Chile Forum

I understand there's been another proposal by Congressman Jose Serrano to repeal the 22nd amendment.

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the twenty-second article of amendment, thereby removing the limitation on the number of terms an individual may serve as President.

As it is popular to say today "give him a chance" ...........before you install our first emperor.

An early Gen X'er by the nym eeuunikkeiexpat once cynically and seriously wrote:

http://www.allchile.net/chileforum/topic2027-30.html#p18221 wrote:
Re: U.S. Election 2008 and Chile

by eeuunikkeiexpat on Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:20 am

As soon as the Patriot Act and add ons are repealed

The troops come home

The Fed is dismantled and powers returned to the UST under accountable Congressional oversight

A new Bretton Woods is formed with gold backing

I will finally be an Obama or his successor supporter

Party on dudes

Party on dudes <hic>

RWS wrote:For me, the other sad note in today's air is the expectation that government -- and most particularly, the federal government -- will do all, including what we should do individually and in direct co-operation with others.

The feeling of this expectation certainly could not have come from Obama's speech.

"In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom."

"For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."

eeuunikkeiexpat wrote:An early Gen X'er by the nym eeuunikkeiexpat once cynically and seriously wrote:

http://www.allchile.net/chileforum/topic2027-30.html#p18221 wrote:
Re: U.S. Election 2008 and Chile

by eeuunikkeiexpat on Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:20 am

As soon as the Patriot Act and add ons are repealed

The troops come home

The Fed is dismantled and powers returned to the UST under accountable Congressional oversight

A new Bretton Woods is formed with gold backing

I will finally be an Obama or his successor supporter

Party on dudes

Party on dudes <hic>

This is not a bad start.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7841492.stm

Barack Obama has requested the suspension of all military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay, in his first major act as US president

a few comments.....

i don't think that obama was elected because he is black. he was elected because he ran a great campaign, he is smart and seems to be a man of integrity and the republicans screwed up about 10 different ways (mission accomplished, i can see russia from my house, the fundamentals of the economy are strong, etc)

is he a pawn? well, for those who are inclined to think that anyone in a high government position is a pawn, then of course, by that (circular) logic, he's a pawn.

for me, much remains to be seen. is he truly a man of integrity? does he have the leadership skills to navigate the minefield that the bush adminstration left behind? could ANYONE navigate this minefield (bad economy, national debt, two poorly conducted wars, low international standing, failing businesses, rising unemployment, etc.). will the secret service be able to keep him safe? are the american people finally going to accept the fact that they have been living beyond their means for a couple of generations and it's time to be more honest and realistic about the "american dream"? is the rhetoric of hope, responsibility and sacrifice going to make any lasting impressions? what's going to happen when people realize that obama can't fix everything in six months?

i think obama is smart enough to know that he can't make too many radical changes too quickly...that's why he kept a lot of familiar people in key positions....he needs the stability and the experience. over time, he may be able to make some of the changes some of us would like to see...like getting out of iraq and letting them have their civil war, like finding a way to provide health care for the US population, like moving quickly towards a responsible energy policy....but all of this will take time, and i'm not sure he has enough time before everything dis-integrates. we needed a leader like him in the 80's....instead we got reagan and bush and then bush jr....all together 20 out of the last 28 years with pro-business, pro-war, evangelical, anti-environment, anti- health care "leadership" in the white house. heckuva job boys. we need 20 years of responsible leadership to overcome the damage that's been done by the republicans, and i don't know if the US can produce the kind of leadership that is needed throughout the government. maybe. maybe not.

best course of action.....hope for the best....give the new government a fair chance....continue to do your part......but get ready for all hell to break loose.....

I may be a bit naive but Obama comes with a few good references. I don't believe he's at all the far-left liberal he's made out to by many but really quite moderate. Obama quotes Thomas Paine in his inaugural speech-here's a small piece of it:

"This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations. "

OMAHA, Neb. — Billionaire investor Warren Buffett says the U.S. is engaged in an "economic Pearl Harbor."

In an interview that aired Sunday on "Dateline NBC," the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. said the nation's economic situation is not as bad at World War II or the Great Depression, but it's still pretty severe.

Buffett said Americans are in a cycle of fear, "which leads to people not wanting to spend and not wanting to make investments, and that leads to more fear. We'll break out of it. It takes time."

Buffett's interview centered on President-elect Barack Obama and the tough task he faces in fixing the U.S. economy.

"You couldn't have anybody better in charge," the Omaha resident said of Obama, who'll be sworn into office on Tuesday.

As one of Obama's economic advisers, Buffett said the president-elect listens to what his advisers say, but ultimately comes up with better ideas.

He predicted that Obama will be able to convey the severity of the economic situation to the American people and explain their part in alleviating it.

As to how long the crisis would continue, Buffett said he didn't know.

"It's never paid to bet against America," he said. "We come through things, but its not always a smooth ride."

murf wrote:This is not a bad start.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7841492.stm

Barack Obama has requested the suspension of all military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay, in his first major act as US president

If Guantanamo is closed, then the plan is to send the remaining inmates to the US federal and maybe state prison system. So depending on one's analysis ...

eeuunikkeiexpat wrote:If Guantanamo is closed, then the plan is to send the remaining inmates to the US federal and maybe state prison system. So depending on one's analysis ...

I suspect that they will now have access to a transparent US court system and the right to council etc.
Then,if found guilty they should go directly to the state pen or if not found guilty, set free. Only by doing this can we regain our moral standing and demand that our courts and our laws be adheared to. We are a country governed by the rule of law after all. Are we not?

murf wrote:... We are a country governed by the rule of law after all. Are we not?

You jest!!

Maybe RWS can give us a realistic legal assessment.

Actions speak louder than words and I will jump up and down with joy and defend Obama when he begins to actively implement the simple list I stated above. But something tells me it ain't gonna even partially happen, if ever, before a serious civil upheaval occurs.

MikieO wrote:I understand there's been another proposal by Congressman Jose Serrano to repeal the 22nd amendment.

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the twenty-second article of amendment, thereby removing the limitation on the number of terms an individual may serve as President.

As it is popular to say today "give him a chance" ...........before you install our first emperor.

I tend to worry about these things but such a proposal has been put before congress many times before(there have been over 10,000 proposals for amendments and only 17 passed.) Both republicans(seems like Hoyer was one?) and democrats have proposed such over the years and you hear an outcry from the "other side" each time. I believe such an appeal would require 2/3 of each house of congress and approval from the states. I don't think it's likely given that most in congress don't see it as a good thing. Serrano has been proposing this every year since 1997 I think and it's never made to committee. Reagan made noises that he thought the 22nd amendment was a bad thing and oh, many democrats were soooo upset! So. that's not one of the things that keep me awake at night That would be the queltehue(the bird)!

Honestly, Bush screwed up the detention of those people so bad, it would seem an impossible task to ever prosecute them under Federal law. Their rights have been violated, the evidence has been tainted, held without bail, etc. If these where just some punks off the street that say robbed a bank, and the Government acted this way judges would have to dismiss the case and kick them loose.

eeuunikkeiexpat wrote:

murf wrote:... We are a country governed by the rule of law after all. Are we not?

You jest!!
Maybe RWS can give us a realistic legal assessment. . . .

May I say that both "murf" and EE.UU. are right? (No, I'm not a politician.) As we all know, the theory is just as "murf" has stated. We've generally aimed in good faith to implement that theory -- think of President Eisenhower's federalization of National Guard troops to enforce desegregation over the threats of the racist Democratic governor of Arkansas. The reality, however, is often very, very different; I think, for example, of the unconscionable (but completely glossed-over) denial by the dominate party machine (and afterward ratified, contrary to what formerly was generally accepted law, by a federal judge of the same dominate party), just months ago, of ballot space in my own state of the Libertarian candidate for president.

Such, at least, have been my experience and observations. (Why else would I move from my ancestral homeland? Every man may have his price, but mine, I hope, is higher than a few more dollars in my pocket or cheap food on my plate.)