The Politics Thread

[a1]

the american narrator of thomas the tank engine (!) tells it like it is-

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0u6lCBnRoHQ

[superjohnmcginlay]

the american narrator of thomas the tank engine (!) tells it like it is-

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0u6lCBnRoHQ

Rufus! RIP.

[Puskas]

Since this is labelled the Politics Thread, and not specifically American Presidential Politics Thread, can I express my amusement at Peter Mandelson returning to government:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008 ... ordonbrown

There was a time I would have said "shock", "disgust" or "abhorrence" that someone so corrupt can be called back. But hell, nobody's suprised by anything, anymore.
And a seat in the Lords, to boot.
If I take a dodgy loan, can I get a seat in the Lords, as well? Although in these Credit-Crunchy times, it seems that there'd be a lot of other contenders.

[Worthy4England]

I think there's a fairly long history of dodgy returnees over the years on both sides of the political divide.

[Puskas]

I think there's a fairly long history of dodgy returnees over the years on both sides of the political divide.

I'm know.

It's just that it happened again.

And it will happen in future.

As I said, I would be depressed, if I cared any more.

[Lord Kangana]

So to sum up this whole thread, all politicians are bent and in it for themselves, corruption is rife, and they'd sell their own grandmothers for a few quid?

Do we need a thread for that? Can we not just have a sticky with a statement to that effect?

[blurred]

Why would Conservatives over here be anti-Bush?

Because he's an inept, dim-witted, war-mongering c*nt?

[superjohnmcginlay]

Why would Conservatives over here be anti-Bush?

Because he's an inept, dim-witted, war-mongering c*nt?

Fair enough.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

And, in the US, the first Veep debate tonight - Palin vs Biden. I do hope she can scrape through looking vaguely competent.... As it is, I think we're screwed anyway, and I don't see JM winning in places like Colorado, Virginia etc.

I'm interested as to the 'we' in this - while I know you have your blue leanings in affairs on this side of the pond, and the Republicans are the natural party of the 'conservative' (both big and small C) over there, I find it interesting that you align yourself with them, when I would imagine that a significant minority (if not a majority) of Conservatives over here are distinctly anti-Bush. How does that reconcile? Have you not watched the West Wing and become avowedly Democrat?

Well, for a start nobody will have the chance to vote for Bush in November, so whether or not Conservatives are anti-Bush is irrelevant.

(As an aside, I wonder how many of those who solemnly and knowingly trot out the 'it's all about oil' line as if they have any insight at all into world affairs are in the queue to complain as soon as the price of fuel goes up by a mere 10p a litre.)

Yes, when I say 'we' I am talking about myself, of course, and the fact that I would not be voting for Senator Obama in the upcoming elections, were I a US citizen. My spiritual home in the US is undoubtedly on the socially liberal wing (yes, it does exist) of the GOP. There is certainly no place for me amongst the sneering, smug, disconnected, metropolitan liberals in America.

Palin, admittedly, isn't a great intellect. Not that intellectuals have all the answers, of course - indeed, the liberal intellectuals in the US often fail to see the wood for the trees... probably while they lose so many elections amongst people they don't understand or even like, and genuinely don't know why it's happened.

Hearing her claim that she had some foreign policy credentials on the basis of Alaska's border with Russia was, for example, excruciating. As was the fact that she couldn't name any other Supreme Court decision apart from Roe v Wade (when students even from this continent, in several disciplines, can name more than that...). http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=DRuBdW0yBUY

Is she a creationist? I don't think so, but I don't particularly care. The 'God thing' runs right through American politics anyway, and I don't personally find Creationist teachings much more ridiculous than the idea of the paranormal force that not only knows what each and everyone one of us is thinking, but actually cares what we're thinking, or the idea that when we die our personalities survive the death of our brains in an afterlife.

At any rate, she'd only be VP and JM is as fit as a fiddle.

Somebody asked me to defend the $700million bail-out package... what can I say - the idea makes me uncomfortable, as it does plenty of others, but it's not out of line with conservative thinking that the state is there to provide a safety net when things go tits up.


Mandelson.

[Zulus Thousand of em]

Intellectualism has never been a pre-requisite for the American presidency, whether Democrat or Republican, as far as I can see. I think you've got to go back as far as Roosevelt. (You can certainly skip LBJ, Carter, Ford, Reagan, Clinton and the Bushes!)

[Montreal Wanderer]

Intellectualism has never been a pre-requisite for the American presidency, whether Democrat or Republican, as far as I can see. I think you've got to go back as far as Roosevelt. (You can certainly skip LBJ, Carter, Ford, Reagan, Clinton and the Bushes!)

Not sure why you would skip Clinton - he was a Rhodes scholar, Phi Beta Kappa and a graduate of Yale Law School which would indicate a certain intellect IMHO.

[Zulus Thousand of em]

Intellectualism has never been a pre-requisite for the American presidency, whether Democrat or Republican, as far as I can see. I think you've got to go back as far as Roosevelt. (You can certainly skip LBJ, Carter, Ford, Reagan, Clinton and the Bushes!)

Not sure why you would skip Clinton - he was a Rhodes scholar, Phi Beta Kappa and a graduate of Yale Law School which would indicate a certain intellect IMHO.

Or, a very well-connected family, keen on keeping their son's hide far away from Viet Cong bullets. Or am I being unkind?

[TANGODANCER]

Politics in any country is akin to a coconut shy. Appoint a line of coconuts to sit against a blank wall and choose a bevy of shooters to knock em down. When the line's empty, change places and start all over again.

[sluffy]

Intellectualism has never been a pre-requisite for the American presidency, whether Democrat or Republican, as far as I can see. I think you've got to go back as far as Roosevelt. (You can certainly skip LBJ, Carter, Ford, Reagan, Clinton and the Bushes!)

George Bush (Snr) graduated Yale also, obtaining a Bachelor's degree in economics.

[Montreal Wanderer]

Intellectualism has never been a pre-requisite for the American presidency, whether Democrat or Republican, as far as I can see. I think you've got to go back as far as Roosevelt. (You can certainly skip LBJ, Carter, Ford, Reagan, Clinton and the Bushes!)

George Bush (Snr) graduated Yale also, obtaining a Bachelor's degree in economics.

So did Junior in history but there is a huge difference between a Yale undergraduate degree and the Yale Law School.

[Montreal Wanderer]

Intellectualism has never been a pre-requisite for the American presidency, whether Democrat or Republican, as far as I can see. I think you've got to go back as far as Roosevelt. (You can certainly skip LBJ, Carter, Ford, Reagan, Clinton and the Bushes!)

Not sure why you would skip Clinton - he was a Rhodes scholar, Phi Beta Kappa and a graduate of Yale Law School which would indicate a certain intellect IMHO.

Or, a very well-connected family, keen on keeping their son's hide far away from Viet Cong bullets. Or am I being unkind?

Not unkind Zulus but a tad naive. Good connections don't get you a Rhodes scholarship or Phi Beta Kappa. And staying out of Vietnam might be considered a further sign of intelligence.

[sluffy]

Intellectualism has never been a pre-requisite for the American presidency, whether Democrat or Republican, as far as I can see. I think you've got to go back as far as Roosevelt. (You can certainly skip LBJ, Carter, Ford, Reagan, Clinton and the Bushes!)

George Bush (Snr) graduated Yale also, obtaining a Bachelor's degree in economics.

So did Junior in history but there is a huge difference between a Yale undergraduate degree and the Yale Law School.

Senior also graduated as a member of Phi Beta Kappa in 1948 - Jeb too in 1973

[lovethesmellofnapalm]

From a country that looks like it is about to elect David Cameron as its next leader, the sniping at US Presidents intellectual abilities seems a tad insular.

[sluffy]

From a country that looks like it is about to elect David Cameron as its next leader, the sniping at US Presidents intellectual abilities seems a tad insular.

Cameron obtained a first class honours degree from Oxford.

(Gordon Brown has a PhD in history from the University of Edinburgh).

[lovethesmellofnapalm]

From a country that looks like it is about to elect David Cameron as its next leader, the sniping at US Presidents intellectual abilities seems a tad insular.

Cameron obtained a first class honours degree from Oxford.

(Gordon Brown has a PhD in history from the University of Edinburgh).

Heatherdown Prep School
Eton College
Oxford

You can buy that sort of education in this country with the right connections- what piece of literary,philosophical, sociological or technological body of work has he produced?