20-12-2002 15:46									#31
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quote: Originally posted by Shi Huangdi " (Also, ming read the posts. Thats not the SOLE reason...)" It's not a valid reason at all.

Ad Hominem....

quote: Correct, but a dictatorship can not be voted out

Dictatorships have also been voted out before as well....

quote: thus another way showing how GWB is not absolute.

But its becoming absolute with more and more democrats losing their spines. Thus the reason why I said its BECOMING a dictatorship.

quote: If it someone who makes a rediculous thread like you have, you deserve what you get.

Ridiculous is an OPINION. Monkspider apparently likes it. Therefore because it is an opinion, it means you are AGAINST the thread. If you are AGAINST it, that means that you DISAGREE with me. If you DISAGREE with me and you are saying I deserve this, then esentially the following is true:

If I post a thread you are against, you support the use of fallacious statements to kill it.

quote: I logged on because I couldn't fall asleep, it's 4:40 AM so I am going to try to crash again....... Ming if you feel like wasting even more time trying to talk sense to this bozo have fun..........

Personal attack, but thats just one of your ever-growing list of debate fallacies. I sense you don't really know how to debate....

But anyway, because its late I suppose it's excusable (considering you are not thinking clearly). See you tomorrow

	20-12-2002 15:57									#32
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Tass, have you been taking lessons from Archaic?

	20-12-2002 16:04									#33
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quote: Originally posted by GeneralTacticus Tass, have you been taking lessons from Archaic?

	20-12-2002 16:17									#34
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Where is the option

"Tass is way too obsessed with this topic and really needs to get some fresh air"

	20-12-2002 16:23									#35
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It is nowhere near a dictatorship. It might have certain twinges of an authoritarian government, but they can be removed at the next election, which sort of removes the whole dictatorship thing from the equation.

	20-12-2002 16:24									#36
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quote: Originally posted by Sprayber Where is the option "Tass is way too obsessed with this topic and really needs to get some fresh air"

When was the last time I posted this thread...?

Think about that.

quote: which sort of removes the whole dictatorship thing from the equation

*Sigh* It helps to read the thread....

	20-12-2002 17:12									#37
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quote: Originally posted by Tassadar5000 *Sigh* It helps to read the thread....

You honestly think that Americans will let their rights to vote taken away from them? When that happens there will be a civil war...

	20-12-2002 17:14									#38
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The Iraqis haven't lost their right to vote either.

	20-12-2002 17:37									#39
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Voting has become so meaningless in the states that most people now don't use their right to vote.

Much more interesting and important issue than this dictatorship thing.

	20-12-2002 17:52									#40
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If there was only one party but the citizens can vote for representatives within that party is that a dictatorship? (Presuming the Democrats just curled up and died or something).

I'd say it is possible for the US to become a dictatorship - like it is anywhere. I just think one of the main problems is the way the President is treated - all his answers are always prepared for him. We make our Prime Ministers go on live debates with the public until they go grey from stress

	20-12-2002 17:53									#41
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And live debates with the opposition politicians every week!

	20-12-2002 17:55									#42
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Corporate interest are ultimately the controling share-holders in both American parties anyway, its abit like the egg-cup game really, except they always pick the one with the bean underneath.

	20-12-2002 17:58									#43
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UK is much better than US... even though Tony is a new Maggie... Maggie, Major, Tony.... , still something must be wrong

UK has at least three parties + 1 nationalist and some other meaningless mess .

	20-12-2002 17:59									#44
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quote: If there was only one party but the citizens can vote for representatives within that party is that a dictatorship? (Presuming the Democrats just curled up and died or something).

Well, assuming that whoever was in charge of said ruling party pciked all the candidates, yes. Voting is irrelevant when who you vote for makes no difference.

	20-12-2002 18:00									#45
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except for when they edit the electorate.

	20-12-2002 18:04									#46
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quote: Originally posted by GeneralTacticus Well, assuming that whoever was in charge of said ruling party pciked all the candidates, yes. Voting is irrelevant when who you vote for makes no difference.

I guess that's why so few people vote in the US, they can't see what difference it'll make to them.

	20-12-2002 18:06									#47
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And rightly so.

	20-12-2002 18:08									#48
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quote: Originally posted by OneFootInTheGrave UK is much better than US... even though Tony is a new Maggie... Maggie, Major, Tony.... , still something must be wrong UK has at least three parties + 1 nationalist and some other meaningless mess .

No, I know you're eing sarcastic but I agree, the nature of 'The West' is like that. That's why people are always complaining about a lack of differences between the parties.

	20-12-2002 18:15									#49
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If the USA is a Dictatorship... Canada is a commiest (sorry for spelling...)

	20-12-2002 19:39									#50
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A new term has to be invented for what the US is, Corporate Republic ala CtoP, or Market State, Lobbitocracy, Commercial Technocracy....

	20-12-2002 21:30									#51
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quote: Our government doesn't even come close to what you posted

No, it doesn't, but does the Government actually control the county? I agree the US is quite a leap away from a Dictatorship, but I have seen enough eminent people arguing that corporations have more power in America than the Federal Government. They choose not just what people by, but some (media companies) almost decide what the nation should think. I also heard that something like 90% of Midterm elections are won by the candidate that spends the most money in advertising and campaigning. Since the corporations hold the money, it is quite conceivable that they choose who is elected to a large extent. I voted "The United States is is a bit closer to dictatorship than other western, democratic nations", because although I believe it has a long way to go until it becomes a dictatorship, it is further on that road than most of Western Europe.

	20-12-2002 21:51									#52
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Anyway the Electoral Colleges apparently do the actual votin, so its more like a Republic (where only an elite get to vote) then a democracy (where every common joes vote counts)

	20-12-2002 21:57									#53
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WTF? Another one of these threads? The US is not a dictatorship because it has:

1) An elected government
2) Respects Rights

Now you leftists try to use this excuse as to prevent the war against terror (for example stalling progress made against Al Qaeda cells domestically).

I believe some parts of Europe, even Western Europe, are moreso dictator like than the US.

	20-12-2002 21:57									#54
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quote: Originally posted by Ming Let me know when a real dictatorship takes over in the US... Until then, just a troll...

You do realize, that by then it will be too late.

No, the US isn't distubingly close to being a dictatorship. Certainly it has aspects of a police state, and some of our Constitutional rights are have been severely diminished, but we aren't close to becoming a dictatorship.

That isn't to say that the direction we are headed isn't disturbing and that under the right circumstances, we couldn't become one overnight. But we an't fight might bes, only what's actually happening. So stick to the diminishment of our liberties and buy a gun for the day Bush closes down Congress.

	20-12-2002 22:39									#55
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i don't think dictatorship is the right word to use when comparing to other nations. It's our political culture that makes us overexert ourselves, and overstep our bounds, in most cases, and while that may look dictatorial, our nation is clearly a democracy. I would say, however, that other western nations are more democratic than we are, while not being complete democracies themselves, because they have better representation in government. Political parties are much finer in their policy differences, and coallition governments provide that all parties have a chance of having a say in government policies. As long as our two party state exists, and our voting population remains somewhat passive and apathetic, we will be a democratic republic.

	21-12-2002 05:45									#56
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quote: 2) Respects Rights

What happened to the rights of those 1000+ Muslim-Ameircans who were arrested after September 11 and haven't been heard from since?

	21-12-2002 05:47									#57
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quote: Originally posted by GeneralTacticus What happened to the rights of those 1000+ Muslim-Ameircans who were arrested after September 11 and haven't been heard from since?

Proof. Not assumptions. A lot of them have been released.

	21-12-2002 05:48									#58
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Source?

	21-12-2002 05:53									#59
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Oh, and I find it hilarious that you can ask for 'proof, not assumptions', when you make statements like 'you're a communist, therfore you're wrong.'

	21-12-2002 08:01									#60
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Eh...

Read the text of the Patriot Act (and for that matter, read news articles of some of the consequences of it) and tell me the US respects rights.

The main trouble with it is that the nation was still panicking after Sept 11 and it was rushed through Congress. Our congresspersons should not panic; that's one of the things they are supposed to be good at in these kinds of instances

And oh yeah, the other trouble is it hasn't been repealed yet (or AFAIK even spoken unkindly of in Congress)

Probably because any speech against the great Patriot Act would get this response:

So, are you saying you're not a Patriot??? Do you not believe how good the USA is!? Don't you trust John Ashcroft!???

(BTW, another poly poster posted something like this this morning or yesterday. If I knew them, I'd credit the inspiration for this to them )

Also, Fez, source please.