<r>With the elections in the USA of just over a month ago still a recent event, I am curious as to the hysteria in some sections of American society about socialism / communism? I've seen on Facebook on the official White House page all manner of bizarre discussions between people and just people ...

<t>Personally - and I am of course just one of millions of people - I have mixed feelings about all of this. Yes, it's good to hold the governments of countries to account and so they should be but like this? I thought secrecy and confidentiality was one of the key features of diplomacy. Sure, there ...

I should have added not just individual politicians but governments as well, like the post-1945 Attlee govt in the UK which introduced the National Health Service or Roosevelt in 1930s USA and what he did for the less fortunate in society

<t>I was just thinking, what are example of politicians that are good at serving the people who put them where they are, instead of serving themselves? I thought of it when I saw the name of an internet site here in the UK, something like "theyworkforyou.com" (don't know for sure). <br/>
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Here ...

<t>I haven't replied as I haven't really been on here all that long since making the original post, but here is some background.<br/>
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I am 33 as said, male, and live near London, England.<br/>
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I had a happy time at primary school (elementary school in the USA?) and a miserable time at ...

Is that somehow "abnormal"? Does there come a point when you have missed the boat for ever, so to speak, and you might as well accept you will never find anyone and are destined to face a life alone?

<t>It sounds cliched but if you leave aside the history aspect of it, I think heroes on a day-to-day basis are people like doctors, nurses, teachers, many people in the public sector that ensure a country functions properly. In hard times, they come in for a lot of stick from the government when cut ...

<t>Maybe this has been asked before, I don't know, but was just wondering what the position should be of the UK towards the European Union and the USA? <br/>
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Under Tony Blair, there was a very, very close relationship with the USA, even slavishly so it could be said. This seemed less so under ...

<t>I have never entirely disbelieved the whole religion thing and neither have I ever embraced it fully. So, more or less "sitting on the fence" you could say.<br/>
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What puts me off it in a way is this idea that only those who give themselves to Jesus Christ will go to Heaven. Maybe I am ...

<t>I think Gorbachev would qualify as a modern-day hero, of mine at least. He accomplished so much and at least we don't have the threat of MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction) hanging over us (even if that has been replaced by other threats) and millions of people in Eastern Europe are now free and ...

Now that Holland are in the final and will be playing either Germany or Spain, can Germany be beaten at all? They have been playing seriously good football (soccer) with a young, vibrant side and seem to steamroller over their oponents.

<t>Clodhopper;1320679 wrote: An interesting question! Are you talking about eg White Supremacist groups, the hard religious right, or ordinary people losing faith in the Constitution?<br/>
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I think it's just that it's the opinion that you get when you sometimes see the news. It seems ...

By "dissident minority" I mean against more or less anything the government does, sees the government as "evil" and wants to do its own thing as much as possible if not always.

Have you ever moved to a new town or city where you knew no-one at all and basically had to start again from scratch? How did you do it? How did you get to know people, what are particularly successful ways without having to spend too much money when you're on a small salary in any case?

<t>Bullying can be very damaging and may well lead to problems later in life if particularly severe. It doesn't have to involve physical violence. Being for example ignored or made fun of can be just as damaging. I speak from abundant personal experience. Every school and indeed work place should ...