A government for the people?

[vampireuk]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2765041.stm

Police said it was the capital's biggest ever demonstration with at least 750,000 taking part, while organisers put the figure closer to two million.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38825000/jpg/_38825847_march1300.jpg

But yet Blair is not going to listen to one word of what we say :mad:

[t6_shadow]

Maybe he should listen. Then maybe something is your country gets blown up. Hopefully it will be the 750,000 ppl that were there protesting.

[ASCI Blue]

Sounds like the way Bush is too.

[sbp]

Its fine for people to express their views. However, what do these people want to be done? Don't bother saying inspections, they don't work!

[vampireuk]

t6 grow up, those people have a perfect right to protest. I was going to be there but a lack of cash stopped me from doing so:(

[sbp]

Sadly I'm convince there is going is going to be a nuke or WMD used somewhere within the next few years.

[vampireuk]

I would bet a good sum of cash that it will involve north korea

[t6_shadow]

So your protesting for the contructions of WMDs why? Oh wait they are just protesting the PRVENTION of the contruction of WMDs. I get it... no wait I don't.

Oh btw I am sorry if that post came out as anti-protest it was not meant to be. I am simply fully against WHAT they are protesting.

[vampireuk]

That makes no sense, they are anti war. Anti any war not just this one. As am I, war is only going to make things worse.

Then again at this rate there wont be much of a world left in a few years so the anti war protests will drop dramitically:D

[sonaboy]

Originally posted by sbp
Its fine for people to express their views. However, what do these people want to be done? Don't bother saying inspections, they don't work!


Try this link :http://alternet.org/print.html?StoryID=15084

and read how many rockets the first group of inspectors found and dismantled. Inspections don't work when teams aren't allowed to do their jobs (ie. withdrawn prematurely to clear the area for combat).
What do the protesters want to be done? What's the mystery here? They want American and British forces to stand down until the U.N. decides on an internationally legal course of action. Until that time, the US and Brit forces are nothing more than rogue forces ignoring international law.
And before you launch into a half-formed opinion about lethal force being the last option, let's all remember how ineffective the FIRST Gulf War was at eradicating Saddam as the country's leader. Even after months of land and air based conflicts in the early 90s, Saddam has remained in power with no sign of a weakening public opinion of him from the Iraqi citizenry.
It's true he backed out of Kuwait. But i'd hardly call that a victory for Democracy, since Kuwait is still, and will remain a Royal Monarchy.

[UDawg]

Just because that many people show up does not make it majority. Even if it wasnt the people should not run the government. They should elect them and let them represent them. That is pathetic. I never knew there were so many stupid people in the wold. Maybe we are bombing the wrong country?
In no way shape or form should our leaders yield to a huge protest. That would show them for the weak leaders they are.

Pathetic!!! These idiots have no idea what kind of security they are hindering.

ANSWER is one of the big organizaions behind this anti war movement. They are American haters and anti capitalist.


Pathetic!!!

[LORD-eX-Bu]

Originally posted by UDawg71
Just because that many people show up does not make it majority. Even if it wasnt the people should not run the government. They should elect them and let them represent them. That is pathetic. I never knew there were so many stupid people in the wold. Maybe we are bombing the wrong country?
In no way shape or form should our leaders yield to a huge protest. That would show them for the weak leaders they are.

Pathetic!!! These idiots have no idea what kind of security they are hindering.

ANSWER is one of the big organizaions behind this anti war movement. They are American haters and anti capitalist.


Pathetic!!!

Everyone has the right to protest their cause. Why do people protest? because the people they elected aren't representing them whatever the case may be. If there are that many people protesting, there is obviously something wrong with the way their official is representing them. These people wan't war to be the absolute last option in this confrontation. This protest isn't a bad thing, it is a good thing, if these people weren't out voicing their opinion and opposition, you think that we would be going to the UN? or even caring what anyone thinks? We would have leveled Iraq and Iran 12 years ago if that wasn't the case. These people are serving their purpose, they are balancing this out, they are providing pressure, so that these leaders will have to think long and hard. You don't wan't some trigger happy wacko out there doing whatever he wants to any country he doesn't like without being subject to the consequences of whatever route he takes. The dicision to go to war should never be made by one sole power, it involves many countries and puts even more at risk, everyone has a right to their say in this. These people, and all those who oppose this war are helping make sure that we do not go overboard, and that we are held accountable for our actions. Protests are good, otherwise, if you don't allow em' what are ya? the Taliban?:o

[sonaboy]

As well, we should consider the "silent" numbers in this situation: just look at vamp's post about how he would have been there, if not for (insert prior engagment). Many many more like-minded people would have gone, and should be understood to be a part of this new phenomenon. Some people just protest differently (this forum is an example, front and center) and discuss their feelings in different mediums than walking in streets with signs.
Chomsky made the observation that this is the first war in American history that was protested on a large scale BEFORE it actually started (officially). That wasn't the case with Vietnam, Gulf War I, or others.
This should let us know the feelings are of, if not the majority of the citizenry, at least an all-time high of anti-war sentiment in free society.
Why try to keep painting these people as wacko leftist hippies, when it's obvious that the cross section of the population transcends any sort of category? These are reasonable people.

[jnd3]

Let's remember that anti-war protesters live in countries that actually allow them to protest the policies of their government. How often does that occur in Iraq, or Saudia Arabia, or China, or Vietnam, or Cuba? It doesn't. Disagree with the party line, and you get a 9mm migraine. Do I believe that anti-war protesters have the right (and even obligation) to share their opinions? Absolutely. But I still think they're wrong.

And besides, if the anti-war crowd numbers are that big, Blair and Bush will be out of office when the next elections roll around. Real elections, not the sham 100% elections like they get in Cuba and Iraq.

Let's hear it for the best form of government on the planet!

Cheers,
JND

[Kruno]

War is inevitable for humans, so embrace it and shut up. :p :D ;) :confused: :eek: :afro2: :angel: :afro:

(Don't mind my perverted use of smilies)

[stncttr908]

I was in New Brunswick, NJ last night, the town where Rutgers Uni is, and there was a stop sign that someone spray painted "Bush" under.

STOP
BUSH

I thought it was clever.

[UDawg]

So cease fires and treaties dont mean anything? 12 years of diplomatic positioning isnt enough? Mean while they can rebuild and produce more weapons to make another move in that region.

Brilliant thinking. Why dont we just bend over and let them ram a scud in our p00p chute.

I didnt say anything about not letting people protest. I did say that a government should not be ran by what protesters feel or think. That is dangerious and don't ever compare me with the Taliban. That is just so out of line.

True democracies are not a good idea, because you get mob rule and laws can be change on a fad or a strong feeling. Representative governments are the best form of government.

[Shinri Hikari]

Very true, Udawg71, if no one fought for freedom or peace then none would exist. The American Revolution is enough proof of that.:cool:

[LORD-eX-Bu]

Originally posted by UDawg71
I didnt say anything about not letting people protest. I did say that a government should not be ran by what protesters feel or think.

So the British should have kept taxing the life out of the American colonies? so the colonial americans shouldn't have bothered to do anything about it since the government shouldn't have listened to them in the first place? You are starting to sound like an extreme right-wing fundamentalist. I bet you'd like to have everyone walking in step 24/7 wouldn't ya? So the government should make its own policy then without input or direction from the population it is meant to serve? and the citizenship is just supposed to sit around and watch their civil liberties and everything their ancestors FOUGHT for die away? I don't know about you, but that sounds alot like Nazi Germany or the U.S.S.R. to me.

That is dangerious and don't ever compare me with the Taliban. That is just so out of line.

You are starting to sound more and more extreme. Take whatever I said whichever way you want. But you sir, are going overboard. I think it is a whole lot more dangerous to be run by a government that in all aspects, as you would like, is totalitarian than to put up and maybe gain something from a couple of protesters :o

[LORD-eX-Bu]

Originally posted by Shinri Hikari
Very true, Udawg71, if no one fought for freedom or peace then none would exist. the American Revolution is enough proof of that.:cool:

I'm sorry, wait, no I'm not, but anyways, I don't think you know what you are talking about.

[Kruno]

Originally posted by Shinri Hikari
Very true, Udawg71, if no one fought for freedom or peace then none would exist. The American Revolution is enough proof of that.:cool:

Hypothetical question:
If you went in time and stopped the revolution and the world became a better place. Would you have made the same comment about a revolution taking place? :)

[Shinri Hikari]

If no one stood up for what they believe in than where would we be? Dead, I would think, long live tyrrany, right?

[Kruno]

Originally posted by Shinri Hikari
If no one stood up for what they believe in than where would we be? Dead, I would think, long live tyrrany, right?

Dude, you still haven't answered the question. :)

[Nephilim]

Originally posted by [eNv]-LORD-eX-Bu
I'm sorry, wait, no I'm not, but anyways, I don't think you know what you are talking about.

Uhh...yeah....

You know...the American revolution. It was a war...not a protest. Unless I'm mistaken, people don't usually fire massive amounts of ammunition and artillery at each other during protests.

UDawg is right. Total democracy is a good theory, but very bad in practice. Hence why the US government is a democratic republic. If it were truly one person, one vote we'd have some pretty messed up laws on the books.

UDawg isn't saying that it should be totalitarianism. He's saying that the process of checks and balances is a good thing, and that just because some people protest doesn't necessarily mean that anyone has to listen. After all, some people may not know all the facts of the situation, or they may be disillusioned as to what is going on.

Protest all you want. The politicians may listen, they may not, but at least you have the right to protest without fear of reprocussion from the government, your voice was heard, and you can always vote differently in the next election.

[Kruno]

Protest all you want. The politicians may listen, they may not, but at least you have the right to protest without fear of reprocussion from the government, your voice was heard, and you can always vote differently in the next election.

Only to get screwed over once again. :p