By Ric Spratlin (BonaireTalker - Post #80) on Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 10:43 am: |
This is my 12th year visiting Bonaire and as in the past on occasion the locals love to hate Bush and America. But this year seems to be exceptional in the locals bashing my President and country. Therefore I would like to explain a few facts that the locals do not know or understand. For starters, I or 99% of Americans do not bash your country, since we love to visit it and spend our hard earned money while here. If your country has a socialized government and health care system, that's fine with us. We have a democratic republic system of government and for the most part a capitalistic health care system. We do have government run hospitals that offer "FREE" health care to those who can not or will not pay their bill. Hence, one reason why our health care costs are so high is because the rest of us have to subsidize the cost of those that do not pay. As for our government. We are a democratic republic. There are three branches of our federal government. The Executive (1 President 1 Vice President and numerous Cabinet members), the Legislative (100 Senators & 435 House of Representative) and the Judicial (9 Supreme Court Judges). The President (Bush) "PROPOSES" laws and a budget. The Legislative approves or disapproves what the President "PROPOSES". The Judicial decides if the laws passed are right or wrong and can override the laws. Any member of the Legislative branch can also "PROPOSE" laws and budget matters. All 535 members of the Legislative branch are elected by the people to represent their state. Each state has 2 Senators and for approx. every 700,000 people within each state 1 Representative to the House of Representatives. The 535 members of the Legislative branch make up the Electoral College which elects our President. Hence, why we are the UNITED "STATES" OF AMERICA, not the United People of America. This is the simple version of our system, for more details see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Goverment
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By Antony Bond (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #448) on Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 11:10 am: |
Ric.
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By Ron Folds (BonaireTalker - Post #54) on Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 11:26 am: |
A Brit bashing Bush. How funny. If it were not for the US you would be speaking another language and we both know it.
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By Antony Bond (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #449) on Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 11:50 am: |
Ron.
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By *joe brannan* (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #584) on Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 12:48 pm: |
If I could make a simple suggestion. Please take this elsewhere. We've all got political opinions and I'm sure we're all right (just ask each and every one of us). I, for one though, come to BT to share a little of what I know about Bonaire, learn from others what they know, and have a little fun. I just don't see any reason for conversation about who's way is right and who's way is wrong politically.
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By Peter Dobson / Den Laman unit F (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #146) on Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 12:54 pm: |
Moderators; Please keep politics off this Web site.
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By michael gaynor (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3449) on Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 12:57 pm: |
Ric..I am appalled that you would say that locals bash Americans and love to hate us. Where in the world did you ever get that misguided impression??? True, the vast majority of the world dislikes Bush and the fact that he is responsible for the deaths of 5000 US soldiers and countless Iraquis and the near bankrupting of the US and its partners not withstanding, I have never heard a local say anything bad about Americans. I am assuming when you say locals you are not including the Dutch community but are referring to Antilleans.
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By Lloyd Haskell (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #261) on Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 1:20 pm: |
Some of my best friends are from USA. The heart of the American people is beautiful .
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By Jerry (Moderator) (Moderator - Post #41) on Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 1:51 pm: |
Please keep your view on politics to yourself.
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By Antony Bond (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #450) on Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 1:53 pm: |
Michael.
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By Lloyd Haskell (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #262) on Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 2:08 pm: |
DONT EVEN GO THERE !!!
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By *joe brannan* (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #585) on Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 2:12 pm: |
LALALALALALALALA
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By Kiwi aka Steve (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #941) on Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 2:55 pm: |
I like ice cream.
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By ModCyn (Moderator - Post #766) on Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 2:56 pm: |
OK Folks, if one more person expresses their political view on this thread it will be closed..period. As Joe and Peter have said, this is NOT for BT. Take your views to a political forum. Too hot of a subject for BT.
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By ****Tink**** (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #7592) on Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 2:57 pm: |
I like ice cream too.
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By Antony Bond (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #451) on Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 3:01 pm: |
Seeing as it is a political thread, it hardly seems worth keeping it open.
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By michael gaynor (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3450) on Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 3:24 pm: |
I do agree that the politics are better left to the pundits and spinners in the world. However, I felt that defending the locals and setting the record straight was more important than red or blue.
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By David Frank (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #713) on Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 11:01 pm: |
http://www.clearspring.com/widgets/4824f65f50c7cc4b?p=4824f65f2cf900b8&flv=xml_path%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fminimovie.com%252Fpage_partials%252Fget_movie.php%253Ffilm_id%253D128460
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By Ric Spratlin (BonaireTalker - Post #82) on Sunday, November 9, 2008 - 8:26 am: |
By speaking of my experiences while on Bonaire I have been censored and moved to this thread. I am not allowed to discuss my trip to Bonaire under the Trip Reports Section of BonaireTalk? WHY??? Have I offend you? Have I hit a nerve? Is the truth not allowed? This as well as the replies to my original post makes my case better than I could have ever dreamed. You can't handle the truth!!! Keep the blinders on...
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By Ric Spratlin (BonaireTalker - Post #83) on Sunday, November 9, 2008 - 8:35 am: |
The post below was also censored and moved to this thread. I getting a complex about this board. Is it a freedom board or a dictatorship board?
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By Newsgroup Moderator (Board Administrator - Post #105) on Sunday, November 9, 2008 - 9:15 am: |
Ric, We consider a trip report a posting about a trip to Bonaire, your posting was more a lecture about politics. If we think the tread is under a wrong topic, we move it. And yes, we do it democraticly, if more then half of the moderators agree, it's done.
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By Ron Folds (BonaireTalker - Post #55) on Sunday, November 9, 2008 - 9:32 am: |
Ric you do not understand how these folks think. Open your mind.
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By K I V (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #9079) on Sunday, November 9, 2008 - 10:03 am: |
When I launch Bonaire Talk, from my desktop, I see the following beside my IE icon:
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By Ric Spratlin (BonaireTalker - Post #84) on Sunday, November 9, 2008 - 10:49 am: |
Newsgroup Moderator,
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By Freddie {Moderator} (Moderator - Post #668) on Sunday, November 9, 2008 - 11:27 am: |
Ric If you don't like the way that the moderators who take valuable time from their own vacations, and who btw don't get paid 1 guilder or dollar for the time and energy, sometime blood, sweat and tears, that they put into this site, then please take your rantings and ravings elsewhere, there are a few boards that you will be welcome with open arms so you can also get bashed with the bashees. If however you would like to write a "Trip Report " that states how your diving was or how your dinner was or how your travel went then please do so as we all would love to hear about that.. but let's leave the politics out of it for now.. It just isn't the right time in America's long journey to bash anyone... Of course others will see it differently but just by bringing up this topic, you have made things worse all around.. I delcare this topic closed until further notice.Which means until we ALL cool down.. and that isn't easy in Bon today!!
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By mark bramblett (*) (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #130) on Sunday, November 9, 2008 - 11:29 am: |
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/14447/845958
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