[HPFGU-OTChatter] Talking of losing perspective ....

[Kathryn]

K wrote:
 
< The Secret Service says that they had
to investigate
because it's their job to investigate
all threats to the President.>
 
Saitana

Which has been true since the Secret
Service was drafted to protect the
president (not their first job by the
way).  Growing up in America it was
drilled into us, well, my generation at
least, that if you're going to talk bad
about the President, DO NOT make
threats against his or her life in
public where other can hear you, or you
will find yourself quickly receiving a
visit from them.
 

K

I wasn't disagreeing with their mandate so much as their definition of
threat, which in this case would coincide with most reasonable people's
definition of joke. Or at least would in the UK, I know you Americans are a
tad bit more sensitive on these matters, but seriously if that were to be
the worse thing anyone said about Blair this week (hell this hour!) he'd
probably consider it to be cause for celebration.

I sort of understand the idea of respecting the office if not the person but
it's very difficult to respect the office of President/Prime Minister/insert
your leader of choice here when the idiots who make up most of the
electorate (ie anyone foolish enough to hold a different opinion to me
<joke>) have a tendency to occasionally/frequently/all the darn time (delete
as appropriate dependent on your level of cynicism) elect complete
idiots/crooks/cynical manipulators (again delete as applies to your
particular leader of choice).

I still can't understand how the UK election ended the way it did but then
since we had a choice between the political equivalent of  cheshire cat (I
swear that grin remains behind long after he's left), an overgrown vampire
bat and that wee red man with the cute baby I guess I shouldn't be surprised


K
*Screaming Lord Sutch for PM!* 

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