Archive for the ‘American current affairs’ Category
U.S. presidential election (33): the second debate
October 11th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
I spent this evening watching a recording of every minute of the one and half hour second presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. It was an ugly business which probably had minimal impact on voting intentions because both candidates will have been seen to have done well by their supporters. For me, Clinton […]
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Did you know that the United States has a Flag Code?
August 29th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
I’d always thought that the practice of Americans in placing their right hand over their heart for the raising of the flag and the singing of the anthem was simply tradition. But, as this piece from the BBC site explains, there is actually a Flag Code. The code was first drawn up only in 1923, […]
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U.S. presidential election (32): what happens if Trump implodes?
August 21st, 2016 by Roger Darlington
Since Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump insulted the Muslim parents of a soldier killed in Iraq, his ratings have plummeted. He continues to make statements that confuse and denigrate and outrage. He has changed the leadership of his campaign yet again. What would happen if Trump pulled out? This is still highly unlikely and, for […]
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U.S. presidential election (31): what about the other candidates?
August 10th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
I suppose that either Hillary Clinton or (perish the thought) Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States. But these are very strange times politically, so who knows? However, there are other candidates for the White House. There is the Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson who is currently polling around 8% – […]
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U.S. presidential election (30): has Trump finally gone too far?
August 7th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
Donald Trump has just had what pundits are calling the worst campaign week of any presidential candidate in living memory. It may be that we look back on this week as the turning point in Trump’s seemingly unstoppable march on the White House and the time when he lost the race to the relief of […]
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Would you jump 25,000 feet without a parachute?
August 1st, 2016 by Roger Darlington
American Luke Aikins did – as you can see here:
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U.S. presidential election (29): the vice-presidential candidates
July 23rd, 2016 by Roger Darlington
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have now chosen their Vice-Presidential running mates but, outside the United States, nobody has heard of them. So, who are they and why were they chosen? The Republican candidate Donald Trump has selected Mike Pence who is the governor of Indiana. He is socially conservative and has 12 years experience […]
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American independence – then and now
July 4th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
On 4 July 1776, the American Declaration of Independence was announced. On this anniversary day, I send good wishes to all my American friends both in the USA and elsewhere. So, 240 years on, how is the Republic doing? Even many Americans struggle to comprehend how the American constitution and American politics are working out. […]
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President Barack Obama reacts to the killings in Orlando
June 13th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
For the 15th time in his occupancy of the White House, President Barack Obama has made a statement on a mass shooting and this time the massacre in Orlando is the worst incident of its kind in US history. What can he say that he hasn’t said before? What can he do that he hasn’t […]
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Elizabeth Warren eviscerates Donald Trump
June 10th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
This contribution to this week’s gathering of the American Constitution Society by Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren is 30 minutes, but it is worth watching in full as a masterclass in speechmaking – both for what she says and how she says it. It is a devastating analysis of how Republicans and their business allies are […]
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