What about VP?

June 24, 2006 @ 5:48 am | Comment

Woud Edwards run for VP again? I’m not sure. Also, it would be two southerners, which some say would be unbalanced (though it worked for Clinton-Gore).

June 24, 2006 @ 5:56 am | Comment

I know this might sound unorthodox (but, eh, you know me), but I think the best reason to elect Gore – and the best that America can hope for in the coming years – is because Gore is most capable of guiding the bankrupt and otherwise rotten American Empire to a “soft landing”, including a rightful restoration of America’s dignity while America continues its inevitable decline.

The decline and fall of America is inevitable, mostly because it’s already a fait accompli. America has already become a second-rate power, but of course very few people in the world will see that until long after it should have become obvious.

But at the very least, decline does not have to mean shame. Other great nations have declined while keeping their dignity and honour.
The end of the British Empire is the most admirable example. The British Empire was essentially finished in 1945, as a consequence of exhaustion from the war – but it was quite a noble way to become exhausted. (And the end of Britain as a world power, has not happened. Which – in the long term – could or should be a sign of hope for Americans, if they ever become humble enough and realistic enough to see it.)

The end of America as a Superpower – which has already been finalised, and even expedited by the Bush administration – does not have to mean the end of American dignity, or of American prestige in the world. But it DOES mean that America needs to adjust to a reduced role in the world, and to find other sources of pride and dignity, other than playing at Empire (without being willing to pay the prices that Empires require…)

An America, led by Al Gore, which changes its raison detre from Empire to being leaders of a Green Movement, reinventing itself as a representative of Environmental Consciousness- reclaiming and rejuvenating the old American talent for innovation and unorthodox solutions to new problems – could yet find a way to be admired by the world, for the best reasons,
and to be remembered in history books 1,000 years from now as a truly great nation whose greatness resided more in “the willingness of the heart” (a phrase by F Scott Fitzgerald, which I love), than in arms or industry.

And as Lord North’s friend (I forget his name) said to him, after he got news of the American victory over the British at Yorktown in 1781 – well, Lord North said, “Oh God, we are ruined!”
And his friend replied, “there is a lot of ruin in a nation.” 🙂

America as a Superpower, is ruined. But “the better angels of our nature” are not. And Al Gore is the one to guide America away from finding its dignity in being a Superpower, back toward the OLD American way of finding its dignity in offering the world new ideas, and practical reasons for hope.

More simply: At this point, America’s choice is either to turn Green – and thus be admired and even followed by the world – or else to decay even more, in the most shameful way.

June 24, 2006 @ 6:02 am | Comment

Ivan, sometimes your comments exasperate me, and sometimes they enthrall me, to the point of wondering if you mght not have a touch of genius. This is one comment that fits into the latter category. All I can say is thank you.

June 24, 2006 @ 6:08 am | Comment

Nonsense. Gore is Tweedledum to Bush’s Tweedledee in all things important.

There’s a third way: another American revolution. Preferably one with minimal violence, ending in the splitting of the US into several components.

Currently, the Constitution is dead and the system is irredeemably corrupt.

June 24, 2006 @ 6:49 am | Comment

Richard, you’re quite welcome. And I assume you know, all genius is erratic.

Beavis: “What does erratic mean?”

Butthead: “Dude, you’re so stupid. It’s spelled erotic. It means Ivan thinks Al Gore’s daughters are hot. Heh-heh, heheheh….”

🙂

June 24, 2006 @ 7:04 am | Comment

At Ivan. If I can say so, your remarks were..well quite remarkable.
In my opinion, America has always been at it’s best while re-inventing itself. That is not to say there were not bad things (slavery, racism, war mongering etc), but the American people always work best when under pressure.

I think that if someone (Gore) put’s the onus on the American people to re-invent America (not just pay lip-service), it could be regain it’s dignity.
If America were to show the spirit of coorperation, fortitude, and willingness to achieve a common goal, let’s say 50% reduction of greenhouse gases in 4 years, it CAN BE DONE.
We (Americans) [i]used[/i] to love a challenge. Noe the challenge is to get us to accept a worthwhile challenge.
Let’s go back to the early 90’s when the young Republicans (I was a Democrat) balanced the budget. Add that to Gore squaring away the environment (and US dependence on Oil), then baby, oh baby!!!!

But… I’m not going to sell my house in Jiangsu just yet .

June 24, 2006 @ 7:19 am | Comment

Ivan, one more thing. You really should email to Gore those sentiment. They are very nice, honest, important words.

June 24, 2006 @ 7:21 am | Comment

I have to speak from a very patriotic standpoint for a sec:

I agree, America has certainly tainted it’s image in the world with the crap we’ve done in Iraq. It’s not just war, it’s a war based on lies. However, I hope that in our supposed decline, we don’t lose the very title we have earned as the world police. Why? Well, frankly nobody likes a cop, but who does the world call on when stuff happens?

I hope we never throw ourselves into an unnecessary and dishonest war again. But, I do hope we are always a military might in the world. Historically, America has made some mistakes, and I think Iraq is one of the worst. But, I strongly believe that 20th century America has done more for the good of the world than any other country. And that’s just talking in military matters. I believe other countries have the capability to do the things America has done, but they have never shown the balls to do it. Just as the British should be very proud for the spread of sound economic ideals and rule of law in the world they once ruled, so am I proud as an America for the countless asses we’ve saved. Damn bush for ruining what was once a glorious aspect of the US of A. However, go Gore. I didn’t vote for you last time, but I’d vote for you now!

June 24, 2006 @ 10:41 am | Comment

Chip, I disagree with most of what you wrote here, EXCEPT for your last two points:

1. “I am proud as an American for the countless asses we’ve saved”, and

2. “go Gore!” (Although, unlike you, I DID vote for Gore in 2000.)

Anyway, Chip from me to you: “America, America, God shed his grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.”

June 24, 2006 @ 1:29 pm | Comment

With 40% of the country waging a war against science and other tools of the Devil (in between preparations for the Rapture), I don’t see how America is going to reinvent itself into the Green Lantern. More likely: if we go down, we are taking the rest of you with us. Americans aren’t the sip tea and reminisce on the past glories of the empire type.

If Gore is the best the Democrats can offer up in 2008, no one should wonder how the Republicans keep winning. Amazingly, though, Gore is their best shot at this point.

June 24, 2006 @ 4:09 pm | Comment

Hey, I just shook Al Gore’s hand today!!!!!! And told him “I wish you were President.” He replied, “So do I.”

June 24, 2006 @ 5:21 pm | Comment

“The decline and fall of America is inevitable”

“The end of America as a Superpower – which has already been finalised, and even expedited by the Bush administration”

That is entirely ludicrous. Which facts are you relying on for this brilliant analysis? You should step out of your own personal echo chamber for some fresh air at least once a week.

June 24, 2006 @ 10:11 pm | Comment

hejie,

“America The Superpower” is bankrupt. I’m not going to do the research for you. Go to google and start looking up “National” + “Debt”

June 25, 2006 @ 1:19 am | Comment

Oh and by the way, Germany is winning the war in Russia. The German newspapers tell us so.

And Uganda, under Idi Amin, was also a Superpower. Idi Amin would tell you so himself.
“I give many shillings to the poor people of Britain….”

And the Emperor’s New Clothes are really cool.

June 25, 2006 @ 1:56 am | Comment

Had Ivan actually done the research, he’d have found that:

America’s national debt is about 60% of it’s GDP.

My mortgage debt is about 300% of my annual income (i.e., personal gdp). I guess I’m bankrupt too. That’ll come as distressing news to my banker, whose been happily cashing my mortgage checks every month. According to Ivan, I’d have been smarter to keep paying rent until I’d saved up enough to pay cash for my house.

America’s national debt was about 125% of GDP in 1946, and we all know how miserably the US performed over the ensuing 60 years. Oh, wait, the country experienced its greatest economic growth ever.

America’s national debt was approximately 50% of GPD in 1919, the start of what is known as “the American Century”.

Singapore’s national debt is approximately 102% of its GDP. That’s why you see so many Singaporians straving in the streets.

34 countries have national debts higher, as a percentage of gdp, than the US, including the profligate Swiss and imprudent Germans. I guess that’s why so many Swiss and Germans are immigrating to fiscally responsible countries like Tanzania, Botswana, Libya and Nigeria, which have low debt percentages of 5, 7, 8 and 10, respectively.

No doubt we’ll all be speaking Tanzanian in a few decades.

June 28, 2006 @ 12:44 am | Comment

Do a bit more research – and some thinking too, asshole – and you’ll find that America’s “GDP” is based on an unsustainable real-estate bubble.
Shifting numbers and financial instruments around is not the same thing as production.

Oh and if your mortgage really is that high, compared to your (current) income, then you really are broke and heading for a fall.

June 28, 2006 @ 4:45 am | Comment

Ivan:

I attempted to engage you politely, based upon facts. You responded by calling me an “ass-hole”.

I would have thought your mother would have taught you better than to call a woman you’ve never met an obscene name.

Apparently she didn’t.

I would have thought your Economics teacher would have taught you better than to include real estate prices in a measure of GDP.

Apparently s/he didn’t.

GDP is the output of goods and services produced by labor and property. Real Estate is neither a good nor a service produced by labor or property. Therefore rising, or falling, real estate prices are not a componant of GDP.

The services of real estate brokers and real estate lawyers would be a componant of GDP, but that amounts to an immeasurably small percentage of GDP, far less than 1%.

The construction of new houses and buildings is also a componant of GDP. The total construction industry constitutes approximately 9% of US GDP, and that figure includes many projects unrelated to real estate speculation like roads, bridges, tunnels, airports etc. Take those out and, maybe 5-6% of US GDP is comprised of construction of residential and commercial real estate.

Clearly, this is not the basis of US GDP.

Finally, your financial planning skills are as meager as your economic knowledge. If you can’t cover a US$1800 a month mortgage on a US$10,000 a month income (less than 20% of income), you really need to learn to budget.

June 29, 2006 @ 6:07 pm | Comment