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Are we obsessed with American politics and current affairs?

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    #32
    The Dom
    Closed Accounts Posts: 236 ✭✭The Dom


    Was out in Portmarnock this year during the heat wave and as the watter lapped around my swimming trucks, I couldn't help but get aroused and started to push against it and kept doing so until I climaxed. As I was walking back into the beach almost everyone was gawping at me and pointing, I couldn't believe. So yeah, in my experience people are obsessed with current affairs in this country.


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    #33
    UCDVet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,894 ✭✭✭UCDVet


    As the sole military super-power, I think everyone should pay attention to US current affairs. Just on the off chance they decide to bring freedom, tanks, democracy, drones, and happiness (and bombs).


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    #34
    MadsL
    Registered Users Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    UCDVet wrote: »
    As the sole military super-power, .

    Wut?


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    #35
    the groutch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,096 ✭✭✭✭the groutch


    UCDVet wrote: »
    As the sole military super-power, I think everyone should pay attention to US current affairs. Just on the off chance they decide to bring freedom, tanks, democracy, drones, and happiness (and bombs).

    so I see that not posting for a year is going well :D


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    #36
    UCDVet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,894 ✭✭✭UCDVet


    the groutch wrote: »
    so I see that not posting for a year is going well :D

    I kept up my end of the bargain....I paid myself per the terms of my agreement with myself.

    I am a man of my word.


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    #37
    hatrickpatrick
    Registered Users Posts: 17,797 ✭✭✭✭hatrickpatrick


    Have to admit, one of the reasons I'm so interested in how f*cked up US domestic politics are is that I honestly can't understand for the life of me how they get off telling other countries how to have "freedom and democracy" when their own alleged democracy is bought and paid for by lobby groups, corporations, the NSA and so on.

    The United States is the most hilarious example of the pot calling the kettle black. If its leaders would only realize how idiotic their busybody rhetoric with regard to other countries sounds in the face of how f*cked up their own country is and think twice before lecturing anyone else, I doubt people would have as much fun parodying them as they do.


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    #38
    hatrickpatrick
    Registered Users Posts: 17,797 ✭✭✭✭hatrickpatrick


    UCDVet wrote: »
    I am a man of my word.

    You realise that expression has slightly ironic connotations ever since this scene, right?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TJ3Yv_vgUc


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    #39
    UCDVet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,894 ✭✭✭UCDVet


    MadsL wrote: »
    Wut?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superpower
    Some people doubt the existence of superpowers in the post Cold War era altogether, stating that today's complex global marketplace and the rising interdependency between the world's nations has made the concept of a superpower an idea of the past and that the world is now multipolar. However, the military dominance of the United States remains unquestioned, and its international influence has made it an eminent world power.[17][18][19][20]

    The US spends as much on it's military than the NEXT ELEVEN COUNTRIES COMBINED.

    #2 China - 166.0 Billion
    #3 Russia - 90.7 Billion
    #4 UK -60.8 Billion
    #5 Japan - 59.3 Billion
    #6 France - 58.9 Billion
    #7 Saudi Arabia - 56.7 Billion
    #8 India - 46.1 Billion
    #9 Germany - 45.8 Billion
    #10 Italy - 34 Billion
    #11 Brazil - 33.1 Billion
    #12 South Korea - 31.7 Billion
    Total - 683 Billion
    The US? They Spend 682 Billion

    The US alone has as many aircraft carriers as the rest of the world put together.

    You can argue that China or Russia or whoever else is also a military superpower....but eh, fair enough. I'd still say the US has enough history of bring tanks and planes to countries far outside of it's own borders that people should keep an eye on what they're doing.


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    #40
    diograis
    Registered Users Posts: 435 ✭✭diograis


    hatrickpatrick wrote: »
    Have to admit, one of the reasons I'm so interested in how f*cked up US domestic politics are is that I honestly can't understand for the life of me how they get off telling other countries how to have "freedom and democracy" when their own alleged democracy is bought and paid for by lobby groups, corporations, the NSA and so on.

    The United States is the most hilarious example of the pot calling the kettle black. If its leaders would only realize how idiotic their busybody rhetoric with regard to other countries sounds in the face of how f*cked up their own country is and think twice before lecturing anyone else, I doubt people would have as much fun parodying them as they do.

    I challenge anyone who says American politics isn't hilarious to watch Katie Couric's interview with Sarah Palin. You can't help but pity her, it's tragic haha.


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    #41
    MadsL
    Registered Users Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    UCDVet wrote: »
    You can argue that China or Russia or whoever else is also a military superpower....but eh, fair enough.
    Yes, yes they are.
    I'd still say the US has enough history of bring tanks and planes to countries far outside of it's own borders that people should keep an eye on what they're doing.

    Like China and Russia have no form on that.. :rolleyes:


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    #42
    Henlars67
    Registered Users Posts: 1,272 ✭✭✭Henlars67


    I just find America hilarious.

    The country is basically a parody of itself.

    Land of the free my bo*lox.

    There's no choice politically.

    You either support the liberal neo-liberals or the conservative neo-liberals.

    Everyone else is a communist.


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    #43
    porsche959
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,499 ✭✭✭porsche959


    Yorky wrote: »
    Does anyone find the Irish adoration of JFK vaguely bizarre? Vietnam, Bay of Pigs, Nuclear brink- a few aspects of his term in office.

    Also how the Kennedy plutocracy came about: bootlegging, decimation of Irish Whiskey industry by Joe's distribution rights of Scotch, stock market short selling which arguably caused the collapse etc

    Also how the Kennedy plutocracy came about: bootlegging, decimation of Irish Whiskey industry by Joe's distribution rights of Scotch, stock market short selling which arguably caused the collapse etc

    Then there's the serial adultery / philandering malarky; Not a mention of this by the adoring masses on RTE radio 1 this week, most of whom would be from a traditional conservative RC background - the most bizarre part of all.

    He didn't deserve to die but he was far from his portrayal in Ireland.

    Inexplicably, all gushing tributes went unchallenged by the RTE 1 presenters..

    I agree with you that JFK is over-romanticised in Ireland, but RTE presenters not challenging gushing tributes is entirely explicable - RTE's entire raison d'etre revolves around being non-provocative, not rocking the boat and telling middle Ireland what they think it wants to hear.


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    #44
    MadsL
    Registered Users Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    Henlars67 wrote: »
    I just find America hilarious.

    The country is basically a parody of itself.

    Land of the free my bo*lox.

    There's no choice politically.

    You either support the liberal neo-liberals or the conservative neo-liberals.

    Everyone else is a communist.

    You clearly and fundamentally missed the whole Gary Johnson/Ron Paul Libertarian thing then.


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    #45
    WilyCoyote
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,059 ✭✭✭WilyCoyote


    Not to mention various wardrobe malfunctions live on National TV, Gerry! :P


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    #46
    KyussBishop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,797 ✭✭✭KyussBishop


    MadsL wrote: »
    You clearly and fundamentally missed the whole Gary Johnson/Ron Paul Libertarian thing then.
    Neoliberalism was formed by pretty much the same people, and many of the same think tanks, as the modern form of Libertarianism - it can be viewed, in part, as a less-extremist form of Libertarian's unregulated free-market views.

    So, promoting the Libertarian form of (literally impossible) 'free market' policy, in place of the Neoliberal form of (much more cynical/clever/deceptive) 'free market' policy, would be supplanting crazy, with batshít crazy.

    It wouldn't just be 'more of the same' (a steady shift in power over politics/economics/society into private wealthy hands), it would be an exponential leap in accelerating the same set of failed policies (into near-complete control over politics/economics/society, into private wealthy hands), because a true economy-wide 'free market' can't exist outside of theory, and trying to get there results in massive private concentration of power/wealth.


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    #47
    MadsL
    Registered Users Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    KyussBishop wrote: »
    Neoliberalism was formed by pretty much the same people, and many of the same think tanks, as the modern form of Libertarianism - it can be viewed, in part, as a less-extremist form of Libertarian's unregulated free-market views.

    So, promoting the Libertarian form of (literally impossible) 'free market' policy, in place of the Neoliberal form of (much more cynical/clever/deceptive) 'free market' policy, would be supplanting crazy, with batshít crazy.

    It wouldn't just be 'more of the same' (a steady shift in power over politics/economics/society into private wealthy hands), it would be an exponential leap in accelerating the same set of failed policies (into near-complete control over politics/economics/society, into private wealthy hands), because a true economy-wide 'free market' can't exist outside of theory, and trying to get there results in massive private concentration of power/wealth.

    You mean much a civil war era family loyalties perpetuate a two party system of pretty much centre-right policies based on not being quite so bad as the last lot... the Irish glasshouse is a piss-poor location to be lobbing stones from...


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    #48
    KyussBishop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,797 ✭✭✭KyussBishop


    MadsL wrote: »
    You clearly and fundamentally missed the whole Gary Johnson/Ron Paul Libertarian thing then.
    Ok, looking back, my post was overcomplicated and hard to read, so I'll put it more succinctly:
    Libertarian's are barely different to Neoliberals. They share most of the worst aspects of Neoliberal economics (except worse), since Libertarians were pretty much the inspiration for (and participated in creating) Neoliberalism.


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    #49
    hatrickpatrick
    Registered Users Posts: 17,797 ✭✭✭✭hatrickpatrick


    diograis wrote: »
    I challenge anyone who says American politics isn't hilarious to watch Katie Couric's interview with Sarah Palin. You can't help but pity her, it's tragic haha.

    The first time I saw that I assumed I was watching a Tina Fey SNL skit, then it slowly dawned on me that this was an actual interview. :D
    Fey parodied it later on that week and was able to quote parts of it word for word:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE-OCDexYrU


    I remember a speech by Rick Santorum last year as well in which he started calling Obama a particular racist word and then caught himself and tried to back off in mid sentence:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egtaV6Pj8yI


    Hell, I despise Sarah Palin's brand of right wing busybody 'family values' politics, but I seriously hope she runs for president next time just purely for the entertainment factor alone :D

    And who can forget the famous Bushisms?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushism#Notable_statements

    My personal favourite: "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." - Washington, D.C., August 5, 2004 :D:D:D


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    #50
    diograis
    Registered Users Posts: 435 ✭✭diograis


    hatrickpatrick wrote: »
    The first time I saw that I assumed I was watching a Tina Fey SNL skit, then it slowly dawned on me that this was an actual interview. :D
    Fey parodied it later on that week and was able to quote parts of it word for word:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE-OCDexYrU


    I remember a speech by Rick Santorum last year as well in which he started calling Obama a particular racist word and then caught himself and tried to back off in mid sentence:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egtaV6Pj8yI


    Hell, I despise Sarah Palin's brand of right wing busybody 'family values' politics, but I seriously hope she runs for president next time just purely for the entertainment factor alone :D

    And who can forget the famous Bushisms?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushism#Notable_statements

    My personal favourite: "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." - Washington, D.C., August 5, 2004 :D:D:D

    brilliant.
    I'm the same tbh, they don't even realise how hilarious their elections are. Last year Der Spiegel (I think?) or one of those took a poll and found 98% of Germans would have vote for Obama. NINETY. EIGHT.


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    #51
    hatrickpatrick
    Registered Users Posts: 17,797 ✭✭✭✭hatrickpatrick


    diograis wrote: »
    brilliant.
    I'm the same tbh, they don't even realise how hilarious their elections are. Last year Der Spiegel (I think?) or one of those took a poll and found 98% of Germans would have vote for Obama. NINETY. EIGHT.

    To be fair Irish politics is hilarious too in its own way, but I reckon it's too close to the bone for some reason since some of the "hilarious" goings on in the Dail reflect, for us, the reason our country is in deep sh!te. When it's American politicians making fools of themselves we can laugh at it safely knowing that their stupidity isn't our problem. ;)


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