Non-political, political post inside

"El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!" (lightningzone)
04/24/2015 at 17:40 • Filed to: None

Have some cars.

So, I was talking with a guy from work, and he said something like “dude, if Hilary Clinton gets to be president, will Bill Clinton be like some kind of first gentleman? First man? First ladyman? Won’t he feel a bit uncomfortable, since he already was president?”.

And since the guy is a bit of jerk, and didn’t wanting to go in an argument with him, I only said that if it works for Germany, it will work for us, too.

The guy next to Angela Merkel is Joachim Sauer, Germany’s first gentleman.

He is a professor with a PhD in quantum chemistry, the fact that his wife is more famous and powerful than him, couldn’t bother him one bit.

This is Sauer with his fellow first ladies at some NATO convention.

Enjoying a meal with Michelle Obama.

And talking about science stuff.

Now back to Bill, do I think that he will have a problem with hanging around with a bunch of first ladies? Of course not, this is Bill Clinton we’re talking about, and when was the last time he was uncomfortable around women?

He isn’t uncomfortable around men, either.

If anything, he will just enter a room full of first ladies the same way, and say “hey ladies, have you seen my sax, I was the bomb back in the day”?

DISCUSSION (27)

TheHondaBro > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
04/24/2015 at 17:45

Don’t care. Plays saxophone. Is cool.

E. Julius > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
04/24/2015 at 17:53

In a slightly more serious direction, I wonder if it would be helpful or annoying having a spouse who was president before you. Sure you could ask them for advice, but they might also chime in at times that just piss you off. I guess it’d probably be a little bit of both. I’m sure at this point they’ve figured out how to live with their careers, but the bedtime conversation between two presidents would probably be pretty interesting.

E. Julius > TheHondaBro
04/24/2015 at 17:58

I wonder how many saxophone players have had control over nuclear weapons.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
04/24/2015 at 17:59

I think he’ll manage just fine.

More serious note though, I’m sure I won’t agree with Hillary on everything, but I think it’d be bloody fantastic if the US got a female president.

f86sabre > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
04/24/2015 at 18:02

For him it would probably be pretty cool. Gets all the trapping of being Pres, but few of the headaches. Plus interns! (I kid, mostly)

The flip side is living in the fishbowl again. Bill has done pretty well for him self and the causes he supports after getting out. It is amazing to see how these Presidents relax when the get out of office. He and the others have done some good things too.

Sam > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
04/24/2015 at 18:11

I’m genuinely interested in what we’ll call a female President’s husband. Eventually it’s going to happen. Maybe not with Hillary (I’m a lib and I’m not a huge fan of her), but eventually there will be a female President.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
04/24/2015 at 18:18

Our choices this time round aren't really all that great. I don't really like Hillary that much. She might do just fine, but there is just something about her that makes me uneasy.

On the other side you have a herd of obnoxious wackodoodles who have zero idea how the world actually works, or they pretend not to know because they think it will help them win. None of these assholes should ever be allowed to hold that office.

So I guess I'll sit this one like I have for the last decade. We're basically fucked either way anyway.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > E. Julius
04/24/2015 at 19:02

Pretty sure that they’re like the Underwoods. It’s just a power play for both of them.

E. Julius > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
04/24/2015 at 19:20

*vaguely understanding that you’re referencing House of Cards*

E. Julius > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
04/24/2015 at 19:21

This also just reminded of the cover story a prominent magazine here in France ran a couple weeks ago that claimed Chelsea was the real power guiding the Clinton family.

DerW220 > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
04/24/2015 at 19:24

No one should consider it. Voting for a criminal who has had literally ZERO accomplishments in any realm of her life before now is idiotic. That’s what Hillary is.

DerW220 > Sam
04/24/2015 at 19:28

Voting for any political office-holder solely based on gender (or any other general feature) without considering merits is absurd. In Hillary’s case she has had literally no accomplishments in her life.

El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
04/24/2015 at 19:37

Have you see the other team? They make Ming the Merciless seem like a reasonable guy.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
04/24/2015 at 19:42

As a kinda (well VERY) left wing european I’ve never really liked the republicans anyway, but no I have not paid them that much attention this time if I’m honest.. Bunch of gay bashing, gun-toting, god fearing laissez-faire capitalists as usual I presume.

El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
04/24/2015 at 19:45

Voting is a civic duty, even if you don’t like the candidates, it’s better if the corporations are people, nuts don’t get the White House.

El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
04/24/2015 at 19:54

You can check my post from yesterday. At lest John McCain had a little sense in him, but they attached the dead weight called Sarah Palin on him. Next year’s candidates? The worst bunch in many, many years.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
04/24/2015 at 20:00

Yeah. I read it now, just as I thought. But The republican party can never be what most european conservatives are though, The democrats already fill that role..

El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
04/24/2015 at 20:11

If the Republicans become less crazy, democrats will be able to move further left, and take care of real issues, instead of making sure the crazy party doesn’t wipe its ass with the human rights.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
04/24/2015 at 20:19

Absolutely true. I just find it hard to discuss politics with americans. In the US I’d be so far left I’d probably be seen as an enemy of the state. Yes I am far left, even in Norway (I’m running for second place in the local election here in my town in fact, and the party is pretty much as far left as it gets here).

BUT, I love cars and I can’t quite see how banning cars would make a difference to the environment, shutting down coal/oil plants though.. THAT would make a difference, but I do understand that you can’t really depend on hydroelectric power in a desert and stuff :P

And I think that everyone should be considered equal, you should have the same rights when it comes to education, healthcare and all that.. you shouldn’t be able to have a nice career just because your parents have money money money.

I’m rambling now, high fever and such.. sorry ‘bout that.

My speed3 is happy > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
04/24/2015 at 20:34

This is a great post. I never really though of Germany’s first gentleman. But now I’ve learned more about him. “PhD in quantum chemistry” sounds badass.

Thanks!

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
04/24/2015 at 20:37

I agree completely. However, when the choices are shit, and utter shit, I tend to just say Fuck it, I'm out.

And, we really are fucked regardless of who is elected President. We've passed the point where the American public at large can actually fix anything. The FCC Title II and Comcast withdrawing their merger are aberrations. The typical American isn't even paying attention to the important issues we're facing right now; Governmental spying overreach, the need to completely rebuild our infrastructure, skyrocketing healthcare costs due to corporate greed, corporate takeover of our entire Government, the alarming militarization of our police, etc. Far too many are more concerned some people are gay and want to marry and be treated like everyone- I mean like white, male, hetero people are.

Compared to the writhing, screaming fringes, those of us in the middle who want to just get along and mind our own business are ignored completely because there is no incentive for us to vote. Our voices aren't heard among the piles of money and shouting from the bleachers. Most of the middle is just trying to make ends meet on the meager income our corporate overlords see fit to bestow upon us.

So, yeah, I get that I'm supposed to vote. But, really, why the fuck should I when it doesn't really matter anyway.

El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! > Sam
04/24/2015 at 20:44

Unfortunately we have a bi-polar political system, and in such systems you can vote for your team, even if you don’t like the captain. Or vote for team bully.

El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
04/24/2015 at 21:34

The typical American can’t name the 3 branches of government. Or 10 presidents in chronological order.

Look, I know it’s hard to move when you feel it’s in vain, but if we don’t move, we let those who want to give more power to corporations win. They vote, and they vote for those who want to take away more civil liberties, more money from the budget and laugh in our faces while doing it.

Last week, the republican Congress, voted to completely erase the inheritance tax, favoring 5000 rich people who were supposed to pay about 20 billion dollars. If Congress wasn’t dominated by republicans, maybe such thing would’ve never passed and those 20 billion could’ve went to the infrastructure you mentioned, or to education. So you see, voting does matter.

Of course we need to take money and lobbying out of politics and to get rid of Citizens United, but we can’t do that by not voting.

Kinja'd!!!

When I had an attitude similar to yours, I started to think that voting is like buying lottery tickets, you probably not gonna win, but it’s possible that you do. After that, I just went with the flow, and automatically vote for the person who has ideas closer to mine, rather than the person itself. Maybe some of those ideas will make it.

pip bip - choose Corrour > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
04/24/2015 at 21:37

well it worked for former Australian PM Julia Gillard and her partner Tim.

so why not the USA?

El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! > My speed3 is happy
04/24/2015 at 21:45

Germany came a long way since the times of the Kaiser. Too bad they had to go through a lot to get here.

El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! > pip bip - choose Corrour
04/24/2015 at 22:01

And what’s his title?

pip bip - choose Corrour > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
04/24/2015 at 22:03

he was referred to as first bloke.