Firstly, when you say 'Europe' I hope you realise thats a hugely sweeping classification. We are many nations, all with our own languages, customs, and cultures.
I don't really know which countries are having this crisis, so I'd be curious to know which ones you think are.
I also find this statement particularly ironic, given how much 'freedom' has been taken away from the supposed self-appointed leader of the 'free world' since Bush has been in power (The US in case any of you were in doubt) to give a more precise example: 'The patriot act'
911 was the perfect excuse to give the government exactly what it wanted.
More control over people's lives, without that hugely inconvenient civil rights mumbo-jumbo getting in the way.
Meh, no-one would notice anyway...
I've watched goings-on over there for a while now, with a heavy heart, and I'm not even American.
But I can only comment on the situation in the UK as I see it.
Yes, I find the govenment more controlling these days, and it bugs the shit out of me.
Do I blame Muslims for it?
No, not at all. Its always been this way, a government in whatever form will always try to push and see how much they can get away with before the people get fed up with it.
Its happened a few times in our history, you may have heard of it, 'The American War of independence' :P
Before that, it was the English civil war, before that Magna Carta...
Thats just (a fraction) of our shared history.
I think blaming a race of people for any restrictive actions a government takes is short sighted, at best.
Politics is all slight of hand anyway, making huge issues out of small things which don't matter, all the while ignoring the huge elephant standing in the middle of the room.
I wish the two party system worked... I wish they didn't seek legal recourse against free parties that run against them. In fact I wish we had the Australian system to open up the options for people to vote outside their own parties, oh yeah and enforced compulsory voting...
We tried going for a new voting system here in Canada during the last election, since we still use first-past-the-post, which a lot of other countries have abandoned for a more effective system. Unfortunately, it didn't go through :(
With the Euro being valued over the dollar right now, I don't see that as being a bad thing.
What would really be sweet is if every single country and island country in North, Central, and South America was just part of one super country. And the funny thing is, the United States of America would still fit perfectly as a name.
I've thought about doing an alternate WW2 scenario where there were just three super-countries fighting. The combined USA, the EAU (European Africa Union), and the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity sphere (Asia and the Pacific countries/continents).
Assuming you're from Ontario and refering to the referendum question that was posed this fall, I agree in theory that another system might be better from an equality point of view (though I think it could spawn more minority governments which may or may not be more effective) I voted against it solely because it would eliminate more electoral ridings, and those ridings would be taken from Northern Ontario. Coming from Northern Ontario I can tell you the ridings are already big enough as is and I don't like the idea of them becoming larger. While I do realize the ridings are so big due to the lack of population up here, I'm of the opinion that different areas have different issues, and I feel reducing the amount of votes that Northern Ontario has would be harmful to Northern Ontario. And naturally I think of myself first. But if the same system was suggested again without making a reduction in the amount of ridings, I'd be all for it.
So, the matter at hand. So many days ago this issue was on the front page of every enwspaper in the land, decrying the indoctrination of younglings and lauding the state for its once prompt action. Now however, I was unable to see a single article in the State News this morning. How our attentionts turn, no?
And Europe is not as a sweeping a statement as it once was. The individual nations will soon be gone replaced by one unified government. In some ways, as an intellectual, I see this as the best thing to ever have happened, a wonderful way to govern and hopefully soon there will be one European Army, one language, etc.
As a German however, I lament the loss of freedom, of nationalism. Germany will soon be gone, as will France, England, and Switzerland, replaced by the Europeon Territory of Saxony or Airstrip One, etc. We have already lost the Mark - what next?
And for a bit of applause for my fellow imperialists, the Americans were unable to conquer Canada thanks to the redoubtable and unwavering British Royal Army
And we thank the British for it, no matter how much some people like to think it was Canadians out there fighting.
As for the question of the Ontario referendum, I agree with you, Jan, that removing ridings from an area that already doesn't have many would be a bad idea. I voted for the new system only because it seems fairer and I liked the idea of being able to vote for a candidate and a party. I tend to look at candidates in an election, not parties, but I'd like to be able to throw a vote to the Green Party while picking someone who will actually get into power.
Actually, it was because of the Mutinous American Army. Our militiamen refused to deploy out of the United States Proper, leaving our regulars badly outnumbered.
