There's also talk of California seceding (just like there was talk of Texas regaining its independence when O'Bama won), but it wouldn't make much difference as Silicon Valley is already in a world of its own.
US citizens crash Canadian immigration site after Trump victory
With mop-haired politico octopus Donald Trump beating Hillary Clinton to the White House, the Canadian Immigration website has crashed under the weight of US citizens seeking an escape. The Donald scooped up 49.1 per cent of the votes versus 47.3 per cent for his opponent (at the time of writing). Many of the key states swung …
COMMENTS
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 20:58 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: O'Bama
" biased comments like this"
Indeed.
Take a page or two from the Leaders [NSFW], El Reg!!
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 21:54 GMT Anonymous Coward
In late breaking news......
Mexican wall project delayed as Canadian government corners the market on construction materials.
"Sheesh! Not only do we need to keep all of these disappointed Hillary voters from flooding the Dominion, we will have to pay for the bloody wall!"
.... anonymous government spokesman
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 18:02 GMT This is my handle
Re: Wall Building
Sorry, but we're dead broke. And The Donald's projected to send the deficit thru the roof. Once upon a time there were "tax & spend" Democrats & "fiscally conservative" Republicans. The Dems have remained pretty much the same, but Republicans since the Reagan era (inclusive; W's dad was the famous exception, and got the boot for it) have pretty much been "spend and don't tax".
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 12:31 GMT HausWolf
Because the Orange buffoon will deliberately break the Iran deal that was negotiated with 5 other countries and his mindless followers will go starting trouble not knowing the difference between Shia and Sunni and why they hated us for meddling in their politics to begin with.
It will be 100% his fault.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 13:35 GMT Anonymous Coward
@HausWolf
You seriously believe they don't know the difference between Shia and Sunni and that they'll just interfere for the hell of it? Do you seriously believe that politicians are playing some simplistic video game, make totally random uninformed decisions and don't have thousands of staff that check all these facts for them?
If yes, then it must have been even worse in the past, when researching facts was all the more difficult, but it still worked out for them just fine (i.e., see Cold War, humanity didn't wipe itself out somehow).
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Thursday 10th November 2016 10:55 GMT Lotaresco
Re: @HausWolf
It's unfair to say that Trump and his voters don't know the difference between various parts of the world. The President Elect has produced his very own map to explain to his electorate where all the important things are.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 15:00 GMT Anonymous Coward
Right wing SCOTUS
He'll replace the most conservative member, Scalia, with another conservative member. Unless one of the liberals dies or decides to retire before 2020, it will be the same makeup as it was before. He isn't going to change the face of SCOTUS any more than Obama did.
It is too early to know for sure, but given that Trump will be unable to follow through on the promises to the angry white working men who put him over the top, like bringing jobs back to the US, getting the US out of NAFTA, putting tariffs on China, etc. and probably not even building the wall (let alone making Mexico pay for it) I think it is highly likely that whatever democrat wins his or her party's nomination in 2020 will make him a one term president. As long as their health holds out, the liberal members of SCOTUS are likely to stay put at least until then - if they were looking to leave sooner they probably would have left already knowing Obama would replace them with someone of like views.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 17:16 GMT Eddy Ito
Re: Right wing SCOTUS
Why do the Dems "only have to wait one year"? The Dems can filibuster now but as they have already used "the nuclear option" on judicial appointments there is precedence to override the required three fifths majority to break a filibuster albeit that would be novel in the case of a Supreme Court nominee.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 12:29 GMT cambsukguy
Apparently, NOT most of America, percentage-wise or electoral college wise.
Most of the IQ points I grant you.
Let down buy the people it needed to help the most to seems.
Gotta feel sorry for the people who will soon lose their Obamacare and the future people who will lose the right to choose.
A solid right-wing SCOTUS will be a horror for a long time.
He has two years to do almost anything he wishes, I am assuming a large left swing in the mid-terms when the wall is not built and people that voted for him don't get their incomes improved and the job market doesn't improve generally - always assuming that is the case of course.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 15:19 GMT Anonymous Coward
Gimme A Break
1) Most of America voted for Trump.
2) Are you not aware there already is a conflict in Syria?
Do you think Trump is responsible for that?
Why wouldn't it be the current President and the person who was SOS at the time?
3) As for Iran: Messrs Obama and Kerry have been setting the stage for that, haven't they?
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 15:40 GMT John Brown (no body)
Re: Gimme A Break
"Why wouldn't it be the current President and the person who was SOS at the time?"
That would be because a responsible leader has to take on the responsibilities and commitments already in place when they take over. They can try to move away from them if they choose, but they have to move slowly and carefully. Trump can't just pull up the drawbridge 5 minutes after being sworn in. He may be about to become president in January, but the USA still has to operate as "normal" and Trump cannot simply do as he pleases.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 21:05 GMT Fungus Bob
Re: Gimme A Break
"votes siphoned off by the third party candidates"
What a ludicrous statement! Votes are never siphoned off by third party candidates because:
1. If the third party candidates did not exist, there is no reason to think that those who voted for them would have voted for the two big party candidates as they may have decided to abstain.
2. No candidate is entitled to votes. Therefore, it is impossible to "steal" votes from them. If anything, Clinton and Trump owe the world an apology.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 17:41 GMT Eddy Ito
Re: Gimme A Break
According to what I see here, at 98% reporting, Clinton has 200,000 more popular votes than Trump. But in the U.S., popular votes don't count in the presidential election.
While it's true that nobody won a majority of the vote, I don't see why it matters. One of the benefits of not relying on popular vote is that it allows third parties a chance to be competitive.
Unfortunately the system has been hijacked by the purple cartel to strangle outside parties which they do most egregiously and effectively with the CPD firmly in their talons.
There were far more third party candidates prior the year 2000 CPD rule that required 15% polling of a candidate to be included in the debates. A rule that was enacted to keep folks like Ross Perot out. Expect more of the same and more division until the CPD is dismissed or is made non-partisan.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 18:19 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: Gimme A Break
You may want to check your #'s.
Hillary actually won the popular vote, but lost the electoral college, and thus the election. But this also means that more Americans voted for her than trump.
So the country isn't exactly in love with Trump. And hopefully he doesn't ruin the country too badly between now and the next election. Assuming he isn't impeached before then.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 19:27 GMT Eddy Ito
Re: Gimme A Break
You may want to check your #'s.
Hillary actually won the popular vote, but lost the electoral college, and thus the election.
You may want to check what I wrote. To wit, nobody won a majority of the popular vote. Yes, Hillary may have gotten a plurality but not a majority. But this also means that more Americans voted against Hillary than for her so clearly they aren't exactly in love with her either.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 10:25 GMT Christoph
Re: and we thought brexit was a bloody stupid decision
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 10:40 GMT bombastic bob
Re: and we thought brexit was a bloody stupid decision
I thought Brexit was an AWESOME sign of the times, and so is Trump's victory. Both very similar, in a way. Yeah the lefties will hate it, but there ya go.
And all of the U.S. people on their way to Canada to escape a Trump presidency? Don't let the door hit you on the backside on the way out!
(I expect the downvotes from the usual people - doesn't change a thing, either)
But don't worry, the UK will benefit from a stronger USA. And from Brexit as well. I'm looking forward to it.
(beer icon in celebration of it all)
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 10:54 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: and we thought brexit was a bloody stupid decision
But don't worry, the UK will benefit from a stronger USA. And from Brexit as well. I'm looking forward to it.
There is only one benefit from my perspective: I had reservations about outing a $14bn dollar industry for being straight out liars because it would impact jobs. Given that the majority appears comfortable with supporting a political hand grenade who makes even Bush seem moderate, I am now less troubled.
So yes, from that perspective it's good. And if you're one of the beneficiaries of the Gordon Brown gold sale ("Everything must go! Two for one! Grab it while I can") you must be laughing all the way to the bank as all capital fled there, cranking up its value to never before seen levels.
If you're a working stiff, however, I would make sure he sticks to his promises. Given his track record, I wish you luck.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 10:54 GMT werdsmith
Re: and we thought brexit was a bloody stupid decision
EU are busy coming up with ways to undermine brexit. The latest is amendment 882 which allows Britons to rejoin the EU on an individual rather than national basis, and continue to enjoy movement and work in the EU. If enough Britons could take advantage, then the position of the nation outside the EU would look even more ridiculous that it does already. Voting remain has nothing to do with being a "leftie", it's more to do with not being shit-thick.
As for Trump, a situation that might end up being resolved in a less savoury way. Think Von Stauffenberg.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 11:01 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: and we thought brexit was a bloody stupid decision
As for Trump, a situation that might end up being resolved in a less savoury way. Think Von Stauffenberg.
No. Advocating such "solutions" means disrespecting the democratic will of the US people. Like it or hate it, that's how democracy works and if you disagree with the results you should use the same methods to correct it or you're no better.
I'm rather uncomfortable with the result too, the only benefit I see is that existing power structures may take a while to come back into play. That said, this is now reality rather than a good joke, and we'll have to find a way to work with it - it won't change because we'd like it to.
Much like Brexit.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 11:13 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: and we thought brexit was a bloody stupid decision
"Like it or hate it, that's how democracy works and if you disagree with the results you should use the same methods to correct it or you're no better."
It is more likely that it would be a disaffected Trump supporter who took his speeches as licence for presidential regime change. Trump should remember his Bible: "They that sow the wind, shall reap the whirlwind".
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 12:40 GMT anonymous boring coward
Re: and we thought brexit was a bloody stupid decision
"The latest is amendment 882"
This is just brilliant!
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-eu-citizenship-freedom-of-movement-passport-how-to-keep-parliament-live-move-abroad-a7405196.html
"Jayne Adye, director of the Get Britain Out campaign described the proposal as divisive and said it was “totally unacceptable” for British people to retain the advantages of EU membership."
He, he.. Translated: The subjects must know their place! No friggin advantages for you, serf!
"Brexit campaigners in Britain reacted with anger to the idea, arguing that it would discriminate against Leave voters and that it was “an outrage”."
I had no idea that Leave voters would be excluded from this privilege? Bizarrely, this Brexit campaigner seems to think it would be an outrage if it wasn't allowed to apply for EU citizenship...
Just hilarious!
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 13:00 GMT Pen-y-gors
Re: and we thought brexit was a bloody stupid decision
@werdsmith
"As for Trump, a situation that might end up being resolved in a less savoury way."
remember von Staufenberg failed...
There are a number of possible scenarios ahead of us.
1) Trump is charged with rape of a minor
2) The traditional American obsession with shooting anything that moves
3) The 'powers that be' arrange for a convenient 'heart attack'.
4) The Putin emails are released
What odds are the bookies offering that he'll never be innaugurated? Viva President Pence!
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 15:24 GMT Anonymous Coward
President Pence scares the shit out of me WAY more than president Trump
Having a holier than thou religious zealot in charge of the country would be far far worse than Trump! He may be a loudmouth small dicked bigot, but he doesn't want to remake the country into a Christian version of Sharia Law.
I don't like that Trump won, and while I was not excited about Clinton either and would have grudgingly preferred her over the orange Hitler, Trump will have his advantages in shaking things up in DC - which badly needs a shakeup. His election should weaken the power of the religious right in the republican party and will hopefully bring it back to its roots instead of putting social issues above economic issues, and ideally go back to the pre WW II party of less overseas intervention - and allow us to actually balance the budget when we don't waste so much money on defense spending. It would be nice for once in my life to have a major party I can actually agree with on more than than I disagree with!
With Hillary we'd have a safe status quo, but run the risk that someone like Ted Cruz (who is sort of an unlikable version of Pence) wins in 2020. I figured that whether Clinton or Trump won, the odds they would be one term presidents would be about 99%, given how hated they are. One thing's for sure, Trump is not going to become more likable when we see him every day for the next four years! Whoever the democrats nominate in 2020 is almost certain to win the election, so I hope they do a MUCH better job of choosing than they did this time...
In the meantime, before democrat X takes office in January 2021, I want Trump to stay very healthy so Pence stays out of the oval office!
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 17:15 GMT Alister
Re: President Pence scares the shit out of me WAY more than president Trump
@DougS
...and ideally go back to the pre WW II party of less overseas intervention - and allow us to actually balance the budget when we don't waste so much money on defense spending.
I'm afraid that you won't see your wish come true, as I understand it one of Trump's less controversial ideas was that he wanted to increase defense spending.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 18:04 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: President Pence scares the shit out of me WAY more than president Trump
I was talking about what I hope will replace the republican party once Trump is through destroying it. And destroyed it will be, after four years of Trump and the landslide the democrats will undoubtedly have in 2020 assuming he runs for a second term. By 2024 the demographic landscape will have shifted so far the mostly white socially conservative coalition republicans have relied upon for decades becomes untenable for national candidates (it will still work fine in many states, of course)
Four years of seeing Trump on TV every day isn't going to do anything for his low likability but drop it even further, and the angry working class white men who pushed him to victory will abandon him in droves when Trump does nothing to improve their situation and he has no one to blame it on since republicans will control all three branches of government in a few months (not that democrats would help them either, I'm not sure anyone has any idea how to help displaced factory workers...those jobs are never coming home)
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 16:04 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: and we thought brexit was a bloody stupid decision
You missed out
5) assault on one-or-more women.
Though possibly that might come to a settlement or two. Or the accusers giving up in the expectation of becoming focus of Trump's more vigorous supporters
6) a conviction for fraud as regards Trump "University"
See above
7) His actual tax affairs coming out
Not a killer blow but might take shine off the "successful businessman" portayal
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Thursday 10th November 2016 11:15 GMT Lotaresco
Re: and we thought brexit was a bloody stupid decision
"The latest is amendment 882 which allows Britons to rejoin the EU on an individual rather than national basis, and continue to enjoy movement and work in the EU. If enough Britons could take advantage, then the position of the nation outside the EU would look even more ridiculous that it does already."
So errm let me get this straight... the EU recognises that about half the UK electorate doesn't want Brexit and certainly do not want to lose their rights to free movement and association within Europe. The Brexiters want to stick their fingers up to the EU and then do something else, but they don't know what the "something else" is.
Now there's this concern that Brexit which has already made the UK look stupid could be made to look even more stupid if people vote with their feet. Presumably there's also a realisation that the people most likely to vote with their feet are those with portable skills, some facility in other languages or with a burning desire to learn. They are also likely for the most part to be among the better qualified either in terms of possessing appropriate NVQs an certifications to permit them to carry on a trade in any EU country or having academic qualifications that would enable them to transfer easily into a professional career in an EU state. Also those states are likely to be welcoming because they recognise that high skills plus the ability to speak English as a native are useful capabilities that would enhance their own industries.
So, because the Brexiters appear to have fragile egos and the thing they really hate is to be made to look stupid we are supposed to (a) Pretend that Brexit was the bestest thing ever. (b) Stop anyone leaving the UK to live and work elsewhere (c) Stop anyone from going to/from Europe for any reason unless they have a visa and is there an element of (d) Stop any UK citizen owning property in the EU? Because if we do these things the Brexiters will feel that their decision was justified? So half of the country has to be in thrall to the other half and they are supposed to be happy with this.
Where the hell do I sign up to Article 882? I want to get away from the mess that Brexit is creating in the UK ASAP.
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Friday 11th November 2016 09:29 GMT anonymous boring coward
Re: and we thought brexit was a bloody stupid decision
"(a) Pretend that Brexit was the bestest thing ever. (b) Stop anyone leaving the UK to live and work elsewhere (c) Stop anyone from going to/from Europe for any reason unless they have a visa and is there an element of (d) Stop any UK citizen owning property in the EU? Because if we do these things the Brexiters will feel that their decision was justified?"
Well, that's what the communists always did, and are still doing.
The individual basically belongs to the collective, and the best and brightest must stay and work for the lazy, stupid and/or physically violent people.
It's no wonder you find people with that mentality among Brexit politicians. I've seen this mentality up close, as the natural way of thinking, and it suffocates nations.
Amendment 882 is brilliant if it can be made to work, as it significantly lessens the stranglehold nations have on their subjects.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 10:57 GMT Teiwaz
Re: and we thought brexit was a bloody stupid decision
I thought Brexit was an AWESOME sign of the times, and so is Trump's victory. Both very similar, in a way. Yeah the lefties will hate it, but there ya go.
The way the political landscape went in Germany in the 1930's was an awesome sign of the times too, but I'm glad I didn't have to live through it.
There will be nothing strong about the US in the coming years as it licks it's wounds with the poison tongue it just elected.
The UK will be much the same with this Brexit nonsense, it may well end up paying much the same to trade with the EU with much the same provisions, only with no input into decisions at all.
From 'respected leaders of the free world' to the fools who entertain during the intermission.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 12:31 GMT Doctor Syntax
Re: and we thought brexit was a bloody stupid decision
"I thought Brexit was an AWESOME sign of the times, and so is Trump's victory. Both very similar, in a way."
These days I keep finding myself reminded of the saying that the optimist believes we're living in the best of all possible worlds and the pessimist is afraid that's true.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 12:44 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: and we thought brexit was a bloody stupid decision
"These days I keep finding myself reminded of the saying that the optimist believes we're living in the best of all possible worlds and the pessimist is afraid that's true."
What does the idiot belive?
That it could be better if only the foreigners were sent away?
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 22:32 GMT Captain DaFt
Re: and we thought brexit was a bloody stupid decision
"These days I keep finding myself reminded of the saying that the optimist believes we're living in the best of all possible worlds and the pessimist is afraid that's true."
Me? I see it as further proof that "Life On Earth" is the Universe's highest rated comedy show.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 16:13 GMT Florida1920
Re: and we thought brexit was a bloody stupid decision
But don't worry, the UK will benefit from a stronger USA. And from Brexit as well. I'm looking forward to it.
If you think a candidate endorsed by the worst elements of American society -- and who lost the popular vote -- is going to make America stronger, I want to know what you're drinking. Brexit and Trump's election have set the world back at least 50 years, and not to a better time. Oswald Spengler nailed it.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 10:21 GMT JimmyPage
How can any decent voter
feel pleased at electing a candidate supported by the Ku Klux Klan ?
I level the same accusation at the morons who voted Trump, as I do at the Cretins who voted Brexit.
I don't give a rats arse about your protestations of "not being a racist". If you keep voting company with racists, you need to think long and hard about what you are doing.
And then not vote.
It's that simple.
I can only pray that the US doesn't experience the same upswing in racism the UK has since June 23 (*). These guys have guns. Lots of them.
(*)And just for the record, my stating that isn't hyperbole. Sporting a European surname, I grew up with "clever" digs (and just plain old "fuck off home"). Haven't heard them in over a quarter of a century, until my wife mentioned she'd been told to "go home" a few weeks back. It was a shock for her. But then her maiden name is WASP approved.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 10:43 GMT Bronek Kozicki
Re: How can any decent voter
Your attitude is exactly the reason why people voted as radically, both on June 23rd and just now, as they did. The people voted as they did exactly because they feel disenfranchised. And your best advice? "not vote". Sorry, that is not going to help.
PS I am myself rather shocked by Trump win and it is definitely not what I expected - in case someone came to conclusion that disagreeing with your opinion means siding with Trump. It does not, and it is also beside the point.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 11:39 GMT Greyeye
Re: How can any decent voter
People voted for change, not because they're racists, haters or bigots. People who have been left out, cornered, and losing job that they had for decades are marching out and voted for a change.
Well educated, who has a decent job and some who has flexibilities to move from one job to other (most modern educated job holders) see Trump as another populist, but for ppl who has been left out and frustrated at the current situation, it is clearly a cry out for a change.
Unfortunately, real change ppl want, will be slow and painful.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 13:51 GMT cambsukguy
Re: How can any decent voter
The GOP tend to win because they promise 'Jam tomorrow', lower taxes etc.
The Dems (bless them) often talk about 'Being in it together' and 'Helping the less fortunate'.
The result is a plain and obvious 'I want more for me' vote by a previously-empowered group.
Added to that the fact that the few pc that Mrs C lost by would have been covered amply by a higher turnout in the groups that more naturally support her (the less fortunate) and we have the eternal problem.
We had a saying in the UK when I was younger, something like "Everyone votes Tory to get more money for themselves and Labour when everything goes wrong and we need some medicine".
The NHS, Sex Equality, the Open Uni, Same-sex marriage. A long list of things done under Labour that would never be repealed by the Tories (because they were the right thing to do regardless of popularity).
Which is why legalising drugs for instance doesn't happen - not popular, even with a lot of lefties, despite scientific support for the process (and the fact that Portugal managed it quite well).
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 15:23 GMT Stevie
Re: How can any decent voter (4 Greyeye)
"People voted for change, not because they're racists, haters or bigots. People who have been left out, cornered, and losing job that they had for decades are marching out and voted for a change."
And I can understand that anger and bitterness, coming as I did out of the manufacturing draw-back of the late 1970s while living in Coventry. When I left there were one in three working a full week on my street. Yes, I certainly understand the emotional state of the electorate in those defunct factory towns and their need for positive change.
But exactly how does a man who has dodged the Vietnam draft (five deferments is now a qualifying event for High Office it seems), not paid a cent in income tax for at least 18 years, exported all the manufacturing of his signature clothing line to China, and stiffed every small businessman who ever contracted for work with him answer this need? He even imported his wife for gosh sakes (cheap shot, I know, but payback is a bitch).
I only ask because from my uninformed perspective Donald Trump would seem to have no common ground with the people who voted for him. His rich father and rich Friends in High Places have shielded him time and again from the results of his many failures in a way those same friends have worked to make unavailable to these voters (let any of *them* try and declare bankrupcy to escape credit card debt and see how far they get). He had a great opportunity to act according to his ideals of Greatness in America years ago when he decided to market a line of branded clothing, but chose instead to sweatshop the whole thing, which would seem to scream loud about his commitment to the idea of bringing back manufacturing jobs to America.
People I speak to say they support Trump because "he will upset those people in Washington". There seems to be a clear disconnect between that idea and the fact that they themselves will be living in the results of that "upset" for four years and however long it takes a Democrat to clean up the mess afterward.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 15:03 GMT Stevie
Re: Your attitude is exactly the reason why people voted as radically, (4 Bronek Kozicki)
"Radically", I'm OK with. "Insanely" I have a problem with.
Look, I really don't care who runs the country but I care deeply that under Republican presidents my retirement saving hemorrhage money. I haven't made any sort of profit under any of the presidents from the so-called "business party". The only time I've *made* money in the last 35 years is under Bill Clinton and Barrack Obama. As I type my funds are taking an almighty dinging just because a Republican is *about* to take the reins.
Not only that, but under the last two republican presidents (King George the First and King George the Second) we had collapses of the banking systems so bad they required massive bailout.
And now we are saddled with a hollow demagogue for the next four years, a sock puppet who'll believe anything said to him for those who know how to actually run the place with whatever agendas they have. Like George the Second was for the first six years he was in office.
Predictions for this time next year:
No wall. Obviously.
No special prosecutor. Also obviously.
Gasoline prices escalating.
Negligible employment increase (not counting the military)
More American Boots On The Ground in [insert your favorite war-torn country]
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 11:32 GMT Mark 110
Re: How can any decent voter
The working man is disenfranchised by essentially undemocratic systems rather than particular policies.
The election of Trump will not change the fact that US voters will only ever have the choice of 2 viable candidates wiith usually the one with the most corporate backing winning. Trump is an outlier and when he fails to deliver and likely causes a US (and possibly world) reccesssion he will lose popularity very very quickly.
In the UK we have a situtation where:
- most or our organs of state are not elected (bureaucrats, lords, royals)
- even our current Prime Minister was elected by the Tory party rather than the electorate
- the first past the post system means that the vast majority of the population are represented by a member of parliament they didn't vote for
Leaving the EU is not going to change the fact that in the UK most of us are disenfrachised by the system. One of the advantages for me of being in the EU was most (if not all) of th EU members havve a system of proportional representation leading to a more moderate consensual system of government with better representation in government of thhe views of the whole of the electorate.
The whole 'taking back control' thing has me worried as its giving control back to an essentially unrepresentative system of democracy.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 13:55 GMT smartypants
Re: How can any decent voter
I don't think it's fair to say people are disenfranchised.
We get to elect MPs. It is certainly the case that today, the turnout isn't so high, but then there are also more parties. So it's unreasonable to compare the two periods.
In addition, whereas in the 30s, conditions for ordinary people were far worse than they are today by any material measure, the big challenge being today that ordinary people are dying of the diseases once the preserve of those with money (diseases of excess and sloth), rather than starving and dying of easily-cured disease.
The voting system is what it is. I don't particularly care about voting methods as much as some, but I don't think the rules benefit the few at the expense of the masses.
UKIP is an example of what can happen under our current system - i.e. from nowhere comes a new party that has the potential to start electing MPs in many places. Or just look at the collapse of the Labour vote in Scotland - which ironically led to a Tory government, and eventually Brexit.
These are two examples of how people's voting makes a real difference under our system. Whilst I'm personally appalled at recent events, I still consider our country to be a democracy, though it's never felt harder to defend that word than today.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 18:17 GMT Mark 110
Re: How can any decent voter
@Smartypants
Gave you an upvote because you are thinking. Your example of UKIP is a poor one against disenfranchisement however. UKIP got 2 million votes (iirc) in the last election but 0 representatives. Are you saying those voters are fairly represented in parliament now? I disagree.
The Green party didn't get as many votes but have 1 representative despite a decent share of the vote nationally. Is that fair? If their share of the vote was equated by the proportion of representatives that would be more fair? Same for UKIP?
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 22:12 GMT anonymous boring coward
Re: How can any decent voter
"Just had a quick google. Apparently the last time a UK government had a majority of the popular vote was 1931!!!!!
Yes, we are disenfranchised."
So every time Labour won, you had voted Conservative?
And every time the Conservative won, you had voted Labour?
Or you voted Lib Dem?
That's just awfully bad luck, that is...
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 12:19 GMT JimmyPage
Re: The working man is disenfranchised by essentially undemocratic systems
The working man disenfranchised themselves by persistently - and deliberately - ignoring the chances to have their say when they were enfranchised.
The cruel tragedy is, the 30% who never vote in General Elections (closer to 60% in local elections) have a pulling down effect on the 30% above them who *do* vote.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 13:06 GMT Mark 110
Re: The working man is disenfranchised by essentially undemocratic systems
"The working man disenfranchised themselves by persistently - and deliberately - ignoring the chances to have their say when they were enfranchised."
It doesn't matter which way I vote - I get a Labour representative. Anecdotally a large proportion of the people in my constituency don't vote either because they support Labour and know they will win anyway or they don't support Labour and know that their vote will make no difference to the outcome. The latter is more common.
Personally I always vote just so my opinion is registered in the tally even if it makes no difference to who my representative is. Barely 60% turnout is dreadful but predictable.
General Election 2015: Liverpool Riverside[5][6]
Party %
Labour 67.4
Green 12.1
Conservative 9.6
UKIP 5.7
Liberal Democrat 3.9
TUSC 1.3
Majority 55.3
Turnout 62.4
Edit: In 2010 the turnout was 52% - an even greater indictment of the system.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 14:57 GMT JimmyPage
Re: It doesn't matter which way I vote - I get a Labour representative
I refer you to my original point. If your attitude to your enfranchisement is to simply say "I'm a Labour voter" without actually taking the time and trouble to understand what that means, then you - dear fellow citizen - are part of the problem.
If *voters* used their minds, there would not be any such thing as a "safe" seat.
Right now, given the perfect shitstorm headed our way, it's hard to support universal suffrage. And it's hard to avoid the sense in the observation - from before our times:
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty; From liberty to abundance; From abundance to selfishness; From selfishness to apathy; From apathy to dependence; From dependence back into bondage.”
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 18:26 GMT Mark 110
Re: It doesn't matter which way I vote - I get a Labour representative
@ JimmyPage. Fantastic quote which led me to one of his other quotes which is true as much today as it was in 1800.
Speaking about the measure of freedom enjoyed by the people in a republic or democracy, Tytler wrote, "The people flatter themselves that they have the sovereign power. These are, in fact, words without meaning. It is true they elected governors; but how are these elections brought about? In every instance of election by the mass of a people—through the influence of those governors themselves, and by means the most opposite to a free and disinterested choice, by the basest corruption and bribery. But those governors once selected, where is the boasted freedom of the people? They must submit to their rule and control, with the same abandonment of their natural liberty, the freedom of their will, and the command of their actions, as if they were under the rule of a monarch".
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 16:29 GMT Florida1920
Re: The working man is disenfranchised by essentially undemocratic systems
The working man disenfranchised themselves by persistently - and deliberately - ignoring the chances to have their say when they were enfranchised.
I love the fourth+ generation coal miners whining about their jobs. My grandfather was a coal miner in Newcastle. Prior to WW1 he and my grandmother emigrated to Canada. After my father was born in Canada, the family moved to the States. During the Depression my grandfather began a successful appliance store in the Northeast U.S. My father, still a Canadian citizen, joined the U.S. Army in January 1941, hoping for useful training. After serving in the Pacific, he got a Bachelor's and MBA and rose to an executive position in the shipping business.
You tell me an American-born coal miner couldn't pull himself up from the mines and make a better life for himself and his children. The same people who complain that more-recent immigrants are getting a free ride ignorantly demand the same for themselves. Okay, you were born here. Now get off your butt and make something of yourself. This isn't Haiti or Zimbabwe; opportunities abound, if you seek them out. People who are angry about their lot in life and want the government to do all the work to improve their lot are LOSERS. And they just elected a loser, in business and his personal life, to lead them.
It defies belief that, the same year Bob Dylan is awarded a Nobel Prize, a man who stands opposed to everything we've fought for over the last 50 years is elected U.S. president.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 18:53 GMT Mark 110
Re: The working man is disenfranchised by essentially undemocratic systems
I gave you an upvote with reservations. We have the same issue here in the UK that people here think government should sort them a job out - then turn down the opportunities available. An immigrant then comes in and does the job.
Theres a motivation problem there. People that can be bothered to change countries in search of a better life will be much better motivated to acheive things than people that are seething fuming and cursing that their nice easy future rug has been pulled out from under them.
I have a tendency to agree with Trump that offshoring manufacturing jobs to Asia isn't ideal for the workforce back home.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 13:33 GMT PatientOne
Re: How can any decent voter
"even our current Prime Minister was elected by the Tory party rather than the electorate"
And Blair/Brown were elected by the Labour party. We, the people, don't actually vote for who will be Prime Minister: We vote for our representative with a mind of their declared political party (if they have one) and who might become Prime Minister if they form the goverment. This is why we don't get a new election if a current Prime Minister steps down: We still have our elected representative.
I do agree strongly with the issues you mention regarding first-past-the-post (I've only once been represented by an MP I voted for (independent)) so a proportional system is long overdue.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 18:05 GMT Mark 110
Re: How can any decent voter
To add to my earlier post on disenfrachisement by unrepresentative systems:
- I should have said that the two viable US candidates don't even get to be candidates without the endorsement & funding of the very rich. Its notable that Trumps policies to revive the fortunes of the working man include swathing tax cuts for the very rich.
- It turns out that Trump won but got less votes than the loser. Its rigged I tell you!!!!!
How the fuck do you invent a system where someone wins by getting less votes. And yes thats a rhetorical question. I know why and I know how. Its not going to help close divisions.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 21:33 GMT Stevie
Re: How can any decent voter (4 Mark 110)
"How the fuck do you invent a system where someone wins by getting less votes. And yes thats a rhetorical question. I know why and I know how. Its not going to help close divisions."
How it was invented is not germane in today's world, but I can tell you how we still have such a system: by not doing anything about it in the intervening 16 years since the popular vote last favored the candidate beaten in the electoral college, that's how.
We could start by sorting out the will-of-the-people defeating gerrymandering nonsense.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 11:19 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: How can any decent voter
" Sporting a European surname [..]"
So do I. People think it an unusual one. It is Norman French circa 11th century immigration. Which makes my apparent "English" bloodline impeccable. My maternal family name is pre-Norman English - from a more direct Viking immigration.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 11:29 GMT Dan 55
Re: How can any decent voter
I can only pray that the US doesn't experience the same upswing in racism the UK has since June 23 (*). These guys have guns. Lots of them.
Did you mean the police who will now be busy making America great again? Wouldn't like to be black while living in some* US states at the moment.
*some means most or all.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 16:12 GMT Yet Another Anonymous coward
Re: How can any decent voter
>Wouldn't like to be black while living in some* US states at the moment.
If you Hispanic living in the south you better hope the guys in pickups with confederate flags and assault rifles can spot the difference between Mexican rapists and republican voting Cubans in a drive by shooting
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 17:31 GMT Pompous Git
Re: How can any decent voter
Wouldn't like to be black while living in some* US states at the moment.
Shirley all liberals wish they were black.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 14:25 GMT lglethal
Re: How can any decent voter
You're all whining about not the votes not being representative of the countries involves and mentioning the low voter turnout. Well if you want high turnout, easy, make it compulsory to vote. Australia does it ($50 fine if you don't vote), and the turnout is near to 99%. And yes if you don't want to vote for any of the candidates in Australia, you can do a donkey vote (i.e. deliberately invalidate your vote - scribble none of the above on the sheet, draw a picture of a donkey, or whatever you feel like), the number of donkey votes are counted and give a very good picture of the number of protest votes out there.
You don't here people complaining in Aus about the parliament not being representative of the actual country. If you want it representative, MAKE EVERYONE VOTE! Simple.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 22:27 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: Re:Hillary was supported by people who wanted to kill gays.
Where the fuck did what come from, Steve?
The OP argues you can't in conscience vote for Trump because some scumbags support him.
Sadly, every politician has some scumbags supporting them, so if your criteria is never to vote for a politician who is supported by a scumbag then stop voting.
Or else growing up is totally an option. Accept that you might vote alongside someone you hate, but embrace the different reasons. You're not a stopped clock, they are.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 19:12 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: How can any decent voter
Sporting a European surname, I grew up with "clever" digs (and just plain old "fuck off home").
Ditto, but got used to getting in the name's origin before the vitriol started.
What really shocked me was the amount of abuse I would get in the South for being a northerner. "Oh no it's not racism" they would cry, but it bloody felt like it.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 10:30 GMT Teiwaz
'Crash Canadian Immigration Site'
Am I the only one whose lack of faith in humanity of late expected this to mean a mob had gone on a rampage assuming they had permission due to the result.
Had a moment of relief there until reality sunk in again.
Hey, for most of us, a 'site' can still mean bricks and mortar, pardon me for living most of my life before the 'internet' came along. Maybe mobs just utilise twitter and facebook to harass these days.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 11:06 GMT Alistair
Personally
I think they just shut it down, and are waiting until the NSA coughs up the list of 'who voted for whom' so they can filter applicants.
(what? Canada and the NSA? *cough* CSIS..... )
I've also been trying to fix an FHDB consistency issue in a VSM with 89M files in it all night.
(the one with the coffee pot and the 2600 spreadsheets in the pocket please)
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 11:43 GMT anonymous boring coward
"The Knights of the Klu Klux Klan issued a statement claiming the “success of the Trump campaign just proves that our views resonate with millions. They may not be ready for the Klu Klux Klan yet, but as anti-white hatred escalates, they will”."
It's hard to figure out if this is a joke, or for real. I lean towards the former, but one never knows in these times.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 11:50 GMT Terry 6
What they voted for
Whether Brexit or Trump it does seem as if much of the result came from a deep mistrust of the same-old-same-old. Possibly, had Bernie got the Democratic vote he'd have achieved the same as Trump. Clinton was tainted by her behaviour and her associates while in office. Mark 100 ( above) just about sums up what our respective democracies have come to. My family in the USA, mostly left of centre Californians and the like, were disillusioned with Clinton before the campaigning even started.
Yes, there are the racists crawling out of the woodwork. And the political extremes, right and possible also the left in the case of Brexit, saw these choices as aligning with their views, But a lot of the comment out there seems to be from people who just didn't see the usual choices as being in their favour. Free trade, mutli-national outsourcing, corporate lobbies ( and yes the perception of immigration by people taking jobs for lower pay) all seem to leave ordinary "blue collar" workers as victims of the storm. For middle class, and left-of-centre Americans Clinton was at best the lesser of two evils - but for many ordinary voters she wasn't.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 12:19 GMT bombastic bob
Re: What they voted for
"For middle class, and left-of-centre Americans Clinton was at best the lesser of two evils - but for many ordinary voters she wasn't."
I think you're missing the boat on why Trump has won the election.
It's "anti-establishment". The establishment brought us OBAKACARE (and refused to recognize the unconstitutionality), along with corporate welfare and cronyism, a doubling of the national debt in 8 years, and was more interested in bank bailouts and propping up the stock market with "quantitative easing" (enriching George Soros and OTHER wealthy Demo-Rat contributors) than the REGULAR people having jobs.
In other words, there is that perception that corruption has been running DEEP in the U.S. political system for some time, and it's just gotten to the point where enough people are FED UP to elect a "non-politician" to the highest office to try and FIX it.
THAT, and get rid of the OBAKA-CARE and the OVERSPENDING and excessive regulations and taxation.
But it helps that Trump sounds a LOT like Ronald Reagan, and so far he's following in Reagan's footsteps pretty well, and has many Reagan-like promises to keep. Trump's tax plan is a LOT like Reagan's 1985 tax plan, for example. And Trump, like Reagan, is a former Demo-Rat [but he's forgiven, since he "repented", heh].
As for "Her Royal Heinous" Mrs. Clinton, Mother of Lies and Empress of Discord, she represents the WORST in politics, as well as corruption and fraud and deceit and constant lying. USians are just sick of it all, really, and so it's "anti-establishment" and welcome "the outsider".
And watch, OBAKA _will_ pardon her!
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 14:35 GMT lglethal
Re: What they voted for
@ Bombastic Bob - I'd believe you, if it wasn't for the fact that the "people" continued to vote for the exact same establishment as always by re-voting the senate and house of representatives into republican hands. The same republican hands that have held the house of representatives for 18 of the last 22 years (including the last 6 years) and 12 of the last 20 years of the senate (including the last 2 years).
There was no anti-establishment vote there. So where was it?
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 22:20 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: What they voted for
Well, most of us regard it as unconstitutional for many reasons with two being 1) Spending (or Tax) bills are supposed to originate in the House; this one originated in the Senate and was completely gutted during Reconciliation with the entire text being replaced, and 2) Mandated everyone purchase medical coverage (which initially averaged a national rate for a family of four for $10,000 with a $10,000 deductible and has gone up astoundingly since). Would you be pleased with either of those options? the bill was over 2,200 pages in length, contradicts itself in many places, and finally was correctly characterized when Nancy Pelosi said, "We have to pass the bill to know what's in it".
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Thursday 10th November 2016 09:24 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: What they voted for
Even while I find it astounding that any civilised country would have a significant objection to providing health care to ill citizens I have heard from my rather left-leaning-lawyer cousin (wanted Bernie to be the candidate) that Obamacare is an expensive mess. She has the technical background to know about these things.
Yet I also get the impression that, as I imply above, there are a lot of people who object to the principle, rather than the implementation of universal health care in the USA. As a Brit I can only reflect on what the NHS has done for me over almost 6 decades, from prem birth to prostate ( nothing sinister, but some very expensive tests) the NHS has been there for me. It's a horrifying thought that a country with the wealth and power of the USA wouldn't have health cover for all.
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Thursday 10th November 2016 13:52 GMT Yet Another Anonymous coward
Re: What they voted for
Obamacare is an expensive mess.
Whether this is because big pharma fund the democrats or because had to be pork barrelled and amended for every special interest group in order to get it passed in a divided house - depends on whose side you are on.
To turn it off on day 1 with no alternative is going to lead to a certain amount of administrative inconvenience for a few million people who then don't have any medical care
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 14:24 GMT Bronek Kozicki
Re: What they voted for
One thing common to both Trump election and Brexit vote is that in both cases, most politicians on both sides of the current system were strongly against them. Nothing speaks more to those who feel ignored that the parties on both sides see a common threat. And as we can see, they will side with that threat. More to come in next year, as AfD is gaining support in Germany and FN in France.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 12:06 GMT Stern Fenster
Not commensurate
Brexit did not involve handing nuclear triggers to a narcissistic psychopath. It did not involve a central "personality" at all. The only connection between Brexit and Trump is the dissatisfaction of a very large number of low-level workers screwed-over by globalisation. One solution can work, the other can't.
I'll just wearily point out once more: There is a perfectly repectable (non-xenophobic, non-racist) left-wing tradition of opposing the EU, because The EU is a deeply right-wing, neo-liberal, explicitly pro-privatisation and anti-union setup superimposed on Europe to the benefit of a gang of multinationals (see: European Round Table of Industrialists, Vaxholm anti-union case etc etc).
I did postgraduate study in Utrecht before we were even in the Common Market; I've worked all over Europe all my life; my partner is Norwegian. Study, work and travel in Europe did not commence with the EU. Persons supporting Brexit are not automatically stupid or fascist. Please stop knee-jerking, and do some research.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 12:37 GMT Teiwaz
Re: Not commensurate
Brexit did not involve handing nuclear triggers to a narcissistic psychopath.
- Well, we could have ended up with Boris as PM, or Farage, (not that May is thatmuch of a relief)
neo-liberal?
- Yes why not use terminology that makes you sound like a US citizen to justify your anti-EU but European standpoint, that works...
Brexit are not automatically stupid or fascist.
- Can I suggest we just settle for 'naive' or xenophobic then?
We got the EU the governments of the individual member states could palette, crippled at the point of Parliament. If a gang of multinationals are able to leverage benefits by playing on it's flaws, don't think they aren't also doing the same at the National level too.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 12:14 GMT Anonymous Coward
Downvote magnet:
Hey, a career politician, well-versed in playing the game of politics, lost. Turns out voters outnumber lobbyists?! Who knew?
On the flipside, I stand by the same statement I've made since the primary candiates were chosen: No matter who wins, the United States loses.
Also good on the Reg for bringing in the KKK. Always great to jump to extremes.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 23:42 GMT JeffyPoooh
Re: It was a choice not an election...
c243 commented "... the two party system is a joke."
There were other candidates, but yes, they were largely ignored.
Point being this. It's the 'first past the post' voting system that encourages a two-party system. There's no rule that says there can't be N parties in the USA. There are essentially two main parties because the subsequent parties are driven into the ground by the FPTP voting system.
The USA is not a two-party system. It's a FPTP system with an Electoral Vote twist.
In contrast, a Proportional Representation voting scheme encourages a multi-party system, but if the formula is adjusted too high then 'HEY! Welcome to Italy!'
So be very careful what one wishes for.
Voting schemes shouldn't be changed based on somebody's bright idea. Many schemes have been tried, often with unexpected downsides. Best to study history and CAREFULLY choose a new scheme based on the best lessons from history. Anyone's new, untried 'bright idea' should be rejected outright. Likely poison. Too many untried 'bright ideas' being suggested by the utterly naive. Useless noise.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 15:18 GMT ChubbyBehemoth
Trumpia!
Formerly known as the USA. Used to be a shining example for many disenfranchised people striving to have a better life until the world conglomerate ordered an pre-emptive strike to contain the lobotomising virus that seemed to have taken hold of the general populous. The ensuing nuclear winter and fallout were deemed preferable to four years (or possibly more) of tweets from the orange menace that emanated this threat.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 22:06 GMT ecofeco
Re: Mission Accomplished
It began with Reagan, Uncle Slacky and the deregulation of the 1980s.
The GOP convinced everyone that jobs they were giving companies tax breaks to send overseas, was the result of "unions" and "ferriners." who were also going to take away their guns.
The Stockholm Syndrome has not been cured yet.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 16:50 GMT Anonymous Coward
You're lucky you have the channel
It's too wide and deep for general swimming, wading, rafting across or you could have 12 million (at least that's the number the lying politicians use - and yes, i know lying and politician is redundant) non-citizens swarming into your country and then you would begin to see the tip of the immigration iceberg that has been allowed to exist by past repugnicon and democrap POTUS figureheads.
I hope you never see that.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 16:55 GMT JoeCool
Canadian immigration
Dear USA friends,
I am truly concerned for the instability that is so likely to affect your daily lives. It's a tough prospect, but you are a sturdy, honest people.
I'd like to suggest that to avoid a processing quagmire, that all of the Blue states band together to make a blanket request. I am sure something mutually beneficial can be worked out.
And Puerto Rico. They deserve better too.
Signed, Your (North) American neighbours.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 19:27 GMT sisk
Re: Canadian immigration
I'd like to suggest that to avoid a processing quagmire, that all of the Blue states band together to make a blanket request.
There aren't actually any red or blue states. They're all pretty much purple, it's just that most of them are gerrymandered all to hell to ensure Republican and/or Democrat victories despite what the popular vote may be.
Case in point: Kansas, perhaps the greatest bastion of Tea Party power. It breaks down to something like 20 or 30% ultra conservative, maybe another 20 or 30% right leaning, and the rest left leaning or even liberal. Those ultra conservatives have the district boundaries drawn in such a way that they completely dominate politics in the state despite the fact that most of the populace is actually pretty moderate. The story is more or less the same in most of the supposed blue states, only with liberals drawing the boundaries.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 23:48 GMT JeffyPoooh
Re: Canadian immigration
"...gerrymandering..."
In contrast, Canada has independent commissions to maintain boundaries. Essentially zero funny business. Dumb decision sometimes, but virtually nothing suspicious.
USA's political system is actually immature in these sorts of details.
They should fix that. Set a maximum Length to Area ratio, a maximum fractal dimension.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 17:45 GMT Anonymous Coward
Wait and see
I'm not taking a position on whether he is going to be good or bad. But let's look at if he can deliver. He has to deliver to his base on two primary fronts: trade and immigration. As I see it, both are completely within his control.
On immigration he can start on the Wall, and even if it takes years and never finishes (because construction delays, y'know) the mere appearance will mean he can say he's started. More practically it is straightforward for him to boost the number of ICE agents, streamline deportation proceedings, etc etc. So expect that in the first year.
On trade, which among his base is really a proxy for jobs (jobs moving to Mexico because of NAFTA, say), he can preside over an absolutely massive investment in infrastructure. Suddenly MI, WI and all those other Rust Belt places get their highways upgraded, new airports built, etc etc. This will have an enormous boost on the local economy and again, is relatively easy for him to do.
The Middle East, Europe and so on? Doesn't know, doesn't care. Never forget: all politics are local.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 19:14 GMT Anonymous Coward
It's sad that we now have a President-elect who was endorsed by the KKK. I'd have hoped that their endorsement would be a death knell for any Presidential campaign. But at least he had the sense to publicly disavow their endorsement.
Truth, folks, I'm scared, but no more so than I would have been had Clinton won (though for different reasons). I only hope now that the people have spoken that Trump proves to be better than we all expect him to be.
This election was a bad one in terms of choices. We didn't even have any decent third party candidates. Usually at least one of the third parties puts up someone I can feel ok about voting for, but not this time. I found myself with no acceptable choice except for a protest vote.
Anon because Trump supporters are a rabid bunch.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 19:38 GMT drone2903 in Kanuckistant
Canadian Immigration website has crashed...
I am so glad it crashed. I just hope they dont fix it.
But I do agree on one thing with the Donald: We need to build a big wall.But on the 49th paral.
We have enough of refugees from war torn country, we do not need political refs.
Sorry America, but you did vote for it.
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Wednesday 9th November 2016 23:27 GMT Anonymous Coward
Recent medical crisis in Canada
Midnight ER visit. Endless tests. Follow up hospital visit for another test. Visit GP. Endless blood tests. Don't worry, I'm fine. ~$50 for 3am taxi ride home (convenience), and $2 parking.
Our taxes are a shade higher than in the USA. But we don't have to pay $500-$2000 a month for health insurance either. YMMV.
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Thursday 10th November 2016 00:31 GMT Anonymous Coward
short attention spans
What annoys me the most is everyone seems to think that utopia is going to be achieved and all problems are somehow going to be solved in the scant 4 years (or even 8) of a presidential administration. Then the dissatisfied voters get fed up and flip back to the other party, which promptly tries to undo everything they didn't agree with. Lather, rinse, repeat. What a waste of resources regardless of your ideology. I really think if we could have some consistency for a bit longer, we might start to solve a lot of these problems. It's very much like life in the corporate world, which seems to work the same--no one has any patience for the long haul. Everyone demands results and forgets that these solutions have already been tried, scrapped, tried again, and scrapped again already. All it does is divide everyone and make us all weary. True change that isn't utterly destructive is always incremental and step-by-step.
Though I admit I'm still heartsick that we now have at least 4 years of a tactless baboon that I wouldn't trust to be night manager of a Burger King, much less at the helm of the most powerful nation in the world. So I suppose if civilization is still standing in 4 years, I'll cast my vote for the other guy or gal (unless they're somehow worse), despite what I said above.
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Thursday 10th November 2016 02:10 GMT LaeMing
The people have voted. Just deal with it.
Ugly, unsavory, egotistical, dishonest, loud, obnoxious, can't keep his dirty paws to himself. Trump is the very personification of how a good chunk of the world views the US*. A more fitting president for the times could not have been chosen, really.
*Not necessarily individual US citizens, just the US as a whole.
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Thursday 10th November 2016 12:01 GMT ShadowDragon8685
A little less mockery, please?
Not all of us mocked the UK for Brexit. In fact, some of us (like myself,) felt legitimately dismayed and sick to see such catastrophic instability rocking the boat of a country we're quite fond of.
Now?
Can we have a take-backsie on 1776? Even with the Brexit clutserfuck, I think that would be preferable than letting President Russian Dressing Face take office.
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Thursday 10th November 2016 12:27 GMT Anonymous Coward
what eurocrats dont understand is..
This election was not about Red or Blue, not republican or democrat. it was about JOBS. the American economy is hurting and has never recovered from the crash of 2008, not matter what the worlds beloved Barak Obama tells people. we are in a second great depression, even though no government official would ever dare uses that word. there are 8.3 million fewer Americans working today, than in this day in 2008. 94.5 million Americans are out of the workforce. they don't even count them in the unemployment any more "Because they are not looing for work". it is the lowest labor participation rate since the 1970's. we have gone backwards 45 years under Obama and his policies! unemployment is still at a record high. It so bad the Obama administration change the math on how they calculate the unemployment numbers. its the old "if you don't like the numbers change the math". you have 13 million more people on food stamps than in 2008, home ownership is less than the 1950's. it is the slowest economic recovery since the 1930s. the middle class is on the verge of collapse, you can not tax the rich much more then they are now. if you make over 100k a year, between Federal, California State and local taxes, 65 cents of every dollars you earn goes to a tax of some kind. it is unsustainable. you cannot get ahead when the combined local and federal governments take 65% of everything you make. that is wrong on every level. sure I want to help those less fortunate than myself, but you have to be able to take care of your self first before you can help others. my sister in law has been living with us for over two years and only recently was able to obtain long term employment. prior to this she has only been able to get part time employment. thank god she did not have children to worry about. I have watched her struggle and toll it takes on her from the loss of independence. This election is a people like her raising their voices and saying "This is not working!" the old saying about the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is true. we have tried Obama's way and he had complete control of both the house and senate and it still failed. All they did was shove Obamacare up our arse. now we are forced to purchase insurance that is more expensive and has worse coverage than what I had before Obama care. so it is one more thing taking money out of my pocket. we gave him a second chance with a republican congress to come up with a bipartisan solution. he ignored us like the pompous arrogant arse he is, and it still has not improved. thank god the American people are smart enough to not fall for a 3rd term of it under Clinton. Donald Trump would not have been my first choice as a President, but anything has to be better than the path we are on now under Obama and the path we would have take with Clinton. The cronyism and dishonesty of Clinton was just the icing on the cake of failure that has been her career in politics. sure W screwed up Iraq. that's all on him. but the rest of the middle east is on Obama and Clintons policies. I believe that Trump is at least smart enough to bring our troops home from the middle east. I would like to see him go a step further and bring them home from everywhere and close down all of our bases world wide and pull out of the colossal failure that is the UN. the money we spend on defense and foreign countries and the UN would build a hell of a lot of roads, bridges, power plants, hospitals, docks, etc. not to mention pay down our debts and would sure up social security so it does not go broke in the next 15 years. sure Europe will have to stand on its own against the likes of Russia, but they have leaned on the US for far too long and invested far too little in their own defense. At least the Brit's made the right choice with Brexit. it will hurt a bit, but they will be better off in the long run. As an American we had a choice. more of Obama's failed policies, or a new direction. we chose a new direction. I hope Trump can deliver on his promises. if he does, he truly will make America great again.
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Saturday 12th November 2016 12:42 GMT Anonymous Coward
A 4-year hangover
I'm more worried about the bigger picture. Yes, jobs are an issue. But we are in one world and living in a GLOBAL economy. You can't piss on your neighbor's lawn every day and then ask to borrow their tools. What you give, you get back. You can't just take all the marbles because you're the bigger kid and expect it to work forever. And Mr. Trump has managed to insult entire races, cultures, and demographics just while campaigning. He also doesn't practice what he preaches to the "common man", with so much of his own companies' manufacturing being done overseas. And I am pretty certain that he never gave a glance to the country's unfortunates and poverty-stricken until he needed their vote. I am worried about the US, sure. But I'm also worried about having someone with so little wisdom, experience, vision, and compassion in the wheelhouse, and the whole world being destabilized.
One thing for sure, it does prove that America is indeed the land of opportunity. Anyone can be president of our (un?) fair nation, regardless of fitness for the job, personal integrity, or character in general.
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Saturday 12th November 2016 17:05 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: A 4-year hangover
"And I am pretty certain that he never gave a glance to the country's unfortunates and poverty-stricken until he needed their vote."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0XOlp4V-34
Actual words, funny voice that suits him. The words are beyond description. The very definition of a narcissistic psychopath.
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