Are the American people responsible for the President's actions?
- Thread starter I think not
- Start date
NO..simple answer!!
I am not anymore responsible for our present Prime Minister than our last one. The shift was wide but my views stay put.
The U.S. government does not alway reflect the views of it's people..and when it doesn't it pays dearly....just look whats going to happen in the two houses later this month!!
"There are more Americans who can't stand G.W. Bush then Canadians in existance"
I am not anymore responsible for our present Prime Minister than our last one. The shift was wide but my views stay put.
The U.S. government does not alway reflect the views of it's people..and when it doesn't it pays dearly....just look whats going to happen in the two houses later this month!!
"There are more Americans who can't stand G.W. Bush then Canadians in existance"
Considering how tight both elections were, I could not blame Americans as a whole for Bush's actions. Hopefully the coming congress/senate elections reign in Bush's agenda.
Ah the way Canadians do it eh?
Unfornately voting against, or stratigic voting lands you with someone to deal with for four years ..longer then the memory of the other guy hahaha!!!
2 choices is not usually enough
I voted "yes". as I believe all people are responsible for their leader's actions, unless they are actively opposing him.
People who voted for him are partially responsible for giving him the power to do what he does, but no more. There's usually no way to vote for someone who completely represents your views, so the fact that you vote for someone doesn't even necessarily mean that you agree with what they do. And since most Americans did not vote for him, only the people who voted and voted for him could ever be held responsible, certainly not Americans as a whole since paying taxes isn't exactly optional.
Only to the extent that they also voted in a majority Republican legislative branch. So... Maybe.
They voted him back in, so they're responsible.
We got stuck with Mulroney in the 80's and it was our own fault.
We got stuck with Mulroney in the 80's and it was our own fault.
Focusing “blame” or attempting to affix responsibility for the outcomes or consequences of actions taken by the George W. Bush administration in my opinion have to be addressed in a larger context than that of any single phenomenon. A dynamic that is larger than just the several terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, and the Pentagon, and indeed larger even than the United States of America’s prosecuting a war in Iraq; prosecuted on the basis of intelligence of highly dubious integrity coupled with a galloping enthusiasm to reaffirm American military supremacy in the Middle East.
Larger even than a cartel of petroleum conglomerates wed at the hip to a cadre of ex-politico’s from several national governments pooling their resources under the title of the Carlyle Group and managing to rewrite the book on war-profiteering.
Disregard for all life, not just the lives of Iraqis, Afghanis and Rwandans, but for the very source of life upon which the entire planet depends was introduced by the Industrial Revolution and since been embraced by everyone.
The great strength of the Untied States is it’s forthright and staunch support for the principle of individual freedom. A freedom that allows the individual to hold beliefs contrary to those of the majority, freedom from fear that those with whom you are free to disagree-with may attempt to harm or even kill you for your beliefs, that you will be protected by the state.
That freedom, encapsulated in the First Amendment as “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
This guarantees that the government of the United States cannot declare a state religion and will permit people of any religion or belief the freedom to practice those beliefs and religions as a fundamental right. This statement gives legal standing to the voices of free speech and a free press.
Responsibility for the actions of the Bush administration rest not within the limits of a two-term presidency or a two-decade-old brouhaha with Middle Eastern oil producing nations, but is the outcome of a systemic decay at the very foundation of our societies.
While this great gift of the American ethos has undoubtedly served many very well for a significant period, reality is that the size of this little life-boat whirling through space hasn’t changed, but the number of people looking for their slice of paradise has.
Is George Bush the symptom of a chronic and potentially critical disease working against mankind’s peaceful co-existence in the world? Indubitably.
“Progress” however you may define it doesn’t come either free or easy. The Industrial Revolution, technological revolution, and social evolution are intimately interrelated and the engine of progress is fuelled not by altruism and compassion but by capitalizing on resources and generating vehicles of wealth and prosperity. It’s no coincidence that the greatest engines of commerce are also those occupying centre stage in geopolitics. Whether it’s the British Monarchy practicing it’s form of imperialism from India to Africa, from Australia to Canada, or it’s the Spanish or the French or whichever imperialist power of whichever period in history, with great wealth comes great power.
When that great wealth is concentrated in the hands of a very few, the “interests” of a nation very quickly become focused through a lens being held by those few protecting their interests first.
This is how a “free press” ceases to be.
This is how a bill like H.R. 6166 comes into being.
This is how a nation becomes divided and how nations are divided from each other.
When the guiding principles of a nation are manipulated to render even greater wealth and power to those few, other principles are by necessity abandoned and buried. The strength of individual rights must and will yield to forces wielded by these people, not because these new principles are moral or just or valued by all citizens equally but because a fundamental inequity exists at the very foundations of democracy under the influence of these kinds of principles.
The principle that all other principles once held as ideals are by situational necessity expendable or have ceased to be relevant suggests that principles left unguided by sober reflection and left ill-informed will eventually be discarded.
Torture becomes an acceptable strategy. Ostracizing and “marking-out” individuals for alienation becomes “patriotism” and fear becomes the prime motivator in a climate of doubt.
Frameworks of human values and “worth” become line entries on a balance sheet and the necessity of surrendering even more of our humanity becomes more and more apparent.
Bush may have made some mistakes but Bush is in many ways, America’s “Man of Our Times” and we can only hope that American’s rid themselves of this plague while some hope still exists.
Larger even than a cartel of petroleum conglomerates wed at the hip to a cadre of ex-politico’s from several national governments pooling their resources under the title of the Carlyle Group and managing to rewrite the book on war-profiteering.
Disregard for all life, not just the lives of Iraqis, Afghanis and Rwandans, but for the very source of life upon which the entire planet depends was introduced by the Industrial Revolution and since been embraced by everyone.
The great strength of the Untied States is it’s forthright and staunch support for the principle of individual freedom. A freedom that allows the individual to hold beliefs contrary to those of the majority, freedom from fear that those with whom you are free to disagree-with may attempt to harm or even kill you for your beliefs, that you will be protected by the state.
That freedom, encapsulated in the First Amendment as “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
This guarantees that the government of the United States cannot declare a state religion and will permit people of any religion or belief the freedom to practice those beliefs and religions as a fundamental right. This statement gives legal standing to the voices of free speech and a free press.
Responsibility for the actions of the Bush administration rest not within the limits of a two-term presidency or a two-decade-old brouhaha with Middle Eastern oil producing nations, but is the outcome of a systemic decay at the very foundation of our societies.
While this great gift of the American ethos has undoubtedly served many very well for a significant period, reality is that the size of this little life-boat whirling through space hasn’t changed, but the number of people looking for their slice of paradise has.
Is George Bush the symptom of a chronic and potentially critical disease working against mankind’s peaceful co-existence in the world? Indubitably.
“Progress” however you may define it doesn’t come either free or easy. The Industrial Revolution, technological revolution, and social evolution are intimately interrelated and the engine of progress is fuelled not by altruism and compassion but by capitalizing on resources and generating vehicles of wealth and prosperity. It’s no coincidence that the greatest engines of commerce are also those occupying centre stage in geopolitics. Whether it’s the British Monarchy practicing it’s form of imperialism from India to Africa, from Australia to Canada, or it’s the Spanish or the French or whichever imperialist power of whichever period in history, with great wealth comes great power.
When that great wealth is concentrated in the hands of a very few, the “interests” of a nation very quickly become focused through a lens being held by those few protecting their interests first.
This is how a “free press” ceases to be.
This is how a bill like H.R. 6166 comes into being.
This is how a nation becomes divided and how nations are divided from each other.
When the guiding principles of a nation are manipulated to render even greater wealth and power to those few, other principles are by necessity abandoned and buried. The strength of individual rights must and will yield to forces wielded by these people, not because these new principles are moral or just or valued by all citizens equally but because a fundamental inequity exists at the very foundations of democracy under the influence of these kinds of principles.
The principle that all other principles once held as ideals are by situational necessity expendable or have ceased to be relevant suggests that principles left unguided by sober reflection and left ill-informed will eventually be discarded.
Torture becomes an acceptable strategy. Ostracizing and “marking-out” individuals for alienation becomes “patriotism” and fear becomes the prime motivator in a climate of doubt.
Frameworks of human values and “worth” become line entries on a balance sheet and the necessity of surrendering even more of our humanity becomes more and more apparent.
Bush may have made some mistakes but Bush is in many ways, America’s “Man of Our Times” and we can only hope that American’s rid themselves of this plague while some hope still exists.
The majority did not vote Bush into office.
Next week should be very interesting: up to these past few elections, polls showed Democrats with a slight lead but still lost the elections. That, of course, is attributable to vote rigging. This time however, the Democrats lead in the polls by a very large majority. The polls show something like an 18 % lead which is a staggering number.
If the Democrats lose this election those of you on the pro war side better start to reconsider whether you support Bush as you will have all the proof you need that the USA is no longer a democracy or a republic. Instead, it will prove that it is run by a power seeking elite and that spells trouble for everyone.
Next week should be very interesting: up to these past few elections, polls showed Democrats with a slight lead but still lost the elections. That, of course, is attributable to vote rigging. This time however, the Democrats lead in the polls by a very large majority. The polls show something like an 18 % lead which is a staggering number.
If the Democrats lose this election those of you on the pro war side better start to reconsider whether you support Bush as you will have all the proof you need that the USA is no longer a democracy or a republic. Instead, it will prove that it is run by a power seeking elite and that spells trouble for everyone.
Why no--of course not the american people are NOT responsible for the misdeeds of their elected president--the French people are obviously to blame--duh!
Aw Shucks you folks missed the reason....
George Bush was voted in because his opponent was John Kerry.
Kerry's behavior in the armed services (which has been discussed and argued here on another topic) was brought out during that nasty election campaign, along with his anti-war protesting when he returned.
Nobody likes a turncoat - even when they are running to unseat Bush.
And the majority who voted Bush re-elected are of course responsible. They accept responsibility in the U.S. and will admit error in hindsight too. Strange eh?
George Bush was voted in because his opponent was John Kerry.
Kerry's behavior in the armed services (which has been discussed and argued here on another topic) was brought out during that nasty election campaign, along with his anti-war protesting when he returned.
Nobody likes a turncoat - even when they are running to unseat Bush.
And the majority who voted Bush re-elected are of course responsible. They accept responsibility in the U.S. and will admit error in hindsight too. Strange eh?
Kerry - a turncoat?
Then why didn't the Republican controlled Senate investigate those baseless charges? Obviously they didn't because they know it was all Swift boat liar bullsh*t.
Then why didn't the Republican controlled Senate investigate those baseless charges? Obviously they didn't because they know it was all Swift boat liar bullsh*t.