If by the west you mean Europe, could be soon... in the US? Lol, yeah right.

Ok, why not in the US as opposed to Europe? Don't the people start to get fed up with the lies and spying and broken rights? I mean, never?

The whole terrorist-thing while they are terrorists themselves according to many? I'm not picking sides, but never if Europe could come soon according to you?

Even with the problems in the US, most people still live good enough lives it isn't worth jeopardizing it with a revolution.

Where's the Assad or even Mubarak analogue in the West? It's an insult to people really suffering under oppressive governments to compare our situation with theirs.

The US automatically ejects its tyrants after eight years of service.

Why not in the US? Because the US has elections every two years and a new President every four and a new Senator every six and a new posture every eight when the President of the previous four or the previous eight leaves and the people vote for the opposite because the people are fed up with the President of the previous four or the previous eight and everything he stands for and everything he lives for and they just want him out of the White House and once he leaves the White House and once his Cabinet is gone and the majority party in Congress has switched to the other one we call this change.

Get it got it good.

Perhaps we should automatically eject a mod after 8 bans and/or thread mutes. That would make Draugnar, YJ and others very happy.
#DERAILED

"Where's the Assad or even Mubarak analogue in the West? It's an insult to people really suffering under oppressive governments to compare our situation with theirs."

Good point. I don't know what I was thinking. Never mind all!

Oh and bo_sox: that stuff counts in Europe too.

I disagree. I don't think the 99% should be asked to accept a lifestyle that doesn't include good access to healthcare, good public transportation infrastructure, legal reforms and better access to education.

"Why not in the US? Because the US has elections...."

Bo wins the prize. Because we have Bloodless revolutions possible every 4 years, in which about 75% (Pres, all Congressmen, 1/3 Senators) are up for election, thus making it possible to completely change the government.

That we don't is because of abge's comment - we are too happy....but it's hapenned before. We hated Carter to swung way to the right for Reagan. We hated Bush and swung way to the left for Obama. Thus American politics over the scope of history always moderate...and will again soon.

And how's that different from a nice portion of western Europe? I mean, the English would probably need some sort of revolution for serious change (or however you want to call what happens in the US) as I understand it, but the rest is mostly fine, right? The only reason we're not swinging is because we're even more content... (that's a big generalisation but still)

stepphie - you seem to be making the ridiculous assumption that thing are so terrible that something must change.

The fact that our biggest argument in the US is about the **luxury** of health care tells you that we are a pretty damned healthy economy all in all. Health care is discussed as a "right"...lol....ridiculous! It's a luxury most of the world craves, that we mostly take for granted and argue about.

THAT is why we don't need, want or expect a revolution.

I saw a poll of Republicans in which a majority said violent revolution is imminent. I wouldn't be too secure about the non-possibility of anti-democratic forces in the US being paranoid enough to believe that taking power by force is necessary.

Link?

"http://publicmind.fdu.edu/2013/guncontrol/"

Sorry not a majority, but 44% is still rather high.

You know how semck thinks about this behavior Putty

I also don't know why people are pointing to elections, when a good chunk of the people here don't even believe in the efficacy of elections, instead it must be all your way or nothing at all. This is probably the attitude of a large number of people as belief in compromise or negotiations seems to have gone by the wayside.

I was off by 7%. Call the cops.

You think I no funny?

Had one too many Oranjebooms today?

Lol
I doubt that factory even exists today

They said "an armed revolution might be necessary to protect our liberties" in the next few years, not that violent revolution is imminent. Quite different things. The question asked them if such a revolution MIGHT be necessary in the future, not if they believe we are at the brink of one now.

semck gonna kick ya ass

I don't feel reassured that nearly 1/2 of a political party thinks they might have to take over the government by force in the next few years. But yes thanks for the correction.

I saw a poll today that says that 94% of webdippers agree with Putin's views if he would say the exact opposite of what he usually says.

HARRRRR working around the clock does not do good to my hormonal balance.

Oh it definitely exists. A local retro-arcade bar makes it their lager of choice for some inexplicable reason.

@ steephie

I'm a tad confused why you think serious government change in the UK is harder than in the US. Every 4 or 5 years we have elections where the system is designed to encourage one side to win outright. In the blink of an eye those who had power can be completely swept away. In the US, because of their quaint staggered elections system, you can really hate the President, replace him with your guy with a healthy majority or the vote, and still have Congress controlled by the old bunch.

I have no idea what it tastes like. It must taste very Dutch, although the US import Oranjeboom is produced in Germany :S

Weird. It tastes like bad budweiser to me. I'm not much of a lager person though.

Well, one problem is that Britain is an elective dictatorship, as in, you have an election, then you have one political party that wins (if not you just bully some third party into joining) and this political party approves a government. This government does whatever it likes for five years, and then you switch because everyone is tired of that dictatorship. Very fun system.

I've always said I wish we had a 2-party British style system. Would alleviate a lot of problems. Although perhaps policy would be a tad helter skelter.

@ phil

You would have something of a point, if not for the fact that we generally keep the government in for a second or even third term. It is a system that is rather popular. Naturally, as I believe all civalised democracies do from time to time, the population was asked if it wanted to change to a different system. Over two thirds said no.

Yes, I'm not saying it is inherently worse than other systems, hell, I'm from the Czech Republic, which somehow has a president who is the head of a political party (unlike in the US, that is unconstitutional), appointed members of his political party to the government and refused to institute a new one. We have more of a dictatorship than any other country, just because a couple years ago, 55% of the population voted for some asshole clown who had already tanked the country before. Note: his party received 1.5% of votes. We learn, but slowly, and we forget. I'm just making note of the various faults of various systems. Anyway, some really bad things can be rolled back later.

Czech Presidents have been rather admirable of late. I rather like Zemun & Klaus.

Sorry, Zeman.

"I also don't know why people are pointing to elections, when a good chunk of the people here don't even believe in the efficacy of elections, instead it must be all your way or nothing at all."

A good chunk of people here are smarter than the average member of the populous, eh?

Not about elections.

The concept is awesome. Just like your beloved Soviet Communism.

Also just like your beloved Soviet Communism, the result becomes quite poor as the system is corrupted by greed........

Thanks, Obiwan. I had gone almost 2 days without somebody pulling the Soviet card on me. I was beginning to feel neglected.

Uhhh.yeah....half the Republicans see vilent revolution, blah blah blah.

Good lord, where do you come up with this bullshit, Putin. All Hail Putin, King of the Ass Clowns.

I saw a poll that said over half oF the Democrats polled said ass rape should be legal and encouraged in school to train children for their inevitable life under Obama's new America.

Never mind Octavious. It's just that I'd swear people in England said their government was a poor excuse for a democracy or something like that, on this site as well... Maybe I'm wrong though. I was just singling it out in case people would choose UK to present western Europe... I don't really know though.

Wait, Putin, the liking Zeman and Klaus was a joke, right? You meant that since they are both clowns, and both insane, senile, annoying, embarrassing to the country. We had one good president, Havel. Havel was an excellent president, politically uninvolved, an example for the country to follow. Just like it had been intended. Since then, because the czech constitution is a shoddy, thrown together at the last minute, unclear piece of shit which doesn't limit the power of the president, we have had this happen. See, the constitution says that if a government fails a vote of no confidence, he chooses a new government, and until then the old one stays. It doesn't say when he chooses this new government, so he doesn't have to. It also says that he signs off laws and treaties which are passed by parliament, but not when, or if ever. He can also nominate himself as Prime Minister.

i love it, 'bloodless revolutions' - you mean the system stays but the leader changes? fucking china changes their premier before they die but you're not goingn to say that makes it a bloodless revolution and the system shouldn't be overhauled.

I despise Havel. No it wasn't a joke. Everybody is giving Klaus a hard time about amnesty, do they forget about Havel releasing criminals onto the street because he thought they were all "political prisoners"? Havel was a NATO puppet. Klaus was of an independent-mind. His views on global warming are strange, but at least he stood up to aggression.

Politically uninvolved? What was lustration? Just a bad dream?