What would YOU ask someone closely involved in this country's workings?

[Searchin4acoupe]

Without this turning into a political flame war, I'm curious what everyone here would ask someone who has been intimately involved in this country's workings since the 80s. I'm going to have such an opportunity this weekend and want to make my time "worth while" so to speak. Without getting specific, this person is on a first name basis with many military and Republican figures of the last three decades as well as the last 3 republican Presidents and is currently part of a very influential "think tank" in DC. If you had the chance, what would you want to know?

 

[kiisaka]

Well, having known a number of people up in the political ladder, my thought is that no one is really in control alone. The society and the economy behave in chaotic manner, and even if one may flick a marble in one direction, even a big one, it tends to get obscured in the torrent of interests.

Even the president answers to his constituents, which consists of a huge range of interests.

What are you trying to get out of this meeting? I'd say be polite and affable. They are human beings, too.

 

[NSXrunner]

Interesting topic and a tough call. if it was someone personal I knew I would shamelessly ask how can I get a job? But if it was a professional meet, it would be something to the tune of seeing how they think, how the govt thinks, it might explain to myself why we are in the situations we get into.

 

[heySkippy]

Ask them if they prefer pop-ups or fixed headlights.

 

[Dtrigg]

Ask them if they prefer pop-ups or fixed headlights.

Too funny.:biggrin: :biggrin:

 

[Ski_Banker]

It would seem that since you don't know this influencial person, it is pretty unlikely that they are going to divulge their deepest darkest secrets to a stranger. As someone else said, just be friendly and up to speed on current events.

As long as it isn't offensive, though, it never hurts to ask.... most senior people will really appreciate straightforward and candid questions if they like you. Being surrounded by sycophants sucks, so when a smart no-BS person asks good questions (respectfully), it gets respect and attention.

 

[queenlives]

Ask them if they prefer pop-ups or fixed headlights.

yeah, that's a toughie but one that's even more difficult is zaino or zymol?

 

[Searchin4acoupe]

Great comments so far, My money is on the flip up headlights...

This actually is a relative that I haven't seen for years. Second cousin of one of my parents... I think, so is that my third cousin?? I remember as a kid seeing parts of the White House that most people don't get to see and being shown Ollie North's "former" office. Anyway, this will be a very informal family get together. From what I remember, he will be the life of the party. Very fun guy to be around.

I have always wondered, recently in regards to the current war, how closely reality lines up with what the media wants us to think is reality.

 

[steveny]

Why are people in this country rewarded for being lazy?

 

[jond]

I doubt he would know, but I would ask who really runs our government. I doubt it's the president. Is it the bankers? The oil guys? The Freemasons?

 

[nsxotic911]

I would ask. "What is the plan to fix the US Criminal Justice system?"

This is one of the top most relevant question for our nation, but one that most don't consider untill it is your child, spouse or friend is wrongfully convicted, sentenced to long sentences or life, and even executed (15

Most recent case on Tim Masters: http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/01/25/masters.charges/index.html

See my sig, and post this Christmas for some info. This is only scratching the surface for a national problem http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98513&highlight=innocenceproject

The Innocence Project is just begining to scratch the surface.

 

[Swift]

"Why do they make orange popsicles? We all know once the grape and cherry is gone we want a new box!"-john caparulo

Ps-Why did we go to war?

 

[mickeylex]

Ask him if it's ok to use 5W-30 oil in the NSX....

ok, seriously though, I'd probably ask:

1. Where he thinks the U.S. will rank in 10 years as a world power
2. What effect the growth of power in China and India will have on the American Way of Life
3. What effect will China and India have on oil and steel prices between now and the next five years (well, this one is a bit self serving in the interest of personal investment dollars :smile
4. Who he thinks will win the Presidential election and why.

 

[Ski_Banker]

Ask him if it's ok to use 5W-30 oil in the NSX....

ok, seriously though, I'd probably ask:

1. Where he thinks the U.S. will rank in 10 years as a world power
2. What effect the growth of power in China and India will have on the American Way of Life
3. What effect will China and India have on oil and steel prices between now and the next five years (well, this one is a bit self serving in the interest of personal investment dollars :smile
4. Who he thinks will win the Presidential election and why.

Great questions.

In other words, OP, don't ask anything stupid.

Like, DEFINITELY don't ask anything like "Ok, so now give me the *real* scoop on Iraq. Did Bushie know there were WMDs or was it big excuse?" You'll find yourself booted from any conversation, and unable to ask any other intelligent questions.

So, to recap, be smart and normal. :wink:

 

[Ski_Banker]

I doubt he would know, but I would ask who really runs our government. I doubt it's the president. Is it the bankers? The oil guys? The Freemasons?

Haha Harris Williams, in your home town. j/k :tongue:

 

[heySkippy]

1. Where he thinks the U.S. will rank in 10 years as a world power

We're Rome. With nukes.

 

[Synthesis]

why does everything have to be a business?

 

[steveny]

We're Rome. With nukes.

Well we have ~800 years left to go. That seems sufficient to me.

 

[mickeylex]

Great questions.

In other words, OP, don't ask anything stupid.

Like, DEFINITELY don't ask anything like "Ok, so now give me the *real* scoop on Iraq. Did Bushie know there were WMDs or was it big excuse?" You'll find yourself booted from any conversation, and unable to ask any other intelligent questions.

So, to recap, be smart and normal. :wink:

That's good advice right there.

It doesn't sound like you have a deep personal relationship w/ this person, so don't get yourself kicked out of the conversation by probing beyond "your pay grade".

If he's comfortable talking to you, he might share more than you were expecting. OTOH, if he knows high ranking individuals personally, he'll probably keep his mouth shut except to tell jokes; to which everyone is sure to laugh. :smile:

 

[naaman]

I have always wondered, recently in regards to the current war, how closely reality lines up with what the media wants us to think is reality.

If what you mean is that you wonder what's actually happening in Iraq/Afghanistan, there are plenty of people on this forum who can answer that for you.

If you're talking about behnind the scenes type stuff (and I'm not saying that I believe or don't believe that there are/are not hidden political agendas)... well, I wouldn't be surprised if someone on this fourm knew some of that, too (though I don't suspect they'd divulge anything).

I think that the primary reason to believe that there could be a hidden agenda is due to the fact that the media chooses to report according to it's agenda, whether that be the "whole truth" when it serves the media's purpose, or a partial truth, when the whole truth would hurt the media's cause (or whoever, if anyone, influences the media).

As one person said above, it just seems that there's too much chaos for any one individual entity to "control" everything.

 

[otoro]

Ask him if it's ok to use 5W-30 oil in the NSX....

ok, seriously though, I'd probably ask:

1. Where he thinks the U.S. will rank in 10 years as a world power
2. What effect the growth of power in China and India will have on the American Way of Life
3. What effect will China and India have on oil and steel prices between now and the next five years (well, this one is a bit self serving in the interest of personal investment dollars :smile
4. Who he thinks will win the Presidential election and why.

We need some real questions:
1. Did we ever land on the moon
2. Are there aliens at area 51
3. And is the Internet anything more than a global pornography network (Lisa Simpson)

 

[Juice]

If a plane is trying to take off on a surface that moves at an equal speed in the opposite direction, will it cause a 1,000 hit thread on an irrelevant forum?

 

[steveny]

What's the easiest way to own a NSX?

 

[Tom239]

Just how rigged are elections in the USA now?

 

[Searchin4acoupe]

If what you mean is that you wonder what's actually happening in Iraq/Afghanistan, there are plenty of people on this forum who can answer that for you.......

...As one person said above, it just seems that there's too much chaos for any one individual entity to "control" everything.

Regarding your first comment, I've encountered several boots-on-the-ground folks in my day to day. I have yet to get an intelligent answer though. Answers have ranged from "I don't watch the news" , to just what you would expect - there is way more good news to be told. I guess neither response has been persuasive enough for me to put any stock in them just yet. Perhaps those folks here would care to chime in/drop a PM?

I liked the marble analogy as well. Kudos to kiisaka!