Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[kerstin]

1
"Over the years I have attended classes from all over the world -- China, Italy, England, you name it,"
what does "you name it" mean?

2
at the thought of=just thinking of ?
and can you show me some examples using this?

[cgage2]

Whatever country that you name
or
whatever that you name

I get disgusted at the thought of Bush

[asterix]

1). I think the sentence should read:-
Over the years I have attended classes all over the world -- China, Italy, England - you name it,"
It means, I have attended classes in almost every country you can think of.

2).at the thought of does mean, just thinking of as our Democrat friend has so succintly demonstrated.
Because he lives in a democracy, he can criticise his President like that with no fear of reprisals, but it's still bad form to do so in an international forum such as this.

[kerstin]

I get disgusted at the thought of Bush[/quote]

I don't quite understand America's politics,but why so many people dislike Bush?

[pugachevV]

American politics is very polarized as they basically only have 2 political parties.

One is socialist and the other is capitalist.
In essence, they are evenly divided. and there is also a substantial number of people who are not committed to either party, but vote for whichever they think will be good for them, or the country. The last two elections, which Bush won, were very close. The Socialists (Democrats) like to say Bush "stole" them. The Supreme Court of the United States of America ruled that he won fair and square.

Bush is, according to polls, not popular at the moment, because of his actions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Historically, Americans do not support wars they cannot win in a timely fashion, and Bush's current unpopularity is based on the fact that these wars are dragging on.
They are dragging on because of supplies sent from and manpower trained in Iran, Syria and Pakistan.

[CP]

There are many parties in the U.S., including a Socialist Party and the Communist Party, although most people are either Democrats or Republicans. Most Democrats would disagree that they are socialists, and they would disagree that Republicans are capitalists while they, the Democrats, are not. All, or nearly all, Americans are capitalists, believers in a free market and in the dream that a little hard work and luck can pay off in riches and the good life.

While the Supreme Court did rule in the 2000 election that further vote counting should not be done in Florida, and therefore Bush beat Dole, some people believe that the Supreme Court had no jurisdiction to rule as it did and that a proper vote count would show that Dole won the election. In fact, a lot of people say that Dole won in 2000 and Kerry won in 2004--but one was cheated out of his victory by the Supreme Court and the other was cheated out of his victory by election fraud in Ohio.

Bush is not popular with 70% of the American people right now because he told us bald-faced lies about the reason for starting the war in Iraq and now refuses to do anything but "stay the course"--whatever "the course" may be, though never defined--so as not to admit to making a colossal blunder to begin with. The war is now far older than World War II, with no end in sight, and with many Bush supporters vilifying anyone who dares to exercise his Constitutional right to voice dissent--as traitors, defeatists, and non-supporters of the troops.

Many Bush supporters openly castigate good people who question the wisdom of continuing to fight as letting our soldiers down, as though it is unpatriotic to want to protect our sons and daughters from senseless slaughter, but patriotic to protect our president from the horror of saying that he made a mistake, and doing something to stop the bloody consequences.

Bush is unpopular for condoning torture of detainees, who have no right to due process of law or even the minimal protections of the Geneva Conventions, quite contrary to the law of the land and basic human decency. Who is safe from such despotism?

Bush is unpopular for using the government to spy on his own people and for disregarding the Constitution on the pretext that we should give up our freedoms in order to fight terrorism. Give up the freedoms that so many have fought and died for! We should never give up our freedoms, and we should never allow our elected representatives to disregard our Constitution for any reason whatsoever.

Every one of us has the right and the duty to question and criticize the wrongheadedness of our leaders, without fear of reprisals from government thugs.

Recently the president of Iraq said that the Americans could leave at any time, because the Iraqis are capable of taking care of themselves now. Why won't Bush go ahead and withdraw? He has often said that we will stand down as soon as the Iraqis stand up. Well, they are standing up! Bush is unpopular for refusing to live up to his word.

Americans do not have to have a speedy victory, just faith that their leaders are doing the right thing and are not lying to them. Such faith is not justified at this time, much to the dismay of many patriots.

Now the Democrats will win the next election, and the Republicans will blame the failure to end the war in Iraq on them. Mark my words.
_________________
You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[lotus]

Well said CP,

One of the best ways to learn English is to read good writing. And good writing only comes when our minds and hearts speak.


--lotus
_________________
War does not make one great --Yoda

[Anuradha Chepur]

[asterix]

In times of all out war, such as the 2nd world war, it is often expedient - even crucial - to get information from captured enemy combatants.
That is the reality of war.
In every war that ever was, any means thought necessary has been used to extract that information.
It is all very well for lawyers, safe in the comfort of their own homes, to debate points of law, and well-meaning treaties, but war is Life or Death.
There is no time for debate.

[lotus]

It is exactly the lack of intellectual exchange that necessitates physical exchange -- pre or post-mortem.


--lotus
_________________
War does not make one great --Yoda