Americanising a Belgian

Eric Lavine wrote to me on another thread: "we'll Americanise you..."

Well, since I became a member of this wonderful site, I must say that I make more effort to know more about the States.

Last night I was watching the news and they were reporting about the election race. Over the last few years, our media have become more and more about sensation. The news was reporting about the "fight" between the two candidates for the Democrats becoming more and more personal...

Is it really such a fight? I was just wondering what my friends here have to say about that? Are the Democrats so divided? Is it really bad for the final elections as our media tend to report?

The Republicans have closed the ranks as I understand, and all shared behind John McCain. So they are ready to send their candidate to the final elections...

I did some reading on the sites of the three remaining candidates for the presidency, and I have the feeling that there are some major issues to tackle for the next government... health care, education, the economy, Iraq: yes or no...

I have trouble to believe that America is as divided as our media tend to report sometimes (to much sensation IMHO)... At least it doesn't show here, as I found out we can all dicuss issues here and remain friends

Teach me guys. I'm all ears and eyes


In my country, the new elected members of parlaiment only succeeded in forming an interim government after nine months of debating and argueing. The interim government will be dissolved in two weeks, in order to form the definitive government for the next four years. Our politicians are already loading the guns for the next debating (or should I say fighting) round. At this point, there is still no coalition in the making and the different parties still cannot find any common ground to work on, so I'm starting to loose faith that we will have a new government in the near future and believe that we will have to vote again...
The problem here is that our country is becoming more and more divided between the Dutch speaking north and the French speaking south, and the way our politicians are argueing between each other feeds this division. I for one deplore the fact that our country is starting to fall apart in this way...

PS: my humble apologies for any bad English in this long post.

Kristof

I didn't really answer your question. No, I don't think things are quite the way they are presented in the media and by some politicians. America is live and well!!!

American Spirit

I am glad that here in Belgium, we have free health care, one of the big issues in America...
I agree with you that the fuel prices are very high at the moment. It has become very expensive to drive your car our boat, and, most importantly, to heat your home!
Also, here in Belgium, everyday products such as food have gone up, so getting the basics to live has become more expensive... The trouble is: I for one haven't seen my salary go up in accordance to all this...

BuffaloBFN wrote: One of my biggest concerns is the percentage of our population who has their hand out to the gov't. They are giving up their own freedom without even knowing it?!!?

I too do feel that since 9/11 and the consequences of that act, we had to give up a big part of our freedom (US as well as Europe). For me personally, Bush has brought a lot of fear in the heart of men with his policy... And fear is never a good advisor... Just my personal opinion...

On the Iraq and Afghanistan subject I can relate to both sides... Yes we should stay and see this one to the finish as McCain says. But, as the UN are in Jougoslavia for more than 17 jears now (I have colleagues that are on their 11th tour now), be prepared that you will be in the middle east for the long run, because you will have to completely re-educate the people over there. And your biggest problem over there is fanatics... They do have a lot of them, and most of all for them it's religious, a holy war. Nothing more difficult than that! Not something that can be done in a few years. I agree with Clinton and Obama that it will continue to cost a lot of money... Money better spent on domestic issues maybe??

That's why the UN can't leave the Balkans (the end of the mission is not in sight yet), because in the hearts of many people over there, they still have their animousity against each other. Many of them fear that the civil war will restart in it's full rage if the UN troops leave... I'm pretty sure it's the same case in the middle east...

One thing I'll say Kristof -
Excellent observations/questions/comments for someone living outside the country.
Perhaps more Americans need to pay attention as you have.

NAUTI84 wrote: Perhaps more Americans need to pay attention as you have.

79nautique wrote: Kristof wrote: I am glad that here in Belgium, we have free health care, one of the big issues in America... and how long is that line to see the Doctor and how long does it take to get the surgery done with the free systemyou have?

Lets not forget that nothing is free. They pay for it just as we pay for the free health care that takes place here. They just accept that they really pay for it and do so up front. Here we just keep paying the high taxes and some get free health care and others stand in line to pay.
Wife hurt her eye, called Dr, Dr said go to emergency room or "urgent" care. Went to "urgent" care as not an emergency. Sat in urgent care for 2.5 hours to get perscription.
And I pay for this !!!!

Do not get me wrong, I do not want to move to Canada or Finland or Belgium. I just accept that I pay for those that get it free and I pay for mine too. I am an American.

Did anyone watch the cactus cuties do the anthem? It's worth it!

Eric, I think the way you do. I want more doe in my pocket, which is the main reason I am republican. I don't want to get into a big debate here, but I think it is pretty well known that republicans are for lower taxes and Dems are for higher tax.

And I believe that if you asked Kristof, he would gladly pay the gas prices we lucky to have.

eric lavine wrote: I dont mind paying taxes, it's all the other *************** you pay for thats inflated. when it comes down to it I do pay 10% or less in taxes,

It is obvious that you do not live in NC.
We pay Federal, State, County, City, Gas, Food, Entertainment, Property, Road Use, etc, etc.
Sure when you just calculate what the numbers are on April 15th, you get taxes you paid Federal and State. You add all the rest in there and you get a much higher number.

Had a fellow worker call me out on this one as he said he was only paying about 20%. He tracked it for 3 months and found he was really paying closer to 40%

The media here is pretty crazy, not only on the political front but I have heard what is really happening in the Middle East is reported the same way, all sensationalism. Either way the war is a tough subject no matter what is really happening.

Can't we all just get along!!!
[/QUOTE]

See what you started Kristof...

This is why we leave the political discussions to the Media

ALWAYS REMEMBER
Don't believe anything you read on this web page, or, for that matter, anything you hear on The Neal Boortz Show, unless it is consistent with what you already know to be true, or unless you have taken the time to research the matter to prove its accuracy to your satisfaction. This is known as "doing your homework."
Neal Boortz

BuffaloBFN wrote: what's even scarier is the dumb masses(read that quickly, it'll sound different) that say "it's true, I saw it on TV"?!!?

Most scary - add:
"read it online", "heard it on radio talkshow" or worst of all "read it in the newspaper"
Our media now has it's own agenda and chooses how it feeds the news to us.
This is very very scary!!!!
The days of unbiased reporting seems to be long gone.
Research, research, research - Find the facts before taking your stand!

Aemmer wrote: Quote A17- "Eric, I think the way you do. I want more doe in my pocket, which is the main reason I am republican. I don't want to get into a big debate here, but I think it is pretty well known that republicans are for lower taxes and Dems are for higher tax." I believe the R's have a great theory "Smaller Gov't lower taxes" but lets take a look at what happened to the National debt during the past three Republican dominated Executive branches (yes even the almighty Regan era). Uncontrolled spending.

Wrong, It was Regan who enacted the legestslation to reduce the debt which you saw reduced during Slick Willie's time in office and it was slick Willie that undid everything Regan did and It was Slick Willie who enacted NAFTA that has ruined this country by shipping jobs out of this country to Mexico and Canada

Kristoff if you add all your expenses up and divide them for what goes where I think you would be surprised, somebody has to pay for it whether it be in taxes or out of your pocket.
I pay out of pocket for insurance so what it is in how you word it, if the Gov paid it would be a tax, if i paid it would be called an expense