2011 Year in Political Review

[blue-mangos.livejournal.com]

Since year in review memes are all over my flist, and I've even done one myself, I thought we could do one here, for the 2011 political stories. Answer any or all of the categories and give an explanation. If there are categories you think I've missed let me know and I will add them to the post.

Political story that touched you the most

For me it was the death of Jack Layton. He was the leader of the NDP party here in Canada and he died shortly after his party won official opposition status in elections. He made an excellent foil to the Conservative government and worked hard to force compromise, to keep things on an equal balance. To many of us he represented a new hope and optimism that Canada could return to its gentle, peaceful, caring past. For many that hope died with him, he was a truly inspiring man. For those who don't know him, or are interested but never read it here is the open letter he released right before his death, it shows the type of man he was.

Most inspiring

Arab Spring. Nothing can be more inspiring than watching entire nations rise up to fight for their rights, to see ordinary individuals making affecting huge changes in their countries. Although I am a lot less inspired and hopeful now than I was then.

Best non-national story

Since I am Canadian I can choose an American issue. Good luck to all the Americans, lol. I'm going with the repeal of DADT. It was long-overdue and I'm hoping with the world not ending since it took effect that it will lead to more rights for the LGBTQ community.

Issue that made you headdesk

The healthcare debate in America. I don't think this one needs an explanation.

Funniest political story

Weiner-gate just for the jokes. Yep, I'm 12.

Comments

[stewstewstewdio.livejournal.com]

Best American Idol-Like Competition

The Republican Debates

[luzribeiro.livejournal.com]

This. :D

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

Forgive me if I'll do a kind of different meme in response, but it's related. So my chart goes like this:

PERSON OF THE YEAR:


1. Osama bin-Laden (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osama_bin_Laden)
2. Muammar Gaddafi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muammar_Gaddafi)
3. Steve Jobs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs)
4. Anders Breivik (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anders_Behring_Breivik)
5. Hosni Mubarak (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosni_Mubarak)
6. Kim Jong-il (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Jong-il)
7. Silvio Berlusconi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvio_Berlusconi)
8. Novak Djokovic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novak_Djokovic)
9. Amy Winehouse (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Winehouse)
10. Anna Hazare (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Hazare)

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

EVENT OF THE YEAR:


1. Egyptian protests (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Egyptian_protests)
2. Libya War (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalition_intervention_in_Libya)
3. End of Iraq War (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withdrawal_of_U.S._troops_from_Iraq#Full_withdrawal)
/ 4. Occupy Movement (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_Wall_Street)
5. Syrian protests (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Syrian_protests)
6. Norway attacks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Norway_attacks)
7. Atlantis final mission (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-135)
8. US credit downgrade (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_public_debt#2011_credit_rating_downgrade_by_Standard_.26_Poor.27s)
9. Rugby World Cup (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Rugby_World_Cup)
10. Wikileaks cables (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_diplomatic_cables_leak#September_2011_release_of_unredacted_cables)

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

Where's the superluminous neutrino, the diamond planet, the antimatter layer around Earth, water on the Moon, etc? Oops, sorry non-political. :)

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'd need a whole separate chart for those!

[blue-mangos.livejournal.com]

Tell me more of this diamond planet.

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

Actually my bad, a diamond star. It became so dense that its atoms obtained the tightest arrangement possible for a carbon structure. Namely, a diamond grid. So it's 4000 km across but is as dense as diamond, which makes it trillions of carats!

Details: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/3492919.stm

Also it's mentioned in this presentation (which is fascinating btw).

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

10 to the power of 34 carats btw. And that could be pretty political! ;)

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

Seas of methane on Venus could be also political. When's that OPEC rocket departing, again?

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

Yeah, keep dreaming.

[blue-mangos.livejournal.com]

What criteria did you use for your person of the year list? Interest level? Influence? Something else entirely?

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

Influence, mostly. Generally, the one who had the most impact on the world, and who made the most headlines. I.e., the one who made the biggest impression, good or bad.

[luzribeiro.livejournal.com]

So many dead people!

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

Well yeah hehe. Unfortunately death is what makes an impact most of the time.

[luzribeiro.livejournal.com]

Reminds me of something Htpcl quoted the other day. Something along the lines of "You don't choose where to be born, but you can choose how to die".

[stewstewstewdio.livejournal.com]

With a couple exceptions, this sounds more like hell's guest list.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

Touched me the most?
- A hobo finding a big sum on the street and handing it over to the police. He was awarded a small reward and nothing more. People talked about it for a while and then forgot. The guy still spends his days moving from one homeless shelter to another. They'll probably remember that he exists in a year, and they'll make an interview with him or something. Then people will talk about him for a while, and forget about it again. And he could've kept the money, but he didn't. I don't know how exactly this touched me but it did - in many ways.

Most inspiring?
- Same story, actually.

Best non-national story?
- Too many of them, but over the top of my hat, the events in Egypt and particularly Tahrir square. It's still ongoing, and people don't seem to be willing to give up until those fuckers on the top get the point. Which I'm kinda sceptical about, but still it's my best story of the year.

Headdesk issue?
- American politics. I hadn't been too interested in it until a couple of years ago (not in such detail like now, which is inevitable, after having stayed around here). There are so many headdesk-worthy issues in American politics that I really don't know where to begin. The whole religion/atheism/creationism issue for example. Never seen anything like that before.

Funniest story?
- Donald Trump acting like, well, Donald Trump. Eventually even his own guys trumped him.

[blue-mangos.livejournal.com]

I remember that first story, yes it was very touching and people too quickly forget things like that.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

I suppose it has happened in many places because that particular story was Bulgarian-based.

[blue-mangos.livejournal.com]

I think you talked about it here. But there was a story from here a few years ago where a woman on welfare found a very large sum of money outside a bank, it was one of their business deposit bags. She turned it in, got a small reward and the city tried to deduct the reward from her welfare cheque that month claiming it was earnings. There were many complaints made and they reversed their decision. I don't know what happened to her, again it was talked about for a while and then forgotten.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

The good gets easily forgotten. Now, villains always make the top of the charts.

[luzribeiro.livejournal.com]

Might I suggest a DQ here?

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

Fine, I surrender.

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

US politics is not the most stupid politics in the world, in fact it's nowhere near as stupid as Italian, Russian, or Middle East politics.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

Of course. Thing is, I never expected US politics to be even remotely comparable to Russian, Italian or Middle East politics in terms of stupidity. And yet, here we are.

[blue-mangos.livejournal.com]

Well there's your problem. Too high of expectations.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

I should've known better! I mean...worse!

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Political story that touched you the most

Seeing Newt Gingrich talk about his mother's mental illness (it came up as a policy priority for increasing scientific research if he was elected), and his being reduced to tears had me in the same boat. My mother died from complications from Alzheimer's, and it touched nerve with me watching that story last night. It's not easy at a holiday season like this, and missing your parents as much as I miss mine.

[airiefairie.livejournal.com]

=(

Hugs...if that could help at all...

[blue-mangos.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry. I offer hugs too.

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

The one that touched me the most?
OWS

Inspiring?
OWS

Best non-national story?
I'm an American. =)

Headdesk?
Herman Cain

Funniest story?
May 21, 2011, the end times is here!

[dreadfulpenny81.livejournal.com]

Issue that made you headdesk - I think that's a tie between the lack of substance at the debates (it was more about getting the candidates to fight like 8th graders) and the lack of national focus on the rapes going on at Occupy Wall Street (especially in the two cases where minors were involved - WTF‽).

Funniest political story - The somewhat NSFW pics involving GOP candidates and state fair food: