conspiracy theories....

[Meh]

Goodwin>

You can't just cut my sentences in half and blow them out of proportion.
That's not fair.

But to answer your question, we in Sweden aren't incredibly smart or holding some key to the truth, but in general I would say that we know alot more about what goes on in our country and around the world compare to the average American.
Americans usuallt score very low on tests regarding international questions, while Swedes tend to be amongst the top.
That of course depends a lot on Sweden being so small and that the living standard here is high, but the reasons are not point in this...

Patriotic....

I mean that you are so proud of your country that you would rather turn a blind eye than admitting to yourself that the American way isn't always the best.
(and the you part is of course a generalization)

What is the solution?

To let them have a fair trial instead of breaking them down.
The main reason for the invented term "illegal combatant" was that in a civil court you would have to release many of them in lack of evidence, and they would have the right to legal council.
But you seem to think that they must all be guilty of terrorism just because they fought for the other side...

Didn't mean to cut your stuff up and "blow it out of proportion". I was just asking.

Now do international questions count say France? New York is another state. It is not international. If the test was non-contental knowledge than that's a different story.

AN in your genralization may I point out that your gernalizing. That is the issue I take. Your assuming that almost all American fit your generalization.

Where would the fair trial be? My belief on how it should be termed is. They are POWs unclaimed by and state, the war is not over. Since the other side is not a state, the war can never be over. That is the problem when you fight on the stateless side. There is no one to surrender.

Note: I am not addressing Iraq just trying to figure out some others things. I am also not addressing RK's postion. While I do not agree, I am familiar enough with it not to require clarification. The neighboorhood is filled with flag waving right wingers. If I need that info I can just open up the window and yell out to the street. Not many Sweds to ask questions of here.

[Pirog]

"Now do international questions count say France?"

Um...I'll post another link.
This board is very slow for me for some reason, there is a huge delay from when I press the keboard and the actual text pops up.

This is just an example:
http://www.cnn.com/2002/EDUCATION/11/20/geography.quiz/

I found it kind of funny, but actually it's pretty scary.

[rklenseth]

heheheheheheh you're such a Republican......^_^;;;

Goes to show how much you know about me and my ideals. I'm Conservative but I'm definitely not Republican and furthermore, I am an Independent who is against the two party system and is totally for Washington's ideals.

[Meh]

So, yes, I am totally against a socialistic society...

First of all.
A socialistic country is a communistic country. I presume that the word socialism has the same meaning in Sweden as it has in America.

Secondly, if I would guess that you live in a family with a stable economy, where most of your friends are white or at least Americans since a couple of generations back, would I be hitting anywhere near the truth?
It is easy to call uneducated, unemployed immigrants lazy, but before you do that perhaps you should think about why they are in that position.
If they could trade places with you I bet they would have lept at the oppurtunity...

socialistic - like socialism

Basically the reference is left from "here". Here being USA.

You are reading as socialist of totally left or left from you.

State funded insitutions seem socialistic when seen from America where very little is state funded. That is not to say that state funding is socialism.

[Pirog]

Where would the fair trial be?

Well, that's a problem indeed...but anywhere seems better than sticking them in a concentration camp.
Still, many of the captives were and are claimed, like the Swedish taliban I mentioned earlier.

Calling them "illegal combatants" and stripping them of human rights just because they fight for a side who can't even afford uniforms is to me as horrible as the nazis treated the jews.

Oh, and again, sorry for generalising.

[Meh]

how on earth can you find time to post such long posts????

like I said. I am repeadily pummling both their chracters while they are looking.

[kroner]

heheheheheheh you're such a Republican......^_^;;;

Goes to show how much you know about me and my ideals. I'm Conservative but I'm definitely not Republican and furthermore, I am an Independent who is against the two party system and is totally for Washington's ideals.

you can call it whatever you want....

[Meh]

and back to the topic (again)
cantr is really just a one player game and all the other players but me are just a highly sophisticated sentient AI.... including all you "people" on the forums! stop messing with my head, you evil computer.. thing!!!

I'd call this one #1 on the list now...

[Pirog]

Goodwin>

socialistic - like socialism
Basically the reference is left from "here". Here being USA.

Oh, in Sweden the term socialism is the communistic way.
I got laughed at by a communist I talked to, when I said I didn't like communism but liked socialism

[Pirog]

like I said. I am repeadily pummling both their chracters while they are looking.

[Meh]

But that is what it sounds like to me when you keep claiming that Swedes are smarter than Americans and are better educated.

Smarter as in more intelligent, no.
Better deucated, yes. In general.
Because of our socialistic ways, where everyone gets the chance to get an education, the Swedes are better educated in general.

This I heard is true. However it has no bearing on objectivity or the lack thereof. Only if the educational level was truly substandard would it come into play. American are educated enough to be skeptical.

Also I have heard that in the top 10% of scores. The scores are statically even. Considering that it is only the top 10% that need to be that highly educated having more is just like having more spoons than you need.

Everyone should have the oppritnity to be educated to the point that makes them prosperous. Remember that the top 10% of the educated and the top 10% of the wealthy are almost mutally exclusive.

[Meh]

rklenseth>

What do you think about Michel Moore?
I just have to ask

Dennis Moore? Wasn't he the lupin guy?

[Pirog]

Goodwin>

American are educated enough to be skeptical.

I would say many aren't.
The same goes for Sweden, but to a less degree. (for many reasons, one being we are a small country so it is easier to follow the political decisions and so on.)

Without proper education I don't think people have the foundation to even be interested enough in politics and other matters, and thus see no real need to question them.

And in USA many things are organized so that people feel alianated from the politicians, like for example the elector system. (I don't know if it has another name in USA.)
I would think that amount of people taking interest and joining the elections would rise a lot if you had a more direct democracy.

Now it spun off a bit from the subject, but the point I'm trying to make is that when people start to feel they aren't part of the decisions they tend to lose interest in politics, and then they don't really care to view the news in a critical way.

In Sweden we recently had an election about joining the EMU project and letting a central bank in another country gain power over our economy.
(In my eyes EMU is a shady project trying to build a United States of Europe, and I really don't want to see that.)
All the major political parties in Sweden asked their voters to vote yes for joining, only the green party (environment) and the left party (a form of democratic communists) asked people to vote no.

So about 90 % of the political parties was for a yes in the election, and still the no side won a huge victory.
About 82 % of the Swedish people voted.

The state funded media (that rklenseth claims must be in control of the government) made an excellent presentation of arguments for both sides during the campaign and made very sure that people of all ages and educational levels would be able to follow the campaign.

In USA I don't even think the politicians would have held an election.

[new.vogue.nightmare]

In USA I don't even think the politicians would have held an election.

Peobably not.

[Meh]

Pirog>

Don't confuse apathy with skepticism.
Americans generally apathetic? Yes.
Americans not educated enough to be skeptical? No.

You can't educate the apathy out of people.

Actaully the more I think about it education level has none to do with skeptism. Paranoia is independent.

It would seem that improved levels of overall education combined with not enough apathy lead to higher concentrations of fringe groups.

The opposite of an apathist is a fanatic.

*flag waves in a visibly apatheic way* "Hurrah for our side. Whatever."

On the EU thing. It is trying to make a large state like the USA but don't worry it won't be like the USA. Too many Europeans in it. Large and small states both have thier plusses and minuses. I would argue one way or the other but the combination is envitable.

*flag waves in a visibly apatheic way* "Hurrah for your side. Whatever."