'What if Bush were to face election in Asia?'

[Taro Toporific]

What if Bush were to face election in Asia?
Straits Times / Jan 19
LOS ANGELES - If you have a nicely developed sense of humour, American democracy is funny....
It's a good thing for the administration that no caucuses or primaries are being held in, oh, South Korea, Indonesia or even Japan. Asia would be a tough poll for Mr Bush.
In Japan, a recent sampling of public opinion showed only 13 per cent like Mr Bush. ...But the Japanese are far from terminally anti-American - or even anti-leader: The same poll showed that 73 per cent hold a favourable view of the US in general... In Japan, it seems personal, they just don't like Mr Bush.

[AssKissinger]

Well, they don't get a vote, it ain't their country and they can fuck off. I remember after 9/11 a student saying, 'Now's a good chance to talk'. Well, talk about this motherfuckers: "Four more years!"

[kamome]

Another 4 years of Bush would be a disaster on the scale of the Reagan administration. It may even convince me to stay in Japan another four years.

[GuyJean]

Another 4 years of Bush would be a disaster on the scale of the Reagan administration.

(WARNING: Extreme political winjing (SP?) ahead)

Careful, K.. You're rustling the feathers of those who consider Reagan a god; Reagantitus - the Hollywood star god who single-handedly conquered Communism. Never mind the unemployment, crime, terrible economy, and uncontrollable deficit.. It's fun to romanticize those coke-filled, selfish, trickled on 80s.

One good thing about having a numb-nutts for a leader; accountability can't be applied to stupid people, or Alzheimer patients.. (OK. That's bad.. Stupidity is a terrible disease that shouldn't be joked about.. Actually, I liked Reagan.. but I was also 11..)

'Four more years' means the Dems will, once again, have to come in to clean up the self-serving, Republican mess..

I really don't understand why Bush is appealing to anyone other than silver spoon fed millionares..

Ok, he's kinda cool cuz he speaks like us, did some coke in college, got Cs throughout his education, and speaks from his heart, usually before thinking... But these are qualities I'd want for a drinking buddy, not the leader of the free world.

Compare his accomplishments to ANY of the Democratic front runners.. Who would you hire to be your doctor, lawyer, or financial advisor? (Remember; Bush Sr. made Jr's money) Why is the choice so different when it comes to the president?

Wait. Don't answer. It'll be something like, "Lefty, spineless, blah, blah, blah, liberal blah blah education, blah blah, corrupting the blah blah moral values of the blah blah Amerikun Wal-Mart blah blah values.."

Got the State of Disunion coming up. Will we see a 'new and improved Axis of Evil'?

OK. Enough of my bullshit..

GJ

[Watcher]

Warning! This post is threatening to move the discussion into the realm of ranting and BeyondFaqed. Apologies in advance to all.

But these are qualities I'd want for a drinking buddy, not the leader of the free world.GJ

That's funny cause I remember a poll being done back in 2000 that said more people would rather go bowling with Bush than Gore... how sad that such polls get taken... or even taken seriously.

You want my opinion of Bush? No... probably not... but this sums it up pretty good.

http://www.bushin30seconds.com/view/2232_large.shtml

And no... I'm not a leftist soft on anything... I just don't like anything that this administration has done. I don't hate America. I am half American and proud of that. I am also a member of the world and believe in globalism. I Do Not believe in Facism or the way the current globalism efforts are focused on Global Facism. This Bush administration is the most extreme perversion of capitalism ever seen. Let us count the ways... Enron and Kenny-boy, Diebold and ESS, and of course Halliburton. This is not democracy. Now I expect AK to fight back (wow, I didn't know you were so fervent in your support).

BTW anybody see the movie DC9/11? I'm looking for a copy of that propoganda piece... but I can't find it.

[DJEB]

Well, they don't get a vote, it ain't their country and they can fuck off.

They don't get a vote, but half of eligible America didn't bother last time. There was some trouble with some who did try:

http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/vote2000/florida.htm

http://www.usccr.gov/press/archives/2001/030901.htm

http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/vote2000/report/ch1.htm

http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/vote2000/report/exesum.htm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,439222,00.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/cta/progs/newsnight/palast.ram

[ramchop]

They don't get a vote, but half of eligible America didn't bother last time.

Does that mean that Japan is more of a democracy than America? :P

Turnout in the world - country by country performance

#75 Japan (21 elections) 69.0% turnout
#139 USA (26 elections) 48.3% turnout

I'm a little confused by how Australia with compulsory voting has a lower turnout than NZ which doesn't.

[GomiGirl]

Is that of registered voters or by population?

[Taro Toporific]

Is that of registered voters or by population?

D'oh! I never thought about the fact that Japan has a HUGE group of "unregistered" (family register) citizens .... maybe 10-15% of the population is never counted in any gov't statistics.

[jez]

Well, they don't get a vote, it ain't their country and they can fuck off.

not our country. not our leader. yet we still have to put up with him, and his predecessors, making decisons which have a direct impact on us.
What if the citizens oh the world were to be given the chance to vote for US presidents? Don't like that idea? Ok, but don't give us all this democracy bs then.

[Caustic Saint]

Well, they don't get a vote, it ain't their country and they can fuck off.

not our country. not our leader. yet we still have to put up with him, and his predecessors, making decisons which have a direct impact on us.
What if the citizens oh the world were to be given the chance to vote for US presidents? Don't like that idea? Ok, but don't give us all this democracy bs then.

Under this plan, would US citizens be able to cast their votes for the leaders of other countries?

[DJEB]

Well, they don't get a vote, it ain't their country and they can fuck off.

...What if the citizens oh the world were to be given the chance to vote for US presidents?

Under this plan, would US citizens be able to cast their votes for the leaders of other countries?

If we are going to take the idea of democracy seriously, then I'll one up it. Americans should have a weighted vote in the domestic policy decisions to the point that they are affected by the policy in question. For example, were Canada to loosen regulations regarding industry effluent that would affect Americans living in the Great Lakes region, then those Americans who would be affected ought to have a voice in shaping that policy.

Of course, if one is not a total hypocrite, that power would be a two-way street. For example, the people of Tonga would have a say in U.S. energy policy to the degree that global warming would affect their lives.

[Alcazar]

If we are going to take the idea of democracy seriously, then I'll one up it. Americans should have a weighted vote in the domestic policy decisions to the point that they are affected by the policy in question. For example, were Canada to loosen regulations regarding industry effluent that would affect Americans living in the Great Lakes region, then those Americans who would be affected ought to have a voice in shaping that policy.

Of course, if one is not a total hypocrite, that power would be a two-way street. For example, the people of Tonga would have a say in U.S. energy policy to the degree that global warming would affect their lives.

No DJEB, that is not democracy, that is a dictatorship of the minority. People already get a specially weighted say in things because they vote in a certain state etc that needs to be won as a political unit. Those people can have a big say within that area.

[American Oyaji]

I doubt that would work.

How many of your average Americans even know who the leaders of other countries are?

[DJEB]

No DJEB, that is not democracy, that is a dictatorship of the minority. People already get a specially weighted say in things because they vote in a certain state etc that needs to be won as a political unit. Those people can have a big say within that area.

You could get a job with a big think tank recommending rollback. That sounds along the lines of the Trilateral Commission's The Crisis of Democracy. I'm not surprised though. Democracy is an unpopular idea, particularly on the right.

Anway, as jez, then I pointed out, the decisions made in one "political unit" can have a huge detrimental effect on the lives of those living outside of that "political unit."

[Andocrates]

As world empires go I think America is doing a pretty good job. Better then the Brits did for sure.

[Socratesabroad]

Of course, if one is not a total hypocrite, that power would be a two-way street. For example, the people of Tonga would have a say in U.S. energy policy to the degree that global warming would affect their lives.

Anway, as jez, then I pointed out, the decisions made in one "political unit" can have a huge detrimental effect on the lives of those living outside of that "political unit."

Well, with my say, I'm going to conteract a huge detrimental effect on my life by a 'political unit' outside my 'political unit' by way of dictating immigration policies to the Japanese.

Who knows, I may even have all of us declared 'formerly fvcked' gaijin or just 'unfvcked.'

But I haven't decided whether to install Ryoko Yonekura, Rei Kikukawa, or Noriko Fujiwara as Japanese prime minister.

Decisions, decisions, decisions...

[AssKissinger]

I'm voting for myself to be king of the world. Bong hits and blow jobs. That's what I'm voting for!

[DJEB]

As world empires go I think America is doing a pretty good job. Better then the Brits did for sure.

I'm not putting words in the mouth of my fellow Scot, but sounds a bit like saying Greek slavery was better than prebellum (a real word?) chattel slavery, as far as slavery goes.

[American Oyaji]

I'm voting for myself to be king of the world. Bong hits and blow jobs. That's what I'm voting for!

I almost spit my raisin bran on the screen from this one