Are you an American or a republican? That is the question.

[Darius11 12]

I just don’t get the reaction to the Olympics and the Nobel peace prize. We have people cheering when our team fails, and angry when our team wins a prize. I mean how obvious does it have to get? I am not saying he deserved to get the Nobel peace prize but we did win right? Unless you are more loyal to your party then your country it is a cause for celebrating.


So the question is do you support America, or your party? Who comes first in your book?

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[captain1976 0]

Happy to report that I'm healthy and do not have that disease called Liberalism.

You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime

[Darius11 12]

I suffer from logic and facts.

And avoiding the question some time says more then answering it.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[danornan 65]

Bad question! Still beat your wife? another bad question.... Obama the Nobel Peace Prize winner - simply a joke! What did he do? NOTHING.... it's all political and a slap at America.... How I'm registered does not determine my belief. Maybe YOU have on the blinders?

Dano

[captain1976 0]

How the hell can Obama be even slightly qualified to get that prize. Because he is black and won the presidency? He only won because anyone with an IQ smaller than an ashtray would never have voted for someone with his qualifications. And there are a lot of dummies in this Country. Anyone with a brain is his head would have researched his background and found he had no more qualifications to become president than Bullwinkle.

Not saying his opponent would have been great, but at least he had some qualifications.

I have lost all respect for the Nobel Prize.

You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime

[timmyfitz 0]

Quote

I suffer from logic and facts.

You don't seem to be suffering much.

[ianmdrennan 2]

Wow - amazing how many are so blinded by hatred that they miss the point of the question entirely - who cares who the current administration is (Bush, Obama, Regan, or otherwise)

Darius, I'm proud of this countries successes, and I share sadness for our failures too. Republican, Democrat, Independent, whatever, I don't care. We should all be proud of our successes, and strive to overcome our failures.

Ironic, I wasn't even born here (but am a citizen) - I worked hard to become one too, and it's not something I take lightly. I wish some of my 'countrymen' shared that.

Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[billvon 2,435]

>Darius, I'm proud of this countries successes, and I share sadness for our
>failures too.

Agreed. I am very surprised at the large number of people who rejoice at America's failures and mourn our successes - based purely on their desire to see America's president fail. It almost sounds like their hatred for the president is much stronger than their love for their country.

[wolfriverjoe 1,351]

Quote

I just don’t get the reaction to the Olympics and the Nobel peace prize. We have people cheering when our team fails, and angry when our team wins a prize. I mean how obvious does it have to get? I am not saying he deserved to get the Nobel peace prize but we did win right? Unless you are more loyal to your party then your country it is a cause for celebrating.


So the question is do you support America, or your party? Who comes first in your book?

I think it was ridiculous to give Obama the peace prize without accomplishing anything.
It approaches the "Let's not keep score and everybody gets a trophy" attitude in some kid's sports.

Reading the thread about it, many seem to agree, even a former winner (Lech Walesa).

I'm glad Chicago lost the Olympic bid because:

1 - Far too many of it's citizens (something like 75% or so) opposed it

2 - The construction for the Games (had Chicago won) would have demonstrated how corrupt the city is to the world.

Neither of these postitons have anything to do with my patriotism or party affiliation.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[wmw999 2,149]

I think a lot of people have a deep love for what they wish their country would be. Unfortunately, being kinda big and diverse, it's not going to be what anyone wishes it were -- it's just going to be what it'll be.

I don't see a lot of people, liberal or conservative, who think this is a brilliant well-deserved win. But that's a far cry from being unhappy about it.

I'd be astounded if Louis Farrakhan were to win as well -- but still happy for him.

Now Ann Coulter on the other hand . Nah -- her too.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[ianmdrennan 2]

Quote

Reading the thread about it, many seem to agree, even a former winner (Lech Walesa).

I suggest reading this one too then - it has NOTHING to do with the Peace Prize (although some peoples reaction was used as an example).

Look past your bias, and recognize what Darius is actually asking.

Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[marks2065 0]

Quote

I just don’t get the reaction to the Olympics and the Nobel peace prize. We have people cheering when our team fails, and angry when our team wins a prize. I mean how obvious does it have to get? I am not saying he deserved to get the Nobel peace prize but we did win right? Unless you are more loyal to your party then your country it is a cause for celebrating.


So the question is do you support America, or your party? Who comes first in your book?

Quote

I do support america, but I do not support persons getting things they did not earn or deserve. The nobel peace prize is for someone who did something great for society. Obama may sometime in the future do something great (and I hope he does) but until he has he is not deserving of the award. It is pretty sad when in a world of billions of people that the award was given to a maybe, a possibility, and not someone that actually acomplished something.

as I heard this morning , never has so many given so much to someone that has done nothing.

[Andy9o8 0]

Quote

Happy to report that I'm healthy and do not have that disease called Liberalism.

No, you have the disease called Godwinism.

[rhaig 0]

Quote

I just don’t get the reaction to the Olympics and the Nobel peace prize. We have people cheering when our team fails, and angry when our team wins a prize. I mean how obvious does it have to get? I am not saying he deserved to get the Nobel peace prize but we did win right? Unless you are more loyal to your party then your country it is a cause for celebrating.


So the question is do you support America, or your party? Who comes first in your book?

the nominations were due on Feb 1. 11 days in office

he was nominated for not being bush. and they awarded the prize. Doesn't say much of anything about Obama (unless he refuses to accept), but speaks volumes about the Nobel award comission (or whatever they're called).

--
Rob

[captain1976 0]

Blinded by hatred? Wrong! disgusted with incompetence.

You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime

[TomAiello 25]

I'm an individual. How about you?

I'm against group identity politics.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[rhaig 0]

Quote

>Darius, I'm proud of this countries successes, and I share sadness for our
>failures too.

Agreed. I am very surprised at the large number of people who rejoice at America's failures and mourn our successes - based purely on their desire to see America's president fail. It almost sounds like their hatred for the president is much stronger than their love for their country.

Bill

I'm sure you'll have an answer for this but I have to ask.

What did President Obama do in the first 11 days of his presidency that warranted a nobel nomination? Nothing negative towards the man or the office here. just asking what he did that was so great in 11 days. Because I don't see it.

What was the success here that got him the award?

--
Rob

[StreetScooby 5]

I'm proud to be American. I'm also registered as an independent (for a very long time now). Both the Republican and Democratic party have failed our country.

We are all engines of karma

[kbordson 8]

Quote

Darius, I'm proud of this countries successes, and I share sadness for our failures too. Republican, Democrat, Independent, whatever, I don't care. We should all be proud of our successes, and strive to overcome our failures.

Agreed.

Thank for saying it so clearly.

[TomAiello 25]

Quote

>Darius, I'm proud of this countries successes, and I share sadness for our
>failures too.

Agreed. I am very surprised at the large number of people who rejoice at America's failures and mourn our successes - based purely on their desire to see America's president fail. It almost sounds like their hatred for the president is much stronger than their love for their country.

In general, I think it's almost impossible to characterize a success or failure as belonging to "America."

Successes or failures belong to individuals, and are measured relative to their personal goals.

It's very easy to hope an individual fails in attaining a personal goal you find repugnant, even (or perhaps especially) if they are in a position of authority in a government you are subject to.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[ianmdrennan 2]

Quote

Blinded by hatred? Wrong! disgusted with incompetence.

So party first, country second. Thanks - got it.

Performance Designs Factory Team

[jcd11235 0]

Quote

In general, I think it's almost impossible to characterize a success or failure as belonging to "America."

Successes or failures belong to individuals, and are measured relative to their personal goals.

I strongly disagree. The citizens of the USA own the successes and failures of the government of the USA. That's an inherent part of having "a government of the people, by the people, and for the people."

In democracy/representative republic, the government cannot fail its citizens unless its citizens first fail their government.

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[nerdgirl 0]

Quote

In general, I think it's almost impossible to characterize a success or failure as belonging to "America."

Successes or failures belong to individuals, and are measured relative to their personal goals.

Your comments spur some questions in my mind ...

Was the Manhattan Project solely then-COL/soon-to-be-BG Leslie Groves or Prof Oppenheimer's success?
Was the Marshall plan successful solely because of GEN Marshall?
Who was the individual responsible for the internet? (We all know Al Gore is not the answer. ) Steve Lukasik?

/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[billvon 2,435]

>In general, I think it's almost impossible to characterize a success or failure
>as belonging to "America." Successes or failures belong to individuals

So what one person won World War II for the US? What one person lost Vietnam for us? What one person succeeded at landing a man on the moon? What one person was responsible for Airspeed's win at Nationals last year?

Most successes nowadays, outside of some athletic competitons, are not individual.

>It's very easy to hope an individual fails in attaining a personal goal you find
>repugnant, even (or perhaps especially) if they are in a position of authority in a
>government you are subject to.

I can see that. But when you rejoice at the failure of a US city to get an event they wanted solely because you are happy that individual failed, that's a bit of a different story. You are taking your enjoyment of a man's failures and transferring that to enjoyment of a city's (and country's) failures. And outside of a purely emotional level, that's not really that defensible.

Likewise, if you mourn an award that person gets because you wish to see him disrespected, I think you are confusing dislike of policies with a dislike of the person himself.

(Not to say you're doing this; I am speaking to the original post.)

[champu 1]

Quote

So the question is do you support America, or your party? Who comes first in your book?

Anyone other than a family or cabinet member that puts a bumper sticker for a political candidate on their car (don't even get me started on people leaving it there after a victory or defeat) will solicit a slow disappointed head shake from me.

Party lines get redrawn more often than European boarders last century and with a lot less sensibility. You'd have to be schizophrenic to stand behind a candidate like that.