H, h, h, huh?

Sneaky cat!

Well said, Twin!

To James, abracadabra indeed!!!


Oceans

Oooops. sorry. not sure how that happened.

Maybe I'm just trying to be emphatic!

Hi daVinci and everyone...

I think more likely than world government is a global network --
oligarchy -- of top corporations and their support allies, like a clutch
of academics, of lobbyists, of public relations types, and
technologists.

I'm afraid that only our national governments can stand up to this and
bring under control. If I am right about this, we should worry, because
our governments (and not just that of the US) are caving in all over the
planet. Indeed, some governments are saying to the global corporations:
Sure, settle in make yourselves at home, pay us some money directly and
we will protect you through our legal sovereignty (protection from
information disclosure, extradition, banking regulations, etc.)

It is not a good situation.


Oceans

Hi daVinci and everyone...

I think more likely than world government is a global network --
oligarchy -- of top corporations and their support allies, like a clutch
of academics, of lobbyists, of public relations types, and
technologists.

I'm afraid that only our national governments can stand up to this and
bring under control. If I am right about this, we should worry, because
our governments (and not just that of the US) are caving in all over the
planet. Indeed, some governments are saying to the global corporations:
Sure, settle in make yourselves at home, pay us some money directly and
we will protect you through our legal sovereignty (protection from
information disclosure, extradition, banking regulations, etc.)

It is not a good situation.

Hi daVinci and everyone...

I think more likely than world government is a global network --
oligarchy -- of top corporations and their support allies, like a clutch
of academics, of lobbyists, of public relations types, and
technologists.

I'm afraid that only our national governments can stand up to this and
bring under control. If I am right about this, we should worry, because
our governments (and not just that of the US) are caving in all over the
planet. Indeed, some governments are saying to the global corporations:
Sure, settle in make yourselves at home, pay us some money directly and
we will protect you through our legal sovereignty (protection from
information disclosure, extradition, banking regulations, etc.)

It is not a good situation.

Agreed, Sage.


Oceans

Yup, its Loljuzme . She has already threatened one JSH member
over in the Immigration thread. I wonder how long it will take for her
to claim that her IQ is higher than everyone else's and that she is a
lawyer.

Oceans

Hey, Rob!

Welcome to JSH. Lots of good people here, so jump into the forums and
let people get to know you. Who knows what pleasant surprises await you!



Oceans

Yup....

I completely agree on the justice and transparency needed.

Morally, the American people owe it to themselves and to the world to
thoroughly investigate what happened after Sept 11, and who did what and
why.

Morally, the American people collectively owe a deep apology to the
world, and to each other.

I wish I could say I was certain that this is going to happen.



Oceans

To Jess's eloquent question of yesterday....

Yes, the US is in a deep hole financially.

Unfunded liabilities of the government (that is, the taxpayer) are now
1.3 TRILLION dollars. How many of us even know how many zeroes are in a
trillion?

This is equal to about $510,000 per US household. How many households
can pay off that kind of money?

As a consequence, the US dollar is already falling heavily against other
currencies. The American people, even while they may be accumulating
some of them more and more personal dollars, are actually losing wealth
through the loss of value of the dollar -- and this is all due to the
Bush adminsitration's spending activitites, the most egregious being the
so-called 'war on terror'.

A hidden cost of Bush's policies is that other departments of the US
government have been stripped out to throw more money into Iraq. So,
education monies are down, crime fighting, agriculture, foreign
assistance -- all of these activities have been cut back. We can't fund
our schools the way we want to, we can't fund medical research, science,
student scholarships, social security, road and bridge maintenance,
public transportation, flood control, etc. etc. etc.

Next time an American complains that some important service is not being
carried out properly, thank the Bush administration....



Oceans

Great post, Jade. Thanks. It is essential that we see these people we
lump together under the term 'immigrants' as indviiduals, people who
lead normal lives, and who are wrestling with few resources to meet the
daily challenges of their lives. In my opinion, it is compassion that we
'legals' ought to bring to them, not fear and hatred.



Oceans

Zap's is a legitimate challenge to us, for during the course of 6 years
in the presidency surely Bush has done ONE thing right, no?

I would nominate his No Child Left Behind hopes. I know there have been
some real problems with it, but I think his vision is pure and that his
heart is in it.

Keep in mind that my 'model' of Bush and his administration is that he
is deeply manipulated, by the neocons on foreign affairs, and by the
Christian fundamentalists/Karl Rove on domestic affairs. Aften, when we
criticize Bush, we are talking og things that these two groups have
inflicted on us, and not things that Bush is 'doing.'

I know, he is the commander-in-chief, he is ultimately responsible, he
is the CEO of the government.

Anyway, Zap, I nominate No Child Left Behind.

Oceans

Good morning, Alex!

I was at a dinner a couple of nights ago and the place was abuzz about
Bush's gaffes in Europe. The only difference between the Republicans
and the Democrats at the dinner is that the former were more
embarrassed.

Impeachment: The process laid out for impeachment in our Constitution
is quite cumbersome and lengthy. It was designed during a time when
Congress went to Washington only part time and there was a need for a
strong executive. Also, the newly founded US has enormous depth of
skills and humanity at the senior levels, and so it was easy to find
highly qualified and trustworthy people to be President. I don't think
the men twho drafted the Constitution ever imagined that the likes of
Bush could EVER become President.

In effect, the impeachment process in the US is a legal trial, with all
the elements of a civil of criminal trial. There has to be an
indictment, with evidence advanced. Then there is a jury (the full
Senate), that hears the evidence, and a vote to remove the President or
not. There are lawyers, and motions, and the preparation of indictments,
and hearings and witnesses. There are appeals and theater for public
consumption. All of this process is subject to the political
whims of the hundreds of people involved, the scrutiny of the media, the
opinions and clamor of citizens. A circus.

Two things are holding up the implementation of this process now, with
regard to Bush.

1. Bush has 18 more months in power, and so, given the length of time
needed for impeachment to run its course, many people opt simply to let
him finish out his term. They don't like it, but it may be the simplest
thing to do.

2. If Bush is removed, we then have Cheney. Ooooops! Cheney is even
more unpopular than Bush, and even the most aggressive critics of Bush
dislike Cheney even more. If Bush is removed, Cheney becomes President.
Cheney is, if you will, Bush's insurance against impeachment. If the
Vice President were popular, I am almost certain that impeachment would
be underway.

There is an impeachment move afoot to impeach Cheney, for the reason
that I have just cited, but by the time it succeeded in removing Cheney
(which it won't be able to do in any case), Bush's term would be up,
anyway.

3. To impeach a President successfully, a majority of Senators have to
find him guilty, but the majority required will be very hard to get in
today's Senate, where the Democrats have only a one-vote majority (out
of 100).

For example: Senator Joe Lieberman is listed as an Independent, but
votes Democratic on domestic matters and Republican on foreign affairs
(to simplify his voting decisions). He will vote for anything that
helps Israel, and is a string supporter of the invasion and occupation
of Iraq, and is now urging an attack on Iran.

---

We do not have the typical parliamentary structure to government in the
US. In a parliamentary government, a Prime Minister generally can be
removed from office via a vote of no-confidence, especially if it is
over a major issue and the vote is strongly against the PM. Further, a
PM can call for new elections pretty much whenever he/she wishes to, as
I understand it. So the notion of a PM not fulfilling a set term of
office is well accepted in Europe. PMs come and they go.

Here in the US, the notion of filling out one's term (four years in the
case of the President) is so normal and expected that impeachment is
viewed as exceptional. And indeed it is rare. Clinton was impeached, but
the trial found him innocent and he was not removed. Other presidents,
like Nixon, have resigned rather than face removal. Some, like Lyndon
Johnson have agreed not to run for second terms as President because of
mounting opposition.

If the US had a parliamentary system, I would guess that Bush would have
been replaced a long time ago. But the presence of Cheney and the
awkwardness of the impeachment process make it highly unlikely that Bush
will be impeached (formally accused) and removed (found guilty of 'high
crimes and misdemeanors').

A little bit of information on the US impeachment process and practical
obstacles.... I hope this explains the reality here, not that we have to
like it!



Oceans

Hey! We are having the same problem with the Texas quarters, here in
Washington DC....



Oceans

My prefernce is for real pictures. Lots of JSHers have art work, or
pictures of various objects. It seems like a waste of a good
communication opportunity, and leads me to have more questions about
whether a person is real or not....

I am not saying that I mind the fake pictures -- a few are pretty
interesting in and of themselves. And I am not urging that people use
real pictures. I am just saying that I respond better to people's
posting when they have posted a real picture: they seem more real to me.



Oceans

I see, AB. You're right, I wouldn't have noticed a concavity that small.

Interesting....



Oceans