Please vote today!

[kul_th_las]

Please vote for someone today. It's the most important presidential election we've seen in decades. I won't stoop to the level of promoting a particular canidate, but if you are registered to vote in the United States, please exercise your right.

-Thanks.

[princec]

The only problem I can see here is that both the candidates appear to be the same? (Except one is a monkey in a suit controlled behind the scenes by powermongers and the other is a powermonger controlled by monkeys in suits)

Cas

[kevglass]

So, not the same then?

Nothing wrong with monkeys in suit, kinda cool in their own way..

Kev

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[shawnkendall]

Which is which exactly?
I would like to at least vote for a homo sapien as opposed to this monkey you speak of.

[Malohkan]

http://www.anvari.org/fun/World_Trade_Center/Bush_Monkey.html

There's your monkey

[Matzon]

and thus it became political

[Tzan]

I live in the Boston area and this state always votes democratic. So I will write in "Monkey in a suit"  

[zparticle]

The only problem I can see here is that both the candidates appear to be the same? (Except one is a monkey in a suit controlled behind the scenes by powermongers and the other is a powermonger controlled by monkeys in suits)

Cas

I've never understood how people can think these two are similar. They couldn't possibly be any farther apart. I would think for people outside the USA it would be even more obvious, guess not.

[DrBizzar0]

I've never understood how people can think these two are similar. They couldn't possibly be any farther apart. I would think for people outside the USA it would be even more obvious, guess not.

Hehe well in Sweden at least both the Democrats and the Republicans would be placed further to the right then any political party here. So for me they are pretty similar.  

[Jens]

In my opinion they are not similar. I hope there will be a change in the foreign policy of the USA towards better cooperation with other countries.

It's interesting to note the importance of the whole military and weapon topic in the USA. There seems to be a lot of fear. In other industrial countries this is usually a non-topic in elections.

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[princec]

I'm quite politically naive about the USA to be honest - I'd sooner see the whole country vanish under a tidal wave and that'd be the end of the problem for the rest of us - but as I understood it, both candidates are pro-war and paranoid about terrorists. So who do you vote for if you're anti-war and not paranoid?

Cas

[zparticle]

Hehe well in Sweden at least both the Democrats and the Republicans would be placed further to the right then any political party here. So for me they are pretty similar.  

I can see that, is Sweden more of a socialist leaning society? It's a bit imbarassing to admit but as a US citizen I don't really know much about other political systems. I understand the basics but never having experienced them first hand it's hard to get a feel for them.

[Jens]

I'm quite politically naive about the USA to be honest - I'd sooner see the whole country vanish under a tidal wave and that'd be the end of the problem for the rest of us - but as I understood it, both candidates are pro-war and paranoid about terrorists. So who do you vote for if you're anti-war and not paranoid?

I think with Kerry the chances for unjustified wars is lower. If I understand all these reports Kerry is more rational and less a missionary guided by god to help the world.

There is a resume of Bush's work:
http://www.gendergappers.org/bush-resume.html   (SCNR)

[rreyelts]

>I'd sooner see the whole country vanish under a tidal wave
>The views above will probably cause offense

Probably.

God bless,
-Toby Reyelts

[zparticle]

I'm quite politically naive about the USA to be honest - I'd sooner see the whole country vanish under a tidal wave and that'd be the end of the problem for the rest of us - but as I understood it, both candidates are pro-war and paranoid about terrorists. So who do you vote for if you're anti-war and not paranoid?

Cas

Well I can speak for myself (Bush supports don't go ballistic, this is my opinion). I voted for Kerry. I'm not anti-war or pro-war. I am however against politicians that use peoples ignorance against them. That is what happened, Bush was looking for an excuse to "get" Saddam and the administration lied enough that many people still think Saddam had something to do with 9/11.

Politicians are supposed be here to help "the people" not to burden them. There are many many things the current administration has, in my opinion, done wrong. I made the mistake of not using my right to vote last time around and it will never happen again. If Kerry screws up I'll vote him out next time.

The paranoid stuff comes from people that are simply too lazy to think for themselves. You can be scared all you want. The fact is no government can stop 1 man with a cause much less thousands of individuals with a cause. You would think people would know that by now given all of the other countries that have had to deal with terrorism.

The biggest difference between Kerry and Bush is:
Kerry is a thinker; he understands these things are complex. He will take time to find the right solution. Bush is an action guy and that appeals to the less educated portion of our country.

*sigh* I guess I'll stop this post now, don't want to get preachy.

[DrBizzar0]

I can see that, is Sweden more of a socialist leaning society? It's a bit imbarassing to admit but as a US citizen I don't really know much about other political systems. I understand the basics but never having experienced them first hand it's hard to get a feel for them.

Yeah thats right, huge public sector, comprehensive wellfare system and high taxes. Changes have off-course been made to adapt to the global economy, public companies have been privatized and markets unregulated (telecom, electricity and railway system for example).

But we still have a political party in the parlament with a leader calling him self a communist and even the most rightwing parties want to keep most of the wellfare systems.

[nonnus29]

To understand the US you just have to keep in mind this country was founded by a bunch of Anarchist and Evangelicals.

Thats right, evangelical anarchist  .

[Jens]

The biggest difference between Kerry and Bush is:
Kerry is a thinker; he understands these things are complex. He will take time to find the right solution. Bush is an action guy and that appeals to the less educated portion of our country.

Most people in the US feel proud if they see their president in army clothes with a real big gun. And that's about all they seem to care about. For me it's very disappointing to see how much votes Bush gets. I have no trust in Bush and the people around him and see them as a threat for the non-US world (in fact most people viewed the US as the biggest threat to world peace even before the Iraq war) . The Iraq war was unjustified, they had no concept for the after-war-time, people all over the world protested against him, his international policy is a nightmare (the relationship to the UN certainly got worse) and he hasn't achieved success in environmental protection and economy. As far as I know the achievements in home policy have also been pretty limited.

[princec]

Aaargh... just looking at the BBC election-o-meter... seems like the status quo is maintained. The monkey is winning.

Not that it'd make any difference.

Cas

[DrBizzar0]

The monkey is winning.

No, the lawyers is winning.  

[cfmdobbie]

Humans: The only animals on the planet who routinely repeat their own mistakes.

Whichever way this vote went, it was always going to be a shame that the world's biggest democracy was being run by someone who only just managed to scrape in.  I wonder how it'd feel to live in a country where 50% of people would prefer it if their elected leader wasn't in power?  Must be a very odd atmosphere indeed.

Ah, well.

So, what now?  Will Bush get back on friendly terms with Europe and gather more support for the rebuilding of Iraq?  By the time of the next election, the Euro is likely to be almost on equal standing with the Dollar, putting the American economy under even more strain.

Or, buoyed by a second term in office, will he start making waves towards Iran and North Korea?  Solving the North Korean problem will certainly be good for US-Japan relations, but it could scupper US-China - and so much Asian money is going to be required over the next few years to keep the Dollar in the game.  Moving towards Iran will likely cause even more turmoil in the Middle East.

Interesting times, indeed!

[shawnkendall]

As usual, my vote had no effect.
Atari, SGI, Java, Kerry, I can't get a break ;-P

[Jens]

Whichever way this vote went, it was always going to be a shame that the world's biggest democracy was being run by someone who only just managed to scrape in.  I wonder how it'd feel to live in a country where 50% of people would prefer it if their elected leader wasn't in power?  Must be a very odd atmosphere indeed.

Wasn't it last time that Bush had less than 50% of the direct votes (if people could elect the president directly)? In general it's not a big problem to have only 50% of the voices, but in the case of Bush vs. Kerry the population is split. (Btw. with respect to population India is a bigger democracy than the USA.)

[zparticle]

Well it looks likely that Bush will take it again. This is the second most imbarrased to be an American I've ever felt. This first was the invasion of Iraq.

I think America is on the final leg of it's life. Get ready for global anarchy, Bush will have us in a world war or a civil war.

[zparticle]

Wasn't it last time that Bush had less than 50% of the direct votes (if people could elect the president directly)?

It is very unusual for the winner to win the popular vote. If Bush wins he will have both the popular and electoral votes, very rare.

[Malohkan]

I second that.  I hope someone stops us the next time we make a stupid move like invading a country for no reason.  I am completely mortified.

[princec]

Maybe the Chinese will blow you up or something.

Cas

[zparticle]

Well Kerry just gave in apparently.

[nonnus29]

I'm happy, my guy won; all of you supporters of tyrannical, genocidal dictators can kiss my ass!

Seriously, as seemingly the only representitive of the majority of US voters here I got to say;

1.  We believed a war to remove Saddam was right for that reason alone
2.  Doing it without the support of corrupt UN was right
3.  The fact we pissed off France made it that much sweeter!
4.  I support the  ban on stem cell research; it has succeeded in starting public dialog about stem cell research and other 'life' issues: cloning, gene therapy, genetic engineering etc..
5.  The only thing I don't agree with Bush about is abortion.

edit; spelling

[Jens]

1.  We believed a war to remove Saddam was right

The US said the reasons for war are that Iraq is a threat to world peace and has mass destruction weapons. Both is actually wrong. They also mentioned something like the Iraq government works together with Al-Qaida, which is obviously also wrong. It's correct that Saddam Hussein is a dictator and there was a need to improve the situation in the Iraq. But in exactly this point the US failed again. They had no concepts and if you watch the news you'll see death and destruction all day in Iraq. Do you really think this was the right way?

2.  Doing it without the support of corrupt UN was right

Why?

3.  The fact France didn't like it made it that much sweeter!

That's a non-argument. Btw. Germany was against it, too.

Every industrial nation on this planet has to cooperate with the USA and will certainly do so, but it is indeed difficult.