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US Elections
This poll is closed.
- Obama - 169 votes
- 87%
- Romney - 26 votes
- 13%
Stats until: 08:39 Thu 21st Nov 2024 (Refreshed every 5 minutes)
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clanad, would it be considered unpatriotic or unamerican to fly the stars and stripes upside down?
clanad, would it be considered unpatriotic or unamerican to fly the stars and stripes upside down?
<You must find it very strange that some don't find events such as the Normandy Landings as important as your countrymen appear to do. >
that is rather confused isn't it? Comparing <some> on AB (unidentified and unexplained) with <your countrymen>
Which ones? All of them?
In this country <some> may indeed not think Normandy was very important but I suspect <some> Americans have the same attitude.
Many in this country understand the significance of Normandy just as much as americans; as Fred rightly points out:
<But evidence of respect for this country's fallen is not hard to find. The silence before games at soccer grounds, being observed before Armistice Day, is universally and respectfully honoured. >
And as for this 'encouraging patriotism' nonsense
Which all reaching part of the regime would be doing this encouraging exactly? and how?
americans fly flags and stand for their anthem instinctively - it's a cultural thing - arguably because a relatively young country, very large with an extremely diverse population needs tying together best way you can.
the idea anyone can <encourage> similar behaviour in us Brits shows a marked lack of understanding of our people, our strengths and our history.
<If one does show a love for one's country> the average intelligent Brit wants to understand the thinking and rationale behind it because we are prone to questioning and challenging anything that seems mindless and without a clear purpose.
It is ironic that this subject should arise in connection with references to Normandy.
No one could doubt the level of patriotism and unquestioning love of country that the German Nazi Party channeled.
The British disdain for such ludicrous displays of mindless patriotism is one of the qualities that underpinned British resistance to both German offers of treaties and to German threats of war.
I also apologise to Ed for going off-topic but such ill-founded toadying and inappropriate criticism of the British people could not go uncorrected.
that is rather confused isn't it? Comparing <some> on AB (unidentified and unexplained) with <your countrymen>
Which ones? All of them?
In this country <some> may indeed not think Normandy was very important but I suspect <some> Americans have the same attitude.
Many in this country understand the significance of Normandy just as much as americans; as Fred rightly points out:
<But evidence of respect for this country's fallen is not hard to find. The silence before games at soccer grounds, being observed before Armistice Day, is universally and respectfully honoured. >
And as for this 'encouraging patriotism' nonsense
Which all reaching part of the regime would be doing this encouraging exactly? and how?
americans fly flags and stand for their anthem instinctively - it's a cultural thing - arguably because a relatively young country, very large with an extremely diverse population needs tying together best way you can.
the idea anyone can <encourage> similar behaviour in us Brits shows a marked lack of understanding of our people, our strengths and our history.
<If one does show a love for one's country> the average intelligent Brit wants to understand the thinking and rationale behind it because we are prone to questioning and challenging anything that seems mindless and without a clear purpose.
It is ironic that this subject should arise in connection with references to Normandy.
No one could doubt the level of patriotism and unquestioning love of country that the German Nazi Party channeled.
The British disdain for such ludicrous displays of mindless patriotism is one of the qualities that underpinned British resistance to both German offers of treaties and to German threats of war.
I also apologise to Ed for going off-topic but such ill-founded toadying and inappropriate criticism of the British people could not go uncorrected.
I really don't see how Clanad's been wronged or is deserving of an apology (indeed, so far as I can tell, Clanad doesn't seem to feel he needs to be apologized to either). It's a perfectly valid question to ask why Obama's failure to visit the Normandy memorials are a good reason to criticise him as a president.
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Personally, I'm no great fan of Obama's - other than his symbolic value as a black president, it's hard to think of much that he has actually achieved other than Obamacare. And even though the principles of Obamacare seem noble enough, it's been mutated and changed so strongly by the politically-oriented compromises which often characterise American lawmaking that it may well turn out a bureaucratic nightmare.
Having said that, his challenger looked even more uninspiring - even actively dangerous. I don't think that the USA is headed for 4 years of hope, change or excitement - if I were to make any guesses, I would guess that the USA is in for 4 years of gridlock and political immobility very similar to the previous 4. But if I were a US citizen, I think I'd still consider that preferable to the disastrous alternative represented by Romney.
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Personally, I'm no great fan of Obama's - other than his symbolic value as a black president, it's hard to think of much that he has actually achieved other than Obamacare. And even though the principles of Obamacare seem noble enough, it's been mutated and changed so strongly by the politically-oriented compromises which often characterise American lawmaking that it may well turn out a bureaucratic nightmare.
Having said that, his challenger looked even more uninspiring - even actively dangerous. I don't think that the USA is headed for 4 years of hope, change or excitement - if I were to make any guesses, I would guess that the USA is in for 4 years of gridlock and political immobility very similar to the previous 4. But if I were a US citizen, I think I'd still consider that preferable to the disastrous alternative represented by Romney.