America

[Raidernation]

Being a UK citizen with a US green card feels a bit like having a ticket for both the Titanic and the Hindenburg just now. Maybe I should ask [mention=22050]Jacksgranda[/mention]for advice. 

It’s not all bad

[carpetmonster]

8 minutes ago, Raidernation said:

It’s not all bad

Oh no, not at all. On a selfish level, we live in a nice house in a nice neighborhood; my kid goes to a great school and in the summer there's probably nowhere else I'd rather be than Chicago. The Lincoln Square street party next weeked has Bob Mould and Guided By Voices playing and it's gratis and it's going to be awesome. Certainly I'd rather be here than the UK, no question. I'm really lucky tho. Illinois, as you know, is a bit of a bastion of reasonable common sense for over here; I certainly wouldn't be moving to somewhere like Dallas or Cincinnati tho. Like a few folks have said tho, while politicians are always gonna be c***s, the current crop seem to be running away with it like Devin Hester at the 2007 Super Bowl kick-off. And that does go for both places I'm (currently) eligible to live in, hence the wee bit of existential gloom. 

[Empty It]

Do Americans see the whole of Britain as thick ignorant arseholes because Boris Johnson is in charge, we voted for Brexit and the very vocal far right thickos that seem to get lots of airtime?

[carpetmonster]

1 minute ago, Empty It said:

Do Americans see the whole of Britain as thick ignorant arseholes because Boris Johnson is in charge, we voted for Brexit and the very vocal far right thickos that seem to get lots of airtime?

Americans don't notice Britain unless it's something to do with the Royal Family or the NFL game in London. 

[bennett]

2 minutes ago, Empty It said:

Do Americans see the whole of Britain as thick ignorant arseholes because Boris Johnson is in charge, we voted for Brexit and the very vocal far right thickos that seem to get lots of airtime?

 

Have you seen who's in charge over there,  they'd be best keeping quiet. 

[Florentine_Pogen]

4 minutes ago, carpetmonster said:

Oh no, not at all. On a selfish level, we live in a nice house in a nice neighborhood; my kid goes to a great school and in the summer there's probably nowhere else I'd rather be than Chicago. The Lincoln Square street party next weeked has Bob Mould and Guided By Voices playing and it's gratis and it's going to be awesome. Certainly I'd rather be here than the UK, no question. I'm really lucky tho. Illinois, as you know, is a bit of a bastion of reasonable common sense for over here; I certainly wouldn't be moving to somewhere like Dallas or Cincinnati tho. Like a few folks have said tho, while politicians are always gonna be c***s, the current crop seem to be running away with it like Devin Hester at the 2007 Super Bowl kick-off. And that does go for both places I'm (currently) eligible to live in, hence the wee bit of existential gloom. 

Wife is from Cincinnati and is there with daughter right now. I know it's hardly The Cultural Capital of the Universe but could be a helluva lot worse.

 

[carpetmonster]

Just now, bennett said:

 

Have you seen who's in charge over there,  they'd be best keeping quiet. 

I have had a few folks in Chicago say 'sorry about Trump' to me to which I cheerily reply, 'its fine, there's a fat tax-dodging arsehole from NYC with a shite haircut who can't keep his dick in his pants leading the place back home too'. 

[carpetmonster]

Just now, Florentine_Pogen said:

Wife is from Cincinnati and is there with daughter right now. I know it's hardly The Cultural Capital of the Universe but could be a helluva lot worse.

 

OK, Cleveland then. Ohio's in the news a lot at the moment as a 10 year old who fell pregnant via rape was last week disallowed an abortion by a judge. She's gone to the liberal stronghold of Indiana (!) to have the procedure done. 

[Granny Danger]

There’s a false equivalency about the political situation in the U.S.A. and the U.K. at present.  However bad it is here and however much there are those on the political right who would like to ‘Americanise’ us further it is far worse over there as highlighted in the opening post.

The overturning of Roe v Wade is something that could not have been envisioned a decade ago and a Sumpreme Court that will go against overwhelming public opinion on such a key issue is capable of worse.  The vaunted ‘checks and balances’ of the U.S. political and legal system isn’t working.

Let’s also remember that in military and economic terms the U.S.A. is the global superpower.  What happens there can impact all of the rest of us.

[carpetmonster]

46 minutes ago, Granny Danger said:

There’s a false equivalency about the political situation in the U.S.A. and the U.K. at present.  However bad it is here and however much there are those on the political right who would like to ‘Americanise’ us further it is far worse over there as highlighted in the opening post.

The overturning of Roe v Wade is something that could not have been envisioned a decade ago and a Sumpreme Court that will go against overwhelming public opinion on such a key issue is capable of worse.  The vaunted ‘checks and balances’ of the U.S. political and legal system isn’t working.

Let’s also remember that in military and economic terms the U.S.A. is the global superpower.  What happens there can impact all of the rest of us.

The common thinking with Roe v Wade was that the GOP never would actually outlaw it as it was the golden goose that kept the loonball pro-lifers going to the polls, but now that they've got a court so extreme that the dog actually caught the car, these are really dangerous times. The next big case to be heard will be - and I can't remember the exact name - but basically it will give state legislatures the authority to certify (or not) federal electoral results. So if Arizona goes for the Dems and the slate of electors are all GOP, they'll be allowed to simply disregard the vote and declare the GOP candidate the winner. We'll see how eager they are to abandon any pretence at democracy entirely. The UK is a more gradual and orderly slide into the pile of shite, to wit - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/03/government-children-special-needs-ministers-parents

Edited July 3, 2022 by carpetmonster

[tamthebam]

There's Canada to the North. Quite Liberal, tend to like foreigners, team sometimes qualifies for the World Cup

And there's the States to the South. Capitalist, full of gammony fruitloops, often isolationist, was run by an idiot with shite hair, quite often qualify for the World Cup 

I really can't think of any parallels.... 

[Marshmallo]

4 hours ago, Day of the Lords said:

It's an absolute fucking binfire of a country rammed with gun-toting incels and Q-Anon fucking weirdos. 

This is fucking epic!

[Raidernation]

Oh no, not at all. On a selfish level, we live in a nice house in a nice neighborhood; my kid goes to a great school and in the summer there's probably nowhere else I'd rather be than Chicago. The Lincoln Square street party next weeked has Bob Mould and Guided By Voices playing and it's gratis and it's going to be awesome. Certainly I'd rather be here than the UK, no question. I'm really lucky tho. Illinois, as you know, is a bit of a bastion of reasonable common sense for over here; I certainly wouldn't be moving to somewhere like Dallas or Cincinnati tho. Like a few folks have said tho, while politicians are always gonna be c***s, the current crop seem to be running away with it like Devin Hester at the 2007 Super Bowl kick-off. And that does go for both places I'm (currently) eligible to live in, hence the wee bit of existential gloom. 

I’m lucky, I’m out in the suburbs and teach in one of the more affluent and stable ones in Arlington Heights. Plan to move closer to there soon as my drive at the moment is a wee bit much

[carpetmonster]

Just now, Raidernation said:

I’m lucky, I’m out in the suburbs and teach in one of the more affluent and stable ones in Arlington Heights. Plan to move closer to there soon as my drive at the moment is a wee bit much

Nice. We're on the north side. We didn't know anything about the US education system, as to how do we get her into a good (public) school and then we discovered it was just like Scotland, you just need to be in the catchment area. The better half asked around the office and they all said Bell, Blaine, Burley and Coonley. We managed to get a place in one of those districts and we've just stayed put. She's just finished second grade and they reckon her reading level is about 2/3rds of the way thru third grade, so very pleased. The school also has a pretty good rep for being able to get kids into the selective enrollment high schools like Lane Tech and Walter Payton, so fingers crossed. 

[GNU_Linux]

Go Lions!

[Benjamin_Nevis]

This is fucking epic!

Settle.

[Ron Aldo]

There's Canada to the North. Quite Liberal, tend to like foreigners, team sometimes qualifies for the World Cup
And there's the States to the South. Capitalist, full of gammony fruitloops, often isolationist, was run by an idiot with shite hair, quite often qualify for the World Cup 
I really can't think of any parallels.... 

Scotland is nothing like Canada.

We never qualify for the World Cup.

[Newbornbairn]

3 hours ago, carpetmonster said:

TThe next big case to be heard will be - and I can't remember the exact name - but basically it will give state legislatures the authority to certify (or not) federal electoral results. So if Arizona goes for the Dems and the slate of electors are all GOP, they'll be allowed to simply disregard the vote and declare the GOP candidate the winner. 

Wait .... whit?

[carpetmonster]

9 minutes ago, Newbornbairn said:

Wait .... whit?

https://www.npr.org/2022/06/30/1106866830/supreme-court-to-take-on-controversial-election-law-case

[Bert Raccoon]

One of the worst Razorlight songs