Voting citizens of the US of A have no responsibility or liability for the behaviour of its government ?
Where do you people get your ideas from ?
That seems like Yanky Wanky non-think to me .

I am a voting citizen of the US. We can only vote for the candidates that are put up by the parties. To be realistic the only meaningful candidates are those put up by the major parties since most ballots in the US are based on first past the post. I was appalled by many of the policies of Bush 2 so I voted for Obama who put himself forth as a candidate of change. In some cases he has carried on the Bush policies.

Actually I would have preferred Kucinich, but I could only vote for the person who got the nomination. Obama was most successful in raising money to support his candidacy. That was a great factor in his nomination.

I am a dual citizen of Australia and the US so I can legally vote in both elections. In Australia I can't even vote for the prime minister. I must vote for my local member of parliament neither of whom seemed any grat shakes. I regard both Abbott and Gillard as worse than the average Australian.

I don't feel I can be blamed for either Obama or Gillard although I voted for the parties of both.

DAVID :
You are probably a top person ,like my own valued US friends & relatives & , for that matter , I am a top type of individual myself.
You can therefore safely make concessions with the parts of my views that you don't like .

The US , in 2011 , has reintroduced torture (among other things) into its culture , & I think that that gives human beings a bad name - so freeking unimaginative - so freeking Un-Australian - so unnecessary , so Neanderthal .
It had to be the Yanks who so unashamedly gave birth to that gem , did'nt it ?

My own view is that , if you lie down with dogs , you get up with flees . I wonder when we are going to be told that slavery & cannibalism is ok & necessary .

David , you dont feel that you should be blamed for Obama , Gillard (who appeases) , Abbott , Rudd (ditto) .

I dont blame anyone David ,but where were we all when the torturing was going on , daddy ? What did you do to oppose it ? What else did you do beside "VOTING" ?

Dear Oz,

You asked what I have done.

I have demonstrated against the Vietnamese War and have committed acts of civil disobience by refusing to obey police orders to disperse during protests. I have visited draft resisters in Allenwood prison who were imprisoned for burning their draft cards and other actions in their opposition. I have supported financially groups such as the Quakers, the Jewish Peace Fellowship, the Catholic Worker that have opposed wars and violence in the US.

I participated in the big protests when the US and Australia were revving up for Gulf War 2.

Some people like the Berrigan brothers, Gandhi, Martin Luther King jr., Henry Thoreau and others have done much more than I have. Others like Hans Jaegerstatter have given their lives, but I have done a little besides merely expressing disapproval.

Dear Oz,

I also have consulted to Senator John Woodley in writing legislation that would require an impact statement before the Australia government approves the export of weaponry. The impact statement should require evaluation of social, economic, environmental, human rights and military consequences of such exports. Since Woodley did not represent any major party his bill was not passed, but the bill has had a second reading.

I have also as an editor of 'Social Alternatives' put out an issue devoted to the arms trade.

I am a tchnical person and have been offered a job which paid considerably more than my salary at that time to work on the Polaris missile. I refuse to work on such things. Other people have done more. They have refused to pay taxes that would go for war and have gone to prison for that. If one goes that far one should not have a family and children.

David :
I haven't done any more than you .