I have a Dream...finally, fulfilled!

[Pneumonica]

We had our election late last year, and I made a pact with a bunch of people that if John Howard got in again, we would all move to New Zealand. There's no-where I can move that won't be affected by US politics. So I'm glad for that reason as well.

We could all chip in, buy an island somewhere and start our own nation...

Sorry, dude. There's already been a Bear Flag Republic.

As for the global news coverage, I think it has more to do with the global financial crunch and the fact that the US has been at the epicenter of it. Who the next president is will have a direct impact on what the next four years are going to look like for the global markets.

[NobodySpecial]

Perhaps it escaped their notice that most world leaders are non-white, and always have been.

Um, yeah. But in the "Western" world? Not so much. Obama isn't only the first non-Caucasian to run America, but any of the "Western" nations. No nation in European history has had one of those...THAT'S why it's a big deal.

[Bear]

The milestone is that its America who've elected a black president... America... a country thats been historically seen as racist for having had slavery, then all the stuff with the vivil rights movements etc. America has long been considered a country that would NEVER have a black president, which is why its such a milestone that the country has a whole has finally matured enough to judge people on character, rather then what colour they are.

And damnit! Someone stole my nation! *heads to The Elder Cave to go make war plans against them.*

And as No-body said.. no 'Western' nation has ever had a black leader... England hasn't France hasn't Spain hasn't, Germany hasn't etc etc...

[Don Alexander]

And as No-body said.. no 'Western' nation has ever had a black leader... England hasn't France hasn't Spain hasn't, Germany hasn't etc etc...

Well, one of the reasons is that blacks are much more of a minority in Europe. Nonewithstanding the terrible deeds that brought them there, slavery has lead to the fact that African-Americans in the US can look back on generations of being US citizens, which is hardly the case for many blacks in Europe (there are always exceptions, of course).

On the other hand, we now still await the first woman president of the US, and that's an area where Europe has been quite progressive. Margaret Thatcher and now Angela Merkel in Germany being just the most well-known names.

[Scaramouche]

Perhaps it escaped their notice that most world leaders are non-white, and always have been.

Um, yeah. But in the "Western" world? Not so much. Obama isn't only the first non-Caucasian to run America, but any of the "Western" nations. No nation in European history has had one of those...THAT'S why it's a big deal.

Actually it's just been a while. The Muslim forces ruling much of Spain and other areas for quite a long time included Middle Eastern folks, olive-skinned north Africans, and dark-skinned sub-Saharan Africans. In more recent history, Fernando Henrique Cardoso claims African ancestry.

[midgetshrimp]

You know that she spent over $200,000 of campaign contributions on her own personal wardrobe?

Actually, no. The Republican Party spent $150,000 on her wardrobe. For the campaign. They are not her personal items, they belong to the party that pretty much doted on her for media's sake. Do you really think the RP would just hand her, or anyone for that matter, $150,000? Image is one of the most powerful factors of an election, and they understand that. And that's enough, I guess. I think I'm late for class...

[Bear]

On the other hand, we now still await the first woman president of the US, and that's an area where Europe has been quite progressive. Margaret Thatcher and now Angela Merkel in Germany being just the most well-known names.

Yeah, but you forget that Thatcher was a nut-cracking biatch who screwed the the country almost as bad as Bush did with America, introduced the deeply unplopular poll tax, caused the great miners strikes, and sold off many national serivices like the train services and the post office to private companies and they are no failing badly... No to mention the collapse of British Leyland because of her...

[Pfhreak]

Perhaps it escaped their notice that most world leaders are non-white, and always have been.

Um, yeah. But in the "Western" world? Not so much. Obama isn't only the first non-Caucasian to run America, but any of the "Western" nations. No nation in European history has had one of those...THAT'S why it's a big deal.

Actually it's just been a while. The Muslim forces ruling much of Spain and other areas for quite a long time included Middle Eastern folks, olive-skinned north Africans, and dark-skinned sub-Saharan Africans. In more recent history, Fernando Henrique Cardoso claims African ancestry.

"Muslim" makes them "non-Western", since "Western" is built on the Greco-Roman tradition, including the mass-conversion to Christianity, and then spread to the Americas through colonization.

You are spot-on to bring up Latin America, which is often ignored in discussions about Western countries as it's not "First World". I'll add Evo Morales (indigenous American).

[Nathan Dorian]

I don't know a single person in the UK who hasn't been cheering.

That's weird. I haven't seen or heard a single person here cheering. I've noticed several people commenting about how dumb it is that USA elections get more news coverage than our own elections.

Well, oddly enough, the USA elections effect the rest of the world far more than they should, do y'know. Ol' Bush has been ruining countries for some time now, not only his own.

And as No-body said.. no 'Western' nation has ever had a black leader... England hasn't France hasn't Spain hasn't, Germany hasn't etc etc...

Well, one of the reasons is that blacks are much more of a minority in Europe. Nonewithstanding the terrible deeds that brought them there, slavery has lead to the fact that African-Americans in the US can look back on generations of being US citizens, which is hardly the case for many blacks in Europe (there are always exceptions, of course).

On the other hand, we now still await the first woman president of the US, and that's an area where Europe has been quite progressive. Margaret Thatcher and now Angela Merkel in Germany being just the most well-known names.

Uh.

England was huge on the slave trade too, kiddo.

But ugh, don't mention Maggie Thatcher. She was a crazy, homophobic, idiotic beast.

[Scaramouche]

Well this just gets better and better. Obama has selected the son of a terrorist to be his Chief of Staff. The guy is also a huge supporter of AIPAC, an organisation which has been busted spying on the USA.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahm_Emanuel

[Bear]

Well this just gets better and better. Obama has selected the son of a terrorist to be his Chief of Staff. The guy is also a huge supporter of AIPAC, an organisation which has been busted spying on the USA.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahm_Emanuel

Ehh.. everyone with conections to Israel is related to some sort of militant faction somewhere along their family line. Besides... who better to defend a country from terrorists, then a terrorist?

[Scaramouche]

If anyone is wondering about the AIPAC espioage case:

Background on AIPAC

AIPAC Website: The American Israeli Public Affairs Committee
AIPAC Website: AIPAC's Online Congressional Database
SourceWatch: AIPAC: Facts Involving AIPAC: People, Places, Organizations
Wikipedia: Overview: AIPAC Espionage Scandal
FoxNews Video Four-Part Report on Israeli Spying
IRMEP Site: Institute for Research on Middle Eastern Policy

AIPAC Spy Case: Mainstream Reporting

Aug 2004, CBS News: FBI Probes Pentagon Spy Case
Aug 2004, BBC News: Israel denies US spy allegation
Sep 2004, JePo via CD [Source Cached]: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0901-05.htm
Dec 2004, CSM: FBI steps up AIPAC espionage probe
Dec 2004, Time: A Second Search of AIPAC
Mar 2005, CSM: FBI at crossroads in probe of pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC
Apr 2005, WaPo: Senior AIPAC Employees Ousted FBI Investigating if Pair Gave Classified Information to Israel
May 2005, WaPo: AIPAC's Big, Bigger, Biggest Moment
May 2005, NPR [Audio]: FBI Probe Clouds Israel Lobbying Group Meeting
Aug 2005, Global Security: Indictment
Aug 2005, NYT: U.S. Diplomat Named In Secrets Case
Aug 2005, NPR [Audio] "Not Guilty' Pleas in AIPAC Spying Case
Aug 2005, WaTimes: Papers reveal British aid for Israeli nukes
Dec 2005, JTA AIPAC judge keeps evidence classified
Jan 2006, Arab News: Ex-AIPAC Officials Contemplate Suing Pro-Israel Lobby
Jan 2006, CBS News: Man Who Spied For Israel Gets 12 Years
Jan 2006, Iran Daily: AIPAC on Trial
Mar 2006, MSNBC: At Issue: Classified Leaks
May 2006, Letter: A LETTER TO AIPAC
May 2006, IRMEP Research: Punishing the Victim: HR 4681and the Congressional Siege on Palestinians
Feb 2006, Court Documents: United States of America vs. Steven J. Rosen and Keith Weissman
Jun 2006, Haaretz: The AIPAC Case Goes Wild
Jul 2006, JTA: AIPAC was pressured to cut off embattled analysts, motion charges
Jul 2006, JTA: AIPAC Trial Delayed Again

AIPAC Spy Case: Independent Media Reporting

Jun 2002, Nation: The Israel Lobby
Var 200x, AntiWar.com: All About Larry Franklin
Aug 2004, Antiwar.com: AIPAC's Overt and Covert Ops
Aug 2004, Informed Comment: Pentagon/Israel Spying Case Expands: Fomenting a War on Iran
Aug 2004, Informed Comment: Johnson: FBI Furious at Leak
Apr 2005, Antiwar.com [Lots of links]: Shaking Up Israel's Spy Nest
May 2005, RumorMill: AIPAC'S Power Base...
May 2005, Right Web: Overview: American Israeli Public Affairs Committee
Jun 2005, MediaMonitors: AIPAC can place you by the elbow of the president
Aug 2005, TomPaine: Bigger Than AIPAC
Aug 2005, Nation: Why AIPAC Indictment Is Bad News for Rove
Aug 2005, Alternet: The Scandal is Bigger Than AIPAC
Sep 2005, Antiwar.com: AIPAC and Espionage:Guilty as Hell
Nov 2005, WRMEA: According to Indictment, AIPAC Has Been Under Investigation Since Early 1999
Jan 2006, Dissodent Voice: Entrenched Hypocrisy: Hillary Clinton, AIPAC and Iran
Feb 2006, Antiwar.com: A Treasonous Camarilla: AIPAC espionage case points to larger spy scandal
Mar 2006, Harvard: Study: The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy
May 2006, YNet: US passes law tightening sanctions on PA
Jun 2006, Zmag: AIPAC North (CJPAC)
Jul 2006, Slate: AIPAC Abetting?

NAPAC

And then there's NACPAC, an organization that "supports the reelections of Members of Congress who support the only democracy in the Middle East, Israel" and "furthers the pro-Israel agenda on Capitol Hill by building relationships with pro-Israel Congressmen and by targeting unfriendly incumbents for defeat." A little AIPAC, so to speak but one that can legally contribute to their chosen candidates.

AIPAC 2006 Contributions to Congress

Click for Details by State

AIPAC 2004 Contributions to Congress

Click for Details by State

2004 Top Ten Career Recipients of Pro-Israel PAC Funds

Compiled by Hugh Galford

House: Current Cycle
Hoyer, Steny (D-MD) $37,500
Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana (R-FL) 36,000
Berkley, Shelley (D-NV) 35,100
Lantos, Tom (D-CA) 31,600
Frost, Martin (D-TX) 31,300
Cantor, Eric (R-VA) 23,750
Crowley, Joseph (D-NY) 23,000
DeLay, Tom (R-TX) 23,000
Lowey, Nita (D-NY) 20,650
Pelosi, Nancy (D-CA) 20,650

House: Career
Berkley, Shelley (D-NV) $201,455
Frost, Martin (D-TX) 165,414
Engel, Eliot (D-NY) 137,918
Levin, Sander (D-MI) 113,727
Lowey, Nita (D-NY) 109,738
Lantos, Tom (D-CA) 107,250
Hoyer, Steny (D-MD) 92,275
Evans, Lane (D-IL) 87,379
Harman, Jane (D-CA) 86,271
DeLay, Tom (R-TX) 81,050

Senate: Current Cycle
Specter, Arlen (R-PA) $80,350
Boxer, Barbara (D-CA) 73,000
Murray, Patty (D-WA) 72,495
Daschle, Tom (D-SD) 70,500
Reid, Harry (D-NV) 64,999
Bayh, Evan (D-IN) 56,500
Bennett, Robert (R-UT) 55,750
Wyden, Ronald (D-OR) 55,000
Brownback, Samuel (R-KS) 50,850
Shelby, Richard (R-AL) 38,500

Senate: Career
Daschle, Tom (D-SD) $533,635
Specter, Arlen (R-PA) 461,973
Lautenberg, Frank (D-NJ) 433,806
Durbin, Richard (D-IL) 326,671
Reid, Harry (D-NV) 318,801
Wyden, Ronald (D-OR) 255,562
Lieberman, Joseph (D-CT) 227,758
Boxer, Barbara (D-CA) 223,794
Dodd, Christopher (D-CT) 221,178
Conrad, Kent (D-ND) 201,939

[oni]

Scaramouche: Thank you for the links, and due be careful not to offend any one who may happen to be Jewish call me paranoid. Safer than sorry!

Well this just gets better and better. Obama has selected the son of a terrorist to be his Chief of Staff. The guy is also a huge supporter of AIPAC, an organisation which has been busted spying on the USA.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahm_Emanuel

Ehh.. everyone with connections to Israel is related to some sort of militant faction somewhere along their family line. Besides... who better to defend a country from terrorists, then a terrorist?

In this situation it isn't right and I also find this statement offensive Bear!

*Edit: Doing my "homework" (<--getting all the facts before yapping off w/comments) until further notice!*

[Bear]

Ah some people just can't take jokes anymore. I should have put in sarcasm tags on that one.

[Yen sid]

Ehh.. everyone with connections to Israel is related to some sort of militant faction somewhere along their family line. Besides... who better to defend a country from terrorists, then a terrorist?[/quote]




See? That what I'm talking about that damn stereotype, "If they from the middle east, chance are they a Terrorist"!
God, how the HELL DO PEOPLE sleep with that idea.
Oh and yeah, you SHOULD have put tags on that, When It come to making comments like that I will get prissed off

*Calms down and rip open a candy bar*

I have nothing but respect for you bear, you and Dirty n' Evil are my favorite people on here but please think before you type... NO, wait you are older than me so it should be the other way around...

Screw it, I'm going to go watch hentai now... maybe, I can calm down.