http://www.ted.com/talks/clay_shirky_ho ... nment.html

This is why I love TED talks.

If you're wondering what it has to do with politics, keep watching. He'll get there.

Title wrote:
How the Internet will (one day) transform government

p0rtalplayer wrote:
If you're wondering what it has to do with politics, keep watching. He'll get there.

Yes! Wondering what does it have to do with politics was what first occured to me, when I saw the title.

t3x wrote:

Yes! Wondering what does it have to do with politics was what first occured to me, when I saw the title.

yes well he doesn't get to the government part until about 8 minutes in

Seems the US has Brank Obam for another 4 years. Long live the King, etc.

On a related note, Obama's logo is a reverse of the 60's (?) Aperture logo.

More seriously, I'm happy he'll be back. I disagree with a number of things he's done or not done, but I prefer him to Romney.

Obama and Romney are pretty much the same. Obama's just covert about it, while Romney is all out about it.

The election was rigged from the start. Third-party candidates were excluded from all major debates, to the point where they were arrested if they got near the debate areas, such as Jill Stein's arrest.

I see america as a lost cause politically. the roots of courruption are embedded into the system so dramatically, that even the process of voting can be tampered with. There is no regulation of the voting machines, and they are easy to tamper with. Even written votes are not fully accountable.

Personally, I can't see america get itself out of the hole it's in, unless there is mass revolution within america - a concept that in of itself built america in the first place.

While the result isn't too bad, it's picking from the lesser of two evils. the media ensure this two party system destroys any sense of freedom america once dreamt it had.

Thankfully, us in the UK are SLIGHTLY better. but I can see us slipping to follow america's lead.

Kizzycocoa wrote:
Obama and Romney are pretty much the same. Obama's just covert about it, while Romney is all out about it.

The election was rigged from the start. Third-party candidates were excluded from all major debates, to the point where they were arrested if they got near the debate areas, such as Jill Stein's arrest.

I see america as a lost cause politically. the roots of courruption are embedded into the system so dramatically, that even the process of voting can be tampered with. There is no regulation of the voting machines, and they are easy to tamper with. Even written votes are not fully accountable.

Personally, I can't see america get itself out of the hole it's in, unless there is mass revolution within america - a concept that in of itself built america in the first place.

While the result isn't too bad, it's picking from the lesser of two evils. the media ensure this two party system destroys any sense of freedom america once dreamt it had.

Thankfully, us in the UK are SLIGHTLY better. but I can see us slipping to follow america's lead.

umad? In a race between a man who bought out voting machine companies and a man who bought out an electoral college, I for one am genuinely grateful we ended up with the smarter man in office.

vanSulli wrote:
umad? In a race between a man who bought out voting machine companies and a man who bought out an electoral college, I for one am genuinely grateful we ended up with the smarter man in office.

Smarter, not for the better. Yes, it's a smart move to give yourself authority to indefinitely detain and/or murder US citizens with no fair trial, but morally and politically, it's horrific.

Presidents and kings have used that since forever. You're trying to make Obama sound like a tyrant. He may be operating the post of a tyrant, but he isn't murdering US citizens. People in the US are getting to be able to smoke weed and get married to people regardless of demographics. It isn't a free state, but in this election alone its a heck of a step towards one.

vanSulli wrote:
Presidents and kings have used that since forever. You're trying to make Obama sound like a tyrant. He may be operating the post of a tyrant, but he isn't murdering US citizens. People in the US are getting to be able to smoke weed and get married to people regardless of demographics. It isn't a free state, but in this election alone its a heck of a step towards one.

This election is a perfect example of steps back in freedom.
Ballot boxes, unregulated. Millions wasted on advertising campaigns, promises to keep the millitary budget skyrocketing, Obama's promises to enforce Internet security regulation that likely will be invasive.

And that doesn't even scrape what he did the last 4 years. Like Osama. Does anyone really believe that tripe? That they found him, and instead of flying him to a prison, or keeping his body somewhere secret, they dumped him in the ocean? And the banks being bailed out, while students are being swallowed up in debt? The non-closing, and actual expansion, of Guantanamo Bay?

I could go on for literally hours on this, and I'm not even American. But if I were, I'd honestly be ashamed of my own country's state of corruption and corrosion that its already reached.

Ballot boxes, unregulated. Millions wasted on advertising campaigns, promises to keep the millitary budget skyrocketing, Obama's promises to enforce Internet security regulation that likely will be invasive.

Ballot boxes aren't a new problem so that's not a step anywhere. I seem to recall the difference between Romney and Obama being that Obama was scaling BACK the military in comparison.

And that doesn't even scrape what he did the last 4 years. Like Osama. Does anyone really believe that tripe? That they found him, and instead of flying him to a prison, or keeping his body somewhere secret, they dumped him in the ocean? And the banks being bailed out, while students are being swallowed up in debt? The non-closing, and actual expansion, of Guantanamo Bay?

Going to ask you to read up for this one. The north american banks were way out of line and people were getting rich off of ruining the country. The government stepped in, bailed the banks out, and told them to back off. Should they have acted sooner? Duck yeah. But they had no choice at that point except to bail the banks out. There wouldn't be any students left with debt if they hadn't (see: economic collapse of north america; resulting lack of open schools). You can argue that there was still a collapse, but you cannot argue that they failed to prevent a much larger collapse. Unpopular as it was, they didn't have much of a choice. What about Osama? Are you upset they didn't let you touch the body? Don't be angry with me, but I believe the United States landed on the moon, too.

But if I were, I'd honestly be ashamed of my own country's state of corruption and corrosion that its already reached.

Fightin words, son. 'Murica.

You'll have to excuse me for arguing; I'm not in a position to where anybody nearby me disagrees with anything I say.

Ohh politics. I'm just happy Obama won, he'll have more time to get the US out of the shithole Bush dug.

Meanwhile in Canada, our premier minister is a total morron and makes me want to go live in Antartica. :\

'Murica: Waa, Communism! I'm going to move north to Canada!
Canada: Waa, morons in office! I'm going to move north!
The Arctic (Yea, very broad I know): Why are you all here? The only thing here is a climate cold enough to freeze various parts of your anatomy off!