fpb: (Default)
fpb ([personal profile] fpb) wrote2008-09-22 07:02 am

Worth knowing

http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/194057.php

EDITED IN, September 23: Ethan Winner admitted to being the author of the video in question, but implausibly claims to have done it on his own without any collaboration from his family's PR company - which then just decided to push it as hard as possible! Lucky boy, eh?

[identity profile] stigandnasty919.livejournal.com 2008-09-22 11:00 am (UTC)(link)
This race is about as dirty as it can get. Factcheck.org is a fascinating site which gives details of all of the lies being circulated arround by both parties and their supporters.

How did American politics get so polarised? There seems to be a 'win at all costs' attitude that permits, or at least tolerates, lying and cheating as simply part of the game.

A couple of asides, I note your warnings over Alitalia seem to be coming true and i'd be interested in your views of what the American Government's actions to save the financial markets mean for the 'free-market'?

[identity profile] saturndevouring.livejournal.com 2008-09-22 07:31 pm (UTC)(link)
In 1964, John Kennedy and Barry Goldwater were planning on renting one plane for the both of them so that they could travel to various spots around the U.S. and hold debates.

Can you even imagine that taking place today?

[identity profile] fpb.livejournal.com 2008-09-23 06:55 am (UTC)(link)
Kennedy and Goldwater were very much of one kind, in so far as a bunch of Boston Irish can be with a Western WASP. Long after his death, Goldwater (in the time that led up to Watergate) told someone how Kennedy once told him: "So you want this fucking job?" and grinned. (Goldwater's point being that he could never see this kind of frank, man-to-man exchange with Nixon, even though he should have had a lot more in common politicallly with Nixon than with Jack Kennedy.) For that matter, the Kennedys were always friendly with Joe McCarthy and have never, to this day, seen fit to condemn him by word or deed. This kind of somewhat macho politician does not seem so thick on the ground today.

[identity profile] blue-sky-day.livejournal.com 2008-09-23 03:53 pm (UTC)(link)
American politics have always been polarized. Look in to various 19th century races. Some of the mudslinging is as bad or worse as what we're seeing today.