OT: Soviet Re-Birth

[Fyron]

Parties weren't even supposed to exist in the first place...

The problem with having the legislative branch choose the president is that the president is not a legislator. The executive branch is meant to be totally separate from the legislative, so it needs to have its head voted on by the people, not by the legislators. These weird systems that mix and match legislative and executive branches worry me.

NATO isn't going to go to war with Russia. That would lead to World War III.

[Atrocities]

I dunno... "patriotism" has transformed into a cudgel wielded by wanna-be autocrats to bash everyone else into complying with their anti-constitutional leanings these days. If you don't immediately support such measures, you're patriotism is immediately called into question, and you may even be called a terrorist or terrorist-sympathizer... We are living in the McCarthian 1950s again, sadly. The tactics have become more subtle and sophisticated, but its disgusting nonetheless.

Well patriotism is nothing more than love and pride in one's country. There seems to be a rather widespread belief however, that being proud of your country means you cannot, nay, must not acknowledge it's faults.

Wow. Impressive and profound. I congratulate both of you on your astute and very true to life reflections of this most important virtue. Patriotism should never be yielded as a weapon of ignorance or lack of tolerance of opposing points of view. After all, come victory or defeat we are all sons of our respective nations are we not?

[Atrocities]

The ultimate determinant in the struggle now going on for the world will not be bombs and rockets but a test of wills and ideas-a trial of spiritual resolve: the values we hold, the beliefs we cherish and the ideals to which we are dedicated. - Ronald Reagan

To the new Russian President/Czar I say remember these immortal words:

General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! - Ronald Reagan

[Randallw]

Well speaking as someone without much of a personality I prefer a bureaucratic system based on ministers who know what they're doing, such as a doctor as minister of health, and a figurehead picked from the party, rather than a personality who only got elected because he knows how to charm people. When you get down to it most people would be more comforatble with the sytem they already live under and know I guess. Well except those rabid anarchists.

You seem to have something called impeachment for your Presidents when they become unpopular. Here if you are causing too much bad publicity for the party they'll vote you out and replace you with a new leader even if the person on the way out was the Prime Minster. Those communists I mentioned did such a thing last time they were in office. At one point they were so unpopular the Governor General kicked them out. They made a big fuss about it being unfair but it didn't help them get elected in the snap election where the electorate unsurprsingly pointed out they were indeed unpopular.

and yes, to any Australians following this, I am a Liberal.

anyway as Gerald Ford sort of said once

"Personally I've never found voting to be all that important to the process"

[Atrocities]

A very good quote there Randallw. Funny and true.

"You have been told time and again; do NOT provoke the Borg." - Q

Much can be said about those folks who are driven to vote. They can vote for you, or against, such is the nature of the American voting beast.

[Randallw]

Which quote. The Futurama one or Donald Duck?. I wonder because you mentioned not annoying something. As for Donald's attitude not being what he is famous for, I read that as Deadpool would say

"It sort of all depended on who's writing the book at the time"

[mrscrogg]

I think it's quite a compliment that in a forum for a game that so many people show not only interest and knowledge but a passion for a topic not associated with what we normally talk about

[Fyron]

Randallw said:
You seem to have something called impeachment for your Presidents when they become unpopular.

Impeachment is not about popularity; it is a last resort for breaking the rule of law. Granted, blatantly violating the rule of law tends to make one rather unpopular, but that's correlation, not causation.

[Randallw]

ah right. I tend to have a "leadership can do no wrong" mindset, so the only way the leader can be wrong is if he is unpopular. It goes without saying that the opposition, being unpopular in the first place, are always wrong. What I mean is you wouldn't impeach your own leader, and any attempt by others is just them taking a chance to sabotage the people they are trying to replace.

[Azselendor]

If you think about it, if the US was to impeach Bush --who is currently rather unpopular-- It would propel cheney (who can only be awesome with a shotgun) to the oval office. cheney is less popular than bush. So let's impeach both?

Nay, that would propel Nancy Pelosi into the whitehouse as the first female president and she's less popular and far less likable than bush, cheney, hilary clinton, and a molded turkey combined.

The impeachment process exists to legally remove a seated government official from power for criminal prosecution as to allow the government to continue operations without dividing said official's attention. It also helps with PR if you say Former-President instead of Current-President at the conviction and sentencing hearings.