August Spies

It seems to me that the current situation is exposing something many here have always guessed:

We dont' care about what the people think. We are not interested in "representing" the public. We are only concerned with our interests and whoever will support that is A-ok with us.

case in point: The vast majority of the populations of every country in europe (including Britian) is opposed to U.S. action without U.N. approval.
When countries refuse to listen to their public and sign on we applaud them. When they go along with what their people want we rant and rave and call them "old europe"

Well, what do you guys think? What does the fact that we are not concerned with what "the people" think, or even convincing the people, just with getting goverments behind us. Is this hypocritical? Is this problamatic?

Grad Student Humanist

The US has never cared about democracy in other countries. We have supported, and will continue to support, dictatorships, monarchies and other authoritarian governments as long as it benefits the current administration.

The idea that America promotes democracy around the world is a myth.

ex-idaho

Anytime the government does something that the public disagrees with, especially militarily they claim that they know something that we don't and can't tell us for security reasons. While this is a legitimate argument I feel that it is often used to justify moves that the people would never support.

When this argument dosen't work they go in and do it under cover of darkness and cover their tracks so the people don't know it ever happened.

The government will find a way to do what it wants regardless of the will of the people.

geddit?

It says that elected government officials do what they feel is necessary (for whatever "reasons"). They have the power to do this because they were voted into office. If they do a bad job of representing the majority interest they are generally voted out of office. I, personally, can't think of a better way to run a country - even though I disagree with many decisions that my representitives make.

I like to keep it fairly simple.

August Spies

wait... since when was Bush voted into office?

geddit?

I don't think he'll be voted in next time as well.

beyelzu

I would just like to point out that we live in a republic as do most other western countries. The government is not actually required to do exactly what the people want based on opinion polls.

beyelzu

I could explain the electoral college to you, if you like. afterwards, I could point out how bush won florida and tus the electoral college. then we could discuss the issue of not letting felons vote.

or we could just drop this particular tired argument.


I do not like bush's stance on religious issues at all. but the election thing is not a particularly good argument imho.

beyelzu

want to provide actual proof that the "VAST majority of the populations of EVERY european country opposes us action?

beyelzu

most of those actions were taken during the cold war. we didnt support democracy at all, we just opposed communism wherever possible.


the us protects us interests. often we actually try to help other peoples. obviously when these two goals conflict we do the first.