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American Vs European Culture
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Author | Message |
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Bill Walker Send message Joined: 4 Sep 99 Posts: 3868 Credit: 2,697,267 RAC: 0 |
The American Constitution intended that the state governments would be allowed to create militias, to balance the power given to the federal government by the federal military forces. 200 years later this has been twisted and distorted by wackos that think everybody needs a gun to be safe. Americans live by the gun, and as a result many innocents have and will die by the gun. Their choice. |
Jim1348 Send message Joined: 13 Dec 01 Posts: 212 Credit: 520,150 RAC: 0 |
They hadn't been going 5 minutes when they had a civil war because half the country wanted to treat black people as slaves. It took the 20 years to sort out some fudge called a constitution. Even then it had 10 amendments tabled in the first 6 months. So much for getting it right first time round. But they called that 10 the "Bill of Rights" to try to give it some credence. It was the British who brought slavery to America, and who profited from it for the first 250 years. They even portrayed Abe Lincoln as a baboon in their political cartoons for trying to stop it. And then when they found out that the South was going to lose the Civil War, they switched over to India to supply their cotton. It took a Gandhi to get rid of them there. |
W-K 666 Send message Joined: 18 May 99 Posts: 19101 Credit: 40,757,560 RAC: 67 |
And then when they found out that the South was going to lose the Civil War, they switched over to India to supply their cotton. No we switched to supplies from India and Egypt because those damned Yankee's blockaded the southern ports. |
Jim1348 Send message Joined: 13 Dec 01 Posts: 212 Credit: 520,150 RAC: 0 |
And then when they found out that the South was going to lose the Civil War, they switched over to India to supply their cotton. I guess the British Navy wasn't interested in getting involved. But until that time, the British had also been propping up the Southern currency. Once they concluded that the South could not win, they dropped Confederate money like a hot potato. It was all profit and trade for them, which is not all that surprising, since they had governed the Colonies under a mercantile system anyway. Their actions had nothing to do with enlightenment or social justice, until Abe Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. And then the British sentiment changed, at least to the point where they would not openly recognize the South. They could at least recognize a lost cause when they saw one. |
Jim1348 Send message Joined: 13 Dec 01 Posts: 212 Credit: 520,150 RAC: 0 |
Their actions had nothing to do with enlightenment or social justice, until Abe Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. And then the British sentiment changed, at least to the point where they would not openly recognize the South. They could at least recognize a lost cause when they saw one. That helped, but American public opinion was divided on the significance of the speech. (I was just down in Gettysburg a few weeks ago to once again see their outstanding museum, where they have one of the original copies of the speech.) Some of the newspapers thought that it was a great, inspired speech and some thought it was too short and mediocre (to put it charitably) to be serious. They were divided on partisan lines as much then as they are today. But at any rate, it took a while for the country as a whole to come along with Abe, though they did soon after start teaching the speech in all the schools, so some people must have recognized it. |
skildude Send message Joined: 4 Oct 00 Posts: 9541 Credit: 50,759,529 RAC: 60 |
the big difference in the US and EU countries is that each state of the EU runs its own military. They are united in name only. The only way to govern a bunch of separate states is to unite the states militarily, scientifically, governmentally as well as monetarily. Monetarily for economics scientifically for shared exploration and militarily for mutual protection. Governing the separate states is like herding cats or leading the UN. Some just choose not to go with a dictate so they aren't forced to comply So far the EU barely has 1 of these going. In a rich man's house there is no place to spit but his face. Diogenes Of Sinope |
Bob DeWoody Send message Joined: 9 May 10 Posts: 3387 Credit: 4,182,900 RAC: 10 |
I just watched Ken Burn's "Thomas Jefferson" which I think is an excellent documentary. For us, today, it is hard to fathom the thinking of even enlightened minds like that of Jefferson who on one hand wrote the declaration of independence and on the other owned over 200 slaves and would not even set them free upon his death. His was a common view of the time that negroes were in some way inferior to whites, especially in intellect. Slavery throughout the world was fairly common up until the early 19th century and is still practiced in a few cultures. In the US it was only the moderately to very wealthy who owned slaves to start with and there were many white indentured servants (slaves). Jefferson was a real enigma who even considered himself condemned by his ownership of slaves but was still unable to bring himself to free them. He knew that raising the issue during the revolution would only serve to keep the 13 colonies divided and most likely prevent the formation of the United States. Even then it was only land owning men who could vote in political elections and even women were considered property. Universal sufferage wasn't seriously considered until the late 19th century and the USA was one of the first countries to extend voting rights to women. In europe France was one of the last to do so in 1945 with Switzerland waiting until 1971. American culture is really all over the board as the USA is a melting pot of many widely varied cultures. I think living in a country that tolerates(mostly) such a wide variety of cultures provides a great experience vs. countries the barely tolerate outsiders Bob DeWoody My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events. |
W-K 666 Send message Joined: 18 May 99 Posts: 19101 Credit: 40,757,560 RAC: 67 |
The U.S. Culture is essentially a mixture from most of the world. Isn't this very hypocritical, the press here has been guilty of hacking phones. The main case being the phone of a murdered young teenage girl. Now if you think it is wrong to take the press to task over this incident, then why is it wrong for the NSA to monitor communications for the protection of the US and its citizens. |
W-K 666 Send message Joined: 18 May 99 Posts: 19101 Credit: 40,757,560 RAC: 67 |
The U.S. Culture is essentially a mixture from most of the world. So Murdoch and News International being investigated by the DOJ is a police action? |
W-K 666 Send message Joined: 18 May 99 Posts: 19101 Credit: 40,757,560 RAC: 67 |
If it has been started by the DOJ then it is a political decision. It is not as though the police has discovered crime and reported upwards this is n investigation ordered by those at the top. |
Jim1348 Send message Joined: 13 Dec 01 Posts: 212 Credit: 520,150 RAC: 0 |
If it has been started by the DOJ then it is a political decision. It is not as though the police has discovered crime and reported upwards this is n investigation ordered by those at the top. The DOJ is actually the legal department for the government, charged with various duties. So it, like everyone else in the federal government (with the exception of a few "independent" agencies such as the Federal Reserve Board) reports to the President, through the Attorney General, who is a Cabinet member. It does not follow that each investigation is approved by those "at the top", but on the other hand if someone had failed to investigate Murdoch and News International, then I think they should have been fired for incompetence. |
skildude Send message Joined: 4 Oct 00 Posts: 9541 Credit: 50,759,529 RAC: 60 |
If it has been started by the DOJ then it is a political decision. It is not as though the police has discovered crime and reported upwards this is n investigation ordered by those at the top. again you don't really understand the US gov't. DOJ is typically apolitical. DOJ and the attorneys general investigate,through the FBI what they see as and states acknowledge as a federal crime. Illegal wiretapping, interstate/international drug trade and kidnapping fall under federal jurisdiction because to nature of the wire services and the likelihood of the crimes to occur over several state lines of jurisdiction. DOJ is not a workhorse to take up issues from congress. In a rich man's house there is no place to spit but his face. Diogenes Of Sinope |
James Sotherden Send message Joined: 16 May 99 Posts: 10436 Credit: 110,373,059 RAC: 54 |
American Vs European culture. And here I thought that the Europeans allways thought us colonial types as uncouth heathens who have no culture:) And now you say we do? Heaven forbid that some day we will be invited to join the EU. Boy, What an honour that would be. NOT Truth be told, You have had 2000 years to get it right over there, And you still havent. We have only been at it a little over 200 years. Kind of an unfair comparison if you ask me. [/quote] Old James |
Batter Up Send message Joined: 5 May 99 Posts: 1946 Credit: 24,860,347 RAC: 0 |
...we will have a law that says the people can have guns ... What sort of a way is that to start up and found a country That is the way we demanded; Ol' Corney really didn't get it until; Let's all sing the ballad of New Orleans; In 1814 we took a little trip Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip. We took a little bacon and we took a little beans And we caught the bloody British in the town of New Orleans. We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin. There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago. We fired once more and they began to runnin' on Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. I am proud to have established the Islamic Republic of Iraq. |
James Sotherden Send message Joined: 16 May 99 Posts: 10436 Credit: 110,373,059 RAC: 54 |
...we will have a law that says the people can have guns ... What sort of a way is that to start up and found a country You do realize that Cornwallis surrendering and the battle of New Orleans are two differant time periods? And with out the French pirate Jean Lafette (sp) that battle could have gone the other way? There is a differance in being patriotic and Jingoistic. [/quote] Old James |
James Sotherden Send message Joined: 16 May 99 Posts: 10436 Credit: 110,373,059 RAC: 54 |
Differance is spelled difference; in the US of A anyway. Ja ja spelling troll; don't you hate spelling trolls? Well we avoid the subject that way. I get it. Your a troll who dose not know his history. [/quote] Old James |
Batter Up Send message Joined: 5 May 99 Posts: 1946 Credit: 24,860,347 RAC: 0 |
So you'r one of those loyalists who lick the bunions of the Queen. |
Мишель Send message Joined: 26 Nov 13 Posts: 3073 Credit: 87,868 RAC: 0 |
We Americans understand the European theory of "Good Government - Run By Good People" has never worked. It ALWAYS goes bad. Oh really? So then why are you a democracy? Because frankly, good government run by good people is pretty much what democracy is supposed to achieve. People vote for who they think is good, and as a result you get a government full of elected good people and that is supposed to turn the government into a force of good. And if they aren't good, well then you vote for someone else after 4 years. And do tell, what is this advanced American thinking that supposedly prevents bad government? It being limited? European governments are limited. Individual freedoms to the people? Yep, got that in Europe. Free speech, free press, freedom of religion? Got that as well. So tell me, where exactly lies the difference between the United States and say...France or Germany. I must say though, ever since the second world war, we had governments run by good people and those governments turned out to be good as well. So I really don't see proof for your assertion that governments ALWAYS turn bad. |
W-K 666 Send message Joined: 18 May 99 Posts: 19101 Credit: 40,757,560 RAC: 67 |
American Vs European culture. Kinda proves it |
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