News Embedded Journalists - AP Reporter Shooting Rehash

[ThomasT]

How you can you sit there and complain about 'not having any say' in the war, when you can directly vote these people out of office - gimme a break. If the majority of people don't vote but only complain, they really ought to just keep their opinions to themselves... The US is not a direct democracy.

Well, I can't directly vote anyone out of office. But if people stop voting for Republicans and Democrats, then maybe we'll get some positive changes in this country. The problem is, everybody is fairly comfortable. Precious few people actually take their civic responsibilities seriously. We've been, collectively, lulled to sleep. The congress is free to pursue this war or that war. Nobody gives a s**t. Is this really the sort of situation that you would call a 'democracy'. Are you really proud of a country where fully 50% of those who are eligible to vote don't even bother to? Personally, it makes me sick. The US will get what it deserves, which is third world status by 2100. This is our destiny. It's what not giving a s**t gets you.

 

[ThomasT]

I wouldn't go so far.

It was the huge support among the electorate[1] for a war in Iraq that, IMO, made it all possible. I don't think, for instance, that the Dems would have caved and signed on to the Iraq War Resolution bill if they hadn't calculated that objecting would make them look wimpy to a constituency that was still demanding revenge[2] for 9/11. If there had not been a 9/11, it would have been a whole lot harder for the Bush admin to sell the idea of the necessity of war in Iraq to the people, and hence to Congress. It would also have been much harder to enlist recruits[3].

1. 72% of public support war in Iraq (March 2003) - Pew Research
2. Poll shows 69% of public believe Saddam personally involved in 9/11 attack - Washington Post
3. 90% or troops serving in Iraq think war is retaliation for Saddam's role in 9/11 - Zogby

As I said in my previous post, citizens of the US do not take their civic responsibilities seriously. They do not dig to find the truth. They are satisfied to be manipulated by advertising and propaganda. They are comfortable. They don't give a s**t. Hence, they are pawns of the 'elected' elite.

The remedy -- as I've said, stop voting for Republicans and Democrats. If there isn't any other party on your ballot, then write somebody in. That's what I do. It isn't difficult.

 

[Cyrus]

Well, I can't directly vote anyone out of office. But if people stop voting for Republicans and Democrats, then maybe we'll get some positive changes in this country. The problem is, everybody is fairly comfortable. Precious few people actually take their civic responsibilities seriously. We've been, collectively, lulled to sleep. The congress is free to pursue this war or that war. Nobody gives a s**t. Is this really the sort of situation that you would call a 'democracy'. Are you really proud of a country where fully 50% of those who are eligible to vote don't even bother to? Personally, it makes me sick. The US will get what it deserves, which is third world status by 2100. This is our destiny. It's what not giving a s**t gets you.

Where do you get this third world status by 2100 claim from?

Note: I don't disagree with you on the people not caring but we can directly measure that by the number of people that actually go to the polls. Historically, it isn't any more or less now than it has been in the past, so your assertion that we are going down because of a lack of voter turnout has no basis. If what you said were true, the US would have been on the decline since the 1960s.

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781453.html