How do Foreigners View the Oncoming Apocalypse of the USA National Election?

[Fate]

Actually those are opossums. Possums are called possums due to their resemblance to opossums but they are different animals. Now, ours are called possums but they are actually two different things.

*adds to list of random facts in head*

[Dragon Master Mike]

Actually those are opossums. Possums are called possums due to their resemblance to opossums but they are different animals. Now, ours are called possums but they are actually two different things.

Screw technicalities. I refuse to recognize the o in front of "opossums," therefore same difference.

[Noblejanobii]

Screw technicalities. I refuse to recognize the o in front of "opossums," therefore same difference.

There's other differences besides their names, you know.

[Dragon Master Mike]

There's other differences besides their names, you know.

Wow. I just looked up a picture of an Australian Possum. I thought that this was going to be like, they look exactly the same and are just technically different, but they are totally different.



IT'S SO CUTE. Why aren't our possums so cute. Like, really.

[Noblejanobii]

Wow. I just looked up a picture of an Australian Possum. I thought that this was going to be like, they look exactly the same and are just technically different, but they are totally different.



IT'S SO CUTE. Why aren't our possums so cute. Like, really.

Our definitions of cute are very different, it seems.

[Fate]

IT'S SO CUTE. Why aren't our possums so cute. Like, really.

Wha? Our possums are much cuter!

[Noblejanobii]

Wha? Our possums are much cuter!

THANK YOU!!

[HKim]

What some people may not realize about the United States government, is that there are a strong series of checks and balances built into it. Unlike a parliamentary system, for example, the executive and legislative branches are not united together. They can, will, and have disagreed with each other.

This is usually the case when one party controls the presidency and the other controls the legislature, but can occur if different elements in the party control each one (as might be the case with a Trump presidency).

One should also note that the US government has two legislative bodies (similar to an upper and lower house legislature), each with different ratio of representation, re-election period, and authorities. Both legislative bodies must be in agreement for any legislation to pass.

The judicial system is designed to ensure that laws and executive actions are legal in the framework of the Constitution (the highest law in the United States). The Supreme Court is composed of justices that have been selected for life, and thus are (theoretically) not swayed by any election cycles or swings in mood. Their rule can last decades.

Plus, unlike a lot of nations, the United States grants a lot of authorities to its lower governments. This doesn't just include states (provinces), but also counties and cities. A governor of a state can significantly control a large portion of how certain laws are implemented in his or her state. Please also note that state governments (and other local authorities) also have their own legislative bodies.

All of this leads to one very complicated system where no one person, one group, or even one party can easily make any change to the government on a massive scale. Simply put, it is impossible for anyone to control everything given the size and complexity of the US government system. This is intentional, as written into the Constitution of the United States. Even influential presidents have difficulty achieving major changes to how the nation functions.

To some, this may seem dysfunctional, but I argue that this very design is critical to how the United States works. So even if someone with extreme views is elected president, that person cannot wholesale change the way the nation works or how it interacts with others. And while such a person certainly can do some damage, one cannot destroy a nation (save with nukes).

As such, while I'm concerned at how this election cycle has progressed, I am not worried about the future of the nation. One man or one woman won't change the fundamental character of the United States.

[Noblejanobii]

FINALLY SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS POLITICS TO THE SAME DEGREE I DO!!

[brandon_g]

What I think at this point is two things:

1. ANYONE BUT TRUMP! Please I dont want a nuke to fall on my house....

2. I feel very sad and unlucky that this is the first election that I can and will vote in. I grew up to slow... Why it couldnt be last election when it was actually a serious election? All well! Nothing you could do. I will just go with the flow, but I cant help but think why was it, on the first election I can legally vote in, do we get such terrible candidates. This election is going tk end in a lose lose situation either. I will definitelly vote for the lesser of the two evils tho.


Un related to this upcoming election: I dont know why everyone says Obama is such a terrible president, yet he has achieved some good things and has done fairly decent job of cleaning up the Bush administrations mess. He is not as terrible as people make him out to be. I laugh when I hear people talk about him being 'a dictator' for using the powers of being president that is legally bestowed to a president by congresses over the years to actually get things done (because lets face it, with the current republican majority senate, Obama wouldnt get anything done the remainder of his term if he had to wait on congress for everything lol). I am glad he does what he has to do as a president to get things done in this country. Besides if anyone wants to talk about dictators, then talk about our friendly Russian leader who has been president for a grand total of 3 times already. ;)