bjarvis: (US Capitol)
bjarvis ([personal profile] bjarvis) wrote2008-11-04 07:17 am
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Thoughts On Democracy

While I'm not eligible to vote in the US as I merely pay whopping huge taxes here but don't have citizenship, I spend my extra time nagging others to do so. If you're eligible to vote today and haven't yet done so, consider yourself nagged.

*Insert obligatory, repetitive and well-rehearsed sermon on the civic duty here.*

[livejournal.com profile] cuyahogarvr standing in line to vote without several cups of coffee first thing in the morning is the greatest threat to democracy this or any other nation has ever faced.

[livejournal.com profile] kent4str has a nasty kennel cough. I hinted he should just cough in the direction of McCain/Palin supporters but I don't think he heard me as he was busy hacking up a lung at the time.

Democracy can be a very fragile thing.

[identity profile] ciddyguy.livejournal.com 2008-11-04 03:17 pm (UTC)(link)
I voted absentee and my ballot got mailed last Wednesday but even I'm sniffly and coughing too. :-(

[identity profile] kent4str.livejournal.com 2008-11-04 03:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Luckily, the PTA at the school where we vote had coffee, so [livejournal.com profile] cuyahogarvr had plenty by the time we got to the polls.

And I coughed on all I saw.

[identity profile] weekilter.livejournal.com 2008-11-04 04:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Don't Qanadians pay "whopping big" taxes? In fact don't they pay more than USAnians? Or is it just that Qanada uses its funds more wisely (like providing health coverage for all its citizens?)

[identity profile] bjarvis.livejournal.com 2008-11-04 04:45 pm (UTC)(link)
My experience is that the real tax burden is nearly identical for each. Canada takes my money in taxes whereas the US takes lower taxes but includes tonnes of mandatory user fees, service fees, tolls, co-pays & other such accounting gymnastics. In the end, my disposable income when all levels of gov't were finished with me was about the same.

[identity profile] squalidbear.livejournal.com 2008-11-04 05:07 pm (UTC)(link)
No taxation without representation!

That used to make me sooo bitter.

[identity profile] kent4str.livejournal.com 2008-11-04 07:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Ever lived in Washington, DC? It's on the license plates now.