what do you make of the English
Jun 24th, 2003, 03:13 AM
#61
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Jacko, how can you say you live in a meritocracy? Your pres inherited the job from his dad, same as the Queen.
What a great place where the mere son of a president can rise to be president.
Even Kennedy's dad bought him the job with bootleg money.
The fact is that only those with millions, no matter how ill gotten, can get the top job in the US.Is this merit?
Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black.
What a great place where the mere son of a president can rise to be president.
Even Kennedy's dad bought him the job with bootleg money.
The fact is that only those with millions, no matter how ill gotten, can get the top job in the US.Is this merit?
Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black.
Jun 24th, 2003, 03:48 AM
#63
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Actually Zippo, you're extrapolating from a couple of outlying data points to an erroneous result.
- Clinton was the stepson of a local car-dealer.
- Reagan was the son of a small time shop owner from Illinois.
- Carter was a naval officer and farmer.
- Ford was a Midwesterner of no significant family, who made it through college and Yale Law on football scholarships and coaching jobs.
- I don't know what Nixon's parents did, but they were Quakers, not exactly one of the more influential religious sects in the US.
- LB Johnson was the son and grandson of state politicians in Texas. He was a teacher before entering politics.
- Kennedy had money. Lots of money.
- Eisenhower was poor. Very poor.
- Truman was born into another Midwestern farming family.
So you can see that of our post-WWII presidents, only the Bush's and Kennedy fit your totally erroneous stereotype. And several of these presidents were born into very uninfluential and/or impoverished families.
There may be a lot wrong with the US, but when the son of farmers from Kansas, or Georgia, or Missouri can rise to be President, I'd say there is at least the glimmer of a Meritocracy there somewhere.
- Clinton was the stepson of a local car-dealer.
- Reagan was the son of a small time shop owner from Illinois.
- Carter was a naval officer and farmer.
- Ford was a Midwesterner of no significant family, who made it through college and Yale Law on football scholarships and coaching jobs.
- I don't know what Nixon's parents did, but they were Quakers, not exactly one of the more influential religious sects in the US.
- LB Johnson was the son and grandson of state politicians in Texas. He was a teacher before entering politics.
- Kennedy had money. Lots of money.
- Eisenhower was poor. Very poor.
- Truman was born into another Midwestern farming family.
So you can see that of our post-WWII presidents, only the Bush's and Kennedy fit your totally erroneous stereotype. And several of these presidents were born into very uninfluential and/or impoverished families.
There may be a lot wrong with the US, but when the son of farmers from Kansas, or Georgia, or Missouri can rise to be President, I'd say there is at least the glimmer of a Meritocracy there somewhere.
Jun 24th, 2003, 12:28 PM
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This is an interesting one, as Tony Blair himself ridiculed our ancient system only last week by poking fun at the office of Lord Chancellor who wears tights and a wig.
As for the subject of a monarchy, we British public are coming back to the idea of royalty after seeing the alternative in the presedential leadership style of Tony Blair. In the run up to the Iraq war, he appeared on a TV debate where one questioner repeatedly asked him questions preceded with "tell me, vice president" and "would the member for Texas south like to tell us .....". It was so funny.
Yes, the royal family are ridiculous (especially the obnoxious Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, and the odious Fergie and the Wessexes). They mean nothing to the general day to day lives of the Brits - apart from hilarious stories of a Bin Laden lookalike gatecrashing William's 21st birthday party! One thing, though, if you insist on a hereditary monarchic system then you can't just miss a generation because Prince Charles doesn't suit. It doesn't work that way.
As for the subject of a monarchy, we British public are coming back to the idea of royalty after seeing the alternative in the presedential leadership style of Tony Blair. In the run up to the Iraq war, he appeared on a TV debate where one questioner repeatedly asked him questions preceded with "tell me, vice president" and "would the member for Texas south like to tell us .....". It was so funny.
Yes, the royal family are ridiculous (especially the obnoxious Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, and the odious Fergie and the Wessexes). They mean nothing to the general day to day lives of the Brits - apart from hilarious stories of a Bin Laden lookalike gatecrashing William's 21st birthday party! One thing, though, if you insist on a hereditary monarchic system then you can't just miss a generation because Prince Charles doesn't suit. It doesn't work that way.
Jun 24th, 2003, 01:08 PM
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When i saw the title of this thread, "what do you make of the English" I had to think of my old uncle, Cannibal Ken ("Ken-Can," we called him...)who was a bit of a nutter but a damned fine chef.
Anyhoo, he made a very fine gumbo dish out of ground Engish which he would serve with freshly baked bread and a nice, seet Port wine. I will admit that sometimes he over-spiced it a bit, but still it was always better than the gumbo he made from the Irish, which tended to sometimes suddenly explode during the cooking process. What a mess...Then there was his world-famous Scottish hagis made from real Scotsmen, but that's another story entirely.
Ah, memories, they light the corners of my mind.
Anyhoo, he made a very fine gumbo dish out of ground Engish which he would serve with freshly baked bread and a nice, seet Port wine. I will admit that sometimes he over-spiced it a bit, but still it was always better than the gumbo he made from the Irish, which tended to sometimes suddenly explode during the cooking process. What a mess...Then there was his world-famous Scottish hagis made from real Scotsmen, but that's another story entirely.
Ah, memories, they light the corners of my mind.
Jun 24th, 2003, 03:18 PM
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Jor, could you further explain your comment to me? What is wrong with saying that I find English people more friendly than where I live? Are you suggesting that makes me unpatriotic? I'll make sure to let my Dad know who served our country in the Navy for 30 years. 
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