I do find it amusing to hear how people hate america so much. It's almost pathalogical, in the same way that people hate and begrudge successful and wealthy individuals.
Don't get me wrong, the yanks have some serious problems and screw up a fair bit, but at the end of the day, they are certainly the lesser evil of all of the other alternative super powers (with the exception of Europe if it ever gets it's act together).

America is basicly facing the same hostility that every successful empire has faced since time immemorial:

Persian empire, carthage, rome, the british empire et al, all face the same problem. Everybody envied them and spited them. Human nature.

In a hundred years time it will be China everybody will be bitching about.

Governments are there to seek the best interests of their states and people, period, so why do we all look so surprised when they play dirty to succeed? If our ancestors played fair we would all be slaves of some other great power, thats a FACT.
Think about it, in my case, I live on an island that is basicly good for grazing sheep and not much else. It only has minimal natural resources and yet it is a prosperous, safe and wealthy country, while there are places in Africa and Asia which are bursting with natural resources, yet are for want of a better word "holes".
How could we possibly be living in such comfort under a "fair" system or through ethical trading policies? SO if we were to make everything fair, we would be basicly living in mud huts wearing sheep skins...

So we are all a bit guilty of treading on the third world, we are all profiting from americas success. I'm not saying it's fair, but I'm not going to be a hypocrite and blame america for all the worlds ills.

The day America stops acting in its own interest, is the day America starts to decline.

Man I went on a bit there,... sorry guys. I like my history.

I have lived in th USA most of my life, and there never has been any proof of voting iregularities. The only exeption being all the dead democrats who vote every election in the Chicago area.
When the left loses an election, they always piss and moan, "it must have been a set up, the machines were hacked, we didn't have the right people counting! or, the voters are stupid"
When the right loses, they just shrug their shoulders, and say, " we lost, we will try again next time"
That tells me a lot.

Hmm, people in Florida who tradtionally voted Democrat with names remotely sounding like that of a convicted felon not being allowed to vote; lack of voting hardware in areas likely to vote Democrat.[quote]

Whizzer is a typical example of the arrogance of the left. The left lost, so it must have been a fix. He probably heard the leftist media, The BBC etc, say that there may have been some irreglarities. Everthing was investigated, and the leftists came up with nothing.
As far as the convicted felon theory goes, when you apply for a voting card, you are refused if you are a convicted felon. When you go to vote, all you have to do is produce your card, and away you go. The way you say your name is never an issue.
That's how dumb the left is, and how the facts mean nothing.
Next time Whizzer votes in Florida, he can tell us all about it.

[quote="tyne"]Hmm, people in Florida who tradtionally voted Democrat with names remotely sounding like that of a convicted felon not being allowed to vote; lack of voting hardware in areas likely to vote Democrat.

next time I vote maybe...

Just a shame the goverment always gets in

In days of yore, the monarch rode his horse up front into battle with his men.
Nowadays, if the people in charge (organising 'war') were to be in the firing line like that, when they get killed, second in command takes charge, and so and so forth.....I dont agree that the Big Guys should risk their lives as they need to stay at home, on the outside looking in with a clear head, else it all falls apart.
War *is* ruthless, there will always be the expendable men. Anyone joining the armed forces must know this, or dont join up.

Stu, i was merely commenting on the bit about the heads of state etc heading the battle, getting in the thick of the actual fighting/risking their lives.