http://verdict.justia.com/2011/12/21/the-national-defense-authorization-act-explained

This shows why the two-party system is wrong, wrong, wrong. It is even worse than denying global warming. (A token third-party makes no sense as long as seats are distributed according to the first-past-the-post rule.)

Absolutely true. In my country, the two big parties thought that they could do whatever they wanted. Split the cake nicely between them. Now the opposition is about to be the strongest party with the next elections and the two former big ones are peeing their pants. They litterally tried everything to keep the opposition down, including spreading lies and missinformation via government controlled media. In the end it was no use. People here have enough. Maybe there is a way for the US there as well?

So, you will vote for the other candidate, even if he also voted against your wishes, or you won’t vote at all. The first option is probably cutting off your nose to spite your face. The second option accomplishes nothing or might tip the balance in favour of the other candidate, whom you presumably regard as worse (otherwise you would have voted for him).

This shows why the two-party system is wrong, wrong, wrong. It is even worse than denying global warming. (A token third-party makes no sense as long as seats are distributed according to the first-past-the-post rule.)

I like! Certainly accurate.

I’ll just leave you with this quote:

“…one of the great secrets of human nature is that the one thing people want more than love, security, sex, chocolate or big-screen TV’s is to feel hard done by.
Why? Because being hard done by is the shit. Feeling hard done by is the sweetest of drugs. If you’re being persecuted — it must mean you’re doing the right thing, right? You get the mellow buzz of the moral high ground, but without arrogantly claiming it as your own. You get an instant, supportive community in a big dark scary world of such scope it may well literally be beyond rational human processing. When you are hard done by, you get purpose in a life where otherwise, you’d have to find your own. And when you ride that high, then no amount of logic, no pointing out that in actuality you and your beliefs are at a high point of popularity and influence for the last hundred years — is going to pry that sweet crack-pipe of moral indignation from your hands.”
—John Roger

(1) UNITED STATES CITIZENS- The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to citizens of the United States.
(4) WAIVER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY- The Secretary of Defense may, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence, waive the requirement of paragraph (1) if the Secretary submits to Congress a certification in writing that such a waiver is in the national security interests of the United States.

As regards self-pitying, it’s encapsulated in what I said. It’s as though, never having been under a real tyrants boot, there exists a breed of commentators who are jealous of the moral stature of those who have struggled against the real thing. Hence this stuff about the US really being a “police state”.

The country I am referring to is Britain, where you can get arrested and charged and sentenced for offending religious sensibilities, and for a number of other speech-crimes, and where we have a rapidly growing religious right that makes the one in the States look like timid amateurs in comparison. On the continent, where I also spend some time, things can be much worse.

If you haven’t yet had the chance to encounter the younger brother, I envy you.
Do you mean you envy me not having had to waste time reading his stuff? Or you envy the fact that I’ll have the pleasant experience of discovering him?

As regards this stuff, I simply do not understand the hysterical and self-pitying side of American politics.
Self-pitying how? I’m sure that’s an apt description of some people, I’m just looking for an example.

It doesn’t compute: tea party activists saying Obama will make himself a tyrant, the yahoos over at freethoughtblogs claiming that the US is a police state… You should try living in this country a while.
Which country is that? And why; is the situation even worse? Or better?
Apologies if I missed something obvious, but it’s late and I just hit the refresh button before going to bed

Yes, the younger brother. Probably the best conservative writer around today. Properly conservative, mind you.

Basically, if you read both Peter and Christopher on any given subject, you will have the best arguments for and against it. Though they did agree on some things. If you haven’t yet had the chance to encounter the younger brother, I envy you.

As regards this stuff, I simply do not understand the hysterical and self-pitying side of American politics. It doesn’t compute: tea party activists saying Obama will make himself a tyrant, the yahoos over at freethoughtblogs claiming that the US is a police state… You should try living in this country a while.

When it comes specifically towards extreme actions against terrorism, the way they are always sold is that you have dedicated and devoted people who need to exceed the law now and then for good reasons. It’s not the case. It’s beause the US – and the UK too, heavens knows – have a ruling class that is both cowardly and nasty on this issue. Unable to do what’s right, it tries to make up for it by doing a lot of what’s wrong.

http://rt.com/usa/news/foreign-ndaa-suspected-us-367/

EDIT: Actually, I take that back. The furthest you can be from producing anything of value and still have a job title would be “Congressperson”.