livendive 8 #76 May 16, 2007 QuoteQuoteAll of this bickering is moot anyway. For the last 6 years we have had a dictatorship. Dictatorship? Fucking please... do you always overdramatize this much? While it is an exaggeration, it's not grossly so. Quotea form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.) Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #77 May 16, 2007 QuoteAsk the man on the street if the USA is a democracy, and 95% will say yes. Ask a man on the street if Elvis is still alive,... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #78 May 16, 2007 Quote While it is an exaggeration, it's not grossly so. Quotea form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.) Though Bush has been abusing constitutional boundaries, he remains opposed by the constitution, the courts (on some matters, at least), and Congress. Nixon's reign wasn't a dictatorship and neither is the current one. Bush's insistence on maintaining the war in opposition to Congress might be more troubling if Congress actually tried to stop it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,620 #79 May 17, 2007 Quote>Ask the man on the street if the USA is a democracy, and 95% will say yes. Ask a man on the street if we should ban use of the chemical dihydrogen monoxide in schools and hospitals, and 95% of them will say yes as well. Doesn't mean that they know what it is. Ask a regular in SC whether the EC as currently operating gives more clout to voters in large or small states, and 95% of them will give the wrong answer.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
champu 1 #80 May 17, 2007 QuoteAsk a regular in SC whether the EC as currently operating gives more clout to voters in large or small states, and 95% of them will give the wrong answer. Which of your own responses to this thread do you believe? QuoteCurious logic. Right now a resident of Wyoming has about 20 times the "voting power" that a resident of California has in selecting the president. QuoteWell, the detailed analysis of voting power is a non trivial exercise in mathematics, and as in most such cases, what appears at first sight to be obvious turns out to be wrong. Those supporters of the Electoral College as it currently exists might be surprised by the actual results. www.cs.unc.edu/~livingst/Banzhaf/ for description. According to the study provided in your link, moving from Wyoming to California gets you about +4dB of "voting gain." This is at odds with the -13dB you stated earlier. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gawain 0 #81 May 17, 2007 Quote Of course I don't believe that. But when the Bush admin talks about Iraq, they say that it is our intent to spread democracy around the world. He doesn't say "we need to spread representative republic" to the repressed. In modern usage, most understand Democracy to mean a government chosen by the people, which is what we have. That's because Iraq's system of government is not a pure democracy in the strict sense of the word either, it is a parliamentary democracy. The Prime Minister is not elected by the people, it is elected by the parliament. The word democracy is used in the context of a "democratic tradition" or "freedom" or "representation" or the anti-dictatorship. Another example: many would consider Spain or the UK "democracies" in the sense of the freedom of their political process, in fact they are constitutional monarchies, and the heads of government in many areas are not elected by the people there either. In a pure democracy, the Congress would not, could not exist in its current form, in fact, it would have to be many times the size it is today. Would you really support that -- a bureaucracy of a couple thousand politicians in the legislature? So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright 'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life Make light! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #82 May 17, 2007 Quote Ask a regular in SC whether the EC as currently operating gives more clout to voters in large or small states, and 95% of them will give the wrong answer. since you can made good arguments for both sides, they'd all be right, though perhaps not for the right reasons. I glanced at the math proof, but since it lacked any sort of summary or clear organization, I gave it a pass. I don't have time for rambling dialogue. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
misaltas 0 #83 May 17, 2007 Quote Today we consider ourselves citizens of the US, not citizens of our respective states. Except for perhaps your average Texan.Ohne Liebe sind wir nichts Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #84 May 17, 2007 Quote Quote Today we consider ourselves citizens of the US, not citizens of our respective states. Except for perhaps your average Texan. or (oddly enough) your Joisey-ites... Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
itllclear 1 #85 May 17, 2007 Quoteif we should ban use of the chemical dihydrogen monoxide in schools and hospitals, Of course we should. Do you know what fish do in that chemical? Of course USPA demands that we even learn what to do if we land our parachutes in that chemical! Stick with Cuervo, or at least Corona!"Harry, why did you land all the way out there? Nobody else landed out there." "Your statement answered your question." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
