collapse

* Welcome

Welcome to GPWizard F1 Forum!

GPWizard is the friendliest F1 forum you'll find anywhere. You have a host of new like-minded friends waiting to welcome you.

So what are you waiting for? Becoming a member is easy and free! Take a couple seconds out of your day and register now. We guarantee, you wont be sorry you did.

Click Here to become a full Member for Free

* User Info

 
 
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?

* Newsletter

GPWizard F1 Forum Newsletter Email address:
Weekly
Fortnightly
Monthly

* Grid Game Deadlines

Qualifying

Race

* Shoutbox

Refresh History
  • Wizzo: :good:
    March 05, 2024, 11:44:46 PM
  • Dare: my chat button is onthe bottom rightWiz
    March 03, 2024, 11:58:24 PM
  • Wizzo: Yes you should see the chat room button at the bottom left of your screen
    March 02, 2024, 11:39:55 PM
  • Open Wheel: Is there a Chat room button or something to access “Race day conversation”
    March 02, 2024, 02:46:02 PM
  • Wizzo: The 2024 Grid Game is here!  :yahoo:
    January 30, 2024, 01:42:23 PM
  • Wizzo: Hey everybody - the shout box is back!  :D
    August 21, 2023, 12:18:19 PM

* Who's Online

  • Dot Guests: 147
  • Dot Hidden: 0
  • Dot Users: 0

There aren't any users online.

* Top Posters

cosworth151 cosworth151
16139 Posts
Scott Scott
14057 Posts
Dare Dare
12978 Posts
John S John S
11249 Posts
Ian Ian
9729 Posts

Author Topic: To our American friends: how are you doing?  (Read 9093 times)

Offline Jericoke

To our American friends: how are you doing?
« on: January 07, 2021, 01:19:09 PM »
So, how are you doing?  I'm not asking if you agree or disagree with any particular side here.  I just want to know, are you doing okay?  Do you need to talk?  Do you need to just forget and move on?  Is F1 the furthest thing from your mind, or do you want to get the season started so you can have something to enjoy?

Jan 6,2021... I can't imagine how horrifying it would be to see your own country experience something like that.

October 30th, 1995 Quebec held a referendum to leave Canada.  It was a legal process, conducted over a long time, reflecting decades of boiling tensions, and I remember being stick to my stomach that Canada was being laid bare for the whole world to see.  But that was nothing compared to what I was watching on TV yesterday.




Offline cosworth151

Re: To our American friends: how are you doing?
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2021, 05:08:33 PM »
Many of you know that I go to Washington D.C. most every Veterans Day. I help with a bus trip for veterans put on by the Ohio Sons of AMVETS. One day of that trip is always a "free day" when we all can wonder about the city on our own.

My first stop is always the Capital Building. There is always a long line for the tour so I just roam around the grounds. No matter how many times I've been there, I never loose the sense of awe that I have for the experience. An average citizen can walk right up to center of our government and roam around the grounds. We Americans take great pride in calling the Capital and the White House "the people's houses."

The National AMVETS and its subordinate organizations (Sons of AMVETS, AMVETS Auxiliary and such) also take one week twice a year to where many of us go to D.C. Each member of Congress (both the House & the Senate) gets a visit from a few of us to discuss issues involving veterans, active duty military and their families. I feel very proud that we can do that, too.

It broke my heart to see so many places that I recognized, that I revere, being overrun by vandals and thugs.

I sincerely hope that yesterday serves as a wake up call no democracy can long exist when a sizable group of its citizens believe that "anyone who disagrees with us is our enemy and hates our country."

Here are a couple of pictures that I took on the bus trip.
“You can search the world over for the finer things, but you won't find a match for the American road and the creatures that live on it.”
― Bob Dylan

Offline John S

  • F1 Legend
  • ****
  • Date Registered: Jan 2007
  • Location: Lincolnshire, UK
  • Posts: 11249
  • 11550 credits
  • View Inventory
  • Send Money To John S
  • Max for 3rd title! - to see more Toto apoplexy.
Re: To our American friends: how are you doing?
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2021, 09:21:08 PM »
Cos, don't lose heart because you have seen some protestors take over the Capitol building, it was mostly peaceful after all.

I'm amused by the unholy outpouring of crap from all major news sources about an attack on democratic values, by the occupation of the Capitol Building, when they so cheerfully endorsed the overthrow of the elected President of Ukraine not many years back, in a far more violent way than seen in Washington at present.

Odd thing is dictionaries can't even decide on exactly what Democracy/Democracie is, what chance do the rest of us have.  :confused:

The only thing I can take from the multitude of definitions is that people are free to assemble as well as choose.

I'm sure there are far more definitions than I've listed below and no doubt you will have your own favourite - that's part of the problem from my standpoint. IMHO Democracy is multi faceted, hard to really pin down - so why do so many of us believe in it?   

Democracy:- government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. Cornerstones include freedom of assembly and speech.

Democracy:- the form of government in which political control is exercised by all the people, either directly or through their elected representatives."[ 5] "The word democracy itself means rule by the people.

Democracy:- the belief in freedom and equality between people, or a system of government based on this belief, in which power is either held by elected representatives or directly by the people themselves.

Democracy:- the common people of a community as distinguished from any privileged class; the common people with respect to their political power.

Democracy:- government by the people.
Racing is Life - everything else is just....waiting. (Steve McQueen)

Offline lkjohnson1950

Re: To our American friends: how are you doing?
« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2021, 01:45:00 AM »
I don't know John. How would you feel if a mob of anti Brexit protesters broke into Parliament, breaking windows, trashing offices, stealing, possibly beating a Met officer to death?
Lonny

Offline Dare

Re: To our American friends: how are you doing?
« Reply #4 on: January 08, 2021, 04:56:46 AM »
What I was watching was anything but peaceful. It's  been
egged on by claims of a rigged election even before the election was held. What's happened is it's divided the country as most thought not
possible. Lots of luck to our new administration....their gonna need it
Mark Twain once opined, "it's easier to con someone than to convince them they've been conned."

Offline John S

  • F1 Legend
  • ****
  • Date Registered: Jan 2007
  • Location: Lincolnshire, UK
  • Posts: 11249
  • 11550 credits
  • View Inventory
  • Send Money To John S
  • Max for 3rd title! - to see more Toto apoplexy.
Re: To our American friends: how are you doing?
« Reply #5 on: January 08, 2021, 03:23:04 PM »
I don't know John. How would you feel if a mob of anti Brexit protesters broke into Parliament, breaking windows, trashing offices, stealing, possibly beating a Met officer to death?

I guess most of us would think that's just the sort of stunt a section of society might undertake with the kind of full on provocative agenda from most of the city centric media here at the time. There was certainly no shortage of protests on either side and quite a few ended in deplorable scenes on the streets with attacks on Police, buildings and cars.

When I referred to your present protest in Washington as mostly peaceful I was comparing it to a possible bloodbath that it could easily have been in a country with such easy access to firearms. I think it's a sign that things have not really reached rock bottom since heavily armed militias were not the invaders at the government buildings.   

Perhaps we are just more used to protests in Britain, especially in London, on all sorts of topics, occasions & in varying places that the gathering at the Capital building doesn't seem that out of the ordinary. However it clearly is a step beyond for you in the US.

Racing is Life - everything else is just....waiting. (Steve McQueen)

Offline cosworth151

Re: To our American friends: how are you doing?
« Reply #6 on: January 08, 2021, 03:27:05 PM »
Sadly, the police officer Lonny spoke of did succumb to his injuries last night.

The physical damage done to the Capital was tremendous. One of the looters even tried to steal the plaque that marked the corner stone laid by George Washington. Fortunately he was stopped.

In the center of Washington D.C. is a long, rectangular park called The National Mall. The Capital is at the east end of it. At the west end, facing the Capital, is the Lincoln Memorial. It has a large statue of President Lincoln looking down the Mall towards the Washington Monument and the Capital. I can't help but wonder what The Great Emancipator would think about and invading hoard carrying the Confederate Treason flag occupied the building that he fought so hard to defend.

A few more of my pictures. The bottom on is the view from the Lincoln Memorial looking down the Mall towards the Capital.
“You can search the world over for the finer things, but you won't find a match for the American road and the creatures that live on it.”
― Bob Dylan

Offline lkjohnson1950

Re: To our American friends: how are you doing?
« Reply #7 on: January 08, 2021, 05:16:26 PM »
Thanks John. It was painful because no hostile force of any kind has taken the Capital since you lot in the UK did it in 1812. I think most of us thought the Capital was kind of sacred; honored even if politics weren't going your way.
Lonny

Offline Jericoke

Re: To our American friends: how are you doing?
« Reply #8 on: January 09, 2021, 09:00:49 PM »
Thanks John. It was painful because no hostile force of any kind has taken the Capital since you lot in the UK did it in 1812. I think most of us thought the Capital was kind of sacred; honored even if politics weren't going your way.

British army... deployed from Canada :)

I've been looking at the 6th of January somewhat like the Gunpowder plot:  a bunch of idiots thinking they'd change the world, but ultimately just becoming an embarrassment.

Offline lkjohnson1950

Re: To our American friends: how are you doing?
« Reply #9 on: January 09, 2021, 11:14:42 PM »
Many of the organizers are saying Watch This Space, indicating they are planning more for the 19 or 20 of January. I hope not. :fool:
Lonny

Offline Dare

Re: To our American friends: how are you doing?
« Reply #10 on: January 09, 2021, 11:42:18 PM »
Many of the organizers are saying Watch This Space, indicating they are planning more for the 19 or 20 of January. I hope not. :fool:



Trump tweeted before he was banned or had someone
tweet to those who asked I won't be at the inauguration .
Whether that's a code who knows. I hope not but their
dealing with a highly unstable individual who's  capable
of anything. Sorry but this isn't simple protesting.
Mark Twain once opined, "it's easier to con someone than to convince them they've been conned."

Offline Jericoke

Re: To our American friends: how are you doing?
« Reply #11 on: January 10, 2021, 02:55:49 AM »
Many of the organizers are saying Watch This Space, indicating they are planning more for the 19 or 20 of January. I hope not. :fool:



Trump tweeted before he was banned or had someone
tweet to those who asked I won't be at the inauguration .
Whether that's a code who knows. I hope not but their
dealing with a highly unstable individual who's  capable
of anything. Sorry but this isn't simple protesting.

I agree it's not simple protesting, but it's not an organized movement either.  While they have a 'goal', they have no real plan to achieve it. 

Hopefully no one who actually knows how to run a mob to get results can step into the power vacuum being created.

Offline lkjohnson1950

Re: To our American friends: how are you doing?
« Reply #12 on: January 10, 2021, 04:32:09 AM »
There is sketchy evidence emerging that it may be far better organized than originally thought. People like General Flynn may be behind it.
Lonny

Offline Dare

Re: To our American friends: how are you doing?
« Reply #13 on: January 10, 2021, 05:11:29 AM »
I can't believe the people that are falling for the lies
and total crap he puts out. It wasn't a rigged election and he
knows it. Four years we've been warned how dangerous he is
even by his niece. What's really bad is when a deranged nut has
the nuclear codes.
Mark Twain once opined, "it's easier to con someone than to convince them they've been conned."

Offline John S

  • F1 Legend
  • ****
  • Date Registered: Jan 2007
  • Location: Lincolnshire, UK
  • Posts: 11249
  • 11550 credits
  • View Inventory
  • Send Money To John S
  • Max for 3rd title! - to see more Toto apoplexy.
Re: To our American friends: how are you doing?
« Reply #14 on: January 10, 2021, 01:17:47 PM »
I can't believe the people that are falling for the lies
and total crap he puts out. It wasn't a rigged election and he
knows it. Four years we've been warned how dangerous he is
even by his niece. What's really bad is when a deranged nut has
the nuclear codes.

Whilst I understand where you're coming from Dare it can be foolish to call an opposing faction stupid and feeble minded.

It's the sort of rhetoric aimed at Brexit supporters in Britain a while back. Evidence seems to suggest this only strengthens the resolve of those it's aimed at, and worse than that encourages moderate voices to disengage.

My understanding of the Nuclear issue is that there are safeguards in place and use is not soley on simple Presidential command.
I'm sure we - the rest of the world that is - would all be very, very scared of the US if we thought otherwise. 
     
Racing is Life - everything else is just....waiting. (Steve McQueen)

 


SimplePortal 2.3.6 © 2008-2014, SimplePortal
Menu Editor Pro 1.0 | Copyright 2013, Matthew Kerle