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Democracy is "Under Attack:" Gore
Yahoo! News ^ | August 27

Posted on 08/27/2006 7:14:31 PM PDT by pcottraux

"Democracy is under attack": Gore

Sun Aug 27, 3:50 PM ET

LONDON (AFP) - Former US Vice-President Al Gore warned an audience at the Edinburgh International Television Festival that "democracy is under attack".

The former presidential candidate said television networks in the world's biggest and most powerful democracies must do more to foster debate, which he said was crucial for democracy to flourish.

"In my country and others around the world democracy is under attack," the 58-year-old said.

Gore, who was also in Edinburgh partly to promote his film and book about climate change, both titled "An Inconvenient Truth", continued: "There's a feeling in the US on the part of many that the way democracy operates today is very different from the system we learned about in school."

He said that democracy, which he described as a "conversation", was now "more controlled and centralised", and that the most important role of the media was to facilitate democracy.

Gore said American politicians were spending their time raising funds at small gatherings and cocktail parties because, "the only thing that matters in American politics now is having enough money to put 30-second commercials on air to persuade the voters to elect or re-elect you."

The Internet, however, "offered the promise of recreating a meritocracy of ideas" and while not yet creating the wave of change that has been anticipated, had been "creeping into the TV domain".

Commenting on the US-led war in Iraq, increasingly opposed both by American politicians and grass-roots activists, Gore said: "It's been a long time since the US Senate or members of the House of Representatives had a feeling that what was said made any difference at all."

Questioned as to whether he thought US President George W. Bush, who defeated him in the 2000 presidential elections, was stupid, Gore replied: "I don't think he's unintelligent at all. He's incurious ... there's a puzzling lack of curiosity."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: algore; blahblahblah; loser; manbearpig; nutcase; whacko
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Looking very well for himself, isn't he?

1 posted on 08/27/2006 7:14:31 PM PDT by pcottraux
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To: pcottraux
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2 posted on 08/27/2006 7:16:08 PM PDT by MAD-AS-HELL (Put a mirror to the face of the republican party and all you'll see is a Donkey.)
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To: pcottraux
Algore isn't certainly poor. He's profited handsomely off this country. He can criticize it and no one's coming for him.

(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )

3 posted on 08/27/2006 7:16:35 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: pcottraux

He is right about one thing. Democracy is under attack....by the liberals.


4 posted on 08/27/2006 7:16:57 PM PDT by stm (Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence)
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To: pcottraux

Yes it is Al. And you guys are the ones trying to thwart the will of the people with your constant claims of stolen elections.


5 posted on 08/27/2006 7:17:08 PM PDT by digger48
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To: pcottraux

Gore wants to talk, Bush acts. Seems clear enough to me.


6 posted on 08/27/2006 7:17:22 PM PDT by LOC1
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To: MAD-AS-HELL
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7 posted on 08/27/2006 7:17:25 PM PDT by MAD-AS-HELL (Put a mirror to the face of the republican party and all you'll see is a Donkey.)
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To: pcottraux

its because yingyangs like this idiot, Jimmy and Bubba are going around the world bashing the US at every chance.


8 posted on 08/27/2006 7:17:39 PM PDT by golfisnr1 (look at a map)
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To: pcottraux

It sure is. By the same idiots who are your base Man Bear Pig.


9 posted on 08/27/2006 7:17:51 PM PDT by Kozak (Anti Shahada: " There is no God named Allah, and Muhammed is his False Prophet")
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To: goldstategop
He can criticize it and no one's coming for him.

But he pretends that they are, because that makes him feel good about himself.

10 posted on 08/27/2006 7:18:14 PM PDT by pcottraux (It's pronounced "P. Coe-troe.")
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To: pcottraux
Poor algore.He must be so gosh darn po'd by the fact that it was the voters of his *home state*,the ones who knew him best,who cost him his chance to command White Trash One.
11 posted on 08/27/2006 7:18:27 PM PDT by NavySon (Keep your laws off my paycheck!)
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To: pcottraux

12 posted on 08/27/2006 7:18:33 PM PDT by Dr. Scarpetta
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To: pcottraux
"the only thing that matters in American politics now is having enough money to put 30-second commercials on air to persuade the voters to elect or re-elect you."

You wish, Al!

That used to be the case before the internet, Fox News And Talk Radio broke your stranglehold on information disemination! ...LOL!

13 posted on 08/27/2006 7:18:47 PM PDT by Wil H
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To: Wil H

14 posted on 08/27/2006 7:19:48 PM PDT by knyteflyte3
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To: Dr. Scarpetta

15 posted on 08/27/2006 7:19:48 PM PDT by pcottraux (It's pronounced "P. Coe-troe.")
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To: pcottraux

I love how the "elite" won't admit to thinking that Bush is stupid...

But the use the word "incurious"....now isn't than an elistst snob way of putting someone down???

Good gosh...what an insufferable booooooooor.


16 posted on 08/27/2006 7:20:28 PM PDT by Txsleuth (((((((((ISRAEL))))))) Steve and Olaf are free...where are the Israeli kidnapped soldiers.)
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To: pcottraux
The former presidential candidate said television networks in the world's biggest and most powerful democracies must do more to foster debate

Pretty ironic that on Gore's pet issue of global warming, dissent is not allowed.

17 posted on 08/27/2006 7:20:55 PM PDT by Always Right
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To: pcottraux

He should know. Environmentalists want to centrally manage everything.


18 posted on 08/27/2006 7:21:23 PM PDT by dr_who_2
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To: Wil H
The Internet, however, "offered the promise of recreating a meritocracy of ideas"

Good thing he invented it!

19 posted on 08/27/2006 7:22:25 PM PDT by pcottraux (It's pronounced "P. Coe-troe.")
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To: pcottraux

Algore's Inconvenient Truth:

YOU

GOT

BEAT

IN

2000.


20 posted on 08/27/2006 7:22:41 PM PDT by TheRobb7 (http://HeartofAmerica.bravehost.com....Interactive for Conservatives)
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