Guardian Article Nails Down World View of U.S.

[Vick]

Great
A UK writer says how the "smaller" government doesn't work in the USA

I'm tiring from the debates here but suffice to say obviously I would not agree with much of the piece

However the last sentence
"It may look battered - but only a fool would count America out."
Is the redeeming feature of the article

[Trev]

Originally Posted by Vick

Great
A UK writer says how the "smaller" government doesn't work in the USA

What's the problem? The fact it was a UK writer or the fact the US Government doesn't seem to work?

[Dravyk]

Originally Posted by Vick

Great
A UK writer says how the "smaller" government doesn't work in the USA

I'm tiring from the debates here but suffice to say obviously I would not agree with much of the piece.

So rarely do I find myself on the other side of the discussion fence with you, Vick. But this time I am.

Personally, I think you can be patriotic and still have your eyes open and your head above the sand. Matter of fact seeing things the way they are is a must.

Reminds me of addiction. First step to making things better is admitting there's a problem. Only by seeing what's messed up can we fix things and make them better.

[Vick]

Originally Posted by Dravyk

So rarely do I find myself on the other side of the discussion fence with you, Vick. But this time I am.

Personally, I think you can be patriotic and still have your eyes open and your head above the sand. Matter of fact seeing things the way they are is a must.

Reminds me of addiction. First step to making things better is admitting there's a problem. Only by seeing what's messed up can we fix things and make them better.

I will always be in favor of smaller government. For the most part I don't want or need the feds in my life

Way too many cry out to the "government" to help, the same government they curse

While I don't know the writers background and don't care to it strikes me a little off for someone outside the USA to say we did this wrong and that wrong and we need to do this or that

[Mike AI]

Originally Posted by Vick

Great
A UK writer says how the "smaller" government doesn't work in the USA

I'm tiring from the debates here but suffice to say obviously I would not agree with much of the piece

However the last sentence
"It may look battered - but only a fool would count America out."
Is the redeeming feature of the article

The problem is not smaller gov't, its too MUCH gov't too many bueracrats!!!

[Dravyk]

Regarding this generation. I agree with you both, HP and Vick. Look at the newbie webmasters of the past few years; all they want to be is spoon-fed. That is indicitive of this generation.

As to how others see us. You can gripe all you want Vick whether they are seeing us in a true light or their light or whatever. Fact of the matter is, that's how they see us. And while I can respect the 'tude of "screw em, they see us wrong" ... fact of the matter is, everything is perception. If your company is great but there's a perception there's something wrong or crooked, real or unreal, the company will probably go under. With us the remaining "super power", we can't be (hell, no nation can be in this age) isolationist, so how we're perceived is major thing.

That and, I think, many of their perceptions are sadly true.

As to the big or small goverment thing. Katrina has plainly showed that major catastrophes of this scale over several states can NOT be adequately taken care of by the states alone. It can't be taken care of -- we've seen -- by states in conjunction with a weakened federal system (FEMA) either.

So overall government bigger or smaller? Won't go into that. But that department and a few others need to have major powers, some beefing up, and headed by people who know disaster relief -- as opposed to contract lawyers who've (badly) run horse pageants as their "qualifications".

And we have better get used to it. Global warming has increased the Gulf of Mexico by several degrees and rising. It's also increased sea level. Believe it or not those seemingly minute changes means more hurricanes of stronger force for the far foreseeable future. We better get our act together before the Katrina scenario becomes reptetive.

Want to hear more fun news? Turns out a Class 2 hurriance hitting NYC is equal to a Class 5 hitting New Orleans, several scientists said recently. Has to do with the combination of the land under the waves therer,the large bay, the width of the Hudson, Manhatten being an island, and that the skyscrapers intensify wind force.

[OldJeff]

Originally Posted by Mike AI

The problem is not smaller gov't, its too MUCH gov't too many bueracrats!!!

Have to agree here, smaller government is always good, what this situation needed was a much more EFFECTIVE government.

The one real mistake I see made by Bush here is the minute the levy's broke there should have been an immediate emergency meeting, or even congressional session to get the monies approved and the ball rolling. Something should have been rolling into NO the same day (or more than was).

Bush going to the disaster scenes is nice, makes the victems feel better, and provides some good photo ops, but in a real world is a waste of everyones time, unless he is slogging through the water to save someone, he is really just wasting resources that could otherwise be doing something usefull.

[Nickatilynx]

Originally Posted by OldJeff

he is really just wasting resources that could otherwise be doing something usefull.

Sums him up really...