sucks to be a soldier

Re: is not fair for our troops

Then don't join the army.

The draft isn't that far off a reality.

Re: is not fair for our troops

[quote=Yao";p="56711]Then don't join the army.[/quote]

Seems really simple doesn't it. Don't want to go to war...don't join the military.

Anyway, I'm sure some of them are ecstatic to be over there, fighting evil in the form of sadistic, head chopping, dirt eating, innocent people killing, fighting for a fucked up and twisted religion motherfuckers. They all knew what they were getting into. I they're pissed to over there they should have made better decisions after high-school.

Either way, they have my support 10000% and I hope they kill a couple (make that alot) of wannabe terrorists for me.

Re: is not fair for our troops

Why do I have a feeling that troops never want to really be "over there" in [i]any[/i] war? Just a thought.

[quote=ezzjoe";p="56858]The draft isn't that far off a reality.[/quote]

Give me one good reason why its not? Your so far from reality just by making this statement, that by giving any argument to my question, you may just fade out of existence.

The draft statements are democratic propoganda to get swing voters to convert to the dark side. Even a guy I work with who is "career" as they say National Guard, and even the troops themselves say the reserves that haven't been called are so plentiful, we would have to invade the entire middle east for a draft to even be considered.

The Draft is going to be a political nightmare for whoever installs it, that is for sure.

^^^it'll make the protests from Vietnam look like child's play :shock:

Re: is not fair for our troops

c-mon there's not gonna be a drrraaaaaffffft.there are soooo many volunteers to fight.not tryin to make light of situation but we have lost less soldiers since the war started than in some "one day" battles in almost any previous war.

Re: is not fair for our troops

Being as drunk as I can be without puking I write:

The draft has been abolished in my country just before I turned 18, so I barely escaped having to fulfill my military service. But no-one is gonna make me join the fucking army, I'll tell you that. Simply because I'm not gonna fight any war of which I don't approve. I'm not an instrument, and don't want to be treated like one. And besides that: joining the army is considered a last resort, when after high-school you don't know what to do or study. Not a compliment over here, and I have friend who did that. I really thought he was pathetic, not knowing what to do...and thus joining the army.

Now he's gone back to school, following some technical course. Good for him.

Re: is not fair for our troops

Fuck, I'm gonna puke anyway :Barf:

[quote=Civic_Zen";p="57022] the troops themselves say the reserves that haven't been called are so plentiful, we would have to invade the entire middle east for a draft to even be considered.[/quote]

Well, you never know what G.W. Bush holds for you in the future. And after the invasion of the entire Middle East, you'd still need some troops to invade N Korea. :WinkNSmi:

[quote=brakada";p="60271][quote=Civic_Zen";p="57022] the troops themselves say the reserves that haven't been called are so plentiful, we would have to invade the entire middle east for a draft to even be considered.[/quote]

Well, you never know what G.W. Bush holds for you in the future. And after the invasion of the entire Middle East, you'd still need some troops to invade N Korea. :WinkNSmi:[/quote]

:CrackUp:

Now [i]that's[/i] comedy!

[quote=Civic_Zen";p="57022] the troops themselves say the reserves that haven't been called are so plentiful, we would have to invade the entire middle east for a draft to even be considered.[/quote]

the slight problem is that the reserves who are being called up, many of them haven't been/served in the military since at least Gulf War I, some even longer then that...and the amounts considered or called have nearly depleted that supply.

Furthermore, if things deterioriate any further and more troops are needed, the lines are going to be stretched very thin; most of the Armed Forces barely made their recruitment goals this past year because of a lot of late joinings; it's going to make those recruitment efforts hard to maintain over the next few years.

Whilst I don't believe a draft will happen (apparently Congress will refuse such), the legislations et Al have been put in place "just in case"...all it will take is a few things to fall and go wrong, and there'll basically be no other choice because the US will be strapped way too thin for troops at that time. It'll have to go to some type of draft to get the people needed.

Do we have to support the troops? Can someone tell me when is joining the military a 'good' thing? The choices we make in life...only those who made the choice are responsible for their actions...duh! How big of a mistake to make before we can learn from it? I have shot a gun before...but to shoot another human being for no other reason than that my 'government' had told me that their a bunch of 'TERRORISTS' I mean...COME ON! :evil: FOCK this house search BS where Iraqis get zipp-tied to the ground...so DEGRADING...just for being an Iraqi! Along that note...I can't respect a person who doesn't respect another human being enough to treat them like one. Listening to Heavy Metal to get you in the mood to kill? I can understand music can bring hopes up but music that triggers killing tendencies? Does that deserve support? Remember...the US bombed the shit out of Vietnam and killed at least 3 million Vietnamese civilians hoping that they can bomb them into submission. After more than a decade or sanctions with more than a million Iraqi children deaths and unreported radiation affects to the population due to the use of depleted uranium in rockets and tank shells, the Iraqis are still fighting strong as ever. How many Americans ever really think of what happens to all those families because of this FOCKED up decision to invade a the ancient lands of SUmer!!! Do YOU want to be zip-tied to the ground in your own home? Do you want to have a machine gun pointed at YOUR face? Airstrikes on civilian homes...what knd of intelligence is that? I'm supposed to support a pilot that drops a bomb from 10,000 ft up in the air????????? :x

-Jun_K

^ :lol:

[quote=Jun_K";p="60434]Do we have to support the troops? Can someone tell me when is joining the military a 'good' thing? The choices we make in life...only those who made the choice are responsible for their actions...duh! How big of a mistake to make before we can learn from it? I have shot a gun before...but to shoot another human being for no other reason than that my 'government' had told me that their a bunch of 'TERRORISTS' I mean...COME ON! :evil: FOCK this house search BS where Iraqis get zipp-tied to the ground...so DEGRADING...just for being an Iraqi! Along that note...I can't respect a person who doesn't respect another human being enough to treat them like one. Listening to Heavy Metal to get you in the mood to kill? I can understand music can bring hopes up but music that triggers killing tendencies? Does that deserve support? Remember...the US bombed the shit out of Vietnam and killed at least 3 million Vietnamese civilians hoping that they can bomb them into submission. After more than a decade or sanctions with more than a million Iraqi children deaths and unreported radiation affects to the population due to the use of depleted uranium in rockets and tank shells, the Iraqis are still fighting strong as ever. How many Americans ever really think of what happens to all those families because of this FOCKED up decision to invade a the ancient lands of SUmer!!! Do YOU want to be zip-tied to the ground in your own home? Do you want to have a machine gun pointed at YOUR face? Airstrikes on civilian homes...what knd of intelligence is that? I'm supposed to support a pilot that drops a bomb from 10,000 ft up in the air????????? :x

-Jun_K[/quote]

Easy for you to say from your nice, comfy couch while watching TV, enjoying the comfort of national security. I didn't join the military either, but what do you think your life would be like without the military?

The United States is LOADED with natural resources, along with having plenty of other benefits. Plenty of nations would have loved to annex a bit of North America. Without the military, we'd be called Third Reich West. Or maybe USSR East.

I don't like war, but it's ridiculous to claim the military is evil/unnecessary. Only an American can even consider that thought plausible because we've enjoyed such a long stretch with no attacks on our own soil from other nations.

You may disagree with some actions taken by the military, but thank your lucky stars every day you live under the protection of such a mighty military power.

Re: is not fair for our troops

Well I don?t know in your country but in Spain soldiers go voluntiers, I mean they wont to go,

[quote=Jun_K";p="60434]Do we have to support the troops? Can someone tell me when is joining the military a 'good' thing? [/quote]

I personally would love to join the armed forces if it would be a "part time job" and you could lead a normal social life... I like weapons and "survival skills" and I would sure as hell join the military if my country was attacked... But I'm afraid that the times of good ol' traditional warfare and man to man combat are over and personally I don't like the high-tech-fighting-from-hundreds-of-miles-away BS...

[quote=Jun_K";p="60434] The choices we make in life...only those who made the choice are responsible for their actions...duh! How big of a mistake to make before we can learn from it? I have shot a gun before...but to shoot another human being for no other reason than that my 'government' had told me that their a bunch of 'TERRORISTS' I mean...COME ON! :evil: FOCK this house search BS where Iraqis get zipp-tied to the ground...so DEGRADING...just for being an Iraqi! Along that note...I can't respect a person who doesn't respect another human being enough to treat them like one. [/quote]

Well, I agree that you can't respect a person who doesn't respect another individual's human rights, but I think that only a minority of US troops commited the degrading and horrific acts you're talking about. I also agree that it's soldiers' own "fault" that they joined the army, but still I believe they had very little choice where and for what causes will they fight.

[quote=Jun_K";p="60434] Listening to Heavy Metal to get you in the mood to kill? I can understand music can bring hopes up but music that triggers killing tendencies? Does that deserve support? [/quote]

:CrackUp: :CrackUp: :CrackUp:

Ban Heavy Metal... The root of all evil!!! :RockOn: :roll:

[quote=Jun_K";p="60434] Remember...the US bombed the shit out of Vietnam and killed at least 3 million Vietnamese civilians hoping that they can bomb them into submission. After more than a decade or sanctions with more than a million Iraqi children deaths and unreported radiation affects to the population due to the use of depleted uranium in rockets and tank shells, the Iraqis are still fighting strong as ever. How many Americans ever really think of what happens to all those families because of this FOCKED up decision to invade a the ancient lands of SUmer!!! Do YOU want to be zip-tied to the ground in your own home? Do you want to have a machine gun pointed at YOUR face? Airstrikes on civilian homes...what knd of intelligence is that? [/quote]

The Vietnamese war was a big mistake (so was the war in Iraq), but I sincerely believe that Americans have more support in Iraq than the US troops had in Vietnam. You can't go blaming all the sanctions against Iraq on the USA. I believe that was more of a UN thingy (although a bad and an ineffective move either). And as I stated before it's probably not the soldiers' but the commanders' fault, since soldiers listen to their orders...

[quote=Jun_K";p="60434] I'm supposed to support a pilot that drops a bomb from 10,000 ft up in the air????????? :x [/quote]

Nope, just support the infantry... :WinkNSmi:

[quote] Easy for you to say from your nice, comfy couch while watching TV, enjoying the comfort of national security. I didn't join the military either, but what do you think your life would be like without the military? [/quote]

First of all...I watch less than 1 hour of TV a day if even that. :Smiley: National Security is the responsibility of our silly state and we are still supposed to believe that 9/11 was a terrorist attack when it was actually ALL STAGED! :MadNow: (At least in Pearl Harbor real Japanese bombed)

"On September 11, the "Emergency Broadcast System" was not activated in New York or Washington, even after the military and Federal Aviation Administration knew that out of control planes were headed for destruction. In New York, a warning over the airwaves could have saved many lives, since no one would have gone back upstairs in the South Tower (the second one to be hit) after the North Tower had been struck if they had known a second plane was headed their way. Hundreds of lives would probably have been saved. A genuine investigation of 9/11 would inquire why the Emergency Broadcast System was not used to warn New Yorkers that another plane was headed tier way and to seek shelter away from the towers."

< [url]http://www.oilempire.us/media.html[/url] > BRING IT ON! :mrgreen:

[quote] The United States is LOADED with natural resources, along with having plenty of other benefits. Plenty of nations would have loved to annex a bit of North America. Without the military, we'd be called Third Reich West. Or maybe USSR East. [/quote]

Then why go to Iraq if there's SO much natural resources...why demonize and RAPE other nations of their own natural resources!!! It's not in US' interest to allow other nations to control their own natural resourcse...THAT"S WHY!!!!! :evil: What makes you think we're not in a fascist state already? Very few would admit that US corporations are heavily involved with funding both sides of ANY war and that includes the Nazis! :WinkNSmi: Check out Arnies' Dad as well as Prescott Bush (G.W.Bush' grandfather), and Union Banking Corp. :twisted:

*Police State - "There are three unmistakable characteristics of a police state. The federal or state police serve the interest of the government rather than the interest of the people. The police enforce the policies of the government instead of the responding primarily to criminal behavior. Finally, the police spy on private citizens. All these conditions exist today in the United States." < [url]http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2004/02/279760.shtml[/url] >

*Patriot Act, Homeland Security, Total(itarian) Information Awareness - all designed to strip away our freedom(s) as well as suppress dissent and criminalize dissent as being 'un-patriotic' FEAR!!! :Wacko:

 "The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, pull back the curtains, and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater."

-- Frank Zappa

[quote] I don't like war, but it's ridiculous to claim the military is evil/unnecessary. Only an American can even consider that thought plausible because we've enjoyed such a long stretch with no attacks on our own soil from other nations. [/quote]

As mentioned before such 'attacks' are only allowed to happen. But sadly on 9/11 it was not allowed but DESIGNED to happen the way it did assuming that the truth would never come out....or that they dun CARE if we find out. :shock:

[quote] You may disagree with some actions taken by the military, but thank your lucky stars every day you live under the protection of such a mighty military power. [/quote] Tell that to the MILLIONS of innocent CIVILIAN souls the US decided to take away in countless conflicts spanning over 100+ years. :Naughty:

I enjoy a lot of freedoms, I know...but you do not need a military budget that combines the TOTAL of the next 9 biggest military budgets under it: Russia,France,Japan,UK,Germany,Italy,China,Saudi,and Brazil to provide such freedoms. US imperialism MUST end! Everyone just wants to be left alone...unless you have something the US wants~ :wink:

-Jun_K

Re: is not fair for our troops

^^ Gosh I hope that is intended to be tongue-in-cheek.

:unsure:

Re: is not fair for our troops

I'll bet the "less than 1 hour" of TV that Jun_K watches a day is The X-Files.

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE, MAN!!!!!

In response to Jun_K, I wouldn't consider 9/11 a military attack.

There's a big difference between a highjacking/terrorist attack, and thousands of troops running mayhem through your streets, bombs and planes flying over head, and bullets flying everywhere. Just ask Iraquis.

We haven't been attacked like that on our own soil since Pearl Harbor, and even that was only an air/sea attack.

The last foreign ground troops fighting on US soik was, I believe, the War of 1812.

Also, the US military budget is so much larger than the rest of the world because we provide defense for other countries. It was decided early on in the Cold War that it was in the US interest for Europe and Japan to have weak militaries. So, the policy became "we'll provide it for them." We took on the extra expense of providing defense for these countries because it was felt to be safer than having other military powers around.

It also allowed Europe and Japan to spend all their resources on reconstruction, helping the world economy recover more quickly from WWII.

It was feared a strong military in Europe would become a rival instead of a close ally. Japan just couldn't be trusted after what we did to them and what they did to everyone else.

The policy worked perfectly for a long time, and it still has it's merits.

And that's why Bush sucks. Before him, Europe happily went along rubber stamping what US policymakers wanted. All they ever asked for was a nod to the illusion that we needed their sign off, and that we were all a team. We might be captain, but they had a say.

It was all BS, but it was diplomacy. It allowed European leaders to show they were still world leaders, and it allowed the US to develop it's power, protecting US soil and interests for decades.

Bush said "screw all that BS. I'll just do what I want. We have the power to ignore them, so let's do so."

Now he's pulled the curtain away, and Europe is realizing it needs to have it's own military power. Bad news for us, and eventually bad news for the rest of the world unless Kerry can somehow turn back the clock.

Re: is not fair for our troops

I really feel for the soldiers they shouldn t be there

bring em back already and focus on something thats really important

like finding alt energy sources to not have to be dependent on them anyway

[quote] ...I wouldn't consider 9/11 a military attack. [/quote] It was a Military Coup' against the People of the UNited States! :evil: [quote] There's a big difference between a highjacking/terrorist attack, and thousands of troops running mayhem through your streets, bombs and planes flying over head, and bullets flying everywhere. Just ask Iraquis. [/quote] US is the ONLY terrorist in both situations. Try me... :Naughty: [quote] We haven't been attacked like that on our own soil since Pearl Harbor, and even that was only an air/sea attack.
[/quote] ONce again...Pearl Harbor and 9/11 was ALLOWED to happen in order to justify WAR. [quote] Also, the US military budget is so much larger than the rest of the world because we provide defense for other countries. It was decided early on in the Cold War that it was in the US interest for Europe and Japan to have weak militaries. So, the policy became "we'll provide it for them." We took on the extra expense of providing defense for these countries because it was felt to be safer than having other military powers around. [/quote] Just like how the US gives Apache GUnships and F-16s to Isreal in thier defense against Palestinian villages and refugee camps. [quote] It was feared a strong military in Europe would become a rival instead of a close ally. Japan just couldn't be trusted after what we did to them and what they did to everyone else. [/quote] But US atrocities are acceptable...despite ALL major cities of Japan firebombed to the ground...US decides to drop 2 atomic bombs anyway. :roll: To this day...NO ONE has more NUKES than the US...gotta play catchup...all BECAUSE the US has not dismantled even one nuke! :FuckOff: [quote] The policy worked perfectly for a long time, and it still has it's merits.

And that's why Bush sucks. Before him, Europe happily went along rubber stamping what US policymakers wanted. All they ever asked for was a nod to the illusion that we needed their sign off, and that we were all a team. We might be captain, but they had a say.

It was all BS, but it was diplomacy. It allowed European leaders to show they were still world leaders, and it allowed the US to develop it's power, protecting US soil and interests for decades.

Bush said "screw all that BS. I'll just do what I want. We have the power to ignore them, so let's do so."

Now he's pulled the curtain away, and Europe is realizing it needs to have it's own military power. Bad news for us, and eventually bad news for the rest of the world unless Kerry can somehow turn back the clock.[/quote] what is the use of turning back a clock? Will dead AMericans come back? People must stand up and end this madness of thinking that military power is the only SAFETY for the world! :lol: In the name of MUSIC, PEACE! :Smiley:

-Jun_K

^well, there's one less person i have to read responses from anymore. :roll:

btw....for the record, the WTC attack was a civilian hit, not cool, the Pentagon is a military target, and is fair play.

[quote] btw....for the record, the WTC attack was a civilian hit, not cool, the Pentagon is a military target, and is fair play. [/quote] What's NOT cool is that US attacked itself on 9/11 in order to justify its 'war on terror' Until people admit to that [b]possibility[/b]...all discussions are pointless. :Smiley:

-Jun_K

you sir, are pointless. please remove yourself from the planet as soon as possible. thank you for using SouthWesternBell.

[quote=Jun_K";p="62365][quote] btw....for the record, the WTC attack was a civilian hit, not cool, the Pentagon is a military target, and is fair play. [/quote] What's NOT cool is that US attacked itself on 9/11 in order to justify its 'war on terror' Until people admit to that [b]possibility[/b]...all discussions are pointless. :Smiley:

-Jun_K[/quote]

[img]http://www.globalunderground.co.uk/forum/images/smiles/gu_sick2.gif[/img]

Wow...that's just........actually, I don't even know how to respond to that.

Re: is not fair for our troops

:shock:

[quote=Jun_K";p="62337] ONce again...Pearl Harbor and 9/11 was ALLOWED to happen in order to justify WAR. [/quote]

Hmm, an interesting theory, you've got there, but it SUCKS! Were you even alive when it happened to know what the circumstances were back then? Or have we been reading too much of conspiracy theories?

[quote=Jun_K";p="62337] Just like how the US gives Apache GUnships and F-16s to Isreal in thier defense against Palestinian villages and refugee camps. [/quote]

But that's a funny one... :Bingo:

[quote=Jun_K";p="62337] But US atrocities are acceptable...despite ALL major cities of Japan firebombed to the ground...US decides to drop 2 atomic bombs anyway. :roll:
[/quote]

I still think that the only 2 dropped nukes saved a couple of lives: I presume that definitely more people would have died (American and Japanese) if Americans had to conquer Japan with ground troops... It's sad, but IMHO true. And since then Japanese seem to be one of the most peaceful nations on the globe. :mrgreen:

[quote=Jun_K";p="62337] what is the use of turning back a clock? Will dead AMericans come back? People must stand up and end this madness of thinking that military power is the only SAFETY for the world! :lol: In the name of MUSIC, PEACE! :Smiley: -Jun_K[/quote]

No matter how I dislike the US foreign policy and military, I don't even dare to think what would happen if (in theory) the USA decided to destroy their weapons and abolish the military forces... :roll:

[quote=Jun_K";p="62365]What's NOT cool is that US attacked itself on 9/11 in order to justify its 'war on terror' Until people admit to that [b]possibility[/b]...all discussions are pointless. :Smiley:

-Jun_K[/quote]

How lame it must be to live in your world of deceit and conspiracy theories. Let me guess...Elvis is still alive, you know who shot JFK and there is an alien at Area 51?? You must be a Jadakiss fan, he and you are the old people stupid enough to believe that the President of the United States of America would knowing and willfully kill over 3,000 fellow Americans.

You are a truly sad person.

Re: is not fair for our troops

I'm back! :Naughty:

Sortin' through lots of trash since the debates. These F&%@!N liberals really know how to post some garbage. I blame the media and Michael Moore for WTC... fat fuckin wanker. Hollywood and the pathetic journalism that exploits our vulnerabilities in the world news market are the ones to blame.

btw some crazy xfiles shit--- [url=http://home.earthlink.net/~joshpowelson/data/crazyguy.rm]CLICK ME[/url]

this guys is serious!

:WTF:

[quote] How lame it must be to live in your world of deceit and conspiracy theories. Let me guess...Elvis is still alive, you know who shot JFK and there is an alien at Area 51?? You must be a Jadakiss fan, he and you are the old people stupid enough to believe that the President of the United States of America would knowing and willfully kill over 3,000 fellow Americans. You are a truly sad person. [/quote]

Deceit is when majority of Americans still do not know the fact that 'president' G.W. Bush NEVER won the popular vote in 2000. He became president when his father's SUpreme Court Appointees decided to stop the recount to avoid the 'embarrassment'.

Why was "emergency broadcast system" not activated on 9/11 in New York and Washington D.C.? Why were planes not scrambled from Andrews Air Force Base(Washington D.C.) but from Langley(Virginia)? Cheney told NBC's "Meet the Press" the following: "The secret service has an arrangement with the FAA. They had open lines after the World Trade Center was...." He didn't finish the sentence. Why are some of the hijackers still alive? No ONe's mentioning NORAD's failure that day...I know countless facts still would not convince you so I'll just finish with this: PNAC(Project for the New American Century)...here's a link to help you:

[url]http://abcnews.go.com/sections/nightline/DailyNews/pnac_030310.html[/url]

Just more coincidence theories for the non-believers... :WinkNSmi:

-Jun_K

i usually try to keep personal attacks out of my debating, because it really has no place, but i'm making a special case here...

you sir, are an asshat.

[quote=Jun_K";p="62337]

-Jun_K[/quote]

WoW thats lots of interesting stuff you have stated there. Now how about you remove your head from your ass

[quote=Jun_K";p="62650]Deceit is when majority of Americans still do not know the fact that 'president' G.W. Bush NEVER won the popular vote in 2000. He became president when his father's SUpreme Court Appointees decided to stop the recount to avoid the 'embarrassment'.

Why was "emergency broadcast system" not activated on 9/11 in New York and Washington D.C.? Why were planes not scrambled from Andrews Air Force Base(Washington D.C.) but from Langley(Virginia)? Cheney told NBC's "Meet the Press" the following: "The secret service has an arrangement with the FAA. They had open lines after the World Trade Center was...." He didn't finish the sentence. Why are some of the hijackers still alive? No ONe's mentioning NORAD's failure that day...I know countless facts still would not convince you so I'll just finish with this: PNAC(Project for the New American Century)...here's a link to help you:

[url]http://abcnews.go.com/sections/nightline/DailyNews/pnac_030310.html[/url]

Just more coincidence theories for the non-believers... :WinkNSmi:

-Jun_K[/quote]

I rest my case.

Double post.

Damn Debug mode. :oops:

[quote=Jun_K";p="62650] Deceit is when majority of Americans still do not know the fact that 'president' G.W. Bush NEVER won the popular vote in 2000.[/quote]

:FuckOff:

Too bad the president isn't elected by the popular vote, it's the electoral vote that decides the winner.

Re: is not fair for our troops

W. is acting like a puppet more and more. I can't stop thinking that his foreign policy has always been dictated by Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld, and the likes of them. He doesn't seem to know what the fuck politics is about: keeping all people satisfied.

So for his foreign policy he's relying on those 'hawks Wolfie and Rumble, and they leave him on his own on domestic policy, which he fcukz up even more without anyone guiding him on that.

Maybe the president should have less power, and parliament should have more. This can only work with equal representation from all political parties, meaning: no winner-takes-all elections, but representation in parliament according to the votes you get. That gives the opposition the chance to participate in policy and law making, and to pull on the brakes when the ruling party is becoming to dominant in applying it's policies. Any law will have to be approved of by a representation of all political colours, not just the president's friends. This would give the policies a broader base off acceptance among the people also.

This is how we do it in my country, and although it is not by far the best democracy around, politics are less polarized than in the US, and the country is usually governed by a coalition of political parties which have a broad support base amongst the people. You won't get any prime minister here saying we'll go to war even though half of the country is against it.

In fact: the US president has so much power that I'm a bit hesitant of calling the US a real democracy. It's not a dictatorship by far, but the power in the hands of not many, which makes it very dangerous IMHO: a small group deciding for the rest, which is a lot in the US. As long as the president has enough allies in the senate and parliament he can do pretty much what he wants. Scary.

To all US board-roamers: no offense meant my friends, just expressing some of my thoughts. :wink: