eorpach_agus_eireannach

Issues such as Proposition 8 in California have made me realise how important Representative democracy is better than direct, granted a balance between the two is most beneficial.

It is true that Proposition 8 was the will of the electorate. But there are many disenfranchised people that don't have a say. For example people under the age of 18. They massively favour Gay marriage over their elder peers.

Also, the will of the majority is not necessarily always right. Slavery, Civil Rights, Suffrage, all of these issues where decided either by the courts or congress.

I would like to hear other peoples arguments for which system you prefer.

Ireland will bring in legislation to ban all handguns. No new licences will be issued and when existing licences are up for renewal they will be revoked. Also, I'd like to point out Gardaí(The Irish Police Force) are unarmed with the exception of Special Brand and Riot Squad.

What is you opinion on this issue?

From my perspective American Politics seems very absolute.

For example, Gay Marriage shouldn't be allowed because then Polygamy or Polygyny can use the same excuse.

At the onset of the Iraq war some European States were called cowards or enemies because they didn't back the US.

And finally, the two party system where if you're republican you think of small government oppose abortion and socially conservative. Where the democrats are big government, socially liberal and have protectionist tendencies.

Do you think America is absolutist in this regard, and if so or not why is this a good/bad thing?

I mean the venom that pours out of both sides mouths when attacking each others views is horrendous.

And aren't there any truly neutral media sources there. Fox is painfully conservative and CNN, MSNBC, et al are just as blasé about their liberalism.

In other countries there are more degrees of conservative and liberal and there are numerous parties at different points in the divide there and there isn't half as much hatred flouting about.

So would it be better for the US to simply desolve the Democratic and Republican parties so to allow more centre parties take arise and let partisan beliefs to be less rigid.

They have awful negotiating skills with dealings in the EU, but do you think the ceasefire agreement they hammered out with Russia and Georgia makes up for it?

Are they good at conflict resolution and bad at peacetime diplomacy?

Canada is planning to expell a young man back to the US due to the fact that he went AWOL.

Should countries like Canada, France, Germany or Ireland give them residency and not force them back to a country that would imprison him for what basically is quitting his job?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7444116.stm

A bloke was told he couldn't board a flight at Heathrow because, wait for it.... he had a t shirt with a gun on it.

The T-shirt in question had a picture of a Transformer on it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/...

This is a bit much I think. Then there is the line, if a passenger complained we'd ask for him to remove it. What right does a passenger have over what another passenger wears?

I don't want links to Wikipedia, I don't want people looking up, I just want to see what Non-Catholics on here know about All Saints Day, what it is celebration of etc.

Economics goes beyond politics. The reason for slowing economic growth in industrialised countries is not down to politics. The positive influence of politics in a free market is negligible. So Presidents, Parliaments or congresses have no or little power over factors such as the price of oil, housing market, inflation, etc.

In the states you have the democrats blaming the bush presidency and the republicans blaming the democratic congress yet neither have the ability to reverse a recession without dumbing a capitalist economy.

So why do public officials who should know better saying the opposite.

After the success of the Cluster Ban Treaty should Norway and Ireland join forces and offer themselves as permanent international mediators.

Both countries are neutral and have only sent their troops on peacekeeping missions.

Personally I find conspiracies and particular their theorists massively annoying.

I mean the movie Zeitgeist made my blood boil because it assumed that everyone else is too thick to realise what's really going on, never mind the movies "facts" where either incomplete, twisted truths or downright lies.

It is deeply insulting that apparently people are brainwashed to follow what they are intelligent enough to have seen.

It is also annoying when people bang on about one world government and the EU dictatorship. If you actually check the facts there is no proof what so ever, yet apparently everyone is lying.

So my question is, do you find these people annoying and insulting are the harmless or are they heroes uncovering the truth to us "sheeple"

In Ireland, at the moment our Gardaí, police are unarmed. Recently there is a process underway to arm some of sections of the force most at risk, e.g. Motorcycle unit.

What is your opinion on this and on your own police force?

It is unusual for me to see people that largely want smaller government and laws, are also legislating or looking for legislation on moralising America.

In Ireland and I think for most of Europe, Morals are private and the purview of the individual, society and communities; government has no business butting into this arena, even if certain groups advocated it.

Why is it ok for one set of morals be placed on the whole country when it interferes with the individuality of the nation's spirit?

In Ireland we get the God Channel and EWTN or something like that.

Personally the God Channel seems to me like a parody of the Christian faith. I mean some of the preachers selling their books during meets!

Then EWTN is a bunch of old Orthodox Catholics banging on about relgious doctorine that has been largely reversed by the Second Vatican Council.

So I just want to see what people's views are on these or other channels.

After being on here for over a year and listening to debates and reading articles, is it the case that broadly speaking, people in the UK and the US view government as an overbearing power hungry machine pushing an agenda that they have no right even thinking about.

Whereas for continental Europeans the view of government is one where people voice their concerns and use their power through the government as a tool for their majoritive will.

So in your view would this be accurate and what is your view on government?

Since countries like the Netherlands and Spain have gay marriage, if those people immigrate to the US legally is their marriage recognised?

I'm from Ireland and I've heard that Republicans don't seem to like the idea that there is a Department of Education. I think nearly every nation on the planet has a Department or Ministry of Education, so what's the Republican's beef?

I have a CDRW from a friend with image file in subfolders. I cannot drag the files over and gives me a DLA error message.

How do I fix it so i can read it without my computer having a fit?

I want to hear from English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish.

I want to hear from Europhiles and Europhobes. I don't want to hear a load of bull from Europphiles about being blocked out of European trade completely because that's scaremongering and I dont want to hear from Europhobes saying there will only be massive benefits because thats living in a fantasy land.

Irish Senator Mary White has thrown her hat in the ring to gain the Fianna Fáil party nomination for President.

Thing is the next Presidential election wont be held until 2011.

If she was successful in winning the election, she would not only be the third female president in a row for Ireland, but would also be the third named Mary.

Fianna Fáil by the way is a centre-right party and the current President, Mary McAleese is from that party.

The Left-Centre party Labour, has a senator who may run, the interesting thing about him is that he is one of Ireland's best known Gay Icons, David Norris. A human rights campgainer and former university lecturer.

So whereas the US is debating if a woman or a african-american will become president, in three years Ireland maybe debating if another woman will be president or if the world is ready for the first democratically elected homosexual president.