USA Politics

Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

I was forwarded this, I find it funny, but WAY to conservative for my taste, still thought I should share it.


Ant VS The Grasshopper



            This one is a little different.. Two Different

      Versions!  Two Different Morals!

     

    ;          OLD VERSION: The ant works hard in the

      withering heat all summer long, building his house

      and laying up supplies for the winter.

     

            The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and

      laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come

      winter, the ant is warm and well fed.

     

  & nbsp;          The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he

      dies out in the cold.

     

            MORAL OF THE STORY: Be responsible for

      yourself!

     

            -------------------------------------------

     

            MODERN VERSION:

     

            The ant works hard in the withering heat all

      summer long, building his house and laying up

      supplies for the winter.

     

            The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and

      laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

     

            Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a

      press conference and demands to know why the ant

      should be allowed to be warm and well fed while

      o thers are cold and starving.

     

            CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide

      pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a

      video of the ant in his comfortable home with a

      table filled with food. America is stunned by the

      sharp contrast.

     

            How can this be, that in a country of such

      wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer

        so?

     

            Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the

      grasshopper, and everybody cries when they sing,

      'It's Not Easy Being Green.'

     

            Jesse Jackson stages a demonstration in front

      of the ant's house where the news stations film the

      group singing, 'We shall overcome.' Jesse then has

      the group kneel down to pray to God for the

      grasshopper's sake.

     

            Nancy Pelosi &am p; John Kerry exclaim in an

      interview with Larry King that the ant has gotten

      rich off the back of the grasshopper, and both call

      for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay

      his fair share.

     

            Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity &

      Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of

      the summer.

     

            The ant is fined for failing to hire a

      proportionate number of green bugs and, having

      n othing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home

      is confiscated by the government.

     

            Hillary gets her old law firm to represent the

      grasshopper in a defamation suit against the ant,

      and the case is tried before a panel of federal

      judges that Bill Clinton appointed from a list of

      single-parent welfare recipients.

     

            The ant loses the case.

     

            The story ends as we see the grasshopper

        finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while

      the government house he is in, which just happens to

      be the ant's old house, crumbles around him because

      he doesn't maintain it.

     

            The ant has disappeared in the snow.

     

            The grasshopper is found dead in a drug

      related incident and the house, now  abandoned, is

      taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the

      once peaceful neighborhood.

     

    ;        MORAL OF THE STORY: Be careful how you vote in

      2008
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

That was classic!  And quite the commentary on the way the system is viewed. 

It seems that we are in a 'Campaign Break' for a while.  There are some definate shots across the bow going on right now, but doesn't seem to be hard and heavy yet.  I assume it will be after the conventions before we see some real shots taken.
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

Hmmm... I don't know what to think of this story.

Hijab-wearing Muslims barred from Obama photo op: report

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Two Muslims at a Barack Obama rally were barred from sitting behind the podium as campaign volunteers sought to prevent their headscarves appearing in images with the candidate, reports said Wednesday.
ADVERTISEMENT

In two separate incidents Monday at a rally in Detroit, Michigan -- which boasts one of the largest Muslim communities in the United States -- women wearing headscarves were told they could not sit in the section that forms the visual backdrop behind Obama, Washington-based Politico.com reported.

"I was coming to support him, and I felt like I was discriminated against by the very person who was supposed to be bringing this change," Hebba Aref, a 25-year-old lawyer, told the website.

"The message that I thought was delivered to us was that they do not want him associated with Muslims or Muslim supporters," Aref said.

A friend accompanying Aref said a campaign volunteer had specifically cited "the political climate" as an explanation.

The other woman, Shimaa Abdelfadeel, said she was told no one with any head coverings, including baseball caps and scarves, could sit behind the stage, and that the rule was not an attack on her religion.

The Obama campaign reportedly apologized to the women.

"This is of course not the policy of the campaign. It is offensive and counter to Obama's commitment to bring Americans together and simply not the kind of campaign we run," Obama spokesman Bill Burton was quoted as saying.

"We sincerely apologize for the behavior of these volunteers."

Obama, who has struggled to suppress a viral rumor that he is Muslim, has billed himself in the 2008 presidential race as the candidate of change and inclusion who can transcend identity politics.

But his vigorous denials that he is Muslim has been known to frustrate some followers of Islam because of the implication that there is something wrong with the religion.
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

Seems to me like a couple of Obama's assistans didn't want him to be associated with muslims and took matters in their own hands.  I think it's unlikely that such orders came from Obama or any of the leading persons of his campaign.

Off topic: What's the deal with these Muslim women wearing those headscarves anyway, by the way?  It's horribly unpractical (hot, and probably gets in the way a lot too) and wearing one is pretty much screaming to the world, "look, I'm muslim."  It's sad but true that racism is by no means gone in America (nor Europe, for that matter), and I would imagine wearing the scarf would just make oneself more susceptible to racist treatment.
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

Invader said:
Seems to me like a couple of Obama's assistans didn't want him to be associated with muslims and took matters in their own hands.  I think it's unlikely that such orders came from Obama or any of the leading persons of his campaign.
Click to expand...

That's what I thought, too.  Sounds like an overzealous aide.

Invader said:
Off topic: What's the deal with these Muslim women wearing those headscarves anyway, by the way?  It's horribly unpractical (hot, and probably gets in the way a lot too) and wearing one is pretty much screaming to the world, "look, I'm muslim."  It's sad but true that racism is by no means gone in America (nor Europe, for that matter), and I would imagine wearing the scarf would just make oneself more susceptible to racist treatment.
Click to expand...

You're not actually asking this question, are you?  Who cares what religion they are?  People should be treated the same, no matter what.  While a headscarf may be unpractical, it's part of the Islamic religion that many women choose to follow.  You have to be who you are for people to accept you.  And that's what these women are doing - being who they are.
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

Invader said:
Off topic: What's the deal with these Muslim women wearing those headscarves anyway, by the way?  It's horribly unpractical (hot, and probably gets in the way a lot too) and wearing one is pretty much screaming to the world, "look, I'm muslim."  It's sad but true that racism is by no means gone in America (nor Europe, for that matter), and I would imagine wearing the scarf would just make oneself more susceptible to racist treatment.
Click to expand...

You're kidding right? aside from what LC stated, how do you know it's unpractical? I mean, Bedouins have been wearing them in the desert for.... ever. And they also drink HOT coffee. The dress goes beyond religious piety and modesty, it actually is comfortable and it is designed to stay COOL in hot temperatures.
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

I wasn't saying they shouldn't wear them or that I care what they wear.  I was simply saying that wearing those scarves can get them unwanted racist/anti-muslim attention (like in the article) which they could avoid by not wearing them.  You said who cares what religion they are; a lot of people sadly do. Of course people should be treated the same, but they always aren't.  I guess it's a question of practicality vs. wanting to proclaim your religion.  I'll admit that I didn't really consider it that much since I'm not religious. 

As for the practicality, based on my experience, extra layers of clothing in summer make you feel hotter.  If they keep you cooler, then fine, I didn't know.
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

Well, there's a reason Arabs don't relax in shorts and t-shirts all the time.  And it seems to me that people are racist, yes...but keeping your head down because of that is a very foolish way to make change.  You should be proud of who you are.
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

Very true.  If Martin Luther King, Jr had kept his head down and tried to avoid any conflict, imagine where we would be instead.  The other thing is, Muslim's aren't the issue, its some people that have that faith.  What better way to prove it to some of our more dense US population, than by being obviously Muslim and having a good image. 
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

I agree, besides, they were in Detroit, which does indeed have the largest Muslim population in the U.S.. I'm sure they didn't and don't feel threatened, this is their traditional garb and they wear it all the time.
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

McCain adviser says terrorist attack would boost campaign
Haroon Siddique guardian.co.uk, Tuesday June 24, 2008

A senior adviser to the US presidential hopeful John McCain has apologised after saying a terrorist attack on American soil would be a "big advantage" to the Republican candidate's election campaign.

Charlie Black later expressed regret over his "inappropriate" comments, and McCain said he disagreed with the claim.

McCain's presidential rival Barack Obama called the remark a "complete disgrace".

Discussing national security in an interview with Fortune magazine, Black was asked about the impact that another terrorist attack on US soil might have on McCain's campaign.

"Certainly it would be a big advantage to him," said Black.

He said the assassination of the former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto in December was an "unfortunate event" but had helped McCain to win the New Hampshire primary, a state he had to win to save his candidacy.

"His knowledge and ability to talk about it reemphasised that this is the guy who's ready to be commander in chief. And it helped us," said Black.

Asked about Black's comments at a press conference in California, McCain said: "I cannot imagine why he would say it. It's not true. I've worked tirelessly since 9/11 to prevent another attack on the United States of America. My record is very clear."

Black, who was travelling with McCain, said: "I deeply regret the comments. They were inappropriate. I recognise that John McCain has devoted his entire adult life to protecting his country and placing its security before every other consideration."

Bill Burton, Obama's spokesman, said: "The fact that John McCain's top adviser says that a terrorist attack on American soil would be a 'big advantage' for their political campaign is a complete disgrace, and is exactly the kind of politics that needs to change."

National security is seen as an issue on which McCain, who was held as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, has an advantage over Obama in the election. Republicans have sought to emphasise Obama's lack of experience and criticised the presumptive Democratic nominee when he suggested he would meet the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He later backtracked.

Black was an aide to the former presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush Snr, and has advised the incumbent in the White House. Democrats have criticised Black's role in McCain's campaign as inconsistent with the Vietnam veteran's no-lobbyist policy. Black has represented a number of foreign governments in the US, including regimes with poor human rights records.

black460.jpg

Charlie Black, campaign adviser to the Republican presidential hopeful John McCain. Photograph: LM Otero/AP
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

Interesting, what an idiot. Now that would be a good presidential ticket: Charlie Black and Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

Would that ticket have Louis Farrakhan as Secretary of State and Michael Moore as the National Security Advisor ("Mr. President, this nation is suffering a critical lack of burritos!")?
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

That would be outstanding!

But could you see a ticket that goes like this:

President-- Stephen Colbert
VP-- Jon Stewart
Sec of State-- Lewis Black
Nat' Sec Adv-- Carlos Mencia

[/madness]
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

I still say if Obama becomes president, he should invite McCain to be the National Security Advisor.
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

That would be outstanding!

But could you see a ticket that goes like this:

President-- Stephen Colbert
VP-- Jon Stewart
Sec of State-- Lewis Black
Nat' Sec Adv-- Carlos Mencia
Click to expand...

Yeah...... so......... like the U.S. isn't currently Comedy Central enough these days..........
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

LooseCannon said:
I still say if Obama becomes president, he should invite McCain to be the National Security Advisor.
Click to expand...

This would be a good idea, I see it more like a political trick than something with a real meaning, but still is a good idea
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

y said:
This would be a good idea, I see it more like a political trick than something with a real meaning, but still is a good idea
Click to expand...

I think McCain is quite qualified to be the National Security Adviser.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top