Usa Thread

[Flashermac]

It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.

 

 

p.s. This is how obscure David Maraniss is. Ever heard of The Washington Post before? Think "Watergate".

 

David Maraniss (born 1949) is an American journalist and author, currently serving as an associate-editor for The Washington Post. He received a Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 1993 for his coverage of then-candidate Bill Clinton during the 1992 United States presidential election.

 

Maraniss began his journalism career as a high school student in Madison, Wisconsin, where he covered antiwar protests and high school football for a local daily newspaper. He joined The Washington Post in 1977 and has served it in various capacities since. The Post assigned him the job of biographer for their coverage of 2008 presidential candidate Barack Obama.

 

http://en.wikipedia..../David_Maraniss

[kamui]

It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.

 

 

p.s. This is how obscure David Maraniss is. Ever heard of The Washington Post before? Think "Watergate".

 

David Maraniss (born 1949) is an American journalist and author, currently serving as an associate-editor for The Washington Post. He received a Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 1993 for his coverage of then-candidate Bill Clinton during the 1992 United States presidential election.

 

Maraniss began his journalism career as a high school student in Madison, Wisconsin, where he covered antiwar protests and high school football for a local daily newspaper. He joined The Washington Post in 1977 and has served it in various capacities since. The Post assigned him the job of biographer for their coverage of 2008 presidential candidate Barack Obama.

 

http://en.wikipedia..../David_Maraniss

 

Couldn't find it, this wasn't one of your last three links...

[Steve]

LOL..this was the same Obama that was accused by the Republicans of bowing to Queen Elizabeth? Bush loved Britain enough to drag them into two wars. Even had Blair and Company charming the Congress and the American people into the war in Iraq. With friends like that they're better off with 'enemies' like Obama. hehehe

 

Anyway, this whole Holder thingy is out of control. It seems Issa is set on creating a scandal or controversy here and now before the election. I'm not saying there isn't smoke there. The guns to the Mexican drug dealers thing started under the Bush administration. I'm sure with Obama's administrations track record of breaking the constitution they've got some meat in there. Continuation of Bush. Where was Issa and the Republicans when Cheney and Co., were trampling our civil liberties.

 

All this theatre. Its all bullshit. The hypocracy...on BOTH sides. Reagan and Dubya have done the most since Nixon to warrant a serious look at impeachment but its Clinton who gets it for getting his dick sucked and lying about it in a civil matter. A non presidential civil matter, which by precedence is never impeached (VP Burr illegally killing Sec of Treasury Hamilton in a duel and the Republicans successfully removing tax evasion from the articles of impeachment even though he evaded taxes while a sitting president).

 

Former Minn. governor Jesse Ventura has been doing a book tour and I heard him on CNN. I never understood what he did as Governor for him to be labled as a nut or what ever. Somewhat similar to Arnold as well. I don't see where Arnold was any worse than previous Governors of California but he was seen as some Atilla the Hun for some reason.

 

Anyway, I digress. Ventura was refreshing when I heard him on CNN. The two parties are BS. If you recall he ran under Perot's Reform party and won. We need an honest to goodness 3rd party to help save the country. Keeping out another voice is the ONLY thing both parties agree on.

[Flashermac]

Couldn't find it, this wasn't one of your last three links...

 

First of them! He's the guy who did the Obama biography.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Flashermac]

I like Jesse Ventura. He's not a nutter, only gets called that because he swims to his own drum.

 

"If by some divine act of providence we could get rid of both parties and hire some good men, like any other good business does, that would be sitting pretty." - Will Rogers

 

 

 

 

 

[kamui]

The British Wonder "Does Obama HATE Us?"

 

<< Small wonder that his relationship with Gordon Brown borders upon the disastrous.

 

Even some of our Prime Minister's sternest critics - myself among them - thought he was appallingly treated by the Obama administration when he visited Washington in March.

Assembly.

 

Once again, Obama's refusal to grasp that opportunity to stress the special relationship was seen as an insult to Britain.

... the speed at which the special relationship - an alliance that had endured for seven decades - has fallen apart in barely 11 months is both remarkable and deeply alarming.

 

One of the greatest forces for good, liberty and freedom - not to mention the defence of the free world - is in very real danger of being banished to the history books for ever. >>

 

My link

 

The British media (right and left) has the tendency to overreact. In Germany we are used to it.

Just today there is an article which says that Chancellor Angela Merkel is much more dangerous than Ahmadinejad (Iran) or Kim Jong-un (Korea).

 

Just have a look at the latest magazine cover:

 

The first paragraph of the article:

Which world leader poses the biggest threat to global order and prosperity? The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? Wrong. Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu? Nope. North Korea’s Kim Jong-un? Wrong again.

 

The answer is a mild-mannered opera fan and former chemist who has been in office for seven years. Yes, step forward, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany,...

 

http://www.newstates...stroying-europe

 

 

I guess soon we will need a special visa for the enter the UK and we will have a secret service agent attached to every German visitor.

[kamui]

This might not decide this election, but 2016+ will become very interesting due to the ongoing demographic shift in favor of non-whites...

 

 

Race gap hardens in 2012 contest

By: Alexander Burns

June 21, 2012 12:46 PM EDT

 

The demographic battle lines of the 2012 campaign are rapidly solidifying as Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama gear up for a campaign defined by significant gaps between the candidates in voters’ race, gender and age.

 

A trickle of recent swing-state surveys confirms a racial divide that’s already been on vivid display in national polling: Obama has failed to gain new traction with white voters whileRomney has either stalled out or lost ground with Latinos and other non-white voting groups.

 

That pattern is only likely to intensify after Obama’s decision to allow some children of illegal immigrants to stay in the country. Romney criticized it for being a stop-gap measure but has not said whether he would maintain that policy as president.

 

It’s not only race that divides the two candidates: the generational and gender gaps that have characterized both the Obama and Romney coalitions haven’t budged. The racial gap may be the most striking, given the rapidly growing Hispanic population and the relative decline of the white vote share.

 

A Quinnipiac University poll of Florida voters threw the divisions into relief Thursday morning. In the poll, Romney won voters over 55, white voters and men. All other demographic groups broke for the president: women, black and Latino voters, and voters 54 and younger.

 

The survey gave Obama a 4-point lead against Romney overall, 46 to 42 percent.

....

 

http://www.politico....0612/77700.html

[Steve]

There was a recent article several weeks ago that said that the majority of children born in America are now non-white. It worries me. Strange to hear that from a black guy...lol. Many of them latinos, specifically Mexican-American heritage. A lot of the others Asian. My problem with the latter is the animus many have about America. There is a fairly strong 'reconquista' mood amongst them that they will re-conquer lost territory they lost in the Mexican American war for Mexico. The european immigrans in the 1800s and 1900s wanted very badly to be 'American'. I don't see that.

As for the Asian Americans, there is sometimes animus between them and blacks (especially Korean). Blacks share a good portion of that blame but at least with the majority culture (white) we share an understanding. There isn't much difference anymore between middle and upper middle class blacks and whites. The animus is mainly with the poorest of blacks. There is a very strong and vibrant black middle class that has been living in mostly white communities now since the '80s and '90s. My nephews are of that era. They grew up in solidly middle class, largely white San Fernando valley area of Los Angeles. They were smart, good kids (one is currently an engineering student at UCLA) with neighbors who knew them from birth and see them the same as any other kid. As welcome in their homes as anyone.

I mix easily with anyone and everyone as well.

I think middle class or the middle class mindset is good and just about all groups get along who have that mindset for the most part. You still have some folks though who aren't as open minded. Kids are kids, they will always get along. But often you find a middle class parent who has reservations about their kid being friends with and socializing with another kid from a different ethnic group. It still happens. Over time, once they see the kid is as smart or is nice from good parents the perception changes.

 

Anyway, as far as politics. The Republicans know that long term they have a problem. They have an anti foreigner reputation and it will be an issue. They had problems winning Virginia last time, a state that most would have given to Republicans in the past because northern Virginia looks more and more as diverse as Washington DC. Lots of middle and upper middle class whites who work in and around DC, Arlington and Alexandra as well as ethnic minorities who have moved into the middle classes and are moving there. Virginia is like two states, the northern part is progressive and the southern part, especially near the North Carolina border is solidly southern in mindset. Conservative, not as many minorities other than blacks who havef been there for ages.

 

Its a losing battle for Republicans as America becomes more and more non white. The good news is that many of the non white middle class will be conservative in ideology. Asians have a tendency to be so. Socially conservative. Have a history of being from countries without a social safety net sometimes so against welfare and other social programs in theory or not to the degree it is in America. Latinos will be more likely to be Democratic though. Black middle class won't be as solidly Democrat as poor blacks (well over 90 percent usually around 95 percent or so), but will be well over 80 percent. Many of their chidren will be more conservative or at least centrists.

[Steve]

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/47896993/ns/today-today_news/t/school-bus-monitor-wont-press-charges-against-really-nasty-kids/#.T-Nfo7Vq2TO

 

This video of a grandmother who was a school bus monitor has gone viral. She was teased/bullied mercilessly by the middle school students she was protecting on the bus.

 

As you can see in the video she was moved to tears from the cruel words. We live in an electronic world. I'm reminded of this every day. Truth is stuff like this has been happening for years and years. Only difference is today there is a strong chance it will be recorded. Students have always spoken about teachers. Written notes that Mr or Mrs so and so is whatever. Or drew pictures when I was in elementary school and every once in a while some kids drawing gets them in trouble and sent to the Principal's office.

 

Its not right but its part of school. These kids seem especially cruel and we NEVER would speak to an adult like that. NEVER. While some parents will be embarrassed that their son or daughter was involved some will minimize it as typical school stuff. There is a generation of parents these days who have a my kid can do no wrong mentality. My mom would have beat my ass and made me publicly apologize to the woman in front of everyone. I don't want to even think what my dad would do. Both the punishment and the fact I disappointed them would have been too much for me. The look of disappointement from my dad would have been worse than any physical punishment. You don't have that these days. I know if any of my nephews would have done anything like that I'd be on their ass as my uncles were. If I was too bad at my uncles, I'd beg him to punish me himself and keep it there rather than send me home with a phone call to my parents why I was not there. That would have been worse...lol. If it was bad enough my uncle wouldn't give me a whack or two on the ass, he'd just send me home and call my parents...lol...knowing they'd do worse than what he would ever do.

 

Anyway, someone in the video said we don't have a bad child problem but a bad parent problem. Kids allowed to scream at them in stores, act up, etc. If they are disruptive in a theatre or restaurant the rest of us are supposed to understand that 'kids are kids'. Kids are a different breed nowadays. My older sister, who has a few yaars on me, was child of the '70s told stories of being sent home by women in her neighborhood for wearing 'hot pants'. In LA at a laundramat I saw a young girl who had to be about 12 or 13 at most with the smallest shorts ever. Practically a belt, looked something like you see in the go gos. I respectfully told her 'hey, there are a lot of crazy guys around these days and its not wise to dress a certain way. its an invitation for trouble. You may want to change your attire'. She ripped me a new one. Told me I wasn't her f*cking daddy and to mind my own f*cking business. She can wear what the f*ck she wants to wear'. No parent around either. I just gave her a smirk look and shook my head. Some old latina women nearby called me over and padded me on the back and told me I did the right thing. This was a long time ago. Not sure I'd do that again. If it was a neighbor's, friends kid or relative, sure. Stranger? No. Not with how things are these days as a guy. You say anything to an underage girl, even if its to help, you're labled.

 

I grew up in churches where if you were a young girl and the skirt was too far above the knee they "called you out" as the saying goes and sent you home. My dad, a deacon, did that regularly. My sister dressed like a friggin' moslem at church for years...lol. Which explains her moving to LA and wearing 'booty shorts' when she was in her '20s...lol.

 

Anyway, kids these days are a terror. Its our own fault collectively. The electronic age is changing things and some times kids are making choices that will follow them forever. There are a few youtube or twitter messages from teens who have said all kinds of anti gay, racist, etc. things that have gone viral. When that kid applies to college or tries to get a job that could follow them.

 

There was a white teen girl in Florida a few months ago who had a black bf and made a youtube video of why black girls aren't good enough for black guys. It went viral. She had to leave her school because of death threats. Her parents were shocked about it and said they never raised their daughter like that but her multicultural neighbors didn't believe it. The girl got messages saying that every school she applies to will see that video. Its gonna haunt her for at least the near future. Her university and job prospects are now gone...at least a good one. Yes, it was stupid but she shoudn't pay that price. We've all said stupid shit. Racist shit. Anti gay. Anti semetic. etc. either joking or in anger. I have done all those things. I'd be shocked if any of my non white friends haven't said a racist thing. Its being human. I love 'em just the same. Its not right but its being human. We've ALL said things. Its the whole life is what is important and who the person is, not a random comment. Problem is nowadays one slip up can label you forever.

[Flashermac]

<< LOL..this was the same Obama that was accused by the Republicans of bowing to Queen Elizabeth? >>

 

Body language