If the senate was DEMOCRAT when Obama (DEMOCRAT) was president, Garland wou ld have been in in a heartbeat. If the president and senate are the same pa rty, it can happen fast. There is nothing in the constitution to prevent th is so stop spouting off about things you don't understand.
ould have been in in a heartbeat.
What should be at issue is the quality of the jurists that get appointed to the Supreme Court, not whether one political party or the other likes the m on the basis that their decisions will suit one party or the other when they get onto the bench.
Justice is supposed to be impartial.
about things you don't understand.
The US constitution is clearly defective here, as it is in several other pl aces. Most foreigners haven't been indoctrinated as children with the idea that the US founding tax evaders were super-humanly wise - they clearly we ren't - and while they don't understand quite how the indoctrinated can be quite as silly about the subject as they frequently are, they probably shou ld spout off about it more rather than less. We may not "understand" the US constitution in the way you do - as something precious passed down to you
- but this does leaves us able to see where it falls short in a way that th e indoctrinated don't seem to be able to manage.
-- Bill Sloman, Sydney
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places. Most foreigners haven't been indoctrinated as children with the ide a that the US founding tax evaders were super-humanly wise - they clearly weren't - and while they don't understand quite how the indoctrinated can b e quite as silly about the subject as they frequently are, they probably sh ould spout off about it more rather than less. We may not "understand" the US constitution in the way you do - as something precious passed down to yo u - but this does leaves us able to see where it falls short in a way that the indoctrinated don't seem to be able to manage.
** Gotta agree with Bill here - the US voting system is mind blowingly obtu se. Compared to Australia, it is wide open to skewed outcomes and anti- dem ocratic manipulation by parties and big media.FYI:
Here, all eligible adults (over 18) must register themselves AND vote at al l elections - local govt, state and federal.
Compulsory voting *eliminates* the need to either bribe or frighten people to actually cast their vote. Candidates need *only* to convince them to vot e their way.
Proportional / preferential vote counting makes sure the winner is the genu ine favorite - minority candidates can affect the outcome but not win.
Having no president means we have no-one with royal power. The winning part y elects their leader and he or she can be replaced at any time by vote of the same party. That leader becomes the Prime Minister who forms a "cabinet " of other ministers in order to run the country via the public service.
State governments control police forces in their state while the federal go vernment runs a Federal police force for all non state matters. We have onl y 8 different forces - not hundreds. Voters get no direct say in who contro ls any of these forces so carrying out unpopular actions does not put such folk in jeopardy.
It amases me how Yanks can imagine their way is better - when proof beyond all doubt is staring them in the face right now.
..... Phil
r places. Most foreigners haven't been indoctrinated as children with the i dea that the US founding tax evaders were super-humanly wise - they clearly weren't - and while they don't understand quite how the indoctrinated can be quite as silly about the subject as they frequently are, they probably s hould spout off about it more rather than less. We may not "understand" the US constitution in the way you do - as something precious passed down to y ou - but this does leaves us able to see where it falls short in a way that the indoctrinated don't seem to be able to manage.
tuse. Compared to Australia, it is wide open to skewed outcomes and anti- d emocratic manipulation by parties and big media.
all elections - local govt, state and federal.
e to actually cast their vote. Candidates need *only* to convince them to v ote their way.
nuine favorite - minority candidates can affect the outcome but not win.
The Australian single transferable vote in single member constituencies - w hich is what we use for the lower house - means that you mostly get to chos e one the candidates aligned with one of the two major parties leading to s ingle party majority government.
Since then, the most successful democracies have opted for proportional rep resentation in multi-member constituencies. I spent 19 years in the Netherl ands where this system is used, and liked it rather better.
It leads to genuine multiparty democracy, and coalition government. The dif ferences of opinion that get thrashed out in private party room meetings in Australia got thrashed out in public between coalition partners. There's a whole lot less bribing particular parties to favour particular groups - mi ning interests in Australia do it more or less non-stop.
True. Majority party ministers do act as if they have almost royal powers, which isn't good.
Not a great feature, and one that is being throttled back in practice. If y ou vote for a party with a particular leader, you should be able to rely on them leading the party for at least one electoral cycle.
isters in order to run the country via the public service.
government runs a Federal police force for all non state matters. We have o nly 8 different forces - not hundreds. Voters get no direct say in who cont rols any of these forces so carrying out unpopular actions does not put suc h folk in jeopardy.
d all doubt is staring them in the face right now.
When we got taught about the Australian constitution in school, we were tau ght that it corrected some of the problems visible in the American constitu tion. There was no suggestion that it was perfect. Americans have been know n to claim that the US constitution is perfect, and seem to think that the US founding tax evaders were divinely inspired.
Alexander Hamilton's claims about what the electoral college was supposed t o to do - keep out demagogues like Trump - in
is a fairly clear illustration that they weren't.
-- Bill Sloman, Sydney
Yes, even Amtrak (passenger rail system) have their own police force, who occasionally must defend the choo choos with force, sending passengers scrambling for their lives:
We used to call them the "Choo Choo Cops" as kids e.g. "Donnie was slamming brewskis in South Station and got busted by the choo choo cops" (drinking your personal liquor on railroad property or on passenger trains outside of sleeping compartments is VERY VERBOTEN in America.)
r places. Most foreigners haven't been indoctrinated as children with the i dea that the US founding tax evaders were super-humanly wise - they clearl y weren't - and while they don't understand quite how the indoctrinated can be quite as silly about the subject as they frequently are, they probably should spout off about it more rather than less. We may not "understand" th e US constitution in the way you do - as something precious passed down to you - but this does leaves us able to see where it falls short in a way tha t the indoctrinated don't seem to be able to manage.
tuse. Compared to Australia, it is wide open to skewed outcomes and anti- d emocratic manipulation by parties and big media.
all elections - local govt, state and federal.
e to actually cast their vote. Candidates need *only* to convince them to v ote their way.
nuine favorite - minority candidates can affect the outcome but not win.
rty elects their leader and he or she can be replaced at any time by vote o f the same party. That leader becomes the Prime Minister who forms a "cabin et" of other ministers in order to run the country via the public service.
government runs a Federal police force for all non state matters. We have o nly 8 different forces - not hundreds. Voters get no direct say in who cont rols any of these forces so carrying out unpopular actions does not put suc h folk in jeopardy.
d all doubt is staring them in the face right now.
LOL! Here in America we have FREE SPEECH, and an IMPORTANT part of free spe ech is the desire NOT to speak. Voting is SPEECH - not voting is YOUR RIGHT in America, but, apparently, not in the MONARCHY of OZ!
Realistically, voting by idiots like SL0W MAN just put more noise into the system. If you don't do your research you either vote by party or vote rand omly.
her places. Most foreigners haven't been indoctrinated as children with the idea that the US founding tax evaders were super-humanly wise - they clear ly weren't - and while they don't understand quite how the indoctrinated ca n be quite as silly about the subject as they frequently are, they probably should spout off about it more rather than less. We may not "understand" t he US constitution in the way you do - as something precious passed down to you - but this does leaves us able to see where it falls short in a way th at the indoctrinated don't seem to be able to manage.
obtuse. Compared to Australia, it is wide open to skewed outcomes and anti- democratic manipulation by parties and big media.
t all elections - local govt, state and federal.
ple to actually cast their vote. Candidates need *only* to convince them to vote their way.
genuine favorite - minority candidates can affect the outcome but not win.
party elects their leader and he or she can be replaced at any time by vote of the same party. That leader becomes the Prime Minister who forms a "cab inet" of other ministers in order to run the country via the public service .
l government runs a Federal police force for all non state matters. We have only 8 different forces - not hundreds. Voters get no direct say in who co ntrols any of these forces so carrying out unpopular actions does not put s uch folk in jeopardy.
ond all doubt is staring them in the face right now.
peech is the desire NOT to speak. Voting is SPEECH - not voting is YOUR RIG HT in America, but, apparently, not in the MONARCHY of OZ!
Actually voting is not only a right but also a duty in Australia. You are p erfectly at liberty to make a mess of your ballot paper so it can't or won' t be counted, but you do have to show up and sign for it, and put it in the ballot box.
you don't do your research you either vote by party or vote randomly.
In Australia donkey voting - numbering down from the top of the ballot pape r to the bottom - is a recognised problem and accounts for perhaps 1 to 2% of ballots counted.
Flyguy represents the kind of slightly higher level idiocy that is a rather worse problem - bright enough to have some idea of what is going on, but t oo dumb to recognise that a lying crook like Trump isn't someone you want a nywhere near the levers of power.
-- Bill Sloman, Sydney
===============
obtuse. Compared to Australia, it is wide open to skewed outcomes and anti- democratic manipulation by parties and big media.
t all elections - local govt, state and federal.
ple to actually cast their vote. Candidates need *only* to convince them to vote their way.
genuine favorite - minority candidates can affect the outcome but not win.
party elects their leader and he or she can be replaced at any time by vote of the same party. That leader becomes the Prime Minister who forms a "cab inet" of other ministers in order to run the country via the public service .
l government runs a Federal police force for all non state matters. We have only 8 different forces - not hundreds. Voters get no direct say in who co ntrols any of these forces so carrying out unpopular actions does not put s uch folk in jeopardy.
ond all doubt is staring them in the face right now.
** Massive red herring - proving Mr Flyguy has no sane reply.
It falsely assumes the main reason for folk not voting on a given day is a strong desire not to. Hardly ever the real case.
We see voting as a duty and that keeps nearly everyone interested in what i s being said and going around them cos they know they have to vote at some point.
.... Phil
diot monarchy confiscated all of your guns.
What do you expect, since he claims that their military only has an average IQ of 80? Unlike the US military that have to pass a battery of aptitude t est to enlist. "The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a multiple-aptitude battery that measures developed abilities." Our militar y is modern and uses tools that require brains. Something that the post hol e wouldn't understand. There are real PHDs in our military. I new the Nucle ar Engineer from the Nautilus. He was aboard the sub when it went under the North Pole. After the service, he worked to train people to maintain power plants.
The US military doesn't want or need cannon fodder, like other countries st ill use. I wonder if the Aussies are issuing NERF rifles to their low IQ tr oops? Do they still use rubber bayonets? Are their rations still nothing bu t Twinkies?
idiot monarchy confiscated all of your guns.
ge IQ of 80? Unlike the US military that have to pass a battery of aptitude test to enlist. "The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a multiple-aptitude battery that measures developed abilities.
It wasn't the military as a whole, only the front line cannon fodder, and i t was a comment about the US military who pioneered using IQ tests on new r ecruits.
t the post hole wouldn't understand. There are real Ph.D.s in our military. I knew the Nuclear Engineer from the Nautilus. He was aboard the sub when it went under the North Pole. After the service, he worked to train people to maintain power plants.
I did point out that people who scored better were used for more demanding jobs than front-line combat, where they would last longer.
still use.
Everybody has front line troops who are more likely to get killed than peop le working behind the front line.
Probably not - I don't think they ever did. This is the standard issue weap on today.
Did they ever?
Probably not - that is an American children's snack cake and the Australian army would have gone in for something rather more butch.
-- Bill Sloman, Sydney
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