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Joined: Jan 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
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Dear Max:
It is all too true that fanatic housepainters can push nationalism and patriotism to holocaustic extremes.
But before the world can be run without a healthy degree of nationalism and patriotism, there must be a very great improvement in the decency of the mass of men. .
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Joined: Aug 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2000
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enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 387 |
Hmmmm.... get rid of world war 2 , probably several others, because of a different last name, besides the fact of several people not existing anymore. The only person here I'm certain would exist would be wwh.
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear Max: And remember Tojo had plans for your area that were defeated only by patriotism he doubted existed in the English speaking world. Without that patriotism, you might be speaking Japanese
P.S. A couple hours later. I just thought of a dandy anti-patriotism quote you forgot. I don't remember who said it, or whom it was aimed at. "Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels.".
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
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It's from Dr. Johnson, as quoted in Boswell's life: Patriotism having become one of our topicks, Johnson suddenly
uttered, in a strong determined tone, an apophthegm, at which many
will start: 'Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.' But
let it be considered, that he did not mean a real and generous love
of our country, but that pretended patriotism which so many, in all
ages and countries, have made a cloak for self-interest.
http://www.concordance.com/cgi-bin/letsr.pl Bingley
Bingley
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addict
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addict
Joined: Jan 2001
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Indeed Australia does compel its (possessive apostrophe ie it's = YART?) citizens to vote. However, there is nothing to prevent the casting of a donkey vote. There is a slowly increasing push for this course of action, but it is still frowned upon by the majority. The compulsory voter turn-out merely ensures that all citizens are exercising their right to vote, or not to vote. The prevailing attitude in society is what really compels voting.
2c well spent
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addict
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addict
Joined: Feb 2001
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, low voter turnout and apathy should be viewed as an indictment on the political process
The recent low turnout in the UK election (58% - lowest since 1918)has seen some discussion on the point. Though the process has some bearing on the matter, it is the politicians themselves who should take most of the blame. I encourage everyone to vote (or at least get counted in the turn out) but I want there to be a "None of the Above" box on the voting form, and certainly if there were any element of compulsion. Do any of your electoral systems have such a box?
Rod
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Joined: Jan 2001
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156 |
Do any of your electoral systems have such a box?
I think you can somehow officially decline your ballot here, to show that you do not support any candidate, but that may be hearsay. I tried looking stuff up on the Elections Canada website and got nothing, so far.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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an indictment on the political process
Indeed. I am also entirely with you, Max, in your main points - but I do have some political views. I have been denied the chance of realistic participation in our so-called democracy throughout my adult life, however, since my views do not happen to fit the pigeonholes of the main political parties which exhert such a complete stranglehold on modern Western polities. In these circumstances I cannot partipipate in the vote for the general will, though I have clear views of what that might be. How Rousseau must be laughing!
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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As far as the -ism tiff goes... Commercialism, as it is (the current -ism leader) capitalisms' inherent vice, will virtually strip the truth out from under all the other -isms, and will be overtly viewed as doing so from all the other "perspectisms". I'm with you Brandon. The potential/reality of cloaked words is "all over us like a wet noodle". WON - Voting, however, is something that I always do, as I "love" this country (at least a large part of it), and taking the time to make my vote as much aligned with my views as possible is a small price to pay... I like having the choice more than I'm disgusted about picking the lesser of two evils. Since none-of-the-above  decided to approach the issue directly, I propose that a vote of none-of-the-above hold a value equal to a vote for a candidate, and that if the vote count for none-of-the-above is larger than the most vote getting candidate, then we start over... and the looser candidates are out. (We may have been trying to find a president here for the last 9 years)  . Max - If this "not vote" value was in place, could I save you from your political 'hara-kiri'? Where's IP when you need him.  Mav - Change the process!!!
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