GOVERNMENT, POLITICS & POLITICIANS IN USA, EUROPE,CANADA AND OTHER COUNTRIES

[pocahonta]

This thread is open for all who lives abroad and in the Philippines. If you want to join in and talk about your country’s government, politicians and matters relating to the economic, social & political conditions of the country you are living in.
Feel free to voice your opinion about your own country. Tell us if you are happy, contented with your govt. or if you are unhappy because of the poor economic conditions & corruptions in your land. Anything goes here……you may post any news articles related to this topic……………Thank you all….

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I WILL START THE BALL ROLLING………..

HERE IS A NEWS ABOUT OBAMA MEETING ALL THE LIVING US PRESIDENTS IN THE WHITE HOUSE TODAY JANUARY 7, 2009.…….This is sort of historical event because living Presidents hardly get together unless there is a death of a former President where they usually attend the funeral for formality. AND for the first time, USA has an elected an AFRICAN-AMERICAN ( or Black American ) to be the new President of the USA. After more than 300 years of white dominance, Obama is the first black man to be President.

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from left, George H.W. Bush SR , Obama, George W Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter.
President-elect Barack Obama is welcomed by President George W. Bush for a luncheon meeting at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009, with former presidents. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)


Obama hails 'extraordinary' moment with all living US Presidents
By BEN FELLER, Associated Press 1-07-09


WASHINGTON – Confronting a grim economy and a Middle East on fire, Barack Obama turned Wednesday to perhaps the only people on the planet who understand what he's in for: the four living members of the U.S. presidents' club. In an image bound to go down in history, every living U.S. president came together at the White House on Wednesday to hash over the world's challenges with the president-elect. There they stood, shoulder-to-shoulder in the Oval Office: George H.W. Bush, Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.

"This is an extraordinary gathering," Obama said, looking plenty at ease in the humbling office that will soon be his.

All the gentlemen here understand both the pressures and possibilities of this office," Obama said. "And for me to have the opportunity to get advice, good counsel and fellowship with these individuals is extraordinary. And I'm very grateful to all of them."


Incoming Pres. Elect Obama and Outgoing President George Bush


"All of us who have served in this office understand that the office transcends the individual," Bush said as Obama nodded in thanks. "And we wish you all the very best. And so does the country."
It was a moment of statesmanship that tends to happen when presidents get together, no matter how bitter their previous rivalries.

Without offering any specifics, Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs said all the presidents "had helpful advice on managing the office as well as thoughts on the critical issues facing the country right now. The president-elect is anxious to stay in touch with all of them in the coming years."

"One message that I have, and I think we all share, is that we want you to succeed," Bush added, a beaming Clinton at his other side. "Whether we're Democrat or Republican, we care deeply about this country."

"I just want to thank the president for hosting us," Obama said. When a reporter asked Obama what he could learn from the mistakes of the four presidents surrounding him, he smiled and said he planned to learn from their successes.

[pocahonta]

NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW


IN USA…..the Law or the Constitution states that NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW and that includes the President of the USA. There is a check and balance of Power between the 3 branches of government. This will prevent each branch to have ABSOLUTE POWER. This is how Democracy works in a free society.

US POLITICIANS ARE NOT IMMUNE TO PUNISHMENT. There has been a list of dirty politicians already jailed and put out of power. Since the time of George Washington , corrupt politicians are thrown out of office, fined and jailed.
American Politicians are all aware what will happen to them if they become corrupt in office….So MOST US politicians , about 95 % are Honest and the other 5 % are Corrupt. There are hundreds of convicted politicians sent to jail for years now.

GREED AND POWER are the reasons why a politician becomes corrupt. They use their position to get rich. Being bribed with millions of dollars from people who are asking Favors in return for their money is a great temptation for someone to become corrupt in office.


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RECENT POLITICAL SCANDAL IN USA
Dirty politicians caught on video tape, recordings, wire taps by the FBI



Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich free on $4,500 bail after arrest
(CNN) --12-09-08
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich appeared in court Tuesday afternoon to hear federal corruption charges against him. He was released on $4,500 bail.The Democratic governor, who appeared in court in a blue jogging suit, also had to forfeit his passport.
In a 76-page affidavit, federal authorities said wiretaps caught Blagojevich conspiring to sell or trade the vacant Senate seat in exchange for financial benefits for himself and his wife, Patti.
Mr Blagojevich was arrested on December 9 by the FBI on a variety of corruption charges. He is accused of trying to sell Mr Obama’s seat to the highest bidder, and federal prosecutors say they have wiretap recordings of the governor declaring, among other things, that “I’m not giving it up for f****** nothing”.




ROD SAYS CHICAGO IS OUT OF CONTROL…..HE PROMISE TO CLEAN UP THE CITY………..WHAT A JOKE……..THE CITY AND STATE HAS TO GET RID OF HIM BECAUSE HE IS SO CORRUPT……..HEHEHEHE.
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Illinois Lawmakers May Impeach Blagojevich Next Week
By Joe Carroll
Jan. 2 (Bloomberg) -- The Illinois House of Representatives may vote as soon as next week to impeach Governor Rod Blagojevich after his arrest on accusations he tried to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s vacant U.S. Senate seat.
House Speaker Michael Madigan told legislators today to convene in the state capital of Springfield by Jan. 7, according to an e-mailed statement from his office. The 118-member House would vote on any recommendation from an impeachment panel created after Blagojevich’s Dec. 9 arrest on corruption charges.

A vote to impeach by the full House would be followed by a trial in the Illinois Senate to decide whether to remove Blagojevich, 52, from office. State senators plan to meet on Jan. 5 in Chicago to establish rules and procedures for conducting such a proceeding.


Gov. Blagojevich, Senator Obama & Mayor Daley

Blagojevich would be the first governor impeached in the 190-year history of the state. He is the fourth out of the past seven governors to be arrested. His predecessor, Republican Governor George Ryan, is serving a 6 1/2-year sentence in federal prison for corruption.

Blagojevich, a former prosecutor twice elected governor of the fifth-most-populous U.S. state, was accused by federal agents of attempting to auction Obama’s Senate post for as much as $1.5 million, an ambassadorship, a Cabinet appointment or a job running a non-profit institution.

[pocahonta]

The State of Illinois has been branded the one MOST CORRUPT State in the USA.

This is the State famous for the home of the CHICAGO ITALIAN MOB in the early 1920.’s….The famous Italian Gangsters like AL CAPONE, JOHN DILINGER , JOHN TORIO live in the state of Illinois ( Chicago ) and they have great influence on the politicians and law enforcement agencies during that Era. ….They bribed them with money so they get away with their wrong doings in the city of Chicago. The corrupt politicians during the 1900’s were in the payroll of the Chicago Gangsters.
This story about the MOB has been depicted in Hollywood movies all the time. Capone has been the subject of numerous articles, books, and films. Movies like Al Capone, Scarface, American Gangsters, The GodFather, The Untouchables, Rocky II, The Mapia & others.


The Untouchables is a 1987 crime drama film based on the 1959 television series, and follows Eliot Ness's autobiographical account of his efforts to bring gangster Al Capone to justice during the Prohibition era. It was directed by Brian De Palma and adapted by David Mamet, and stars Kevin Costner as Ness, Sean Connery as Irish-American beat cop Jim Malone, and Robert De Niro as Capone.
Connery received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film.
This is the BIG movie BREAK that made Kevin Costner a super star..
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Al Capone's mug shot, 1931

AL CAPONE alias ‘’ SCARFACE” (is Al’s famous nickname )

Al Capone is America's best known gangster and the single greatest symbol of the collapse of law and order in the United States during the 1920s Prohibition era. Capone had a leading role in the illegal activities that lent Chicago its reputation as a lawless city. Attempts on Capone's life were never successful. He had an extensive spy network in Chicago, from newspaper boys to policemen, so that any plots were quickly discovered. Capone, on the other hand, was skillful at isolating and killing his enemies when they became too powerful.Sometimes he simply bribed public officials and the police as in Cicero

In 1930, at the peak of his power, Capone headed Chicago's new list of the twenty-eight worst criminals and became the city's "Public Enemy Number One."

In May 1932, Capone was sent to Atlanta, the toughest of the federal prisons, to begin his eleven-year sentence.Because word spread that Capone had taken over in Atlanta, he was sent to Alcatraz.He was finally released on November 16, 1939,On January 21, 1947, he had an apoplectic stoke that was probably unrelated to his syphilis. Capone was first buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chicago's far South Side



The corrupt Mayor of Chicago 1927 William Thompson is a good friend of Al Capone. William Hale Thompson (May 14, 1869 – March 19, 1944) was mayor of Chicago from 1915 to 1923 and again from 1927 to 1931. In 1927, Al Capone's financial support allowed Thompson to return to the mayor's office.


REF: CHICAGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY HOME PAGE WEBSITE



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NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW ( based on the Constitution of the USA )

Representatives, Senators, Mayors, Governnors, Vice President , President and other govt. positions are all subject to court trial, punishment of jail time & fines IF they are caught & tried in court for graft and corruptions.

Here are the names of corrupt Governors in the State of Illinois who ended up in prison for corruption in office


1.. Governor Otto Kerner Jr (D) ------Otto Kerner, Jr. (August 15, 1908 – May 9, 1976) was Democratic governor of Illinois from 1961 to 1968. Kerner resigned as governor on May 20, 1968 to become a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Kerner was convicted on 17 counts of bribery, conspiracy, perjury, and related charges.[1] He was sentenced to three years in federal prison in Chicago and fined $50,000. Faced with almost certain impeachment, he resigned his position on the federal bench on July 22, 1974. Kerner was released early from prison when it was determined that he was suffering from terminal cancer. Kerner died in Chicago on May 9, 1976



2. . Republican Governor of Illinois, George Ryan, is serving a 6 1/2-year sentence in federal prison for corruption. Ryan entered federal prison on November 7, 2007, to begin serving a sentence of six years and six months. As of December 10, 2008, he is housed at the satellite prison camp adjacent to the Federal Correctional Institution in Terre Haute, Indiana.



3. Illinois former Governor Daniel Walker (D-IL) convicted (1987) of wrongdoing in connection with Savings & Loan and sentenced to federal penitentiary . He was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, and served 18 months at a Duluth, Minnesota correctional facility

REF: CHICAGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY WEBSITE

PS:

The current governor of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich MIGHT SOON BE JOINING IN THE LIST OF GOVERNORS FROM ILLINOIS TO BE JAILED. He was arrested & booked in court on 12-9-08 for corruption charges by the FBI…….Awaiting court trial and Impeachment hearing. Still Free on Bail. IF convicted, he will the 4th Gov.of IL to be jailed...

[pocahonta]

Transparency International -- (TI) is an international non-governmental organization addressing corruption. This includes, but is not limited to, political corruption. It is widely known for producing its annual Corruptions Perceptions Index (see below), a comparative listing of corruption worldwide. The international headquarters is located in Berlin, Germany.

Corruption Perceptions Index or CPI
Since 1995, Transparency International has published an annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)[1] ordering the countries of the world according to "the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians".[2]

CORRUPTION -- is "the abuse of entrusted power for private gain

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The World’s Most Corrupt Countries*
Posted October 14, 2008 by US News & World Reports
Somalia
Myanmar
Iraq
Haiti
Afghanistan
Pakistan
Uzbekistan:
Tonga:
Sudan:
Chad:
Laos:
*Measured by Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)

Somalia -- most corrupt country in the world, the poorest nation & most dangerous place to live.
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The World’s Least corrupt countries and CPI score
Source: US News & World Reports
Denmark: =======Finland =====New Zealand:-
Singapore: ======Sweden======Iceland:
Netherlands=====Switzerland: ====Canada:


Toronto, Canada --- least corrupt country in the world

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The Most Corrupt countries in ASIA
Rankings -------Score of 10 As the Worst
Source: Measured by Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) And US News & World Reports
1. Philippines -----9.40
2. Indonesia -------8.03
3. Thailand --------8.03
4. Vietnam ---------7.54
5. India -------------6.67
6. Korea -----------6.30
7. China ----------- 6.29
8. Malaysia --------6.25
9. Taiwan ---------6.23


Manila Philippines -- was listed no. 1 most corrupt country in Asia two years in a row now.
It is embarrasing to read that your own country is the most corrupt economy & most corrupt government in Asia.......Corruption is a Way of Life in the Philippines. There is no quick solution on how to get rid of Corruption in our Society.......BUT one good thing about the Philippines is, it is NOT in the list of the Poorest Country in the World.

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Philippines More Corrupt Than Indonesia
March 13 (Bloomberg News ) -- The Philippines is perceived as Asia's most corrupt economy, according to a poll by Political and Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd., with Indonesia improving its standing after being ranked worst for five years in a row.
Thailand and Indonesia were seen as the second most corrupt nations,
The Philippines has the distinction of being perceived in the worst light this year,'' PERC said in the statement. ``It is bad and has been bad all along. People are just growing tired of the inaction and insincerity of leading officials when they promise to fight corruption.''
The Philippines, whose corruption score posted the steepest rise, has been getting the least amount of foreign direct investments and lower foreign capital flows to its stock market compared with Indonesia and Thailand, PERC said.
The Philippines got a score of 9.40 from 7.80 last year in the poll, which has a grading system of zero as the best possible score, and 10 as the worst.

1. Philippine--- (9.40 ) -- highest score as the worst country in Asia
Expatriate businessmen in Asia perceive the Philippines as the most corrupt country in the region. Nearly $2 billion dollars, or roughly 13 percent of the Philippines' annual budget, is lost to corruption in the country each year, according to the United Nations Development Program.
Its judicial system is believed to be ineffective at prosecuting and punishing individuals for corruption when abuses are uncovered. Local corruption monitors confirm that graft and bribery in the Philippines remain rampant. Corruption has penetrated every level of government, from the Bureau of Customs down to the traffic police officers who pull over motorists to demand bribes.

2.Indonesia ------- ( 8.03 )
Not only on Asia's top 10 list, Indonesia has also been categorized as the number 5 of the 96 most corrupt nations in the world. In the past two years, Indonesia has lost more than $2bn due to corruption.


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Top 50: the most stable and prosperous countries in the world
March 25, 2008 ---source: The Times
A one-year investigation and analysis of 235 countries by Jane's Information Services has put the UK joint seventh in the premier league of nations with the US at 22nd and Switzerland, normally associated with wealth and untouchable stability, is rated 17th.


Melbourne Australia

1 Vatican============= 2 Sweden
3 Luxembourg ======== 4 Monaco
5 Gibraltar ============= 6 San Marino
7 Liechtenstein =========== 8 UK
9 Netherlands =========== 10 Ireland
11 New Zealand ========== 12 Denmark
13 Austria =============== 14 Andorra
15 Germany ============== 16 Iceland
17 Switzerland =========== 18 Portugal
19 Australia ============20 Norway
21 Malta =============== 22 France
23 Canada =============== 24 USA
25 Belgium ===============26 Spain
27 Italy ================== 28 Japan
29 Finland ================= 30 Czech Rep
31 Samoa ==================32 Falkland Islands
33 Singapore============== 34 Guam
35 Slovakia ================ 36 Anguilla
37 Cyprus ===================== 38 Qatar
39 Montserrat ===============40 Costa Rica
41 Greece ================== 42 St Pierre and Miq
43 UAE ==================== 44 Cayman Islands
45 American Samoa ============== 46 Virgin Islands (UK)
47 Poland ======================== 48 St Lucia
49 Oman ============ 50 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

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THE 10 POOREST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD
Sierra Leone
Tanzania
Burundi
Malawi
Ethiopia
Niger
Guinea-Bissau
Dem. Rep. Congo
Mali
Congo


Sierra Leone -- African children -- poorest country
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[pocahonta]

January 20,2009 ------- Presidential History in USA


Barack Obama is the 44th President of USA & the First African American to be President of the Most Powerful Country in the World.

President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address
The following is a transcript of President Barack Obama's Jan. 20 inaugural address. ---FOXNews.com---Tuesday, January 20, 2009

My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

Click here to read the full contents of the speech
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/...s/100days/

[pocahonta]

This is old news....but worth reading.....I am late in posting this article 'cause I am away for a while ( busy lang sa work ).

Finally the arrogant governor of Illinois was impeached by the Illinois Congress due to corruption and abuse of power while in office.



Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich made more history Friday by becoming the first governor in the state's history of Illinois —and only among a handful in the Nation—to be impeached. He is the 4th governor of Illinois to be thrown out of office. He is still waiting for another Criminal trial.....this time, if convicted he could go to jail. The other 3 former Governors were all sent to jail.

New Illinois gov. says he's ready to get to work
Embattled governor thrown out of office after arrest on corruption charges
msnbc.com news services
updated 6:41 a.m. PT, Fri., Jan. 30, 2009
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Now that Rod Blagojevich's scandal-ridden tenure as governor is over, the new Gov. Pat Quinn said Friday he's ready to get to work and "mend the flaws" in state government.

"This is a time for governance and reform. Politics — we can do that next year," Quinn told WLS Radio's "The Don and Roma Morning Show."


The new governor of IL --- Pat Quinn. He was the Lt.Governor of IL & automatically became the Governor after Blago was impeached.

The 60-year-old Democrat was elevated to Illinois' chief executive on Thursday when the Illinois Senate voted 59-0 to convict Blagojevich of abuse of power, automatically ousting the second-term Democrat. In a second, identical vote, lawmakers further barred Blagojevich from ever holding public office in the state again.

[d_palapuz]

I kinda don't like the gov't here in Manitoba/Winnipeg..

Whenever Winnipegers go for a rally in front of the City Hall, nothing happens..
It's like a joke to them..
Last September, all of University/College Students here in Winnipeg went for a Strike due to upcoming increase of tuition fees for more than thousands within 2 years..
But they did not do anything..
I had to pay over $4,000 this whole school year for University, including books, etc..

This time, its the Bus Fares..
Its bad enough that the students, especially University/College students had to take the transit buses to go to school since gases are so high..
Instead of improving the transit system, they raised the income of each transit drivers even more, now that they receive more than their usual income per hour..

I mean, there are certain rules we have to follow, but these are the few things that we wanted to be improved at least..

[pocahonta]

(02-10-2009 05:49 AM)d_palapuz Wrote:  I kinda don't like the gov't here in Manitoba/Winnipeg..

Whenever Winnipegers go for a rally in front of the City Hall, nothing happens..
It's like a joke to them..
Last September, all of University/College Students here in Winnipeg went for a Strike due to upcoming increase of tuition fees for more than thousands within 2 years..
But they did not do anything..
I had to pay over $4,000 this whole school year for University, including books, etc..

This time, its the Bus Fares..
Its bad enough that the students, especially University/College students had to take the transit buses to go to school since gases are so high..
Instead of improving the transit system, they raised the income of each transit drivers even more, now that they receive more than their usual income per hour..

I mean, there are certain rules we have to follow, but these are the few things that we wanted to be improved at least..

Public transportation in USA have discount fares for Senior Citizens and Students. Regular fare for bus is 1.50 & students pays only 75 cents. Dont you have it over there ?

In order for the Canadian government to pay attention to your complaints is by INVITING THE NEWS MEDIA ( Tv) Bad publicity is not good for the politicians so they will react to the news & pays attention to your demands. Ganito ang ginagawa dito ng mga nag-pro-protest sa USA. Malakas ang effect ng bad TV publicity dito......So kailangan ninyo ng back-up ng media. It works in USA so it will work too in Canada.

[booba]

good post yan

[d_palapuz]

we tried those homie..
the broadcasting team was with us, starting at the campus, rallying all the way to the city hall..
the student president of our union in campus tried to go inside the city hall to convince them or talk to our mayor, but they guards just kicked him out..
I guess, there's not too much media in there...
And even if they'd say yes in front of camera, they will still make no change..
They'll just say yes, so they'll think we'll stop..