The sheer size comparison of the countries brings different problems. I have no reason to worry about what's going on in America, I know others do but I don't. I am, however, really concerned about what's happening here. The fact that you can be locked up for a few years for a mean tweet should worry everyone. It wouldn't happen in America because they have the best free speech laws in the world. Wait until the blasphemy laws for only one religion are introduced and you run the risk of imprisonment for touching a copy of.their book by mistake. Our society is taking unbelievable steps backwards every day.
Whereas I obviously think saying racist things is terrible... I am absolutely astounded that it is arrestable offence there now. Governments should never have the power to tell you what words are and arn't offensive! There again, here in the US, it's now illegal to protest at Universities and people have been arrested for it so both countries moving in the wrong direction.
The ironic part of all this is that people 'locked up for a few years for a mean tweet' that you seem to be referring to were imprisoned (after pleading guilty, in the majority of cases) to offences that were brought in specifically by previous governments to lock up 'hate preachers' from the religion that you are alluding to.
Do you mean this guy? If so I feel like labelling it ‘mean tweets’ is under doing it a bit. Threats to kill a group of people no matter who they are should 100% be prosecuted. If you haven’t got anything nice to say… say nothing. What ever happened to that saying? Tyler Kay, 26, wrote an offensive anti-immigration post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, 7 August, calling for hotels housing asylum seekers to be set alight. He responded to several comments posted by others following his post, adding that it was “100% the plan”. Kay also reposted a screenshot of another message inciting action against a named immigration solicitors in Northampton, and other posts attributable to him showed a desire to be involved in organised protests in the town. Kay was arrested by officers from Northamptonshire Police and appeared at Northamptonshire Magistrates’ Court on Thursday. He pleaded guilty to publishing material intending to stir up racial hatred and was sentenced to 38 months' imprisonment at Northampton Crown Court today https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/man-jailed-just-two-days-after-posting-online-during-public-disorder
Well we've covered lots of aspects of American life and Americans in general not just politics or politicians. You've expressed, correct me if I'm wrong, your deep hatred of America. It's not based on the things that I like about America but on politics. I can leave aside the political landscape when assessing the country and focus on the things that I find attractive about the country such as the music, literature, the diversity of just about everything and the actual physical landscape. It's why I'm not good at these conversations because I'm not driven by an ideology or political affiliation. Have you ever been to America?
I don't hate America, it has produced many great musicians, writers, artists, scientists etc and the range of stunning landscapes is wonderful. None of those things are under discussion here - its socio-political landscape is what my comments are concerned with. That, and its impact on the rest of us. Russia and China have contributed greatly to the world of science and the arts, does that mean we should not criticise Putin or Xi? Or their social structure? Do you hate Britain because you dislike the current government? I wouldn't have thought so, so how do you reach the conclusion that I hate America because I dislike theirs? This comes across as a deflection from the very real issues I have listed above, it certainly doesn't address them. You keep saying you're not being political, but politics is what the thread is about - if you want to discuss other aspects of their culture, fine - but it's another matter.
Happy to see you've been taking notes. I haven't been, and I really can't be bothered to check back, but if I remember rightly it was part of a sequence questioning why I'm even exercised by the whole thing. When I say US, in this context at least, I'm referring to the state, the administrative body, not the people as a whole. I've already expressed pity for the more than half of the population who didn't vote for the government they've got. That also applies to us and other countries of course, and is one of the flaws in any attempt at a democratic election - especially first past the post types. Btw, I know you're religious, and so to you the Hell reference might well be a damning one - but I'm not religious and don't believe in an afterlife, so to me it was more of a throwaway line to express that I'm less concerned about their internal affairs than about their impact on the rest of us.
Yes, this is the real worry and I've heard others talking about it. I agree, it's probably not going to happen, but I don't hold enough certainty in the system that it won't. If they get close to the numbers needed, they can threaten States to comply. "Do as we ask or you won't get any federal money" Everyone still has to pay federal taxes but the states don't get any of that money coming back to them. Trump has already used this to bully legislation in some states at a state level. Using Wisconsin as an example because they have a famous industry, cheese. He could threaten laws that bans Wisconsin cheese from being exported from the State of Wisconsin. Not all states would cave from bullying, but enough probably would to allow Trump to completely rewrite the constitution. Usually bullying states with ridiculous partisan tactics like that would be political suicide, but it is the modus operandi for Trump and his supporters not only accept it, they cheer it. It probably won't happen, but the likelihood of it happening is too high for my tastes. Most likely outcome of a constitutional convention: Establishing of State religion and banning all others. Allowing the President to add and remove Supreme Court members at will. Allowing the President to impeach people from the legislative branch Removing term limits Allowing foreign borns to become President (for Musk) Repeal of the bill of rights Allowing government to strip anyone of citizenship for any reason Banning homosexuality at a constitutional level Removing the ability for legislative body from impeaching the President. Almost certainly something that limits freedom of press- he's long threatened newspapers that write bad things about him that he's going to shut them down.
