[Politics] Why is the world's opinion different than America's?

[Zhangfei]

This is the kind of statement that bugs me. And maybe you meant it innocently, but by saying things such as more mature and sophisticated, you're implying that Americans are neither of these. I agree our media is pretty much a joke, but I don't need to look at channels like CNN to know what's going on in this country because I live here. I have family members in every corner of the country. Just by looking around me I can get a good pulse on the American economy. I can browse multitudes of local TV stations and read multiple newspapers that give me the same story from different perspectives.

I never said the people aren't mature and innocent, I said your media isn't.

And I also live in America but follow my own country's media reporting, which is far more accurate, intelligent and reasonable. Local media here is a joke; to be fair, it is back home too.

[S1ay]

It is pretty simple. I do not want the Government taking care of me. I want as much freedom as possible and I want the government to stop taking my money. The government is there for common defense and to settle state disputes. I will never vote for a Democrat because they seem to be against all of these ideals. Neo Cons are not much butter but at this point it is the lesser of two evils. Instead of welfare the government should encourage people that can to donate time/money.

Just because person A makes more than person B does not mean he can give away more money. Even though the internet thinks he should.

The rest of the worlds opinion does not enter my mind in the slightest when making my decision and they shouldn't.

[Tradewind]

the government should encourage people that can to donate time/money.

Yeah that'll happen. What will that be called? The "Shit in one hand" bill?

[Skytotem]

Yeah its not the first time Ive seen these kinds of things. Ive seen polls here saying something between 80% to 90% of Canadians would vote for Obama, but this is because we are much more moderate than Americans. Republicans scare the hell out of us in a "how the heck can anyone take that point of view!?!" kind of way. America is really the only country that would elect some of these people.

Pretty much this. Heck I'm Texan and didn't vote for Romney because he just strikes me as socially regressive.

[Deleted]

"There is 1 country in the world where 40-50% of the population would vote for someone like Mitt Romney. And that country is the US." <-- i can't remember who said it, but yeah that sums it up.

Also, previous in this thread someone said that europeans are sent to "camps" to learn how to "think correctly"?

Ahem.

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA - if you seriously think this...WOW!

[Tradewind]

"There is 1 country in the world where 40-50% of the population would vote for someone like Mitt Romney. And that country is the US." <-- i can't remember who said it, but yeah that sums it up.

Also, previous in this thread someone said that europeans are sent to "camps" to learn how to "think correctly"?

Ahem.

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA - if you seriously think this...WOW!

I think by "Camps" they meant "School." Thinking correctly was an analog for "Education."

[Itisamuh]

Yeah its not the first time Ive seen these kinds of things. Ive seen polls here saying something between 80% to 90% of Canadians would vote for Obama, but this is because we are much more moderate than Americans. Republicans scare the hell out of us in a "how the heck can anyone take that point of view!?!" kind of way. America is really the only country that would elect some of these people.

That is exactly how some of us feel about liberals.

[Xeones]

That is exactly how some of us feel about liberals.

I fail to see what this has to do with the thread.


On topic, the reason the world doesn't want republican presidents is because the republican party takes an "Us vs them" mentality to everything regarding diplomacy, even our allies. Why would the world want to vote for a president who clearly states that he doesn't want to work with them?

[Deleted]

That is exactly how some of us feel about liberals.

Oh good, it's a mutual thing then. "ZOMG WHY DO THEY THINK THAT". Good to see a lot of logic being thrown into the mix then and not trying to understand someone elses point of view. It's almost better this way, isn't it?

[Underverse]

We in the US mostly have no clue how to think independently. We also hate change and all wish that 2012 poofed into 1952.

[Deleted]

I think by "Camps" they meant "School." Thinking correctly was an analog for "Education."

I don't know for other countries, but where i come from it's absolutely forbidden for school to try to influence students in that way. The "political education" is purely informative and is stuff like the different parties history, important elections, etc. If a teacher would say "And i COUNT on you being leftist - it is the only true way for this country, and i will look down on you if you openly say that you have a different opinion" they wouldn't keep their job for a long time after.

So this is a bit OT but i see this a lot on the internet - people saying "The schools exist to brainwash you...to crush your hopes and dreams....yada yada" but they never say how they do this. Could someone who believes that their true purpose is "molding you into a mindless zombievoter" explain this in greater detail?

/end OT(rant)

[Catta]

We in the US mostly have no clue how to think independently. We also hate change and all wish that 2012 poofed into 1952.

*chants*
We are all individuals!

IM NOT!

[Tradewind]

I don't know for other countries, but where i come from it's absolutely forbidden for school to try to influence students in that way. The "political education" is purely informative and is stuff like the different parties history, important elections, etc. If a teacher would say "And i COUNT on you being leftist - it is the only true way for this country, and i will look down on you if you openly say that you have a different opinion" they wouldn't keep their job for a long time after.

So this is a bit OT but i see this a lot on the internet - people saying "The schools exist to brainwash you...to crush your hopes and dreams....yada yada" but they never say how they do this. Could someone who believes that their true purpose is "molding you into a mindless zombievoter" explain this in greater detail?

/end OT(rant)

It was actually a joke about kids getting a better education and thus having a more enlightened viewpoint. But I guess you could go crazy like that.

[Verain]

If you are an American now, I think the question to ask yourself is this: If you were not an American, would your vote be any different than it is now?

And if so, then why?

If you are not Mitt Romney now, I think the question to ask yourself is this: If you were Mitt Romney, would your vote be any different than it is now?


Err, do you see how this is useless? Americans should vote as if they are Americans, because that is what they are. That's actually useful. Pretending to be North Korean, or gods help us, another wealthy nation with financial interests opposed to the average American, doesn't help America.

[Zhangfei]

If you are not Mitt Romney now, I think the question to ask yourself is this: If you were Mitt Romney, would your vote be any different than it is now?


Err, do you see how this is useless? Americans should vote as if they are Americans, because that is what they are. That's actually useful. Pretending to be North Korean, or gods help us, another wealthy nation with financial interests opposed to the average American, doesn't help America.

He was asking to be objective in your decision making, not to imagine yourself as a North Korean. Ye gods, how can people take offence to that?

[MasterHamster]

I am greatly unsettled that a super-power such as the US has to fight off conservative christianity every four years.

[Bad Ashe]

its widely known that liberals believe they are the widespread majority in the US. mainly because the mass media is made up of more liberals than conservatives, there are very few neutral sources of information. the fact that more television channels and websites slant in that particluar direction make for a social climate where its "cool" to bash conservatives, much as the OP feels that the world community is liberally biased.

if CNN were to run a story saying that all babies born on march 12th of this year all had one green eye, and one brown, very few would question it. i guarantee none that did question it would start to bash the network and make carreer's of trying to untell every sentence ever uttered on the station. its just something you have to accept about our current society, its PC to bash fox, or a rep. candidate, or the entire party.

but having said all that, look at how closely the race is with less than a day to go, its split right down the middle.

dont look at your friends and family as liberals or conservatives, or "the other side" no matter what you are on, just accept they want something other than you and be happy you are free to think differently at all.

[Zhangfei]

if CNN were to run a story saying that all babies born on march 12th of this year all had one green eye, and one brown, very few would question it.

99% sure most Europeans would, because:

1) It's nonsense
2) It's from an American conservative news source which are prone to little flights of fancy with the truth.

[Bad Ashe]

99% sure most Europeans would, because:

1) It's nonsense
2) It's from an American conservative news source which are prone to little flights of fancy with the truth.

you see there, you tricked yourself. cnn is not conservative media.
you jumped on the "bash them quick" bandwagon, its the easy thing to do.

i'm not trying to call you out here, just showing how easily overlooked facts really are

[Zhangfei]

you see there, you tricked yourself. cnn is not conservative media.

According to whom? Most Europeans would see it as a centre-right conservative media vehicle.