Thread: So whats so wrong with being able to speak French?

Historically the ability to speak French has come in very handy, after all how would we have known that the French had given up the fight at say Crecy, or Agincourt, or Waterloo, and Trafalgar?

Pah. The UK and France were at war for so long, I guess it's safe to say that both sides won battles at the same rate, or it wouldn't have lasted for hundreds of years

Originally Posted by Bruno

The interesting is that you only have the GOP itself to blame for that.
Only registered republicans get to vote in the primaries. If republicans as a group voted for actual conservatives, those conservatives would be on top of the heap, at least as far as the GOP goes.

Not true in every state. Iowa does not limit their caucus to Republicans. There are democrats messing with primaries in a lot of states.

My biggest problem with this primary is the _mistaken_ assumption that only Romney can beat Obama. I don't agree.

I would love to see a regular guy make it into the white house. Someone who know what it feels like to struggle to pay bills and go years without a raise. Instead of the millionaires.

Originally Posted by nicknbleeding

I would love to see a regular guy make it into the white house. Someone who know what it feels like to struggle to pay bills and go years without a raise. Instead of the millionaires.

It's the same here in the UK, 23 of the 29 members of the cabinet which is what our government comprises of, are millionaires.
All of them have absolutely no idea of what it means to be the ordinary 'man in the street', they are so removed from reality it's surreal.

So who do you think would be better to run the country?

Someone like Richard Branson or someone like Roger "from accounts"?

Personally I want people who have been able to build a personal fortune to be in government rather than someone who has, like me, failed to reach dizzy heights. In business there is a saying, always try to employ people who are better than you.

As it stands given that MP's are paid less than GPs, Head Teachers etc we end up with idealists, people with family funds or people who have finished their career and desire power. I maintain that we need to pay good money to attract the best, I couldn't care less if someone is a millionaire if they are doing well for the country, which means being prepared to say what needs to be said rather than what the electorate want to hear.

Tony Ben was on Radio 4 some years and said there are 2 types of politician, sign posts and weather cocks. The sign posts point in the direction they think we should go while the weather cocks see what way the wind is blowing before deciding which way to point. As far as I can tell most of the current politicians are cocks!

I see your point of view. The problem is when they get in power their not looking out for OUR best interest, Their looking out for their own or looking to the future for which company they will cunsult for. Over here they get the best health care even after they leave office.

You may have failed in busniess but their not running this place like a busniess. If they did they remove the excess. Such as the cost of their health care and i believe they continue to collect their full pay after retiring office.

You lot could have it worse, we had an Australian born, bi-lingual PM who was voted in by the public, but who was then stabbed in the back by his own party and a Welsh born, monoglot (poor) english only speaking (A Welsh person who doesn't speak a word of Welsh...Pah!), idiot installed with out public vote to take his place. The one thing American might like about her, is that she loves the USA more than she loves Australia. Personally I'd like to see her get a green card and go to the States permanantly, but I wouldn't really like to wish her on anyones country.
The previous PM was far sighted and a long term thinker. No doubt he had his faults, but at least he was looking at a future for the country and not just a 'what can I achieve in the next six years before I get voted out' kind of bloke.


Mick

I wasn't aware people build personal fortunes anymore. I thought they just got it handed down to them.

Personally I like the saying "The next time you hear someone say they became a millionaire by hard work, ask them whose"

John

Originally Posted by Jeltz

So who do you think would be better to run the country?

Someone like Richard Branson or someone like Roger "from accounts"?

Richard Branson, is a very astute business man, he is also as mad as a balloon, if you will excuse the pun

Roger 'from accounts' by virtue of his chosen profession might well be rather good in all things fiscal, surely a required trait in any politician?

Personally I want people who have been able to build a personal fortune to be in government rather than someone who has, like me, failed to reach dizzy heights. In business there is a saying, always try to employ people who are better than you.
OK, I vote for Sir Alan Sugar, who started off in life selling car aerials and electrical goods out of a van, and is now worth in excess of £770m (US$1.14 billion), the majority of our unelected 'leaders' inherited their wealth

Tony Ben* was on Radio 4 some years and said there are 2 types of politician, sign posts and weather cocks. The sign posts point in the direction they think we should go while the weather cocks see what way the wind is blowing before deciding which way to point. As far as I can tell most of the current politicians are cocks!

*Tony Benn, formerly Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn 2nd Viscount Stansgate, the wannabee Cockney who gave up his peerage but kept the money, the biggest 'bell end' of the lot.