I have to wonder if the whole world isn't laughing at us

[~Anastasia~]

I don't normally participate in the political forum, but I see nearly all of the "most replies today" are from this area. I popped in and glanced at a few threads.

Does it ever occur to any of you that the whole world may be laughing at us? Do you ever look to past Presidents, and wonder how it came to be that Trump and Hillary are the two main choices? Does anyone out there see this as an almost impossibly ridiculous situation?

I'm asking myself how this happened, and why ...

 

[Armoured]

I don't normally participate in the political forum, but I see nearly all of the "most replies today" are from this area. I popped in and glanced at a few threads.

Does it ever occur to any of you that the whole world may be laughing at us? Do you ever look to past Presidents, and wonder how it came to be that Trump and Hillary are the two main choices? Does anyone out there see this as an almost impossibly ridiculous situation?

I'm asking myself how this happened, and why ...

Well... we in the rest of the World would be laughing if it weren't so serious. Either candidate seems literally a civilisation ending level bad idea to me.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Well... we in the rest of the World would be laughing if it weren't so serious. Either candidate seems literally a civilisation ending level bad idea to me.

I thought about qualifying ... They may either be laughing at us, or cringing at what might happen on the world stage as a result.

 

[The Cadet]

Hillary polls pretty well among most of the rest of the world. The reason the rest of the world is laughing at the USA is because of Soggy Cheetoh over there.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I'm really not interested in who supports whom, though that seems to be the main focus here. I have my opinion (between the two, as one must either choose or not) but I don't think I'll even state it.

I mean look to the past, 20, 80, 100, 200 years ago? What has happened to us? Don't others see it as ridiculous as well?

 

[The Cadet]

I'm really not interested in who supports whom, though that seems to be the main focus here.

If we're talking about the reputation of the US abroad, and only one of the candidates is really making a fool of us, then yeah, it kinda has to be the focus. :/

 

[wing2000]

I work with International colleagues on a daily basis (Europe & Asia)....they are very concerned that a candidate of Donald Trump's caliber could come this far...

In foreign affairs, there is no comparison between Clinton and Trump. None. One can disagree with Clinton on policy....but no one can honestly argue that she is not qualified...in fact, from a foreign policy perspective she has far more experience than any modern day Presidential candidate.

Trump simply is not qualified to be President.

 

[Inkfingers]

I don't normally participate in the political forum, but I see nearly all of the "most replies today" are from this area. I popped in and glanced at a few threads.

Does it ever occur to any of you that the whole world may be laughing at us? Do you ever look to past Presidents, and wonder how it came to be that Trump and Hillary are the two main choices? Does anyone out there see this as an almost impossibly ridiculous situation?

I'm asking myself how this happened, and why ...

We would be laughing were it not so serious a matter, yes.

 

[Albion]

I don't normally participate in the political forum, but I see nearly all of the "most replies today" are from this area. I popped in and glanced at a few threads.

Does it ever occur to any of you that the whole world may be laughing at us? Do you ever look to past Presidents, and wonder how it came to be that Trump and Hillary are the two main choices? Does anyone out there see this as an almost impossibly ridiculous situation?

I'm asking myself how this happened, and why ...

Both political parties have moved, over the past half century, from nominating their candidates by national convention (in which delegates were, for the most part, experienced party workers) to presidential primary elections.

These elections seem an exercise in democracy and getting people involved, but it took decision-making from the party stalwarts to the average voter who doesn't even have to be a supporter of the party in whose primary he's voting. Indeed, it's with pride that each party says that members of the opposition party crossed over and voted in their party's primary. Most of them "took to" one candidate or another but knew nothing and cared less about his ability to represent the party, win the election, or govern the country.

In addition, politics has become sooo expensive, sooo vicious, and the election campaigns soooo long, that many qualified would-be candidates just aren't up for it.

 

[brinny]

I have to wonder if the whole world isn't laughing at us

I don't normally participate in the political forum, but I see nearly all of the "most replies today" are from this area. I popped in and glanced at a few threads.

Does it ever occur to any of you that the whole world may be laughing at us? Do you ever look to past Presidents, and wonder how it came to be that Trump and Hillary are the two main choices? Does anyone out there see this as an almost impossibly ridiculous situation?

I'm asking myself how this happened, and why ...

Does it ever occur to any of you that the whole world may be laughing at us?

It occurred to me when i watched our President being snubbed by the Chinese and when the leader of the Philippines called him a name publicly and blatantly disrespected him.

 

[Aryeh Jay]

My personal opinion is that the parties try to select candidates that try to appeal to everyone and the result is that they appeal to no one.

 

[Geralt]

my concern is the nuclear button command.
trump has the itchy finger, hillary has the itchy mind.
everyone else is collateral.

 

[Albion]

I have to wonder if the whole world isn't laughing at us

It occurred to me when i watched our President being snubbed by the Chinese and when the leader of the Philippines called him a name publicly and blatantly disrespected him.

When citizens of other countries go on about us not electing a president that they don't respect, what they really mean is that they want more of what they have now--an ineffective incompetent who will not try to lead them in any way. I realyi doubt that Trump, whatever one thinks of his policies or governmental experience, will not be another President Milquetoast whom no one overseas takes seriously.

 

[Albion]

my concern is the nuclear button command.
trump has the itchy finger, hillary has the itchy mind.
everyone else is collateral.

You know, it's all good campaign propaganda to say that Trump has an itchy finger, but he's campaigned constantly on being a problem solver WITHOUT the use of war, of using international cooperation in order to advance our interests instead of blowing the heck out of them like Hillary wants to do and has done. In other words, the claim is ridiculous.

 

[Geralt]

-

 

[Aryeh Jay]

The other problem I see is that there may be a candidate that has the skill, knowledge, leadership and experience to fix all the countries problems, but there is the make or break position they hold that turns half the country against them.

Pro-gun

Anti-gun

Pro life

Pro abortion

Etc…

 

[expos4ever]

What has happened to us? Don't others see it as ridiculous as well?

Maybe what has happened is an inevitable consequence of empire. It may not be a coincidence that it is in the most powerful nation on earth that this seemingly absurd situation has arisen (here in Canada we recently elected a man who may well be a bit of a lightweight pretty boy, but I think Donald Trump takes the cake in respect to unsuitability to lead). Perhaps any nation that rises to empire status inevitably "rots from the inside".

Yes, what is going on seems "ridiculous" to us (i.e. the rest of the world). But many of us are, quite frankly, a little bit frightened. It will be interesting to see how Wall Street reacts if Trump is elected.

 

[brinny]

When citizens of other countries go on about us not electing a president that they don't respect, what they really mean is that they want more of what they have now--an ineffective incompetent who will not try to lead them in any way. I realyi doubt that Trump, whatever one thinks of his policies or governmental experience, will not be another President Milquetoast whom no one overseas takes seriously.

It was President Obama that was being disrespected, and in essence, this entire nation was made a laughing stock, for the world to see.

It was painful to watch.

 

[David Brider]

Well... we in the rest of the World would be laughing if it weren't so serious. Either candidate seems literally a civilisation ending level bad idea to me.

Oh, I don't know. Trump is a ridiculously offense guy, when he's not being a clownish buffoon, and if he became President, most people I know would respond with derisive laughter...followed by deep dread that someone with such disturbing ideas could now have their finger on the big red button that applies to people I know outside the US...people I know in the US would skip the laughter and head into straight panic mode). Clinton, on the other hand...personally, I'd have prefered Sanders, and I'm aware that there are issues over the recent email...thing. But it seems like as President she'd be about the same as Obama - slightly right of centre (but no doubt ridiculed by USA-ians as being a terrible evil socialist), not offensively bad, plugging away but hampered by Republicans from doing anything significant without it involving massive compromise (a la ACA).

 

[Hieronymus]

I'm really not interested in who supports whom, though that seems to be the main focus here. I have my opinion (between the two, as one must either choose or not) but I don't think I'll even state it.

I mean look to the past, 20, 80, 100, 200 years ago? What has happened to us? Don't others see it as ridiculous as well?

I'm afraid they do...
It's no democracy, so the people are hardly to blame though.