NationStates Jolt Archive

I've seen a lot of angst in the media over here in the United States. Seems the world is angry at us. I wonder why (note the witty use of sarcasm)?

I feel compelled to state that, though I am an American (and quite proud of it), I do not blindly follow President Bush's lead. In fact, I believe Bush has been an environmental, economic, and social disaster for America, and would very much like to see him lose in the upcoming November elections.

To the rest of you lot....the Europeans in particular, be aware that not all Americans are the right-wing nut jobs that we are portrayed as being. Indeed, in the 2000 elections Al Gore won the popular vote. There is deep and broad opposition to the Bush doctrine of unilateral action. We are currently engaged in a struggle for the soul of this nation, and I cannot predict who will emerge victorious. Please do not judge the whole by the actions of the few.

For my fellow Americans who still support George Bush...

Are you entirely aware of all the things that George W. Bush has done (or not done, as the case may be)?

Economically, he has overseen a major economic recession. 8 of the last 9 U.S. recessions have been under Republican presidents...I do not believe that this is coincidence. The average worker is earning $9,000 dollars less than he was four years ago. At the same time, corporate executive pay jumped 23% last year alone. George Bush has made no effort to stem the flow of American jobs to cheap overseas labor markets...indeed, his Administration has actually had the audacity to encourage it. Bush talks the economic talk, but he doesn't follow through, and American families are suffering for it.

Socially, Bush has led a large rollback of environmental and legal protections. His Patriot Act gives the government sweeping powers to deal with terrorists, but can and are being used in ways not intended by Congress. Bush is claiming the right to detain American citizens without charge, without access to lawyers, without trial by jury of peers, indefinitely in the name of national security. Any one of us could be detained by anything, and we'd literally just fall off the face of the Earth. And if you don't believe me, if you say "That can't happen here!", keep in mind that the Germans were probably saying the same thing back in the 1930s.

Politically, Bush is a liability to the United States. He has not captured Osama Bin Laden, he has not destroyed Al Qaida, and he has not stabilized either Iraq or Afghanistan. His unilateral action in Iraq to get the weapons of mass destruction (which may not exist) has inflicted HEAVY damage to U.S. reputation and credibility abroad. And if you think it's not important to consider what other nations think about us, then consider this: We NEED those nations to help us in the War on Terror. We can't police everywhere all the time. And in addition, all those other countries buy American products and services. Our sales overseas have fallen dramatically as angry people refuse to buy anything made in the USA. That means that YOU may lose your job because overseas sales are slumping and not as much production is needed.

I could go on at length, but I won't for now. In short, vote for John Kerry. I prefer a respectable, free, and rich America to a broke, corporate police state, and international pariah.

Hey now, don't hold back. Tell us what you really think!

Very well. To quote the "Your Land" movie from JibJab.com:

Kerry: This land is your land, this land is my land, I'm an intellectual (to Bush), you're a stupid dumb---." ;)

While I may not agree with all of your reasons not to vote for President Bush, I do agree with the stated need to alleviate the misperceptions and misconceptions in the world - particularly in Europe.

I am also a proud American, and an American soldier. Like many (most) servicemembers I tend to lean to the right (not extreme right...). I, too, have misgivings about President Bush, and about John Kerry...it's sad, but it almost seems like I must vote for the lesser of two evils.

That seems to be a habit in the world today.

Ah, a soldier. You honor my thread with your presence.

His Patriot Act gives the government sweeping powers to deal with terrorists, but can and are being used in ways not intended by Congress. Bush is claiming the right to detain American citizens without charge, without access to lawyers, without trial by jury of peers, indefinitely in the name of national security. Any one of us could be detained by anything, and we'd literally just fall off the face of the Earth.
Exactly - also, please read my signature.

Politically, Bush is a liability to the United States. He has not captured Osama Bin Laden, he has not destroyed Al Qaida, and he has not stabilized either Iraq or Afghanistan.
I've read reports that Al-Queda's numbers are *actually* swelling.

Ah, a soldier. You honor my thread with your presence.


Indeed, the honor is mine.

I have heard those reports too, and they certainly seem possible. Mind you, the Bush Administration would not say that publicly for obvious reasons.

Any one of us could be detained by anything, and we'd literally just fall off the face of the Earth. And if you don't believe me, if you say "That can't happen here!", keep in mind that the Germans were probably saying the same thing back in the 1930s.

I could go on at length, but I won't for now. In short, vote for John Kerry. I prefer a respectable, free, and rich America to a broke, corporate police state, and international pariah.

So tell me, did you already know those words, or did they happen to describe your nationstate at some time and you decided you liked them.

I won't even start on John Kerry.

No maybe I will go start a thread on this same tired out topic (I hate Bush! I hate Kerry!)

Instead, maybe I will laugh at you for bothering to try to compare Bush to Hitler. Such a comparison is unnecessary and unfounded. Kerry hasn't supported the idiots who say this crap, and neither should you.

Can you really only vote for two people in America. There are independents. I know they never win, but if I were American I wouldn't vote for Kerry or BUsh, neither seem particularly appealing.

Can you really only vote for two people in America. There are independents. I know they never win, but if I were American I wouldn't vote for Kerry or BUsh, neither seem particularly appealing.

Any candidate can, theoretically, get his/her name on a ballot, but it requires a minimum level of support which is usually demonstrated by a petition in each state with a required number of signatures supporting that candidate.

While I may not agree with all of your reasons not to vote for President Bush, I do agree with the stated need to alleviate the misperceptions and misconceptions in the world - particularly in Europe.

I am also a proud American, and an American soldier. Like many (most) servicemembers I tend to lean to the right (not extreme right...). I, too, have misgivings about President Bush, and about John Kerry...it's sad, but it almost seems like I must vote for the lesser of two evils.

That seems to be a habit in the world today.

I agree I am also American but I am a Sailor in the navy, a lot of the other sailors here at our base agree with Bush and most of them do not like Kerry. Personally I do not like Kerry and I do not agree with anything he has said so far. As for Mr.Bush it is true that the economy is not doing so well but at least we still have one unlike some nations. The way I see the situation in Iraq is best put by the way my friend said it, "If Bush stays in office we'll be over there forever and people will die, if Kerry gets elected he will pull out and things will be worse than ever or he will cave in and stay there so damned if you damned if you dont."

I've seen a lot of angst in the media over here in the United States. Seems the world is angry at us. I wonder why (note the witty use of sarcasm)?

I feel compelled to state that, though I am an American (and quite proud of it), I do not blindly follow President Bush's lead. In fact, I believe Bush has been an environmental, economic, and social disaster for America, and would very much like to see him lose in the upcoming November elections.

To the rest of you lot....the Europeans in particular, be aware that not all Americans are the right-wing nut jobs that we are portrayed as being. Indeed, in the 2000 elections Al Gore won the popular vote. There is deep and broad opposition to the Bush doctrine of unilateral action. We are currently engaged in a struggle for the soul of this nation, and I cannot predict who will emerge victorious. Please do not judge the whole by the actions of the few.

For my fellow Americans who still support George Bush...

Are you entirely aware of all the things that George W. Bush has done (or not done, as the case may be)?

Economically, he has overseen a major economic recession. 8 of the last 9 U.S. recessions have been under Republican presidents...I do not believe that this is coincidence. The average worker is earning $9,000 dollars less than he was four years ago. At the same time, corporate executive pay jumped 23% last year alone. George Bush has made no effort to stem the flow of American jobs to cheap overseas labor markets...indeed, his Administration has actually had the audacity to encourage it. Bush talks the economic talk, but he doesn't follow through, and American families are suffering for it.

Socially, Bush has led a large rollback of environmental and legal protections. His Patriot Act gives the government sweeping powers to deal with terrorists, but can and are being used in ways not intended by Congress. Bush is claiming the right to detain American citizens without charge, without access to lawyers, without trial by jury of peers, indefinitely in the name of national security. Any one of us could be detained by anything, and we'd literally just fall off the face of the Earth. And if you don't believe me, if you say "That can't happen here!", keep in mind that the Germans were probably saying the same thing back in the 1930s.

Politically, Bush is a liability to the United States. He has not captured Osama Bin Laden, he has not destroyed Al Qaida, and he has not stabilized either Iraq or Afghanistan. His unilateral action in Iraq to get the weapons of mass destruction (which may not exist) has inflicted HEAVY damage to U.S. reputation and credibility abroad. And if you think it's not important to consider what other nations think about us, then consider this: We NEED those nations to help us in the War on Terror. We can't police everywhere all the time. And in addition, all those other countries buy American products and services. Our sales overseas have fallen dramatically as angry people refuse to buy anything made in the USA. That means that YOU may lose your job because overseas sales are slumping and not as much production is needed.

I could go on at length, but I won't for now. In short, vote for John Kerry. I prefer a respectable, free, and rich America to a broke, corporate police state, and international pariah.

We (the US) will never be respectable in the eyes of the vast majority of the world due to their not wanting (for whatever reasons) to see us as respectable.

Freedom has quite a history as a massively subjective quality, and therefore, if you see the present state of US "freedom" as inadequate, there will be nothing that anyone can say to convince you otherwise.

We are not a "broke" US. We will not become a "broke" US. Our very nature as a country precludes the possiblility of our becoming so.

If you don't like your present condition, then do something about it,.. and one of those things we do here is to "vote the bums out!"

Another thing we do here is to work to improve the conditions of our families, neighborhoods, states and nation.

All the silly rhetoric of "oh, the President is SO evil" and "the American Way is SO evil" does nothing but increase the noise level.

I trust the US population, and all the worlds nations populations, to do "the right thing" if they have a form of government that knows it is subservient to the populus.

Thanks for your heartfelt opinion, and thanks for allowing me to disregard it as I see fit. :)


-Keiki'olu I'ake'oke'o
Current "Big-Diggah" and "Chief Head-Whompah"

"May prosperity and freedom from silly rules be your destiny..!"

Can you really only vote for two people in America. There are independents. I know they never win, but if I were American I wouldn't vote for Kerry or BUsh, neither seem particularly appealing.

Nader's a moron of an Independant - IMO the concept of an Independent is great, yet like w/Dems and Reps it's been hijacked by some idiot