Fish n Chips 56

I predicted this a over a year ago, and now its happening, Fox, Rush and that other moron Beck create a lot of fear and insecurity in peoples minds, I've had guys tell me how scared they are, that their guns are going to be taken away and then they rant on about prying guns from their dead hands and go on about a shortage of bullets yak yak yak, they are simply miss informed, I know they listen to Beck and Rush.

Arizona isn't the first event like this and it wont be the last.

Two guys built a bomb and placed it in a bank in Woodburn Oregon, they killed two cops and injured another, One was a Hater of the government and a republican speaker, the other guy was his son, this seems like a similar event to Arizona in my eyes.

Arizona is big news today, in a week America will be over it, it happens every time, I don't see people bothered about that University where the guy went nuts, or at the other schools, they are news events and people are upset at the time but its forgotten soon afterwards, I doubt anything will change.

I expect more killings by the haters.

Fish n Chips 56

Hello Beachgal.

You said it, and you know what you need to do.

Dont worry what others may tell you, we've all heard the comment, "Youd be crazy to come back to England", that comes from people who haven't lived here and haven't a real clue what its like, they are watching TV like you did, or came here for their holidays.

I say follow your gut feeling what ever that is, why live life unhappy, you only have one chance at this, every day is precious.

Good Luck to you.

windsong

The problem is not healthcare. it is the ENTIRE political system and the way it is working. It DOESN'T work. It's a continuous fight between two parties, each for their own individual betterment, not the people's. NO ONE cares about the people, not even most of the people themselves. They are in that much denial.

sallysimmons

I just don't think that's entirely true. Some politicians do really try to help regular people. Seems they're all on one side of the aisle but that's another issue.

Take President Obama's healthcare reforms - you guys may think there's nothing good in there but I disagree. There are millions of people who will keep their healthcare over the next ten years who would otherwise have lost it. Thousands of lives will be saved as a result. To get even those incremental reforms through, Obama had to take on big business, the entire opposition party and even the general public. He put his reelection at risk because he thought it was the right thing to do. As did Bill and Hillary 16 years earlier. Reasonable people may think he was wrong and that his reforms won't work - but it's just not reasonable to say they were pushed through for his own betterment IMO.

I've been reading about the congresswoman who was shot. Every day, she worked hard for her constituents and she sounds like a lovely lady, a principled person doing her best.

Here in New York, the 9-11 responders only got health care coverage - against the opposition of every single Republican - because of the tireless efforts of Chuck Schumer and Kirstin Gillibrand (our senators).

I believe our political system is screwed up, but I really can't go along with this idea that everyone in public service is there because they want to better themselves. (Does anyone really think Barack Obama couldn't have made bucket-loads of money on Wall Street if he'd wanted to?)

The biggest problem I see with this country's politics is that the citizenry is unengaged. Less than 50% of people even bother to vote. If people don't vote, then lobbyists have all the power. In the UK, 78% of people voted in the last election - some countries get over 90% participation. Politicians need votes to have a job - if people hold their feet to the fire by voting, writing letters to the editor, attending town hall meetings etc, they will be responsive to their citizens. But when half the people don't even vote, they respond to lobbyists instead, because they're the ones who will get them reelected.

Democracy doesn't work when regular people check out and absolve themselves of responsibility and that's what I see happening in the US.

Sorry for the rant but I work a lot in politics and I see the selfless, underpaid work so many public servants do and it pushes my buttons whenever they're lumped in as bad people. Especially when half of them were just dumped out on the street by voters who had no idea what they were voting in or out.

beachgal21

Yes, you're right I do have a problem. I love him to death but his views and obsession with all this political stuff is driving a wedge between us. In truth I'm at a loss as to what to do. He used to be a funny, glass half full kinda guy, and at times I still see that person. But now this other person has emerged who is frustrated, obnoxious, negative, spiteful and generally angry at the world. The whole thing has worn me down to the point that I'm ready to walk away.

sallysimmons

Oh that must be so hard. I'm really sorry.

islandwoman120

I remember meeting a British lady on the train a few weeks before I left England, in the 1986. She said she was sorry that I felt I had to move to America. She and her husband - a Medical Doctor - had just returned, as her husband said he could not work for a country that did not take care of it's people. I still remember her words.

On a similar vein - a friend here in England sent me a message today to say Sarah Palin had gone into hiding - anyone know about this? I did turn on the Beeb but it did not mention anything about this.

beachgal21

I haven't seen anything about this either. Maybe she's afraid that she's going to reap what she's sewn.

Mummy in the foothills

Maybe some couples counseling before you let it all go would help. He must see that he has changed his political views radically, does he just expect you to change yours too?

beachgal21

Thanks Sally, it is extremely difficult. His views on things like doing away with the benefit system and having people depend on charity, and only those people with children should have to pay towards the schools and education etc, are all totally alien to me. You'd think he's never lived in England to listen to him go on.

Fish n Chips 56

I understand what you both are saying, I think wind lumps them all together because there are so many bad politicians on the take, or at least that's what we seem to see in the News, so its easier to just lump them all together, I know I like our representatives from Oregon, they are really tuned in to this states needs.

Obama's plan may help others but it has little for me, and not to be selfish but I worry about my needs first.

I think the whole election system is just a poorly organized, From top to bottom, it make no sense to me, but its the American system and it wont be changing, as we all now its the best in the world, like everything else here, maybe people don't vote because they are tired of it, Ive lived here 35 years and for most elections gay rights and abortion have been the leading policies that divided voters, and they were religious issues in my opinion, its only since GWB got in that the economy and jobs has been an issue, he ran it into the ground, and now its Obama's job to try and save us.

2 years running for re-election, what a waste of time energy and a boat load of money, I get tired of hearing it and others do too, maybe that's another reason people dont vote.

Lobbyists are a big problem for me, but that wont change either.

Fish n Chips 56

I worked with my Brother-in-law for 16 years, he was always that happy you guy you mentioned, always the most positive Id ever known, we moved away from that state, then last year I saw him and he was so down and Negative, I asked what was wrong and his kids shouted out, "Its that dam Fox he watches", I discussed it with him privately and told him he had drastically changed, he respects me and my views, he had changed jobs, now working closely for a person with republican views, all he could talk about was FOX and their people, I convinced him he would be better off not watching that stuff, Today my sister wont allow any news on TV, they watch movies and comedies, I just went back to spend Christmas with them, I felt like I was living in a different world, No News, and he is much better for it, he is a happy guy again, still he gets bad info from his boss but at least he does'nt get reinforced by the TV at home every.

Its very hard to change people once they see it one way, Look at Nazi Germany and you can see how people can be lead like sheep. Just saying.

Fish n Chips 56

If she has she wont stay hidden for long, she likes to be in the public eye too much, on a sweeter note her TV wont get another season, Cancelled...

beachgal21

I dont think he expects me to change my political views, he's has the like it or lump it attitude in that I should just put up with his behavior. Counseling might be an option for us if I can persuade him that we need to go.

Englishman43

Agreed 100% , couldn't have put it any better. I think , to me, Americans seem much more easily swayed and "manipulated" by the media / government. Us Brits would say ' F that " to a lot of what gets said & written in the news here but Americans are more likely to be taken in by it.