help needed

[baron555 934]

She probably just has to wait the 5 years; it'll go by quickly.

Make sure she understands what she needs to do when the 5 years is over to get the clearance.

This is a RU government matter and there is little we here in the US can do to help.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

But you had no problem with all of the opinions that openly bashed Russia and agreed with you. You only objected when someone pointed out that there might be some rationale to the actions that were taken. In any case, you've received reasonable counsel and everything you could really expect from a site populated by people who don't have extended experience with Russian security clearances. Just because you started the thread doesn't mean that you own it.

On the last part, did you mean "no idea?"

In any case, you keep drawing this back to history and not focusing on the here and now. There are lots of problems in history in all countries. I don't agree with Eekee's assessment of the tea party (There have been significant attempts to tie it to racism but it's about taxes and deficits and I've seen no substantiated evidence to tie the tea party to race. Birthers, probably. The tea party is a different animal), but you'll find plenty of abusive racism in the US if we decide we're talking about which country has a cleaner history and not talk about the here and now.

Nobody who really understands the issues is going to tell you there aren't problems with Russia's political system. I just find it interesting that with all the bad things said about the US government, most US Citizens are still stuck in the knee-jerk reaction that the US government is better than every other government in every respect. US Citizens are fine talking about the problems in the US in critical detail as long as we are comparing it to some hypothetical ideal. But as soon we start comparing two countries, any criticism of the pristine US system is tantamount to heresy.

As far as your sources, you're right that you're not going to get everything from the news and that not everything you get on the news is true. But a handful of personal opinions expressed to you might not be much better. Obviously those people have their sources who have their sources etc. Each person also has filters to hear what he or she wants to believe.

The US government has tons of problems. Sold out politicians, hard liners, etc... but it's peanuts compared to what goes on in some other countries. Compare it to Belarus and/or Russia and the problems seem trivial in comparison.

[slim 1,525]

The US government has tons of problems. Sold out politicians, hard liners, etc... but it's peanuts compared to what goes on in some other countries. Compare it to Belarus and/or Russia and the problems seem trivial in comparison.

I disagree. I think our problems are bigger because we've allowed it to spiral out of control.

Not even the politicians are running our country anymore. No one is. The die is cast.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

I disagree. I think our problems are bigger because we've allowed it to spiral out of control.

Not even the politicians are running our country anymore. No one is. The die is cast.

The corporations are running this country along with political interest groups...imo anyways. It's like who has the most money gets their way.

It's messed up and it needs to be seriously fixed if it's not already too late for that.

On the other hand we don't know the outcome of an election a year before hand, and we don't have our journalist murdered on the street in cold blood while so called political threats are imprisoned and then get whacked while in prison.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_journalists_killed_in_Russia <---- It's wiki but the sources are at the bottom of the page and most of these names are well known to some. We have nothing comparable to this in the US...and that's only the tip of the iceberg. It gets worse..a lot worse.

Edited October 19, 2011 by Why_Me

[san diego 407]

She probably just has to wait the 5 years; it'll go by quickly.

Make sure she understands what she needs to do when the 5 years is over to get the clearance.

This is a RU government matter and there is little we here in the US can do to help.

Thank you. I just thought that maybe someone here may had an experience and if I should keep looking for ways or just give up. I guess, I just need to give up.

[eekee 182]

If your trying to say that your parents ended up in a Displaced Persons camp for the fact they sided with the Germans...a lot of people in Belarus sided with the Germans. Belarusians looked at the Germans as saviors until the SS started the mass killings. Why did they look at the Germans as saviors? For the fact Belarus was strewn with the bones of Poles and so called "Belarusian political threats" from Brest to Orsha. Karupaty right outside of Minsk has the bones of literally tens of thousands of Belarusians who caught a midnight bullet in the back of the head from the GRU/NKVD. The only allies the Soviets had in Belarus were communist in positions of power and Jews.

If your implying that your family was in an SS Labor camp...my wife's family was also...and they aren't Jewish. Her grandmother saw her mother, brother and two sisters gunned down by SS guards two days before the Red Army liberated their camp.

The former. Yes, I understand that people were between a rock and a hard place... my grandmother's friend was shot by Germans point-blank while pregnant, while the Soviets wanted to kill my grandfather's side. But I think that now, we shouldn't revere people who sided with the Fascists and build statues of them, as I remember hearing about in Western Ukraine, out of anti-Soviet/Russian feelings.

You should have rephrased that question as to; "Why would Russians care about the outcome of an election?"

I'm not sure if you were in Russia during any of Tsar Putin's pseudo elections or in 2007 when Medvedev ran for president, but a lot of people voted whether they wanted to or not. You attend a Russian university yes? Ask some of your fellow students if they were coerced into voting by teachers at your university.

It was the same with civil service workers in Russia. A lot of them were not only told to vote, but who to vote for ..or else... If this ####### were to happen in the US it would be front page news. Name one time a Russian didn't know the outcome of an election well before the votes were being taken?

I don't know anyone who was forced to vote, but I am sure it happened. The thing is, no one else is allowed a chance to become a competitor. I read an interesting article a few weeks back about how Putin is of the Stagnation generation, and right now the country is basically in a similar situation as Stagnation. I am interested to see whether newer generations will step up. You also might find this article interesting; it seems to reflect how most people I know feel: http://www.snob.ru/selected/entry/41259?rp=fb

Youv'e learned well ekee. That's one of the oldest Russian tricks in the book. Don't acknowledge the original question, but point the finger somewhere else. Russians are famous for saying something like.."We may have done this, but look what you did." Except this time there's no comparison and you left out the "we may have done..."

I believe the Tea Party does have elements of racism, and the Birthers even more so. But name a time the Tea Party and/or Birthers were responsible for beating not one, but two EU ambassadors? When was the Tea Party involved with starting riots in another country for relocating a statue or better yet when was the Tea Party ever involved in murdering a journalist in cold blood? If that were to ever happen here it would make front page news instead of being buried by the Kremlin controlled media.

As far as racism goes...the US has evolved. We have a black president if you haven't noticed and almost had a woman president. Something Russia will most never see in it's life time. Russian and Russians are leaders of the pack when it comes to racism. In fact they are so racist, that most of the Duma and Tsar Putin's siloviki henchman refused to shake hands with the president of the United States when he visited Moscow.

There are more Neo NAZI's in Russia than anywhere else in the world. How ironic. These are the same imbeciles who celebrate "Victory Day", yet get swastika's tattooed on themselves. Go figure eh. Do you know what a "Slavophille" is ekee"? If not study up more on Russians and Serbs. They are the epitome of a "Slavophille". Russian nationalism is at an all time high and it's fueled by no other than Tsar Putin himself. It's his take on Hitler and the brainwashing effect his government controlled joke of a media has on the brainwashed masses.

None of the people I know with ultra-nationalist leanings support Putin. It is more to do with a perceived loss of power/influence in the world, as well as the influx of immigrants. In Petersburg first grades, for instance, a third of the children are Uzbek/Tajik and don't speak Russian. People in Western Europe are also freaking out and being racist about the influx of immigration to their countries. With the situation in Russia more tenuous and lawlessness more prevalent in general, obviously the reaction is going to be more violent. Not that it is excusable in any way, but it makes sense from a sociological/sociocultural standpoint.

And look at LvivLover's post... Obama just seemed "suspicious." To me, the only thing he did was represent something subversive to White Male Hegemony.

I call bs right there. That's another typical Russian cop out. Several Eastern European countries that were illegally occupied by the Russians for close to five decades had no problem making the adjustment to democracy. Russians on the other hand are their own worst enemy. Russia had the chance to become a true democracy and not the twisted perverted system they have now. Russians asked for it, and they got it. It has nothing to do with being out of the "democratic loop" and all to do with the Russian mindset. Russians love a strong dictator. It gives them a hard on every time they hear about Tsar Putin humping a bear with this shirt off, or he talks sh*t about the US. They reminisce about the "good ol days" when Russia illegally occupied half of Europe and was the terror of the modern world to be feared by all hence the reason Stalin is adored right along with Lenin and Ivan the Terrible. Tsar Putin even went as far as to bring back the old Soviet National Anthem. Now if that isn't messed up I don't know what is. But Russians love their pint sized dictator for this. It shows he's a strong leader and will tell them how and when to wipe their ####### all the while protecting them from their enemies. Tsar Putin and his friends rape Russia for billions in gas and oil money just to name a few of his rackets while a lot of Russians still don't have indoor plumbing. Drive an hour or two outside of St. Petes and/or Moscow and take a good look at how those people live.

I think one of the things that you have to understand is that to Russia, democracy is a foreign input. It's not something that comes naturally or is even terribly compatible with the culture/mentality. Communism went along well with the traditional peasant "mir." But democracy is something else and you can't just switch it on one day and expect it to work. It is especially difficult in a country as natural resource-rich as Russia. This is known as the "resource curse." The only countries with a lot of oil/gas that have functioning democracies are countries like Norway and Canada where democratic institutions were in place well before natural resources were discovered. The other Eastern European countries don't have Russia's resources, and were oppressed by, and not the originator of, Russia's strong, centralized authoritative bureaucracy.

It may not be as popular now as it was in the past, but only because Tsar Putin realized he created a monster that had to be cut down to size quick like or he was going to have problems if he was ever on their sh*t list. The NASHI revere Tsar Putin as a god, but even Hitler has his "night of the long knives" and did away with the "Brown Shirts".

It's all about Dzeshava ekee. It's as old as the ROC and you can trace it back to the time before the Muscovy Khanate massacred the Rus in Novgorod. It's went by many names in the past, but its the same no matter what time and place.

Look at what ONA said.

A couple of university professors in St. Petersburg, an ex car dealer in Vladivostok, a former Estonian MP, a writer/photographer who freelances now and again for Charter 97, a former writer/poet in Vinnytsia, Ukraine who spent time in a Soviet prison, etc, etc.. Russia is always being watched and for good reason. Nobody buys into the news the Kremlin owned and controlled media spews out. Only a brainwashed idiot would do that. Best to get the news first hand by people that don't have their head up Tsar Putin's #######.

Do you think that I spend time with people who have their head up Tsar Putin's ####? And I don't have a tv and only really read Russian news to keep abreast of news/policies that might affect me, like the new abortion law back by Svetlana Medvedeva and the ROC.

I have idea why I do that.

????

If your trying to say that your parents ended up in a Displaced Persons camp for the fact they sided with the Germans...a lot of people in Belarus sided with the Germans. Belarusians looked at the Germans as saviors until the SS started the mass killings. Why did they look at the Germans as saviors? For the fact Belarus was strewn with the bones of Poles and so called "Belarusian political threats" from Brest to Orsha. Karupaty right outside of Minsk has the bones of literally tens of thousands of Belarusians who caught a midnight bullet in the back of the head from the GRU/NKVD. The only allies the Soviets had in Belarus were communist in positions of power and Jews.

If your implying that your family was in an SS Labor camp...my wife's family was also...and they aren't Jewish. Her grandmother saw her mother, brother and two sisters gunned down by SS guards two days before the Red Army liberated their camp.

The former. Yes, I understand that people were between a rock and a hard place... my grandmother's friend was shot by Germans point-blank while pregnant, while the Soviets wanted to kill my grandfather's side. But I think that now, we shouldn't revere people who sided with the Fascists and build statues of them, as I remember hearing about in Western Ukraine, out of anti-Soviet/Russian feelings.

You should have rephrased that question as to; "Why would Russians care about the outcome of an election?"

I'm not sure if you were in Russia during any of Tsar Putin's pseudo elections or in 2007 when Medvedev ran for president, but a lot of people voted whether they wanted to or not. You attend a Russian university yes? Ask some of your fellow students if they were coerced into voting by teachers at your university.

It was the same with civil service workers in Russia. A lot of them were not only told to vote, but who to vote for ..or else... If this ####### were to happen in the US it would be front page news. Name one time a Russian didn't know the outcome of an election well before the votes were being taken?

I don't know anyone who was forced to vote, but I am sure it happened. The thing is, no one else is allowed a chance to become a competitor. I read an interesting article a few weeks back about how Putin is of the Stagnation generation, and right now the country is basically in a similar situation as Stagnation. I am interested to see whether newer generations will step up. You also might find this article interesting; it seems to reflect how most people I know feel: http://www.snob.ru/selected/entry/41259?rp=fb

Youv'e learned well ekee. That's one of the oldest Russian tricks in the book. Don't acknowledge the original question, but point the finger somewhere else. Russians are famous for saying something like.."We may have done this, but look what you did." Except this time there's no comparison and you left out the "we may have done..."

I believe the Tea Party does have elements of racism, and the Birthers even more so. But name a time the Tea Party and/or Birthers were responsible for beating not one, but two EU ambassadors? When was the Tea Party involved with starting riots in another country for relocating a statue or better yet when was the Tea Party ever involved in murdering a journalist in cold blood? If that were to ever happen here it would make front page news instead of being buried by the Kremlin controlled media.

As far as racism goes...the US has evolved. We have a black president if you haven't noticed and almost had a woman president. Something Russia will most never see in it's life time. Russian and Russians are leaders of the pack when it comes to racism. In fact they are so racist, that most of the Duma and Tsar Putin's siloviki henchman refused to shake hands with the president of the United States when he visited Moscow.

There are more Neo NAZI's in Russia than anywhere else in the world. How ironic. These are the same imbeciles who celebrate "Victory Day", yet get swastika's tattooed on themselves. Go figure eh. Do you know what a "Slavophille" is ekee"? If not study up more on Russians and Serbs. They are the epitome of a "Slavophille". Russian nationalism is at an all time high and it's fueled by no other than Tsar Putin himself. It's his take on Hitler and the brainwashing effect his government controlled joke of a media has on the brainwashed masses.

None of the people I know with ultra-nationalist leanings support Putin. It is more to do with a perceived loss of power/influence in the world, as well as the influx of immigrants. In Petersburg first grades, for instance, a third of the children are Uzbek/Tajik and don't speak Russian. People in Western Europe are also freaking out and being racist about the influx of immigration to their countries. With the situation in Russia more tenuous and lawlessness more prevalent in general, obviously the reaction is going to be more violent. Not that it is excusable in any way, but it makes sense from a sociological/sociocultural standpoint.

And look at LvivLover's post... Obama just seemed "suspicious." To me, the only thing he did was represent something subversive to White Male Hegemony.

I call bs right there. That's another typical Russian cop out. Several Eastern European countries that were illegally occupied by the Russians for close to five decades had no problem making the adjustment to democracy. Russians on the other hand are their own worst enemy. Russia had the chance to become a true democracy and not the twisted perverted system they have now. Russians asked for it, and they got it. It has nothing to do with being out of the "democratic loop" and all to do with the Russian mindset. Russians love a strong dictator. It gives them a hard on every time they hear about Tsar Putin humping a bear with this shirt off, or he talks sh*t about the US. They reminisce about the "good ol days" when Russia illegally occupied half of Europe and was the terror of the modern world to be feared by all hence the reason Stalin is adored right along with Lenin and Ivan the Terrible. Tsar Putin even went as far as to bring back the old Soviet National Anthem. Now if that isn't messed up I don't know what is. But Russians love their pint sized dictator for this. It shows he's a strong leader and will tell them how and when to wipe their ####### all the while protecting them from their enemies. Tsar Putin and his friends rape Russia for billions in gas and oil money just to name a few of his rackets while a lot of Russians still don't have indoor plumbing. Drive an hour or two outside of St. Petes and/or Moscow and take a good look at how those people live.

I think one of the things that you have to understand is that to Russia, democracy is a foreign input. It's not something that comes naturally or is even terribly compatible with the culture/mentality. Communism went along well with the traditional peasant "mir." But democracy is something else and you can't just switch it on one day and expect it to work. It is especially difficult in a country as natural resource-rich as Russia. This is known as the "resource curse." The only countries with a lot of oil/gas that have functioning democracies are countries like Norway and Canada where democratic institutions were in place well before natural resources were discovered. The other Eastern European countries don't have Russia's resources, and were oppressed by, and not the originator of, Russia's strong, centralized authoritative bureaucracy.

It may not be as popular now as it was in the past, but only because Tsar Putin realized he created a monster that had to be cut down to size quick like or he was going to have problems if he was ever on their sh*t list. The NASHI revere Tsar Putin as a god, but even Hitler has his "night of the long knives" and did away with the "Brown Shirts".

It's all about Dzeshava ekee. It's as old as the ROC and you can trace it back to the time before the Muscovy Khanate massacred the Rus in Novgorod. It's went by many names in the past, but its the same no matter what time and place.

Look at what ONA said.

A couple of university professors in St. Petersburg, an ex car dealer in Vladivostok, a former Estonian MP, a writer/photographer who freelances now and again for Charter 97, a former writer/poet in Vinnytsia, Ukraine who spent time in a Soviet prison, etc, etc.. Russia is always being watched and for good reason. Nobody buys into the news the Kremlin owned and controlled media spews out. Only a brainwashed idiot would do that. Best to get the news first hand by people that don't have their head up Tsar Putin's #######.

Do you think that I spend time with people who have their head up Tsar Putin's ####? And I don't have a tv and only really read Russian news to keep abreast of news/policies that might affect me, like the new abortion law back by Svetlana Medvedeva and the ROC.

I have idea why I do that.

????

[eekee 182]

The corporations are running this country along with political interest groups...imo anyways. It's like who has the most money gets their way.

It's messed up and it needs to be seriously fixed if it's not already too late for that.

On the other hand we don't know the outcome of an election a year before hand, and we don't have our journalist murdered on the street in cold blood while so called political threats are imprisoned and then get whacked while in prison.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_journalists_killed_in_Russia <---- It's wiki but the sources are at the bottom of the page and most of these names are well known to some. We have nothing comparable to this in the US...and that's only the tip of the iceberg. It gets worse..a lot worse.

I agree with you and Slim on this, that America is now run by corporations. It makes me terribly sad and just being in America raises my blood pressure because of all the stupid everywhere and all of the people who believe in propaganda. It's more offensive to me than Russia because America is MY country and also because America was founded on ideals that now are only paid lip service.

And yes, there are ###### up things about Russia, but I think America and Russia are apples and oranges and need to be evaluated separately.

[slim 1,525]

I agree with you and Slim on this, that America is now run by corporations. It makes me terribly sad and just being in America raises my blood pressure because of all the stupid everywhere and all of the people who believe in propaganda. It's more offensive to me than Russia because America is MY country and also because America was founded on ideals that now are only paid lip service.

And yes, there are ###### up things about Russia, but I think America and Russia are apples and oranges and need to be evaluated separately.

Right on.

The hypocrisy is what kills me. In Russia they simply say, "we will be do like zis." In America, we say, "well, you can do it like that but according to subsection 3(a) paragraph C line 5, you have to apply to the commission on regulatory affairs and if they approve your request you can petition the local zoning board which does allow it under section 7 subheading 4, provided you've met the other requirements. So, it is legal. Don't say you can't do it!"

[eekee 182]

Right on.

The hypocrisy is what kills me. In Russia they simply say, "we will be do like zis." In America, we say, "well, you can do it like that but according to subsection 3(a) paragraph C line 5, you have to apply to the commission on regulatory affairs and if they approve your request you can petition the local zoning board which does allow it under section 7 subheading 4, provided you've met the other requirements. So, it is legal. Don't say you can't do it!"

And if you can't do it legally, just send a couple of million dollars to the right person in Congress and they'll make it legal.

[LvivLovers 39]

And look at LvivLover's post... Obama just seemed "suspicious." To me, the only thing he did was represent something subversive to White Male Hegemony.

Eh? What?!? Sorry....I'm not up on my white male hegemony subversiveness...so maybe you can explain what you mean here?

I'm not sure what being white or male has to do with anything. I found Obama's paying lawyers more than a million dollars to hide his records and his reluctance to give proof of his citizenship when his mother had been out of the country right around the time of his birth a little weird. You don't find that suspicious at all? You think we should believe politicians when they say something without requiring proof?

Like I said...I just assumed that anyone elected President of the U.S. would have to prove his eligibility beyond any shadow of a doubt considering it's the most powerful position in the world. It's not a racial thing...I would want the same from EVERY candidate regardless of whether their behavior is suspicious or not.

So maybe I just don't know what you are trying to say...I admit...I'm a scientific type person and have very little interest in philosophy, human science, etc.

[eekee 182]

Eh? What?!? Sorry....I'm not up on my white male hegemony subversiveness...so maybe you can explain what you mean here?

I'm not sure what being white or male has to do with anything. I found Obama's paying lawyers more than a million dollars to hide his records and his reluctance to give proof of his citizenship when his mother had been out of the country right around the time of his birth a little weird. You don't find that suspicious at all? You think we should believe politicians when they say something without requiring proof?

Like I said...I just assumed that anyone elected President of the U.S. would have to prove his eligibility beyond any shadow of a doubt considering it's the most powerful position in the world. It's not a racial thing...I would want the same from EVERY candidate regardless of whether their behavior is suspicious or not.

So maybe I just don't know what you are trying to say...I admit...I'm a scientific type person and have very little interest in philosophy, human science, etc.

"Hegemony" is when one group controls a society to such an extent that it's not even questioned, basically. So the idea that, say, white males wouldn't hold basically all of most privileged positions in America and be the decision-makers is, for most people, quite frightening because the hegemonic status of the White Male is ingrained in us since birth. Herman Cain, despite his skin color, is less threatening because he is a wealthy CEO and doesn't represent a threat to the dominant power structure. He would promote the same pro-business old white dudes to his cabinet that any of the other Republican candidates would.

Nobody questioned whether George W. Bush was born in Connecticut and demanded to see his birth certificate and school records and whatnot. Nobody brought up the fact that John McCain was actually born in Panama.

(Sorry, I am writing a dissertation right now in the sociology/cultural studies sphere at the moment.)

Edited October 20, 2011 by eekee

[LvivLovers 39]

"Hegemony" is when one group controls a society to such an extent that it's not even questioned, basically. So the idea that, say, white males wouldn't hold basically all of most privileged positions in America and be the decision-makers is, for most people, quite frightening because the hegemonic status of the White Male is ingrained in us since birth. Herman Cain, despite his skin color, is less threatening because he is a wealthy CEO and doesn't represent a threat to the dominant power structure. He would promote the same pro-business old white dudes to his cabinet that any of the other Republican candidates would.

Nobody questioned whether George W. Bush was born in Connecticut and demanded to see his birth certificate and school records and whatnot. Nobody brought up the fact that John McCain was actually born in Panama.

(Sorry, I am writing a dissertation right now in the sociology/cultural studies sphere at the moment.)

Hmm...is there any place where hegemony doesn't exist? Seems like that is basically human nature to me. As far as people being afraid of a non-white male leader...I'm sure there are some cases (rednecks maybe?) but often times I think people make decisions based simply on merit and get accused of racism, sexism, etc. when that really wasn't the case. I actually don't know anyone that chooses based on race or sex, but maybe that's just the circle I'm in. I do have a tendency to lean Tea Party/Republican based on common beliefs/values but that's it and I wouldn't think that would be hegemony since Republicans/Tea Party are not solely in power in the U.S. I could be wrong but it seems pretty evenly split. I like Cain because he doesn't dodge questions when asked and has actual plans now rather than simply claiming he will fix such and such problem without having a clue how. I would consider anyone from either party/independent if I thought they were going to do something different than all the previous Presidents have done.

As far as Bush not being questioned...well...that's just common sense to me. The issue didn't arise because he was obviously American. Had their been any question to this, someone would have dug it up and brought it to the forefront. I would still have expected the proof would be shown though before he was sworn in, but maybe that's just naivety on my part.

As far as McCain, I'd want some extra scrutiny there because it seems warranted. I'd especially want proof if he was going around spending money trying to obscure his records. When people try to hide things, I'm more likely to believe they may have something to hide. I did hear about him being born in Panama by the way so it has been brought up! Vetting candidates is one thing...vetting a President before he takes office is another thing...it should be mandatory. They should be 100% sure...as in make sure the docs have not been forged or anything like that. Their whole record should be carefully scrutinized. You can't be too careful these days.

[eekee 182]

It was brought up, but not scrutinized. I would bet that a good 85% or higher of the population is unaware of that fact.

People choosing based on sex, race, etc. is not something that is conscious. And yes, hegemony is basically found in every society. Hegemony comes into play when people go, "THIS IS AMERICA--SPEAK ENGLISH," how female candidates' looks are scrutinized and how strong, powerful women are considered "bitches," how fashion magazines won't put in too many black models lest the publication be considered a "black" magazine. Too many white models won't turn a magazine into a non-mainstream publication. You can have a few black/other minorities and women in power, but not too many. That would be Threatening.

And the Tea Party is basically a tool for billionaires to continue to get what they want and to complete the conversion of America to a plutocracy. Grassroots movement my @$$.

Edited October 20, 2011 by eekee

[LvivLovers 39]

It was brought up, but not scrutinized. I would bet that a good 85% or higher of the population is unaware of that fact.

It makes sense it was not as scrutinized because he wasn't actually elected.

People choosing based on sex, race, etc. is not something that is conscious. And yes, hegemony is basically found in every society.

Yeah it's just human nature...I don't see it ever fully going away unless we are replaced by robots at some point. Maybe they would discriminate too though...probably would be an Apple looking down on a PC.

Hegemony comes into play when people go, "THIS IS AMERICA--SPEAK ENGLISH,"

I *do* think people should speak English in America if they are citizens or permanent residents! Just as I would expect to speak another language if I was in some other country. Otherwise you have a Tower of Babel chaose.

how female candidates' looks are scrutinized and how strong, powerful women are considered "bitches,"

I think they ARE often bitches just like I think many powerful men are a holes! I don't really see it as being about power as much as about attitudes. There are people that handle power gracefully and people that are dicks about it. Usually it's the latter.

how fashion magazines won't put in too many black models lest the publication be considered a "black" magazine. Too many white models won't turn a magazine into a non-mainstream publication. You can have a few black/other minorities and women in power, but not too many. That would be Threatening.

I don't read any so can't comment too much here. But I think you just have to let nature takes its course. If it's a "black" magazine I'd expect to see more...if it's for white people, you're going to have to cater more to their tastes. I mean you can't really tell someone to have a different idea of beauty...it either does it for you or it doesn't.

And the Tea Party is basically a tool for billionaires to continue to get what they want and to complete the conversion of America to a plutocracy. Grassroots movement my @$.

Have to strongly disagree here. Maybe that's how the liberal media portrays it. I'm a Tea Partier and I just want less government and less spending. I'd love to have more equality, but you can't do more than you can afford. I'm not a fan of redistributing wealth...socialism only works until you run out of other people's money. I'm not a fan of Robin Hood either. Maybe you can argue they are an unwitting tool? But then so is every other group in the world...again...it's human nature to try to use anything and everything to pursue one's goals.

I would love to see the corruption in BOTH parties dealt with. But that's why I liked Cain...in proposing a simple tax plan there is less room for politicians to bury special favors to their donors/cronies in the tax code (it's about 70,000 pages currently!). Hard to manipulate simplicity. I think from that perspective, Cain is actually more of a threat to hegemony than anyone else and one of the reasons I think so many have continued to try to dismiss him even though he's a strong front runner.

[san diego 407]

It was brought up, but not scrutinized. I would bet that a good 85% or higher of the population is unaware of that fact.

People choosing based on sex, race, etc. is not something that is conscious. And yes, hegemony is basically found in every society. Hegemony comes into play when people go, "THIS IS AMERICA--SPEAK ENGLISH," how female candidates' looks are scrutinized and how strong, powerful women are considered "bitches," how fashion magazines won't put in too many black models lest the publication be considered a "black" magazine. Too many white models won't turn a magazine into a non-mainstream publication. You can have a few black/other minorities and women in power, but not too many. That would be Threatening.

And the Tea Party is basically a tool for billionaires to continue to get what they want and to complete the conversion of America to a plutocracy. Grassroots movement my @$$.

Yes, I am a member of the Tea Party, and I completely agree with the platform! I am tired of paying taxes for god knows what. For welfare system, for so called "less fortunate members of the society". About 50% of the US population does not pay taxes at all (after all the returns). #######?? What does this mean "Less fortunate"??? The only people who are less fortunate are disabled! The rest are as fortunate! I cam to this country when I was 17 with absolutely nothing. Went to college, working 2 jobs! Then I went to grad school, got PhD, MBA, making miserable living working 2 jobs. Am I more fortunate then those lazy asses on welfare?? B--ll s--t! I deserve what I make and I am tire of paying to "less fortunate". Yes, I support Tea party! I do believe our government is way too large! Yes, I am against illegal immigration. And, yes, I do think that Russia now is a total dictatorship. What is going on there now it is not even a comedy - it is a farce. And I do believe if you come to US you have to at least try to speak English! Nor Spanish, not Russian - ENGLISH! I am truly tired of this liberal BS.