, with weapons that are completely legal for you to buy in a supermarket and on the Internet.

Ahhh yes, because having lone psychopaths crop up once in a while really makes us comparable to countries where everyone lives in fear every single day and bombings occur daily...

 

The violent crime rate over here is going down, not up. Do not use the isolated tragedies to suggest we're a destitute country.

 

That being said, I have mixed feelings about the wars overseas. When I was younger I used to be awww yah we're going in there and helping everyone... and then my boyfriend got deployed and people over there were always trying to attack his base... and I figured we could just leave them alone to go to hell. 'Course, then there's the question of letting them fester up into something that poses a true threat to us. I don't want us over there to defend oil. I don't want us over there to protect other countries*. I want us over there to make sure some people who wouldn't mind killing everyone don't get their hands on a nuclear weapon. Which is hard when the U.N. insists on just giving everyone wrist slaps rather than taking real action...

 

(*This would be NICE, but as I said, 1) they don't even want us there and 2) most countries that we've spent years helping (cough most of Africa cough cough) have still continued to suck despite our efforts, so at some point we have to draw the line)

 

Meh, politics are a mess. Everything's a mess.

Edited August 14, 2012 by angelicdragonpuppy

[Zaxian]

ETA: I wonder what the difference between terrorists and freedom fighters are. Not saying that those fundamentalist Muslim militant groups are freedom fighters, just curious as to what the difference actually is. Could anyone clarify for me?

Cynically, I'd be tempted to say often the only difference is which side you're on.

 

But on a more serious note, a couple of definitions paraphrased from wikipedia:

"Freedom fighter - A person engaged in a resistance movement against what they believe to be an oppressive and illegitimate government."

"Terrorist - A person, group, or organization that uses violent action, or the threat of violent action, to further political goals."

They're definately not mutually exclusive.

 

People who are described as "freedom fighters" are often also called assassins, rebels, insurgents, or terrorists. This leads to the aphorism "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter". The degree to which this occurs depends on a variety of factors specific to the struggle in which a given freedom fighter group in engaged.

[from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_fighter#Freedom_fighter] Edited August 14, 2012 by Zaxian

[Sorrowgrave]

in my opinon a freedom fighter is someone who wants to do good for a non religious reason, or one that's simple,

In some parts of the world they still believe that a girl should marry her rapist,

A freedom fighter there would be one who insists on stopping this barbaric pratice with non violent means

While a terrorist would resort to gas, anthrax or other means to get what he wants.

 

[Rosedamai]

The only reason I asked was because historically, there have been many many fights for freedom-peasant rebellions are ubiquitous across the globe, during the colonial periods many colonies across the world rose up against their oppressors, racist and sexist doctrines were challenged sometimes by violent means, and so on. I guess-as Zaxian said-that they are not mutually exclusive.

 

Sorrowgrave, you said that freedom fighters often have non-religious reasons, yet there are plenty of historical examples that go against that, so I'll have to be a bit skeptic on that point.

 

Thanks though.

[~Kat~]

When I say nuke the Mexican Cartels, I did not mean with Nuclear bombs. They can do it with regular bombing, as these nasty people need to pay for what they have done to others.