Pimp-post! Links and vids for everyones pleasure!

[kseenaa]

Have some links that have lingered around in my tabs me thinking "I should share this on LJ!" So now I do. :-) Enjoy!

Let's start with the vids!

This is just so cute, I don't even... What a wonderful little short! It's been winning awards to! And I can definitely see why...

Comments

[roseraves]

oh, and on a totally unrelated note, for those of you who enjoyed the bit about the american education system, that's practically what 50 percent of the rants on my own blog are about - and there's going to be a lot more ranting where that came from.

it's really sad but it's totally true. i don't think i know a single american who LIKES the system as it currently is, but no one with power is challenging it. it also frustrates me that the occupy movement had so much negativity surrounding it, and all the older generations were basically calling it a movement of young lazy freeloaders. my entire generation is being royally screwed over and then being blamed for it. we're "lazy" because we can't find employment or because we work crappy jobs - not because there are major flaws in the system.

[kseenaa]

It's a bit of a nervous feeling everytime I post something about the US. :-P Because I KNOW there'll be good friends who'll feel hurt becuase they are more patriotic than most. :-P

And that was what struck me the most when I worked in the US for a year. How very very patriotic everyone was! I'd never experienced that level of patriotism before, so it was a bit of a shock, let me tell you.

The lazy-card seems to be played a lot when it comes to the US Health Care system. :-/ That I have this HUGE hate for! I mean, in the US there's some of the best doc's, nurses and hospitals in the world! BUT! It's not available for most of the citizens of the US. That is very fucked up to me as a swede. :-P

[roseraves]

yeah, i know what you mean. some people take patriotism to a whole new level here. i'm personally not very patriotic. i think this country used to be great but maybe that's just because i was naive. it's definitely got lots of room for improvement - i really think we ought to take pointers from the scandinavian countries, and places like australia, new zealand, even canada.

health care is a major disappointment here in the US. the education thing affects me more right now because i am a young adult and i'm relatively healthy. and of course our prison system needs hardcore re-evaluation. there are a lot of things i'd like to see improve but not much seems to change when old white guys still hold pretty much all the power. :/

[kseenaa]

That level of patriotism just don't exist here in Sweden. Hence it was such a shock to me when I lived in the US for that year.

Sweden ain't perfect though. The current government wants to make Sweden into a mini-US when it comes to healthcare. :-/ UGH! Hopefully they'll lose the election next year. :-P We have elections for government every forth year. King has no political power, it's the government that rules. Unfortunately, the current one? Kicking on the poor, and wanting to turn Sweden to something it isn't. At least I know what to vote for next year. :-P

[roseraves]

haha, i wish i felt like my vote actually counted. i don't know how it works in Sweden but getting the majority vote doesn't mean you'll win the presidency here. If it did, Al Gore would have beat George Bush in 2000: "Al Gore had over half a million votes more than George W. Bush, with 50,992,335 votes to Bush's 50,455,156. But after recount controversy in Florida and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Bush was awarded the state by 537 popular votes. Like most states, Florida has a "winner takes all" rule. This means that the candidate who wins the state by popular vote also gets all of the state's electoral votes. Bush became president with 271 electoral votes

[kseenaa]

Here it's the majority that wins. BUT! Some political parties go in coalition with one another. Usually where they are in agreement the most.

Lately though, the neo-nazi/extremist racist party has gained a lot of ground... And that is fucking scary, let me tell you. How the HELL anyone can vote for them is mind-blowing. But there you go. They get votes. They gain power.

Hillery Clinton running for US President? That would be cool! Hey, you've had your first black president now, so maybe it's time for a female one? From what I understand Obama can't run again, can he?

[roseraves]

a coalition would be cool! we are not used to that, haha.

yeah that is really scary. we have always had those people in this country but i don't think the majority of our parties are as bad as neo-nazis at least :/ our politicians are usually just greedy or corrupt, and not totally insane. granted there certainly are psychos as well.

she hasnt said that she is running but a lot of people are speculating that she will. i hope it's time for a female! i'm always surprised when i hear a lot of people say the country isnt "ready" for a woman president, and the people that say that are often women! like, what is that supposed to mean? obama can not run any longer since he is on his second term, and no president can serve more than two terms.

if hillary does run, and if she wins, you ought to have a toast for us here in the US. i'll be celebrating :)

[kseenaa]

I am not 100% sure how US politics work, but is there even more than two parties in the US?

Here there are many many MANY political parties! And the more votes the get, the more chairs they get in the government. :-) That's a simplified way to see it, anyway. :-)

[roseraves]

there are other parties, but they don't really have a lot of people voting for them. basically when we have a presidential election the "major" candidates are republicans and democrats - anyone from a different party is just going to have a whole lot of trouble being elected. i wish it weren't that way, because a few of the other parties are legitimately cool.

that sounds like a good system to me! nothing is perfect but we really ought to have more than two opposing extremes