Thanks erinja. I use current Firefox 3.6.+ browser. I dislike Google's datamining and privacy violating activities.

I am a conservative and I occasionally listen to Beck. I listen to a lot of shows (not all conservative and most without a political theme).

I heard the misrepresentation of Esperanto and sent an email to the contacts on his show page with a brief explanation that his information was incorrect and some sources that the show researchers could access to obtain accurate information.

Both left and right demonize the other side and use language that tends to encourage derision. Both take a risk that some unstable person on either side of the debate could instigate violence or act irresponsibly. It has happened in the past and will happen in the future. However, that doesn't mean that the U.S. government should step in and decide what is or is not proper speak or appropriate for my listening entertainment.

In my opinion, there is too much effort in most governments devoted to influencing and pressuring people to change behavior.

That's one of the reasons I enjoy and study Esperanto. I love the idea of conversing with others in other countries to get information without the propaganda filter of my own or their government.

I truly enjoy discovering other viewpoints including the ones I disagree with but, it's nice to know that there are other conservatives that also enjoy Esperanto.

I hope everyone (yes, everyone) keeps an open mind in this discussion. We may all learn something. I know I have.

Kelly

36lima:

Both left and right demonize the other side and use language that tends to encourage derision. Both take a risk that some unstable person on either side of the debate could instigate violence or act irresponsibly. It has happened in the past and will happen in the future. However, that doesn't mean that the U.S. government should step in and decide what is or is not proper speak or appropriate for my listening entertainment.

Of course it may be true in every country, but in the U.S it's particulary strong. It not good.

For example this week, the french president Sarkozy made a very important speech to justify his new government, and followed plenty of comments from other politics. There was al lot of critisism and hypocritism (in France, politics is very "2-sided" as in the U.S.). But still it was much less violent and full of lies, as we can see in the U.S. (sorry I don't want to criticize your country, but I think it's true. ^^")

jan aleksan:There was al lot of critisism and hypocritism (in France, politics is very "2-sided" as in the U.S.). But still it was much less violent and full of lies, as we can see in the U.S. (sorry I don't want to criticize your country, but I think it's true. ^^")

No worries. I seldom take offense and you are more than entitled to your opinion of my country or any other.

We (the U.S.) are in a fairly volatile period in our country right now with two sides of our political spectrum fighting for dominance (in my opinion). Unfortunately, most of the politicians are too busy listening to themselves to hear the message that the electorate sent them in November (again, my opinion).

I've often joked with my family that I may just have to move us to Costa Rica at some point to get away from it all

jan aleksan:

36lima:

Both left and right demonize the other side and use language that tends to encourage derision. Both take a risk that some unstable person on either side of the debate could instigate violence or act irresponsibly. It has happened in the past and will happen in the future. However, that doesn't mean that the U.S. government should step in and decide what is or is not proper speak or appropriate for my listening entertainment.

Of course it may be true in every country, but in the U.S it's particulary strong. It not good.

jan aleksan, did you live in the U.S. to get judging background for that?

jan aleksan:

36lima:

Both left and right demonize the other side and use language that tends to encourage derision. Both take a risk that some unstable person on either side of the debate could instigate violence or act irresponsibly. It has happened in the past and will happen in the future. However, that doesn't mean that the U.S. government should step in and decide what is or is not proper speak or appropriate for my listening entertainment.

Of course it may be true in every country, but in the U.S it's particulary strong. It not good.

For example this week, the french president Sarkozy made a very important speech to justify his new government, and followed plenty of comments from other politics. There was al lot of critisism and hypocritism (in France, politics is very "2-sided" as in the U.S.). But still it was much less violent and full of lies, as we can see in the U.S. (sorry I don't want to criticize your country, but I think it's true. ^^")

I think that each country has their own little quirky stereotype, and none is particularly better than each other. E.g.:

US - polarised Left and Right sides, calling eachother nazi's and communists.

FR: polarised government and public, government is very bold, public is very happy to protest and remind them of their rights

UK: A classic split like US, only the "conservatives" and "progressives" are practically identical. And that's not throwing in the celtic nations independence pushes and whatnot either yet Public really don't care too much from what I've seen

AU: Same thing as UK, both parties try so hard to be different that they're the same, public don't really care, just for heavens sake give us someone who isn't turning progressive policies into a circus, and at the same time isn't completely businesses orientated (I don't want to live in a smog filled rundown city with no power or internet in 50 years thank you very much)

NZ: Does anything interesting happen there politically? You guys must be lucky!

ID: Government's too busy trying to prevent different lobbies from hunting each other down

CN: Government doesn't know whether it's socialist or capitalist, similar to UK and AU, in that there's still elections but you're really voting for the same party (probably more democratic than UK/AU though, thanks to their pyramid structure voting system vs. our slightly more preprepared party system )

IT: "Per favore signore, non noi fate come Grecia!" (I place my opinion solely on one newspaper article ) (although then there's "We want to be like the Roman Empire again, but we tried that for most of the 20th century and it ended up rather badly probably because we weren't actually even heading in the right direction, argh what do we do!")

EOujo: ANARCHY! WHOOHOO!

DE: Classical German efficiency, WHILE bailing out half of Europe! (although Turkish immigration could use some smoothing over, but I'm sure most Germans are more worried about preventing their economy from being dragged down by the rest of Europe than worrying about their rednecks trying to kick out the Turks)

And so forth.

ceigered:
DE: Classical German efficiency, WHILE bailing out half of Europe! (although Turkish immigration could use some smoothing over, but I'm sure most Germans are more worried about preventing their economy from being dragged down by the rest of Europe than worrying about their rednecks trying to kick out the Turks)

#sarkasm#
Germany still suffers of the big money transfer from the West to the East and what it did not bring any small economic value back to the West. Apart of that silly small infrastruture build-up business in the East(-Europe). That was just some charity thing with cooperation of the crocked up companies in the East, you know. Also there's a common non-understanding why chancellor Merkel puts such much efforts into how to build Germany into European Union community instead of putting efforts into caring of post-1945 Germany's memventropenika mental state/lobby network. These bl##dy East-Germans. They stole the Deutschmark and now they want Germany part of fellowism European Union. Das geht ja gaaar nicht/That, we will refuse compleeetly. Tsss, tsss.
#sarkasm#

ceigered:

I think that each country has their own little quirky stereotype, and none is particularly better than each other. E.g.:

I snipped your entertaining Cliffs Notes version of global politics (pretty funny - good job)

In general I agree. However, for now, the U.S. is still my preferred place to live and system of government. For now.

In my opinion, America's system has been wildly successful for a couple hundred years. It could probably use some tweaking, but I am politically opposed to anyone interested in large-scale change of our U.S. system (yes, that means progressives but it also means religious zealots).

That doesn't mean I hate them or that they or evil, just means I disagree and will work against their political goals.

Of course, Costa Rica looks pretty good some days. . .

Lima36 wrote:

"it's nice to know that there are other conservatives that also enjoy Esperanto."

I suspect there are quite a few of us around though the ones I know tend to keep a low profile in certain venues

let us be counted. I am one.

ConorBohannon:Lima36 wrote:

"it's nice to know that there are other conservatives that also enjoy Esperanto."

I suspect there are quite a few of us around though the ones I know tend to keep a low profile in certain venues