Will you vote in the caucus? (buy, luxury, live in)

[zz4guy]

Originally Posted by PeaceInOurTime

In Europe we're happy that you keep your troops here! For that reason we don't need to pay for any defense ourselves. Everyone is convinced that you will save us if the Russians attack. Couldn't you start paying for our health care too? And schools? And roads?

The US starts a lot of wars all the time, but never seems to end them victoriously. Korea, Vietnam and now Iraq going into the third decade, Libya. And now all arab regimes you've supported with many billions of dollars a year in bribes, are falling because their populations hate them for torture and anti-democracy and anti-market policies. Hundreds of millions of ordinary people around the world hate the US because you've supported the bloody dictators and their nazi-police which killed their father and imprisoned their brothers. Why do you do things like that? And how can anyone of you be so stoopid that he imagines that it is in the interests of the US? It ruins your economy, kills your soldiers and makes everyone hate you. Only big corporations in the weapons industry profit from that.

The US is very close to end the same way the Soviet ended. When you can't borrow trillions a year anymore, when the dollar hyperinflates, soldiers won't get paid. They'll drop their weapons in the desert and hitchhike back home. An ordered withdrawal and a balanced budget would certainly be preferable! And if you minded your own business, people might stop hating you for messing with their lives.

You seem to forget the millions of lives the United States military has saved and lifestyles that have been improved because of our strong presence in the world. Thanks to our "if it bleeds it leads" news media only the horrible events you mention show up in the news. But the fact is most of the countries the US has bases in couldn't fend off Libya with their own militaries because they are so weak. Be careful what you wish for.

[PeaceInOurTime]

Well, you were attacked by japan in WW2 and Germany declared war on you. That's the kind of situation in which Ron Paul would lead the US in war too. That's what he preaches a return to with his policy, a defense of America.

But US foreign policy the last 20 years has been something completely different. Starting wars and nation building. It's a new form of colonialism. The US has no real interests in the Mideast. Some say the oil, but that's the only thing of value produced over there. They are the ones who are completely oil dependent. They are desperate to export it at any price. That's the only income they can have.

Countries should get their own defenses and form natural regional alliances. You shouldn't police the world. It only provokes desperate terrorism and your corrupt allies all over the Mideast are falling now, with Islamists taking over, so it doesn't work. It isn't a feasible policy. In the end it was a strong US economy that brought the Soviets to their knees and your constitutional freedom which made you popular. You should stick with what has been proven to be successful.

[mofford]

Not sure if the country is desperate enough to consider some of the cuts Ron Paul has proposed, but we are getting there, maybe in 2016. Of course he will not be a viable candidate by then either, because he will be too old. Rick Perry has been putting out alot of ads lately, but he reminds me so much of George Bush, it's not gonna happen.

Seems to narrow down to Romney and Newt. I really hope Romney comes out on top. I think he is likable and might make a good president. Coming from Massachusetts he is obviously able to work with the democrats to get things done. Newt seems kind of unpredictable and might become abrasive if he won. Newt is soft on immigration and border security, much like like Rick Perry in that respect, and that turns me off. Not that it matters as I probably won't go to caucus. I like the idea of changing it to a primary to make it easier to participate.

The right has lost a chance to show they care about getting a handel on the deficit problem over the past year, when they have refused any compromise on taxes or even give up the Bush tax cuts. I think Obama might gain some campaign momentum from this. I think it's very possible for Obama to win a second term.

[El Rhino]

Before this gets too out of hand, let's keep it focused on the Iowa caucuses, please. Take more broad political discussion to the politics forum.

[Dport7674]

From what I understand, the Republicans do their caucus more like a primary where you vote and leave. The Democrats do the sit around and talk about their guy and try to sway you to "stand" with them.

I could be wrong.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by Dport7674

From what I understand, the Republicans do their caucus more like a primary where you vote and leave. The Democrats do the sit around and talk about their guy and try to sway you to "stand" with them.

I could be wrong.

That is correct.

[PeaceInOurTime]

Sorry I got carried away about foreign policy et cetera. But I see the EU being near a break down now with unpayable debts and a threatening currency collapse. You still have a good chance to prevent that happening to you, by balancing the budget and strangling the FED. I read that you might have a farm land price bubble in Iowa which is still waiting to burst. If so, you might be an extra vulnerable part of the nation.

I think it's amazing that anyone of you can register and vote for who will be candidate for the parties! In Sweden it works like this: Party members locally elect their representatives. The representatives hold a national meeting once every 2 or 4 years or so. They elect the party board of directors and a special election committee. At the next national meeting, this election committee proposes candidates to the post of party leadership. But they almost always only propose ONE SINGLE candidate! Then the national meeting formally votes for this person.

So the party leaders are invariably either someone who already has had a leading role for a long time, or someone completely unknown (when there's secret infighting among the powerful and they need a neutral compromise candidate). When our largest party elected a previously unknown person as its new leader earlier this year, he went out campaigning in his party AFTER he had been elected! Backwards democracy, in order to become familiar and liked by the party members who had chosen the representatives who had elected him (as the only proposed candidate). This system really reminds a lot of how the show worked behind the iron curtain once upon a time...

And in general elections one can only vote for parties, which each has a fixed list of candidates for parliament. One cannot vote for any specific person. This is bad democracy!

[ElleTea]

To the OP: I think I missed something? Are you from the US or not?

At the risk of sounding well, rude, it annoys me when people from outside the US get involved in our Presidential or any other political races. While it's good for those outside the US to be interested, I don't think it is appropriate for them to try to push one candidate or another. Unless you LIVE in America, you don't truly know 100% what is happening here. The news will only show you so much, and often only shows the most "news worthy" stuff, which doesn't necessarily represent real life here.

JMO.

[PeaceInOurTime]

Well, people outside the US are annoyed that YOU get involved in OUR business by bribing regimes and putting your troops in hundreds of bases all over the world and keep starting new wars all the time! NEWSFLASH: The cold war is over. You won. Now go home and mind your own business! You're broke, you should mind that.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by PeaceInOurTime

Well, people outside the US are annoyed that YOU get involved in OUR business by bribing regimes and putting your troops in hundreds of bases all over the world and keep starting new wars all the time! NEWSFLASH: The cold war is over. You won. Now go home and mind your own business! You're broke, you should mind that.

Not everyone here agrees with the wars. I am minding my business. I'm not telling you how to vote in your elections, because I can't begin to understand what life is like where you live.