DonPeffers Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 US election 03 Nov 2020 with 2 geriatric (I am one as well, so I'm allowed to use the term) candidates neither of whom seem to know what they're doing. The incumbent says MAGA but what greatness has happened in the last 4 years?...Is it a few miles of fence, world's worst covid death toll, National debt up from USD20 trillion to 27 trillion? At latest rally the President seemed absolutely manic, possibly a dexamethasone withdrawal side effect. Some are listed as Personality changes or mood alterations, Hyperactivity and jitters, Dizziness and headaches, Difficulty concentrating. The challenger was recently mocked by the incumbent for forgetting which office he's running for.... 13 oct 2020 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8833077/Trump-mocks-Biden-stating-running-Senate-forgetting-Mitt-Romneys-name.html "Biden's senior moments: Trump slams 'Sleepy' Joe after Democrat forgets Mitt Romney's name and calls him 'that Mormon senator' - then declares he is running for the Senate in latest slips". God save America. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamperMan Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 Is it not like all elections.... You like non of them, but vote tactically to keep the one you hate most out. It was hard enough to believe that out of 66 million people we didn't have a better choice ourselves... but out of 325 million surely. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corsechris Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 They say you get the politicians you deserve...and that is so true for the USA. Their system is so openly and blatantly corrupt, what do they expect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonPeffers Posted October 14, 2020 Author Share Posted October 14, 2020 (edited) IIRC in USA 2016 election the largest share of the vote went to 'DID NOT VOTE' at 41%. Says it all. Correction---Just checked and 44.5% did not vote. For UK Dec 2019 only 32.7% did not vote but still a substantial number not engaged. Edited October 14, 2020 by DonPeffers Correction did not vote US 2016. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff oakley Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 It is hard for us to comprehend the election process in the US, they have already started voting and yet there has been very little actual campaigning due to Covid. Sadly we are also being fed one sided news and shown the supposed breakdown of society there, yet in the vast majority of the US life goes on as normal. It is hard to get to the facts as each media outlet is biased in some way. The story that is breaking about Hunter Biden and Joe Bidens role in a deal in the Ukraine has been stifled by Facebook and Twitter for example, who knows why as when it was Trump junior they were all over allegations. Again statistics can be viewed many ways, the US is now the second highest death rath from Covid but when you look at it per capita it is 9th with Belgium being the second highest and Peru number one. We are tenth in the rankings and when you look at the figures the ones with the least are the ones where travel is very low and population density low as well. For many US citizens they see Trump as defending their way of life and one who is promoting the US patriotically, but Biden is seen as a socialist who wants to change everything to stop rewarding work and reward those who are at the bottom of the pile. I pass no comment on that but our friends who live in the States see the democrats as wanting to destroy what so many hold dear. It is strange when you look back on both sides of the atlantic at the political giants we have had in the past, who had vision and led their parties and countries that now we have such weak vacuous individuals chasing a few good column inches rather than doing what is right. I think Trump will win as the Democrats have put up a weak opponent as any quality one feared losing to Trump and that being the end of their chances, wait 4 years and it will be two new candidates to vote for. It is sad to witness from an outside perspective, which I am sure much of the world felt over the Brexit process looking in at us. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 1 hour ago, jeff oakley said: The story that is breaking about Hunter Biden and Joe Bidens role in a deal in the Ukraine has been stifled by Facebook and Twitter for example, who knows why as when it was Trump junior they were all over allegations. The reason it was stifled might be something to do with the fact that the Biden Ukraine emails on an old laptop story has been proven to be a complete fabrication created by a fervent Trump supporter and promoted by the far right and widely discredited New York Post (the US equivalent of if the UKIP manifesto and The Daily Sport had an illegitimate love child), owned by (surprise, surprise) a Mr R. Murdoch, who also happens to own Fox News. Go figure. I could say an awful lot here about the election and the candidates but I won’t until after the vote. Frankly, I can’t think of any high-level politician who wasn’t in it for themselves long-term on either side of the pond. No one in their right mind would take on these comparatively low-paying jobs with high personal risk if there wasn’t a huge payoff at the end - or sooner (as strongly evidenced by the current unhinged incumbent). The desire to be a national political leader should bar you for life from ever being one. Roll on 20 January so this nightmare can end - and a new one start. America is a broken country, deliberately and systematically torn in half by the political parties agendas and targeted hatred, and their desires for power - divide and rule - with no cure or improvement in sight. I’m glad I have dual nationality as I feel more and more embarrassed by and distanced from my birth country on an almost daily basis, and stories and lies created out of thin air to fool the public and change an election don’t help that feeling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonPeffers Posted October 16, 2020 Author Share Posted October 16, 2020 3 hours ago, jeff oakley said: Again statistics can be viewed many ways, the US is now the second highest death rath from Covid but when you look at it per capita it is 9th with Belgium being the second highest and Peru number one. We are tenth in the rankings and when you look at the figures the ones with the least are the ones where travel is very low and population density low as well. . 2 hours ago, Captain Colonial said: Frankly, I can’t think of any high-level politician who wasn’t in it for themselves long-term on either side of the pond. No one in their right mind would take on these comparatively low-paying jobs with high personal risk if there wasn’t a huge payoff at the end - or sooner (as strongly evidenced by the current unhinged incumbent). The desire to be a national political leader should bar you for life from ever being one. Covid stats for densely populated Japan----Japan covid deaths 1,650, population 126.53 Mn, deaths per million = 13.04. (113th on the list). https://www.statista.com/statistics/1104709/coronavirus-deaths-worldwide-per-million-inhabitants/ shows Peru 1st, Bolivia 3rd, Brazil 4th, Ecuador 5th, Chile 7th and Mexico 8th; so 6 third world Sth. American countries in top 10 with less developed healthcare systems compared to Belgium 2nd, USA 9th and UK 10th. Politicians seem to do quite well financially and although stories are filtering out that BJ cannot manage on salary of £150k pa, with free housing, I reckon after his Premiership he will do alright just as previous PMs have. Net worths of a certain Mr Blair and Mr Major are quite impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 1 hour ago, Captain Colonial said: The desire to be a national political leader should bar you for life from ever being one. Isn't that a Billy Connolly line, or did he "borrow" it? 1 hour ago, Captain Colonial said: owned by (surprise, surprise) a Mr R. Murdoch, who also happens to own Fox News. Go figure. 39% owned by. If I had a 39% stake in ANYTHING (house, car, small business or whatever) would I be called the "owner"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 2 hours ago, Blatman said: 39% owned by. If I had a 39% stake in ANYTHING (house, car, small business or whatever) would I be called the "owner"? That's more than a little disingenuous Blatters - it’s part of News Corp, which is 100% owned and controlled by the Murdoch family. Are you saying that because he himself has “only” 39% ownership that he doesn’t influence or dictate the content of the paper? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan France Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 4 hours ago, Captain Colonial said: ... America is a broken country, deliberately and systematically torn in half by the political parties agendas and targeted hatred, and their desires for power - divide and rule - with no cure or improvement in sight.. Spent at lot of time there, bought and sold property there, not how I see the USA at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 1 minute ago, Alan France said: Spent at lot of time there, bought and sold property there, not how I see the USA at all. Born and raised there, still have family and friends there - we’ll agree to disagree. It’s certainly now not the America I used to feel proud to be part of. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan France Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 ... agree to disagree ... Messy time ahead. Donald has lost the plot but Biden's only redeeming feature is his 1967 Corvette. At least it's only politics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 3 hours ago, Captain Colonial said: Are you saying that because he himself has “only” 39% ownership that he doesn’t influence or dictate the content of the paper? I worked for Murdoch owned companies for nearly two decades, News International and Sky. I used to know personally many of the journalists, photographers, camera men, sound men, editors and producers. I never got a sniff of any suggested, cajoled, coerced or otherwise, influence being brought to bear upon any of them, although it would be daft to suggest that they don't have an angle because all journalists do. Murdoch owned entities have a habit of leaning to the right but other than that preference I strongly doubt that any direct influence was forthcoming from on high. And it's not like these places are known for keeping secrets. I'll stipulate that Fox News is wholly owned by Fox Corp, formed in 2019 when Disney bought 20th Century Fox. Can we agree that Fox news is a partially owned subsidiary of Fox Corp where Fox Corp have 39% of the voting shares. Does this give them influence? Yes. Do they use it? Probably but I don't think that influence is a strong as many believe. Based on that, is it safe to assume that the other shareholders have and would exercise influence outside of that granted them by dint of having voting shares? From CNN Business: Quote Institutional investors purchased a net $1.9 million shares of FOX during the quarter ended June 2019, and now own 55.46% of the total float, a percentage that is typical for companies in the Broadcasting industry. https://money.cnn.com/quote/shareholders/shareholders.html?symb=FOX&subView=institutional Whilst individual shareholdings that make up that 55% are much smaller than the Murdoch share, they are still as a group in the majority. If there were any overt attempts to make changes that were against the "corporate good" for want of a better phrase, Murdoch could easily be outvoted. Or are we going to suggest that there is a conspiracy among all of them to let Rupert do whatever he wants? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 2 hours ago, Blatman said: Murdoch owned entities have a habit of leaning to the right The New York Post certainly does (getting back to the original point) ”Overall we rate the New York Post on the far end of Right-Center Biased due to story selection that typically favors the Right and Mixed (borderline questionable) for factual reporting based on several failed fact checks.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan France Posted October 17, 2020 Share Posted October 17, 2020 On 16/10/2020 at 09:55, Captain Colonial said: ... I’m glad I have dual nationality... Article in the Daily Telegraph Money section today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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