A hapless America?

[Lafayette]

From The Guardian here:

American democracy is under threat from inside. Trump did not accept his election defeat in November and egged on his supporters to attack the US Capitol on 6 January to overturn the result. At the same time, Republicans are using their control of state legislatures to bring through a plethora of laws aimed at making it harder to vote and so cement their own rule.

Biden is rather less keen to discuss the fact that he is relatively powerless to address those internal threats. Thin Democratic majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives, combined with united Republican opposition and the presence of the Senate filibuster, make it nearly impossible to get any legislation passed.

What is tragic for America is the number of fellow-Americans who happen to believe, still, that a hapless ex-PotUS (Trump) is right. Or Right, whichever does not matter. From where devolves such a belief?

Woeful ignorance of a large part of the American public that have had insufficient instruction in Civics. Which is a course in how democracy works, not a lesson in impractical and provincial Political Thinking/Belief ... or whatever. Civics, though a "noun", behaves like a "verb". It is the work necessary to assure that a democracy is fair, independent, and competent.

Just what is "Civics" (capital "C" is important)! It's "short" definition goes like this: "The study of the rights and duties of citizenship."

And how do we know what those "rights and duties are"? Well, that question was posed and answered in a study-report by the title of "2018 Civics Framework", which is the handiwork of a select group of people explained in Chapter 3 (excerpt) and its purpose explained:

THE CIVICS ASSESSMENT: KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND DISPOSITIONS

Civic education is central to American education and to the well-being of American constitutional democracy. Civic education also is important to civil society—that historically essential sector of society composed of nongovernmental voluntary, community, and fraternal organizations, clubs, and religious institutions. Sustained and systematic attention to civics, government, and civil society in the K–12 curriculum enables students to build on the knowledge they acquire in each successive grade.

Therefore, students’ understanding of civic life, politics, and government should increase both in scope and depth as they progress through the elementary, middle, and high school years. In addition, their command of essential intellectual and participatory skills should continue to develop as they move toward the assumption of the full rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

Yes, citizenship is not just an individual right of all citizens. It is also a "duty" that we learn in order to assure (and participate) in the development of our rights as citizens. And not just wait for someone to show-up, run for office, and tell us what our rights are and why/how they might evolve.

Which implies a considerable amount of work. And, to my mind, requires a "standing committee" of select-individuals to pursue that goal. With an in-depth report now-and-then about when/where/how or why our "democracy" needs to evolve.

Meaning quite simply this: That "committee" must come alive and perform (in a politically neutral fashion) the studies so essential to understanding truly what our democracy is doing and how it should be done ...

 

[AliHajiSheik]

From The Guardian here:



What is tragic for America is the number of fellow-Americans who happen to believe, still, that a hapless ex-PotUS (Trump) is right. Or Right, whichever does not matter. From where devolves such a belief?

Woeful ignorance of a large part of the American public that have had insufficient instruction in Civics. Which is a course in how democracy works, not a lesson in impractical and provincial Political Thinking/Belief ... or whatever. Civics, though a "noun", behaves like a "verb". It is the work necessary to assure that a democracy is fair, independent, and competent.

Just what is "Civics" (capital "C" is important)! It's "short" definition goes like this: "The study of the rights and duties of citizenship."

And how do we know what those "rights and duties are"? Well, that question was posed and answered in a study-report by the title of "2018 Civics Framework", which is the handiwork of a select group of people explained in Chapter 3 (excerpt) and its purpose explained:



Yes, citizenship is not just an individual right of all citizens. It is also a "duty" that we learn in order to assure (and participate) in the development of our rights as citizens. And not just wait for someone to show-up, run for office, and tell us what our rights are and why/how they might evolve.

Which implies a considerable amount of work. And, to my mind, requires a "standing committee" of select-individuals to pursue that goal. With an in-depth report now-and-then about when/where/how or why our "democracy" needs to evolve.

Meaning quite simply this: That "committee" must come alive and perform (in a politically neutral fashion) the studies so essential to understanding truly what our democracy is doing and how it should be done ...

You just justified taxiing expats. Good job. Keep paying your fair share citizen.

 

[PirateMk1]

From The Guardian here:



What is tragic for America is the number of fellow-Americans who happen to believe, still, that a hapless ex-PotUS (Trump) is right. Or Right, whichever does not matter. From where devolves such a belief?

Woeful ignorance of a large part of the American public that have had insufficient instruction in Civics. Which is a course in how democracy works, not a lesson in impractical and provincial Political Thinking/Belief ... or whatever. Civics, though a "noun", behaves like a "verb". It is the work necessary to assure that a democracy is fair, independent, and competent.

Just what is "Civics" (capital "C" is important)! It's "short" definition goes like this: "The study of the rights and duties of citizenship."

And how do we know what those "rights and duties are"? Well, that question was posed and answered in a study-report by the title of "2018 Civics Framework", which is the handiwork of a select group of people explained in Chapter 3 (excerpt) and its purpose explained:



Yes, citizenship is not just an individual right of all citizens. It is also a "duty" that we learn in order to assure (and participate) in the development of our rights as citizens. And not just wait for someone to show-up, run for office, and tell us what our rights are and why/how they might evolve.

Which implies a considerable amount of work. And, to my mind, requires a "standing committee" of select-individuals to pursue that goal. With an in-depth report now-and-then about when/where/how or why our "democracy" needs to evolve.

Meaning quite simply this: That "committee" must come alive and perform (in a politically neutral fashion) the studies so essential to understanding truly what our democracy is doing and how it should be done ...

I just love when foreigners think they know America. It's the same as Americans thinking they know France and being French. Nobody knows shit unless they go there and be there for good while not just an occasional visit, but living there steeped in the respective culture. Without that one knows nothing.

 

[Allan]

America is far from "hapless". Lots of countries elect idiots - Boris in the UK, Berlusconi in Italy. They survive.

 

[Barros Serrano]

I just love when foreigners think they know America. It's the same as Americans thinking they know France and being French. Nobody knows shit unless they go there and be there for good while not just an occasional visit, but living there steeped in the respective culture. Without that one knows nothing.

Oh please, what is so complicated about Americans? Really, most are simple-shits. Just look at our politics.

I advocate that Biden surrender to France, so we'll have sane governance for once. And since I speak French, I'll have a good govt job! It's a win-win situation!

 

[Barros Serrano]

America is far from "hapless". Lots of countries elect idiots - Boris in the UK, Berlusconi in Italy. They survive.

The problem is that sometimes a leader manifests who was not elected, or was and turns into a dictator. Hitler was elected. Pinochet didn't need to be.

The possibility of dictatorship still hangs over the USA like a dark cloud... well, dark orange...

 

[Allan]

Oh please, what is so complicated about Americans? Really, most are simple-shits. Just look at our politics.

I advocate that Biden surrender to France, so we'll have sane governance for once. And since I speak French, I'll have a good govt job! It's a win-win situation!

And the best healthcare and croissants in the world.

 

[Rexedgar]

And the best healthcare and croissants in the world.

Rub it in……


US bread is because we pump it full of preservatives because we don’t hold with going to the bakery every day and walking down the street with a baguette under our arm!

 

[Lafayette]

MIGRATION HODGEPODGE

I just love when foreigners think they know America. It's the same as Americans thinking they know France and being French. Nobody knows shit unless they go there and be there for good while not just an occasional visit, but living there steeped in the respective culture. Without that one knows nothing.

I know America just as well as you do. Better yet perhaps, living in Europe, I can compare the two countries both socially and economically. Both have similar economies with similar economic potential, but different fundamental-law as a base-structure. Europe's is far more liberal-LEFT than Uncle Sam's marriage to Rabid-Right politics.

We Yanks can compare "things" like cars, TVs, etc. that one may want to buy. But we are inept at comparing countries because we think we live in the best-of-them-all. Yes, living in America is pretty-good. That is not the issue - which remains, less we forget, comparing Income Fairness between countries.

Any real comparison requires two comparable entities, and that requires a lengthy period of time that one may have lived in both Europe and the US in order to understand the real differences. To which, for better or worse, they are married for life. (Still, one million Yanks live permanently in Canada. The language is the same - except for French-speaking Canada - and the economies roughly similar in kind. And most say they wont be going back - living in Canada is not difficult. Living one's life in a country of a different language is difficult.)

Any Yank who has lived or lives presently in Europe knows (and appreciates) the fundamental difference between the two economies and their two very different societal-standards. We are estimated to be around 800K who live permanently in Europe.

In the other sense (Europeans who live in the US) the number is more like 4 million. But their origins are typically beyond Europe, which was their quickest "way out" of an economically destitute country where they were born (many from behind the Iron Curtain).

I am making no argument here of which is the better of the two geographies to live - Europe or US. That matter is highly personal ...

 

[Rich2018]

America is far from "hapless". Lots of countries elect idiots - Boris in the UK, Berlusconi in Italy. They survive.

What's your evidence that Boris Johnson is an "idiot" ?

 

[Lafayette]

You just justified taxiing expats. Good job. Keep paying your fair share citizen.

That would be double-taxation! And simply not doable!

In Europe, we Yanks must declare All Income, including whatever comes from outside the European Union wherever we may live and thus pay taxes ...

 

[mrjurrs]

I just love when foreigners think they know America. It's the same as Americans thinking they know France and being French. Nobody knows shit unless they go there and be there for good while not just an occasional visit, but living there steeped in the respective culture. Without that one knows nothing.

How do we know anything about the Sun?

 

[PirateMk1]

How do we know anything about the Sun?

We sent probes. We still don't know all that much.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

America is far from "hapless". Lots of countries elect idiots - Boris in the UK, Berlusconi in Italy. They survive.

And then some don't.

 

[Rich2018]

How do we know anything about the Sun?

Studying it ?

 

[mrjurrs]

We sent probes. We still don't know all that much.

The reference was to your previous claim.

 

[Rich2018]

And then some don't.

View attachment 67338770

Long enough...Hitler survived longer than Trump.

 

[mrjurrs]

Studying it ?

I agree, but we're never going to go there.

 

[Rich2018]

I agree, but we're never going to go there.

No, the sun will eventually come here.

 

[mrjurrs]

No, the sun will eventually come here.

And life as we perceive it, will be long gone.

 

[Rich2018]

And life as we perceive it, will be long gone.

Yep, so much for "intelligent" design.

 

[Lafayette]

You just justified taxiing expats. Good job. Keep paying your fair share citizen.

Thankfully the French government would have a difference of opinion on that subject.

My fair-share of taxes (which is far more expensive than your fair-share) goes to the French government. Which I wish well every time I go to see a doctor in France, and my total cost is ZERO EUROS! Or when one of my kids is off to university and it is costing $1500 (in euros) a year!

Eat your heart out on those two because they are the most obvious manner in which my French-taxation is helping a great many people including my kids ... !

 

[American]

MIGRATION HODGEPODGE



I know America just as well as you do. Better yet perhaps, living in Europe, I can compare the two countries both socially and economically. Both have similar economies with similar economic potential, but different fundamental-law as a base-structure. Europe's is far more liberal-LEFT than Uncle Sam's marriage to Rabid-Right politics.

We Yanks can compare "things" like cars, TVs, etc. that one may want to buy. But we are inept at comparing countries because we think we live in the best-of-them-all. Yes, living in America is pretty-good. That is not the issue - which remains, less we forget, comparing Income Fairness between countries.

Any real comparison requires two comparable entities, and that requires a lengthy period of time that one may have lived in both Europe and the US in order to understand the real differences. To which, for better or worse, they are married for life. (Still, one million Yanks live permanently in Canada. The language is the same - except for French-speaking Canada - and the economies roughly similar in kind. And most say they wont be going back - living in Canada is not difficult. Living one's life in a country of a different language is difficult.)

Any Yank who has lived or lives presently in Europe knows (and appreciates) the fundamental difference between the two economies and their two very different societal-standards. We are estimated to be around 800K who live permanently in Europe.

In the other sense (Europeans who live in the US) the number is more like 4 million. But their origins are typically beyond Europe, which was their quickest "way out" of an economically destitute country where they were born (many from behind the Iron Curtain).

I am making no argument here of which is the better of the two geographies to live - Europe or US. That matter is highly personal ...

Income fairness is a pipe dream, and doesn't exist even in socialist countries. People who think fairness means equal, are idiots who don't understand human nature, and how effort and other characteristics factor in. If you obtain a college GPA of 4.0, are you going to give some of your GPA to a 2.0 student so y'all can be equal?

 

[Juks]

America is far from "hapless". Lots of countries elect idiots - Boris in the UK, Berlusconi in Italy. They survive.

La Pen (National Front (or Rally)) in France has had over 20% for a decade at least (has 25% of the votes now)

POLITICO Poll of Polls — French polls, trends and election news for France

POLLING FROM ACROSS EUROPE. UPDATED DAILY. Jump to: Presidential election results ▫️ Emmanuel Macron’s approval rating France — 2022 general election France — 2022 presidentia…

www.politico.eu

National Rally - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Allan]

La Pen (National Front (or Rally)) in France has had over 20% for a decade at least (has 25% of the votes now)

POLITICO Poll of Polls — French polls, trends and election news for France

POLLING FROM ACROSS EUROPE. UPDATED DAILY. Jump to: Presidential election results ▫️ Emmanuel Macron’s approval rating France — 2022 general election France — 2022 presidentia…

www.politico.eu

National Rally - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I was so glad to see La Pen rejected by French voters in the Presidential election. Few countries know the suffering caused by Fascists like the French and I would have been extremely disappointed to see her lead that beautiful country.