Archive for the ‘American current affairs’ Category
A short guide to the American political system
May 2nd, 2011 by Roger Darlington
Some of the most visited parts of my web site – which has around 170 sections in all – are my essays on the political systems of various nations (now 11 in all). Given the size of the Internet population in the USA, there are a considerable number of visitors to the one on the […]
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Obama to run again
April 6th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
As long-term readers of NightHawk will know, I backed Barack Obama for the US Presidency from the moment he was elected to the Congress. I first blogged about Obama in April 2004. Then I blogged 11 times on the Illinois Senate race which he won in November 2004. In my last posting on that election, […]
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What does the USA have in common with China, Iran & North Korea?
March 28th, 2011 by Roger Darlington
It still carries out capital punishment. According to the latest statistics from Amnesty International, China accounts for more such deaths than the rest of the world put together, although the precise figure (probably several thousand) is unknown because China – which uses the death penalty for no less than 68 offences – refuses to release […]
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How democratic is the UK and the USA?
March 23rd, 2011 by Roger Darlington
I’ve just had an e-mail thanking me for my web site examination of the differences between the British and American political systems. The writer, from Norway, asks my opinion on whether one is more democratic than the other. This is such a difficult question to answer. It depends on how one measures the notion of […]
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Why are Americans so angry? (2)
November 11th, 2010 by Roger Darlington
I’ve already offered my view in this posting. Now an American friend has sent me this comment which is doing the rounds: “For all those Tea Party Members and everyone else who is convinced the Republicans will now save us: After The 8 Years Of The Bush/Cheney Disaster, Now You Get Mad? You didn’t get mad […]
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Is the United States a banana republic?
November 8th, 2010 by Roger Darlington
Perhaps that seems like an outrageous suggestion – but consider this: “The richest 1 percent of Americans now take home almost 24 per cent of income, up from almost 9 per cent in 1976 … the United States now arguably has a more unequal distribution of wealth than traditional banana republics like Nicaragua, Venezuela and […]
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Understanding the American political system
November 4th, 2010 by Roger Darlington
On Tuesday, Americans went to the polls to cast their vote in the mid-term Congressional elections. Clearly people in the USA and outside were particularly interested at this time in how the American political system works. On Wednesday, no less than 1,345 people viewed my web page on “A Short Guide To The American Political […]
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What does the Tea Party want?
November 3rd, 2010 by Roger Darlington
The populist Right-wing movement in the United States called the Tea Party is named from the acronym for Taxed Enough Already and from the pre-revolutionary action in Boston harbour. It is certainly anti-Democrat and powerfully anti-Obama but, in many respects, it is also anti mainstream Republicanism. Although the movement is represented as a spontaneous grass-roots […]
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Why are Americans so angry? (1)
November 1st, 2010 by Roger Darlington
Non-Americans are astonished and indeed disturbed by the level of anger that one sees in American discourse and especially American politics. The town hall meetings on health care reform and the rise of the Tea Party movement have shown a level of emotion and vitriol that makes rational debate very difficult. Why are Americans so […]
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Let’s hear it for Jon Stewart
October 30th, 2010 by Roger Darlington
Today, over in Washington DC, there’s a ‘Rally to Restore Sanity’ organised by Jon Stewart and, if I lived anywhere nearby, I’d be there. Now I’m a big fan of American comedian and presenter Jon Stewart and really enjoy his “Daily Show”. He and the show even make an appearance in one of my short […]
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