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There really is no case for owning automatic rifles unless you're the army or police. After the latest mass murder in Vegas by a white homegrown terrorist (oh yes he was) isn't it finally time to wake up and smell the coffee? Regards.
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BillB
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You could use that argument to say there is no need to own a car that will go 100 mph. In my town, and probably the entire USA, I understand there is not a gun of any kind to be bought anywhere. Corona virus fear. I guess that is the same thinking that has people buying a years supply of toilet paper, though I would feel safer during a social unrest with a gun in the house than a years supply of toilet paper.
I do not fear machine guns. The Vegas shooter could probably have killed the same number of people with a semi-automatic. He was shooting into a crowd that could not escape. There will always be sociopaths that kill strangers. They drive cars into crowds. They poison Tylenol. They fly planes into buildings. They cut peoples throats. They rape and kill children, sometimes their own children.
You are free to not own a gun, or a machine gun. If you dont own and or carry a gun, feeling that luck, and or the police will protect you, good for you. I wish you luck. I though, feel a person should rely on them self;
I live within my means.
When I had children, I bought life insurance on myself and their mother.
I drive a 30 year old car.
My wife drives a 12 year old car.
I am my plumber, auto mechanic, electrician, financial advisor, HVAC tech, and lawn maintenance man.
I have no illusion that Congress, or the police will protect me from sociopaths.
I believe one is responsible for ones self.
I own guns. In the unlikely event someone kicks my door in, I have the option of pointing a gun in their direction. If social unrest comes, and I fear it will very soon, I am glad I live in a country where one can own guns.
It is inarguable that a bad person with a gun can only be dealt with by a good person with a gun.
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Wow, 2 1/2 years to reply! I know it's deadly quiet round here but that's something. Burco, you may not have realised I'm a Brit in the UK. Most people here do not own a gun, only farmers and some country people maybe and that can only be a shotgun. Very strictly controlled. Firearm incidents are extremely rare here. Well, if you haven't got one you can't use one. That simple.
I found it comical that firearm sales have increased in the States following the coronavirus spread. An extraordinary mindset. Completely alien to me. But, stay safe, ignore Trump (always) and avoid others. Regards.
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BillB
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I live in the UK and have a shotgun and a rifle, and an assortment of FAC level air weapons. Our homegrown terrorists use bombs, knives or motor vehicles for their mass slaughter - all are either easy to obtain or construct with innocuous, off the shelf materials, and no one bats an eyelid over this.
Theres a level of hypocrisy here. No one is concerned over controlling materials, knives or motor vehicles, because they're so damnably convenient and the gun detractors usually happen to own a motor vehicle themselves. It's always somebody elses tribe at fault.
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I have often thought the difference in liberals and libertarians is that Liberals think THINGS are bad. And government needs to protect us from bad things. Guns, SUVs, meat, business, drugs they dont use, bad books, etc.
Libertarians believe things are just things. Adults are the only person responsible for their own welfare. The uncaring or the hard human heart kills. A psycho can kill in a hundred ways. 9-11 required no guns and neither did the Oklahoma bombing.
You sound like you lean libertarian, as do I. It is a very small fraternity, and I fear it is getting smaller.
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Not familiar with the murder rate in the UK. However I do know that in Canada, which like the UK has much stricter gun control laws than the US, the murder rate is typically 1/10th of the US. That pretty much says it all...
Wash your hands (a lot!) and stay healthy out there!
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Will I buy another Volvo??? We'll see....
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Pondered this for many dark hours. We are a violent country. Most are. Maybe all are. The North and South American Indians were slaughtering each other before we got here. We brought better killing technology.
Whatever killing our second amendment hath wrought, other countries where guns were and are illegal have made us look like amateur killers. Stalin and Mao killed millions without firing a shot. Starvation is no better way to die than gun shot.
Humans are by nature sociopaths. It takes a lot of indoctrination to overcome this.
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I don't think humans are sociopathic by nature.
We live in a system where it only makes sense to have sociopaths play leadership roles. We may mimic their behaviors while we try to gain status, but most fail and probably don't realize that this is why-- they are not actually sociopathic enough.
Evil is real and humans are seduced by it when they don't have the tools to distinguish truth from fiction.
Nihilist materialism is the mind virus of our time. The cheap, tissue paper veil of ideology gives us a false sense of control in this state.
When you raise a child to believe that he is nothing more than a selfish animal and when you model selfish animal behavior, there is nothing to steer them away from self-destruction and sometimes grandiose expressions of destruction.
I ask the Atheist if we're just glorified animals, then what is this peering at me from this animal?
Science can't explain consciousness any more than it can explain time. Dogs aren't filled with wonder when they look at the stars on a clear night. I'll embrace the wonder and let the Atheists cling to their material world with all their might.
As for guns, a monopoly on violence in the hands of the most corrupt among us seems like a very bad idea. Government seems to have lost its fear of the people. Unfortunately, I think they'll be reminded in a few short decades just why their unnatural, exaggerated power must be torn down. Their Economic Growth Obligation scheme is a Ponzi scheme that will certainly collapse in a decade or two, if not sooner.
As for the leftists who read this, it couldn't be more clear by now that totalitarianism will spread and devour all free countries. Because the leftist totalitarian monsters were not extinguished following World War II, we let these monstrous ideas fester. It will be the Left that brings totalitarianism to this country. Talk to a kid just out of college about freedom and liberty and you'll get eye rolls and emotional vomit dressed up as intellect.
-Jarrod
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Jarrod wrote: "I ask the Atheist if we're just glorified animals...."
Yes, we are just glorified animals. My favourite comedian Bill Hicks said it best: 'We are just a virus with shoes' He's my fav Texan too.
Jarrod wrote: "Dogs aren't filled with wonder when they look at the stars on a clear night."
Are you a dog mind reader or an actual dog with mad typing skills?
I asked my East German Shepperd to take a look at your post but he ignored me and continued typing.
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I've disengaged from the hallucination you apparently prefer. It was too filled with snarky grown men and women that have all the sophistication of a delta female in middle high school.
-Jarrod
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My socialist style health system costs less than half what your capitalists health system cost per GDP. When COVID-19 is done crossing the USA, we will have a pretty good idea of which system is better.
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You’ll get no argument from me. Our health care system is a mess. We have the most expensive health care system in the world. Corrupt and greedy drug and health care corporations have driven costs to the moon. We were beginning to get on the right track. Now Trump wants to go assbackwards to an all private health insurance system again (except for Medicare/Medicaid). Health care should be a right not a privilege affordable only by the wealthier segment of society.
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Will I buy another Volvo??? We'll see....
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We have a corrupt healthcare system. There is zero transparency for good reason. If you go to a hospital and say, " I have no insurance, and will be paying cash" you will be quoted a price 3 times what they bill Insurance Companies. And if you ask for a printed price list, they will call security and have you removed. It defies logic and is in no way free enterprise.
I remember when we passed the "Prescription drug bill". It should have been called "The Socialized Drug Bill" One Congressman said " It will bankrupt the nation". I take Humira, for arthritis. It costs 60K a year. I pay 60 dollars a year. There is so much money involved either form Insurance, or the taxpayers that all politicians and judges have been bought by the drug companies. No individual can afford the wonderful new wonder drugs being produced today. There is no coming back from this. I expect drug and health care corporations to be greedy, but they are allowed to be corrupt by a corrupt government / governments.
We were not beginning to get on the right track.
Trump is corrupt, but no more than the man who preceded him, or the one that will follow him.
I strongly disagree that health care should be a right not a privilege affordable only by the wealthier segment of society. There are many things that would be nice to have "free". There are two terrible sides to the word free. 1. Nothing is free, someone is going to have to pay for it.
2. Having something given to you is not appreciated. Ever. It takes all pride in ownership away.
If you have a home,and a roof over your head, you are unlike 50% or more of the world. You and I are extremely lucky. If those things cannot be provided to all, why do you think they should be provided to people in your or my country?
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Okay, at least we agree on one thing. Our health care system is a joke.
So, if I read you correctly, let's say for example that a person with no money or health insurance cuts their arm off with a power saw then the hospital they are brought to should deny them care since they can't afford to pay?
I never mentioned the word "free". You brought that up. You seem to be exceptionally hung up on the word "free". You have used it in multiple posts here. The fact is that some of the good things in life cost money. I'm okay with that. Health care for everyone is a good example of that. We are all people - poor or rich. All deserve at least some level of basic health care. A sliding scale payment system based on income seems fair to me.
Do you have any constructive suggestions for fixing our health care morass? I didn't see any. I'm open to positive ideas. Not another rambling, non-constructive rant.
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Will I buy another Volvo??? We'll see....
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Basic medical services would mean that the severed limb would be disposed of, the wound cleaned and stitched. The insured person would have a team of surgeons reattach the arm and have the person go to rehab for 6 weeks. ??
A government run health care system could solve that problem. The problem lies in the payment to the doctors, hospitals, rehab centers - most of which are now privately held businesses. Do the medical entities get a pay cut? Or will government assume the role of insurance provider and negotiate payments as is currently the case? Or will government take over management and control of the hospitals?
There is no such thing as "free." Either someone pays or the government collects taxes and pays.
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Keeping it running is better than buying new
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What is it with all this free stuff? I never said free... We all know who is actually paying if the government pays.
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Will I buy another Volvo??? We'll see....
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Fact is, in the USA, if you have nothing, and use someone elses saw to cut your arm off, call 9-1-1 and an ambulance will come get you, sew it up and bill you. If you dont pay, you will not go to debtors prison. We have people running for president calling for free college and medical. The same people are calling for open borders and no deportations. We already have an enormous amount of free. The word free is a horrible word to a libertarian. It should make a working person guard their pocketbook. It is a favorite word of politicians.
Here is the positivity you seek;
Work.
Have pride in your work.
Live within your means.
Save. Save till it hurts. Save for the future.
Learn the difference between what you want, and what you need.
Do not depend on others or the government to look out for you.
Appreciate the things you have that others worked for, like living in a country where there is no war, and there are jobs for those that want them.
You wrongly discount pessimism. It protects one in many ways.
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Fact is socialized medicine works better than what we have now and is cheaper. Research other countries systems and you’ll see. See b20paul’s post above for example. Some form of private/socialized medicine is inevitable. Probably some sort of hybrid? You had best accept it. It is only a matter of time. Our system is broken and desperately needs a major overhaul.
You are free to live in your pessimistic world. I have no interest. I will continue to be upbeat and positive. That attitude creates good will, good relationships and is contagious among people. Negativity breeds more negativity and is a drain on one’s mental well-being and relationships.
You lecture other people and rant about a variety of topics but not once have I seen any constructive suggestions from you for change. Where is the beef? Without substance it seems like a waste of precious time to me. And I’m tired of wasting my time with this. I need to go work and do something of substance.
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Will I buy another Volvo??? We'll see....
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And donate monthly to brickboard. It is not free.
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Have contributed in the past. Never credited in my profile. Yes, I will contribute even though I don’t own a Volvo now. It is an excellent forum.
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Will I buy another Volvo??? We'll see....
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Well, you said a great deal. The only thing I take major issue with is that people dont raise their kids to be sociopaths. It just happens. I have no doubt that 99% of murderers have siblings that do not murder. If I knew how to properly raise kids, I would write a book. My kids are functioning members of society, but they both have beliefs that stun me.Stun me. Where did that come from?
I blame University and media indoctrination.
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The young will always be different. If they don't react to the status quo then who will e.g. Greta Thunberg, student protests etc. It was better in the 60's, they've gone a bit conservative now, don't even grow their hair. You need that, you need that protest. If they don't do it, then who will?
It may be that, although the USA appears a "free" country it is actually more paternalistic than Europe i.e. one follows an ideal model, one follows a "preferred" economic and social life model. Perhaps you haven't questioned that. Perhaps you bought into the American Way a long time ago. Does the word "socialism" bother you? I bet it does. It doesn't bother me because the European "model" embraces it much more. It doesn't mean we are raving "lefties", it means we are all in this together. A bit like coronavirus. You have the wrong man at the helm. Regards.
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BillB
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We have very different views. Yes, the word socialism bothers me a great deal. The word " free", bothers me even more. I associate socialism with National Socialism and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. And with the Nanny state. Wealth distribution is a completely corruptive policy. Every European Country is failing. Their historic populations are facing self reproductive extinction, and like Angela Merkel, have embraced cultural extinction as well. The USA is close behind.
There is no such thing as free. There is no such thing as "government money". Free, means you stole it, someone else paid for it, the government took it at gun point, or it was "paid for" by counterfeit money. The 60s were a generation of spoiled kids smoking pot and partying. ( I was in the middle of it. ) We like to think we were changing the world, but we were just amusing and pampering ourselves.
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You mis-interpret my meaning of "free" I think. In the case of the USA, I was referring to the ability of the individual to make their own way, to make a pile of money regardless of how it affects others. A society where one is free to be poor, to live on the street, to not earn enough to pay for medical care because there is no state provision. A society where a waitress or hotel worker is free to earn a pittance and is forced to grovel in order to get tips so they can pay their way. Meanwhile, Mr Big who owns the joint languishes on his superyacht. A society where a teacher, who taught your kids to read and write is near the bottom of the pile whereas a currency trader makes a million. But, hey, he pays taxes so the teacher can be employed so the teacher should be grateful.
Look, for me it's about how a society works, who or what is valued. I don't buy into the dog eat dog society. I buy into the society where we work for the common good. I'm not opposed to the entrepreneur - we need them. But we need to value everyone, to educate them, keep them safe, sheltered, fed, offered medical care. We also need to take care of the planet and not tolerate a leader who dismisses Science and works off a hunch. You're entitled to your beliefs, as I am to mine though, I defend your freedom to do that. I'm no believer in totalitarianism. But you can have that with hard right as well as hard left. Regards.
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BillB
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I was referring to the ability of the individual to make their own way, to make a pile of money regardless of how it affects others.
You make "making a pile of money" sound very easy. Separatinga person from their money is in no way easy. You have to exchange it for something the other person wants. Freedom is a two way street. One has the freedom to be a billionaire, or a starving bum in the gutter. I dont know who this "Mr. Big" you speak of is, but if he made his money legally, my hat is off to him.I need no teacher paid for by someone else to show my kids how to read.
If a currency trader can make a million, good for him. If a person wants to be a teacher, fine, but they are due no more respect than a garbage man. In fact, as we speak, teachers are sitting at home, and not missed. THE GARBAGE MEN WOULD BE GREATLY MISSED!! Yes the teacher should be grateful to be paid with money taken at gunpoint from private citizens.
No one works for the common good. Or should they. You should support yourself, and your family, and respect the rights and PROPERTY of others.
We do not need to value non functioning members of society. Your altruistic beliefs would make children out of adults, eventually destroying individuals as well as society. We are a part of nature. We are not immune to natural laws. To ignore them is to insure we are headed to extinction.
Just curious, What is or was your occupation, and what country do you live in?
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Clearly, we fundamentally disagree on how society should work and that's fine with me. You are entitled to your opinion as am I. I just think you're wrong. Your type of society breeds division, resentment, poverty, unrest and crime. Mine less so. Far more murders in the USA per year than Europe (to link back to my original post).
I live in England. For most of my career, I was a college lecturer in computing at our equivalent of a community college. My original background is electrical engineering. You? Regards.
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BillB
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(to link back to my original post)
In America AutoMatic weapons ARE illegal.
"I live in England. For most of my career, I was a college lecturer"
England is a Small country --- land mass-wise compared for the US ---Atantic to the Pacific.
By the way how's that Mayor of London thing working out for you: 'banning knives'?
The watchword here is ---"You don't need a Gun, Call 911"
A small sample of Headlines prior to March 31, 2020
AP News says 20% of Detroit's police force is now in quarantine; two officers have died from COVID-19, and 39 tested positive.
"We're in war footing against an invisible enemy and we are on the verge of running out of protective supplies," said Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, president of the Major Cities Chiefs Association. "We've got hospitals calling police departments, police departments calling each other, and it's time to nationalize in terms of our response."
Former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said the virus is unlike anything any law enforcement force has ever dealt with:
"We're in unprecedented territory here," said Davis, who was the top cop in Boston during the 2013 marathon bombing.
AP says 10% of NYPD officers called in sick on Friday, straining the force and jeopardizing the safety of civilians:
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Beautiful. The Covid-19 virus as an excuse to arm yourself against what? Sick people trying to break into your house to steal toilette paper?
If you own a small business, it is probably shuttered and locked and that shotgun under the counter is probably useless.
How many times in the past 10 years have you called 9-1-1?
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Keeping it running is better than buying new
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You wrote: The Covid-19 virus as an excuse to arm yourself ...
I beg your pardon ---- but where in my post was that???
My post was my response to Bill Bretherton who wrote: ***Your type of society breeds division, resentment, poverty, unrest and crime. Mine less so. Far more murders in the USA per year than Europe.
I live in England. For most of my career, I was a college lecturer in computing at our equivalent of a community college. My original background is electrical engineering. You?***
Smug? You decide.
First I challenged his implication that AutoMatic weapons are available in the US.
Private ownership of machine guns made after 1986 is banned by federal law. All pre-1986 automatic weapons must be registered with the ATF and require extensive background checks before private citizens may own them.
Here Are The Actual Federal Laws Regulating Machine Guns In The U.S.
https://thefederalist.com/2017/10/02/actual-federal-laws-regulating-machine-guns-u-s/
But then Mr. Bretherton is a 'college lecturer"...so how could he possibly know about that...or even know how to find out that Fact>
Second, I disputed his assertion that European society is superior to that in the US. The Mayor of London having to ban knives because restrictive gun laws in England are not enough to stop people from killing each other in the streets of a major European City.
And I pointed to the efforts at gun control here : you don't need a gun call 911.
Again I read my post over again...I can't find where I said Go arm yourseves...Buy guns.
Mr Bretherton's willingness to lecture using his Wrong Facts and your attack on me for something I never wrote is emblematic of the very thing that Mr. Bretherton cites as what is wrong with the US ---"division, resentment,..."
Good luck to you
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"Smug? You decide."
Factual is the word you are looking for.
"First I challenged his implication that AutoMatic weapons are available in the US."
It's called the AR-15 & it takes minutes to convert to full auto.
In your other post you have the cops keeping the gun shop shut because brown people who couldn't afford bail can suddenly gets the bucks to buy a gun after passing the background checks?!?
Knives? They are EVERYWHERE, America has Chyna make dirt cheap pig stickers and kids buy them on fleabay. It's the American way, everything is now made in China.
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Without copying and pasting, you implied that the police forces in major cities was decreased by as much as 20% and calling 911 may not get an immediate response. Therefore, make sure that your shotgun has ammunition and is cleaned and at hand, just in case.
In the UK and Western European countries, hand guns and semi-automatic rifles are not allowed. Hunting rifles are permitted. This works so well, the local 'beat cop' does not carry a weapon. The 'federal' police are armed, some with automatics, as you will notice when walking close to an embassy or federally sensitive buildings.
Yes, the USA has a lot of acreage compared to the EU countries, along with 350MM people. If we let 100 thousand people immigrate into the USA, the majority of us wouldn't even notice. Heck, 1MM newcomers wouldn't even make a dent.
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Keeping it running is better than buying new
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There so what 'I' really meant was.......
I'm so glad that you can read my mind and divine my intentions.
There's a job wating for you at the Pre-Crime Division of the local politboro office.
Good luck to you.
___________________________________________________
LA County releases 25% of the entire inmate population to curb spread of Coronavirus in prisons
LA also released 10% of inmates' population on March 24
By Bharat Sharma
April 15, 2020 19:49 +08
Los Angeles County decided to release more than 4,000 inmates because of coronavirus pandemic and warned that the region as "uncharted territory" in terms of public safety. County's sheriff recently announced to release 25 percent of inmate population of Los Angeles County that is equal to around 4,300 prisoners.
He also closed down all the local gun stores and listed them under non-essential business.
https://www.ibtimes.sg/la-county-releases-25-entire-inmate-population-curb-spread-coronavirus-prisons-43104
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The article states: "The prisoners who were released are nonviolent criminals in pre-trial detention. It also includes those who are going to finish their sentence within one or two months."
They don't sound like the 'surround your home and invade' type. Nor does it sound like they will suddenly kill or maim people at will.
And 4500 people dumped into an area of 15,000,000 will not be noticeable. Besides, these people were arrested and charged but not convicted.
BTW, I only read between the lines when something is implied.
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Keeping it running is better than buying new
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"LA County releases 25% of the entire inmate population to curb spread of Coronavirus in prisons
LA also released 10% of inmates' population on March 24"
The inmates released are brown people too poor to afford bail for trivial offences, they aren't rapists & murderers.
Get your info directly, not the skewed garbage from your prefered source like FOX, CNN, etc.
Do you believe news should be "Fair & Balanced"?
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WOW 'skewed garbage from your prefered source"...???????
The link that I posted was:
https://www.ibtimes.sg/la-county-releases-25-entire-inmate-population-curb-spread-coronavirus-prisons-43104
So The Internatioal Business Times is 'skewed garbage'.
https://www.ibtimes.sg/corporate/about
IBTimes provides comprehensive content around the most important business, economic and political news from around the world, besides covering some niche areas of interest to our global readers.
IBTimes is produced in 7 editions in 4 different languages, offering in-depth coverage that is relevant and specific to each global market.
IBTimes is currently the main business unit of IBT Media. Our global headquarters is in New York City and the European Headquarters is in London.
The International Business Times Inc. was founded in 2005 with a mission to serve as a forum to facilitate better understanding and unity in order to help make the world truly connected.
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My apologies if I've caused you offence, it certainly wasn't my intention. In the Vegas incident, in 2017, the shooter used a semi-automatic weapon fitted with a bump stock, which I believe are now banned. So it wasn't technically an "automatic" weapon and, in that sense, I stand corrected. But that doesn't detract too much from the meaning of my original post.
As for my considering the UK and European society to be "superior" to the USA it was in terms of social provision e.g. The NHS, which I consider superior healthcare to your mostly insurance based system. It is an opinion. I wasn't trying to be "smug". I've been here for 18 years and have never intentionally set out to cause offence. We express opinions here, nothing is personal. Regards.
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BillB
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Bill,
Actually I was taken mosty aback by KlausC's post to me. His complete distortion of my inital response to you. (arm your selves buy guns because of Covid???)
If not for that, I would have never written a second post.
Testy times here esp that Covid has exposed the health system in this country.
Hospitals - the physical buildings - are owned by real estate companies>
Example> In Feb, as the extent of this virus was becoming known, a regional medical center in Fairmont West Virgina was closed 6 weeks before it was scheduled to be shuttered. The California company that owns it(a real estate fund) shut it down one day before the Covid Panic hit the US. They avoided getting stuck with a hospital full of sick people as well as the possibility that the Government of West Virgina would stop the closing of the Medical Center from taking place due to the epidemic.
The company got out just in time.
Add that to certain politicians using COVID to advance their antigun adgenda and their true desire to disarm all Americans. We do have that pesky 2nd Amendment, that this group wish would just go away.
Interesting that a thread that you started in October that got 3 responses, was revived at the end of March.......Testy Times.
Enough said.
I've been here since the late 90s.
Cheers
Charlie.
PS: check this out regarding wanting to own a gun for protection.
Coyotes are being seen on the empty streets of San Francisco
https://www.sfgate.com/living-in-sf/article/Coyotes-are-being-seen-on-the-empty-streets-15159105.php#photo-19212005
Meanwhile:
San Francisco City Officials Don't Want People Buying Guns During Pandemic
The resolution calls on the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara to conduct surveys on the health threat posed by the surge in weapons purchases - using completely unsupported claims in the text
WHEREAS, The NRA has induced such panic buying by engaging in reckless fear-mongering, using this national crisis as an excuse to grow corporate profits and scare more people into buying guns.
WHEREAS, More guns do not keep Americans safe because in reality, nearly 400 million civilian-owned guns in America have not stopped 40,000 annual gun deaths and thousands of gun injuries.
WHEREAS, More guns in homes during these precarious times compounds the risks of death and serious injury likely to further increase our hospital loads.
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" I just think you're wrong. Your type of society breeds division, resentment, poverty, unrest and crime. Mine less so. Far more murders in the USA per year than Europe (to link back to my original post)."
Of course you think I am wrong. Obvious and irrelevant.
I know of no nation on earth that has the immigration of the USA. There is no nation where Americans are leaving to go to in the same numbers of the hordes that are arriving. The murder rate doesn't seem to deter anyone. We could drive the murder rate down to near zero by making murder a crime that ensures execution in short order. We have never, and never will do that. We obviously have more sympathy for murderers than victims. ( I do not understand why. )
I am an HVAC / electrician, landlord, jack of all trades, who lives in Texas. When I am talking to a left winger, I am always curious where they got their beliefs. I am trying to make logic of it. There is no logic to it. I see no logic in anyone's political beliefs. Perhaps there is no logic in mine.
I hang my belief on this; It is against human nature to appreciate anything you dont work for. Capitalism rewards work, and innovation. Socialism punishes the productive, and rewards sloth. One of these will slowly destroy first the individual, then the society. Your country is doomed, as are all western democracies. From within, not without.
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Classic white American male. Oh no, what about my white American male culture, these brown people are gonna ruin all this rich culture of privilege for me! ME!! ME!!!
lol. Xenophobe.
Mexico, despite its many problems, has a long, rich and varied culture. As an American who has lived there and gotten a taste of it, I envy what they have. They have so much more than us north of the border, especially when compared to what you cling to.
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XC60 / Odyssey
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Logic and politics do not mix. Just take a look at the Texas' congress and the laws you are required to live with. Socialism, capitalism, communism, or any other ism in its purest forms cannot survive. There must be a blend where government owned industry/services are balanced with privately owned businesses.
The garbage haulers, water suppliers, electric suppliers, teachers, and internet(most monopolies) should be owned by the government. Finland has the highest paid teachers in the world, their logic: Who enables people to become scientists, CEOs, engineers and all the people who work?
Capitalism, is good. So long as there is competition. Competition keeps prices low and innovation high. The USA has lost its competitive drive, outsourcing all industry to other countries. The US congress has allowed companies to influence all legislation, in its favor. The largest companies are now stifling growth by buying start up companies or using the court system to shut down competition.
By the way, I like Texas! Some of my friend's families have lived there since the 1600's. They don't like the fact that the Americans flocked there and took a lot of their land.
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Keeping it running is better than buying new
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KlausC wote:"By the way, I like Texas! Some of my friend's families have lived there since the 1600's. They don't like the fact that the Americans flocked there and took a lot of their land."
The 1st Americans were invited by the Mexicans to Texas, hoping that that they're presence would delay the inevitable, but when push come to shove, the then American-Mexicans decided to side with rest of the USA to become one of the 50 stars.
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The people I know all love being American citizens and would rather live in Texas than Mexico. What they resent is that they are treated like "wet backs" by the "red necks". Even my nephew calls them "democrats", as a derogatory name.
In France, no one has a hyphenated name regarding place of birth. There are no African-French, no Algerian-French, no English-French. They are all French, period.
There should not be any Texicans, American-Mexicans, etc. Just Texans.
Of course, there is a national problem. Americans can infer anyone living between Prudhoe Bay and Tierra Del Fuego.
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Keeping it running is better than buying new
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All naturalized Americans have Voted with their feet. Of course they like it here or they would leave. It must be a better place to live. The French may not use hyphenated names, ( they disgust me ) but I understand they have tremendous social problems, the biggest being they allow mass immigration of people that will not be assimilated into society. We do that too, and it is crazy. I suspect the average people are against it in Europe, which will eventually kill the EU.
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France has 70MM people, Germany has 80MM and Italy has 60MM. Introducing 100,000 immigrants to any of those countries would not be a problem unless those immigrants were all kept in a relatively small neighborhood - think cities, not small towns.
The real problem is educating the immigrants as well as the local population about the laws and customs regarding the new country as well as the old country. Yes, there is going to be 'gathering' of these immigrant groups in the cities, where rent is cheap. That has alway happened, like to the Irish, Polish, Germans, Jews, etc in the USA. Assimilation takes time, both for the immigrants as well as those already living there.
When the USA refuses to accept 10,000-100,000 refugees from Central America to join us with 350MM, it plays to the heart of bigotry. None of them want to come to the USA and live on the dole. They want to experience life as we know it. They want their children to grow up without fear and be educated.
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Keeping it running is better than buying new
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"There should not be any Texicans, American-Mexicans, etc. Just Texans."
Unless they are African-Americans, but that's only common sense.
"The people I know all love being American citizens and would rather live in Texas than Mexico."
You are saying that you don't know anyone that is not an American citizen.
Do you think that the Mexicans that keep crossing into the USA would prefer to be American's too?
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" Unless they are African-Americans, but that's only common sense." language.
For your information, there is no more common sense in the term "African American" than any other hyphenated term.
Common sense is the most abused term in the English
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" " Unless they are African-Americans, but that's only common sense." language.
For your information, there is no more common sense in the term "African American" than any other hyphenated term.
Common sense is the most abused term in the English "
If you couldn't see my post as a sarcastic joke you have no common sense.
Another telltale is you have a HP & complain about it being made in China. Everyone knows HP is JUNK, but people buy them because they are CHEAP.
I have my doubts about you being a sparky, because you could have built a Quality PC using parts from Taiwan, South Korean & even Texas.
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I also dislike African-American and Asian-American. An entire continent?? Not all Africans are black and not all Asians are Chinese.
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Keeping it running is better than buying new
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"Do you think that the Mexicans that keep crossing into the USA would prefer to be American's too?"
Not all of them. Some only want to come to the USA to work, get "rich", and then return to Mexico and their families. Unfortunately, the US Congress will not give those folks visas for 6-9 months of migrant work. My German grandparents used to hire about 30 temps each fall to harvest hops, all came from Eastern Block countries with a temporary visa - no problem.
I used to be a cotton pickin' foreigner until I got my USA citizenship. Would I want to permanently reside back in Germany? Probably not. Family and home are here now. But we really like to visit.
My neighbor from Canada just got his USA citizenship. He is bemoaning the fact that the border is closed and he can't visit this summer.
Another neighbor across the street is from Spain, his wife is from Argentina, children are USA born.
A pair of Italians down the block, English language is barely passable :). Husband has a Green Card.
Daughter's college roommate is from China and just got her Green Card after passing her Bar exam. She gets discriminated a lot. Smart kid!
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Keeping it running is better than buying new
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Welcome citizen, to the USA.
The immigration system is broken, as you know better than most.
I always say that when Republican and Democrats are in agreement in Washington, the American people are about to get screwed. ( Or it is time to give themselves a raise.)
They have allowed massive illegal immigration for 40 years, to drive down middle class wages. Now, the Democrats have realized most will stay poor and vote Democrat. So they want more. The Republicans mostly still want to drive down wages, and are terrified of being called racists. So they want more.
No nation should have open borders. Unless you want to cease to exist.
Ask Mexico about Texas, or native Americans about Europeans.
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No one wants open borders, except for tourists. Republicans love illegal migrant workers, they work for less than minimum wage, perform work that most Americans don't want to do, they keep the wholesale prices low. If immigration reform included allowing migrant workers to come to the USA legally, those workers could demand minimum wage and destroy the farming community!
Because of our immigrant policies the price paid to the coyotes are forcing migrant workers to stay in the USA for years. They pay no taxes, the employer pays no taxes, neither can call the police for crime, nor can they get medical help without risking being sent back to Mexico.
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Keeping it running is better than buying new
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I would not stress about the Americans taking Texas from Mexico. As my Mexican friend told me, " We are here now to take it back"
There is no more Texas. There is Texico.
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Texas, LOL!
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Pondered this for many dark hours. We are a violent country. Most are. Maybe all are. The North and South American Indians were slaughtering each other before we got here. We brought better killing technology.
Whatever killing our second amendment hath wrought, other countries where guns were and are illegal have made us look like amateur killers. Stalin and Mao killed millions without firing a shot. Starvation is no better way to die than gun shot.
Humans are by nature sociopaths. It takes a lot of indoctrination to overcome this.
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I dont know how it is done in England, but here, in the last election, and in the upcoming election, sane people pick the lesser of two evils. Trump was and is that choice.
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Trump takes evil to a whole new plateau. He's a pathological liar, a cheater, a bigot, a racist, a misogynist, a coward, a huckster, an incompetent, and quite simply, the man most likely to destroy America.
In the midst of the worst health crisis in our lifetimes, he brags about the TV ratings for his dangerous, lie-filled, self-congratulatory briefings. He allots emergency medical supplies based on who kisses his ass more.
He's spent the last three months ignoring the warnings and advice from respected medical experts, trying to sell his own invented, dangerous narrative in the hopes of propping up the stock market and his own re-election chances.
His action and lack of action will ultimately be responsible for tens of thousands of American deaths, deaths that could have been prevented with some attention in January and February, and which he will falsely try to blame on Barrack Obama. Or Hillary's email server. Or anyone or anything except the real culprit, himself.
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Calm down there. Trump in no way is a new level of evil. He will not destroy the nation. He still has a higher approval than congress. ( No one likes congress, but they keep pulling that straight ticket lever )
It takes generations of bad government to destroy a nation. And there would be no President Trump without Obama and Hilliary.
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There would be no President Trump without the yahoos who voted for a six time bankrupt business genius whose claim to fame was starring in a made up reality TV show and who had absolutely no qualifications for the job. His economic "successes" are largely the product of policies started during the Obama years.
He puts kids in cages, steals money from the military to build his ineffective fantasy wall, refuses to honor the rule of law and spends most of his time scoring double bogies (but writing down par) at his golf courses that we are now subsidizing to the tune of millions of dollars.
He won't destroy the nation? He already is doing it.
Calm down? Nah. The folks who need to calm down are the rabid idiots in the red hats (made in China) who drink the Kool Aid at those rallies.
Donald Trump is the most dangerous man in America.
I wonder how often this kind of discussion played out in Germany in 1935, and we know how that turned out.
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You and I both grew up in a time when possession of an automatic weapon was against the law. I have a distain for semi-automatics which include pistols. Unless your home is being invaded by a mob of bad guys trying to steal your hoard of toilette paper and all of them are brandishing AR15's, there is no need to rush to the gun safe and pull out a machine gun. You might be better off with a dozen hand grenades!
I have seen a semi-automatic grenade launcher, with 10 round capability. Imagine what that could do to your home invaders!
I am in favor of back ground checks, red flag laws, and even annual firearm proficiency testing.
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Keeping it running is better than buying new
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Think you missed Bill’s point. He is saying automatic weapons should be banned. Not all guns. I agree. There is no reason for someone who is not a police officer or in the military to own an automatic weapon. I personally hate guns but respect your Second Amendment right to own one as long as it is a rifle or non-automatic pistol. The Second Amendment was written in a time where many used rifles to hunt for survival and pistols for self-defense as we recently had a war on our soil. The concept of an automatic weapon was never considered when the Amendment was written.
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Will I buy another Volvo??? We'll see....
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Bill.
It doesn't look like any of the weapons were fully automatic. Most seem to have been equiped with a aftermarket stock that could be manipulated , with enough practice, to mimic automatic fire. no real accuracy, but a high rate or nearly random fire... A spray of lead!
The US govt's own BATF has ruled that hese stocks do not violate any federal law. Currently, there seems to be no action within law that they can ake! Catch 22!
Congress, with the support NRA and many gun advocasy groups seem to be working together for a change looking at ways to deal with the issue.
As usual, the more you regulate the more it seems to motivate people to find ways to circumvent the law.
This is a terrible thing, but no one really seems to be able to track down just what his guy was! A high functioning, anti social,lone wolf, maybe.
I think the story, when it finally comes out, will be extraordinarily sad.
the death toll is already horrible.
There are many laws restricting access of firearms to the adjudicated, mentally ill. Problem is, In a free society like ours the ill are ill and have protections too.
We can't just pack up any oddball and incarcerate them. Many countries have done that in the past . The third Reich showed us where that sort of absolute authoity can lead. .
I am no ones apologist, but The rights of man must have priority in a free society or freedom is the immediate casualty and the people very soon after!
What is the solution?
I hope and pray that one will be found soon!
This whole terrible thing saddens me more than I can express here.
Just writing this is like looking into the face of one man's own private hell. I find this almost too much to bear. All my own Firearms are long since disposed of. I have lost your email, or I would love to correspond on this sad story we are seeing.
Please excuse my poor attempt to discuss and my awful formatting!
As always.
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It doesn't look like any of the weapons were fully automatic. Most seem to have been equiped with a aftermarket stock that could be manipulated , with enough practice, to mimic automatic fire. no real accuracy, but a high rate or nearly random fire... A spray of lead!
The converted semi-autos is actually a full-auto, unless you looked at the picture with your eyes shut. Go tell fathers of the dead that you are unimpressed with the accuracy of the converted AR-15.
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They are in the process of legalising SILENCERS FFS! What possible legal use could they have? They are also trying to get guns to the mentally impared, god knows why.
The NRA's mantra is 'the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun', well that BS was finally put to rest because they pack heat legally in Nevada, but no one pulled out theirs because a cop would have shot them.
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