December 20, 2025Dec 20 Author Active Members 11 hours ago, PeterRS said: But that really isn't true, is it? In theory it should be. But when a President has a majority in Congress, has the power to sign Executive Orders and has a Supreme Court that is weighted massively on political grounds, this is a good deal worse than the UK monarchy system... Not really. In the US this can only happen when both houses of Congress, the Presidency, and the Supreme Court are all controlled by the same party. In a parliamentary system, the political leader and the leader of the legislature are one and the same, so it is always the case (especially since the legislatures in such systems are almost always unicameral--the House of Lords doesn't really have any power). There have certainly been times when in the US, all 3 branches were controlled by the same party, but never by led by a sociopathic criminal con-man before. Even Thatcher wasn't that nutty. In a parliamentary system, there really are no checks and balances. In Hungary, Orbán has unfettered power, with resulting consequences. Trump could easily happen in any parliamentary system. It would be.a mistake to think it can't happen. A lot of damage can happen in 2 years, but at least Congress will probably be able to put the brakes on Trump's criminal endeavors in another year or so. Had the Democrats been able to pick their candidate, this horror probably wouldn't have befallen the US. Unfortunately, Biden's dementia and ego prevented him from understanding he was in no condition to run again, much less rule. Disaster ensued.
December 20, 2025Dec 20 Author Active Members 6 hours ago, Pete1111 said: Yes. There are accents I wouldn't want to hear read an audiobook. It's ironic that there are many foreign speakers on this trip (from Spain, Germany, Belgium, Colombia, etc.) whose English is easier for us to understand than the Australian's. And English is the Spaniard's 3rd language (he grew up speaking Catalan in Mallorca, then learned Spanish in school, and later English).
December 21, 2025Dec 21 Active Members 12 hours ago, unicorn said: It's ironic that there are many foreign speakers on this trip (from Spain, Germany, Belgium, Colombia, etc.) whose English is easier for us to understand than the Australian's. And English is the Spaniard's 3rd language (he grew up speaking Catalan in Mallorca, then learned Spanish in school, and later English). I hear so many Aussie voices on TV, it's sounds very typical. I barely think about it. I do watch an Aussie comedy duo on YouTube that once in awhile throw an American or Canadian accent and even an English (Liverpool region?) accent, just for fun. They are a couple of wild boys!! Love them.
December 21, 2025Dec 21 On my bucket list is a visit to the WW1 battlefield sites in France and Belgium but there is one thing I know I will truly hate about that trip (whenever it happens) is the French language / accent 🤪
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