Do Governments Represent Their People?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Is Obama your President?

He's THE President. I have no control over what he does. You really think an old man in Missouri has influence over THE President of the United States. Are you that fucking crazy?

[Gawd]

Is Obama your President?

He's THE President. I have no control over what he does. You really think an old man in Missouri has influence over THE President of the United States. Are you that fucking crazy?

Is he your President, yes or no.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Is Obama your President?

He's THE President. I have no control over what he does. You really think an old man in Missouri has influence over THE President of the United States. Are you that fucking crazy?

Is he your President, yes or no.

Irrelevant question is irrelevant, so stop trying to stair-step the questions. Your idea is simply simpletonish. Monomania is a bitch, but I wouldn't wish it on a more deserving person.

[Gawd]

You keep avoiding the question. Is Obama your President? Does Obama represent the people of the US?

[Warren Dew]

I'll buy the argument that those that don't vote have more responsibility for a bad leader than those who vote against him.

I'm not clear on what Gawd thinks we should do. Armed uprising? Pretty pointless right now as it won't work. Emails to our representatives to try to get them to support more enlightened policies? I do that when I think it will make much of a difference.

As for Obama, he represents some of the people of the U.S., but not all of us.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I'll buy the argument that those that don't vote have more responsibility for a bad leader than those who vote against him.

I'm not clear on what Gawd thinks we should do. Armed uprising? Pretty pointless right now as it won't work. Emails to our representatives to try to get them to support more enlightened policies? I do that when I think it will make much of a difference.

As for Obama, he represents some of the people of the U.S., but not all of us.

Gawd's goals are modest, he simply wants every US citizen, man, woman and child, to die and go to Hell. Sick as this sounds, that's what he's lusting for.

[Gawd]

I'll buy the argument that those that don't vote have more responsibility for a bad leader than those who vote against him.

I'm not clear on what Gawd thinks we should do. Armed uprising? Pretty pointless right now as it won't work. Emails to our representatives to try to get them to support more enlightened policies? I do that when I think it will make much of a difference.

As for Obama, he represents some of the people of the U.S., but not all of us.

Gawd's goals are modest, he simply wants every US citizen, man, woman and child, to die and go to Hell. Sick as this sounds, that's what he's lusting for.

Why don't you just answer my question to you about Obama instead of flip flopping like clown shoes?

[Gawd]

I'll buy the argument that those that don't vote have more responsibility for a bad leader than those who vote against him.

I'm not clear on what Gawd thinks we should do. Armed uprising? Pretty pointless right now as it won't work. Emails to our representatives to try to get them to support more enlightened policies? I do that when I think it will make much of a difference.

If you really think you have a crapper of a government, you can always live in exile and/or renounce your citizenship.

As for Obama, he represents some of the people of the U.S., but not all of us.

Are you sure that's what your constitution and laws say?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I'll buy the argument that those that don't vote have more responsibility for a bad leader than those who vote against him.

I'm not clear on what Gawd thinks we should do. Armed uprising? Pretty pointless right now as it won't work. Emails to our representatives to try to get them to support more enlightened policies? I do that when I think it will make much of a difference.

As for Obama, he represents some of the people of the U.S., but not all of us.

Gawd's goals are modest, he simply wants every US citizen, man, woman and child, to die and go to Hell. Sick as this sounds, that's what he's lusting for.

Why don't you just answer my question to you about Obama instead of flip flopping like clown shoes?

Why aren't you ever honest about your motives? Because they would make you seem like a total asshole, perhaps? Well, guess what, you've already told us that.

[Gawd]

I'll buy the argument that those that don't vote have more responsibility for a bad leader than those who vote against him.

I'm not clear on what Gawd thinks we should do. Armed uprising? Pretty pointless right now as it won't work. Emails to our representatives to try to get them to support more enlightened policies? I do that when I think it will make much of a difference.

As for Obama, he represents some of the people of the U.S., but not all of us.

Gawd's goals are modest, he simply wants every US citizen, man, woman and child, to die and go to Hell. Sick as this sounds, that's what he's lusting for.

Why don't you just answer my question to you about Obama instead of flip flopping like clown shoes?

Why aren't you ever honest about your motives? Because they would make you seem like a total asshole, perhaps? Well, guess what, you've already told us that.

I haven't even bombed anything and you've already labelled me as a terrorist. Standard American M.O. Answer the question or are you afraid you will offend Ian?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Not a terrorist, Gawd, you don't have the courage for that. Just a jerk hiding in the taiga.

[Gawd]

How about I have you a simpler question, Gawdzilla? Is your town mayor your mayor?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

How about I have you a simpler question, Gawdzilla? Is your town mayor your mayor?

Why is that relevant? You're trying to work us toward a point that frankly isn't worth going to. Why share your neurosis with a muskox?

[Ian]

Completely ludicrous.

Governments are governments. That's it. In many places in the world, there's often a very large percentage of people who don't like who's there at any given time. I not only voted against Bush but gave money to his opponent, and I'm still of the opinion that he was a national disgrace. Yes, he was the head of my government. But the idea that I personally was represented by him is not just insulting, it's silly.

Are you assuming all governments are efficient anough to represent all their people? I didn't know you were such a collectivist, Gawd!

I guess all I need to know about you can be learned by looking at the Canadian government. They represent you, after all.

Since this is your thread, maybe I should go ahead and pull a Godwin. The 2nd largest party in Germany in the early 1930s was the communists. There was also a rather large Jewish population. But Hitler clawed his way to power at the expense of who knows how many German lives, and survived quite a few German assassination attempts. So the German people were one and all represented by him? Or was his government just the one in power, until it wasn't?

I think you're just looking for excuses to hate people along with their leaders - even if the people you hate don't like their leaders much more than you do. 'Cause that's what you do: you hate people.

[amused]

Gawd - I understand what you're getting at, and the answer is no. We do not have a representative government in the United States of America. We pretend to a lie because it's easy to do so. But our own government left most citizens behind decades ago. Look into gerrymandering of US congressional districts. In 85% of all congressional elections, the incumbent wins. The incumbent is the hand-picked candidate of the political party that controls the district. Districts are gerrymandered so that one-party voters hand over control of the district. Which has the effect of freeing US congressmen to do anything they want, which is to represent the powers that be.

US senators are even more removed from accountability, and were at one time political appointments. Which the teabaggers seem to think is a better idea, thus showing that teabagger grassroots are actually astroturfs for the powerful who would like to have senators back as political appointments.

US presidential elections are a farce too. They give people the illusion of having a say, but the fact is that our president has very little actual power. Yes, the president represents us on the world stage, but s/he doesn't really represent anyone.

But you know all that and you're being an ass anyway...