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Originally Posted by Superbelt
Yeah, and no offense but you:
1) Don't have to worry that Social Security may not be there for you 40 years from now
2) Don't have to live in the Atlantic Northeast with acid rain, lakes and stream made lethally toxic with mercury and high pH levels, Emissions from industrial and utility complexes that made our water this way are scheduled to increase threefold as a result of Bush environmental policies
3) Don't have to pay for the deficits that Bush approved for the rest of your life.
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This is the same old "You're not American, so why do you care?" argument used against me by the right-wing Bush supporters on this board. At least I can claim to be criticised over the same thing by
both sides now!
And anyway, nothing you mention above changes the basis of my argument. I'm not against you protesting. But expect it to be used against you in turn. No matter WHO wins, there will always be a loser. By supporting this kind of protest, you open up yourself and a potential Democract President to the same kind of thing
I never questioned the issues with which you take umbrage. I question the appropriateness of this particular forum (the inauguration) for expressing said protest.
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You live in a country where your Head of State actually has to answer to the people for what he does.
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Actually no. The Australian Head of State is the Governor General, appointed by Her Majesty, Queen Elisabeth II of Australia (also known as Queen Elisabeth II of the United Kingdom of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). The Govenor General is not elected, but appointed by the Government. He (or she) can dismiss the elected Government; indeed, this has already happened in recent history prompting a constitutional crisis.
However,
MY head of State is the President of Ireland, as I remain an Irish citizen. She is elected by popular vote. Her constitutional powers are noteworthy, but tend to be ceremonial in nature. Her actions are usually taken under the advice of the Government, except where she can refer certain legislation (which she and her legal advisors may believe have potential to be considered unconsitutional) to the Council of State, a august body of statespeople and legal experts who can review the bill in question. This is to avoid said bills (and acts) subsequently being challenged in the Supreme Court of Ireland.
Anyway, I digress...
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Our Presidents can hide behind a press secretary who can pick and choose who to answer and give the runaround on any questions.
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Agreed. And this is farcical.
Who could imagine George W Bush hosting a press conference like Tony Blair does? Unrehershed, spontaneous, untimed and unaided. He knows the main correspondents personally and answers their questions by name. He often spends longer than planned fielding these questoins and he has no press secretaries to shield him. Now,
THAT'S a Statesman.
Mr Mephisto