Bowling for Columbine

[Anonymous]

pursuit, not "persuit."

[Oz girl]

Americans like warm fuzzy stories of how philanthropic their government is.

I would say that americans seem to have a mistrust of govt and a belief that the desires and needs of the individual are more important than that of the populace. There seems to be less of an ideology of the common good. This is only going to allow the rich and powerful to assert their own interests over those of the poor and disenfranchaised everytime.

 BTW who is the spelling and grammar nazi on this thread?

[Anonymous]

Americans like warm fuzzy stories of how philanthropic their government is.

I would say that americans seem to have a mistrust of govt and a belief that the desires and needs of the individual are more important than that of the populace. There seems to be less of an ideology of the common good. This is only going to allow the rich and powerful to assert their own interests over those of the poor and disenfranchaised everytime.

 BTW who is the spelling and grammar nazi on this thread?

I am. Don't call me a nazi or I'll gun you down. An American should fucking well know how to spell "pursuit," for fuck's sake.

[Dr Phil]

Americans like warm fuzzy stories of how philanthropic their government is.

I would say that americans seem to have a mistrust of govt and a belief that the desires and needs of the individual are more important than that of the populace. There seems to be less of an ideology of the common good. This is only going to allow the rich and powerful to assert their own interests over those of the poor and disenfranchaised everytime.

 BTW who is the spelling and grammar nazi on this thread?

The US govt is serving the 'common good' for those with the money to buy influence and power. This is a govt. run for and by the corporations. The US govt. does not serve the US people, it has declared war on them. I don't think any american views our govt as something that is designedto help the common man (or woman). The same corporations distract... bread and circuses... and make the issues of our time based on emotional irrationality, debates which can go either way. And while the populace is arguing over social issues such as abortion and guns the corporations are passing legislation to expand their influence globally with no restraint, even at the cost of the American people. It's a bait and switch, and we've all been had.

We are not free. The US govt can send a SWAT team into your house because they suspect you of having a few ditch weeds growing in your backyard. LA county wanted a nice piece of land, as did the federal government so they hatched a little plan to murder a man and steal his property. This was in the 1990's, in California, USA. How could anyone trust the police when they conspire at the highest levels of government to kill someone to obtain land?
http://www.outpost-of-freedom.com/scott.htm

The US has 2 million people in prison, out of a total population of around 300 million. Even though China has a billion more citizens, they imprison around 1 million, as does Russia, who's image cannot escape that of the gulag. America is only behind Rwanda for total prisoners based on population, and that is only because their jails are filled with people from the massacre in 1994, a non developed nation.

Prison population per 100,000 inhabitants

USA 725    
Russia 713    
UK 124    
Canada 102    
Germany 98    
Italy 92    
France 80    
Vietnam 75    
Sweden 64    
Denmark 61    
Iceland 29

Land of the free? We are more like the land of prisons. There are more US citizens in jail than reside in Alaska, North and South Dakota combined, it's the 51st state.

from wiki
"In terms of federal prison, 57% of those incarcerated were sentenced for drug offenses. Currently, considering local jails as well, almost a million of those incarcerated are in prison for non-violent crime. "

A million people in prison for non violent crimes. Over half of those in federal prison are there for drug crimes. Tax payers are paying for their incarceration, while federal prison is being privitized and corporations are making large profits from this growing industry. Check out the company Correction Corp of America (CCA). They are currently the largest private prison company, with over 60 thousand prisoners in their control. Check out their stock price, their growth expectation and you see the trend.

Trusting our govt?  :rofl: I trust them to jail me for smoking reefer, that's about it.

[Antigen]

Americans like warm fuzzy stories of how philanthropic their government is.

I would say that americans seem to have a mistrust of govt and a belief that the desires and needs of the individual are more important than that of the populace. There seems to be less of an ideology of the common good. This is only going to allow the rich and powerful to assert their own interests over those of the poor and disenfranchaised everytime.

The populace and the government are both made up of individuals. Individuals are always better at looking after our own interests. Whether they're pretending paternalistic benevolence or not, that's what we do best.

Just came accross this compliments of Nihles. Looks like Smell Sembler, private prisons and the TOUGHLOVE hategroup are not the only things we're exporting downunder. Behold the beam in your own eye, PlsHlp.

nihilanthic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habeas_Cor ... _Terrorism
nihilanthic: the fact that its specifically for non citizens is probably why most people are going "huh what" at you and me raising alarm
nihilanthic: JESUS FUCK
nihilanthic: look at what Australia is trying to do!!!!!
nihilanthic: The proposed legislation is currently being debated in both the federal and state parliaments and some legal experts have stated that the Act is unconstitutional because it abolishes habeas corpus, due process, and the presumption of innocence. Some Solicitors-General also consider the Act violates the separation of powers. Under the Act, a person can be detained without charge or trial for a period of one year. Amendments made that were proposed by some Premiers and Liberal backbenchers include a greater right of appeal of a detained person, and the case to be considered on the basis of merit, rather than points of law.

The proposed bill is considered contrary to habeas corpus because it allows people to be imprisoned by a decision of the executive branch of government rather than the
nihilanthic: the judiciary, to be imprisoned indefinitely without charge or trial, and it makes it an offence to even talk about somebody being imprisoned. One of the more controversial aspects of the legislation is the requirement that a parent, if informed of their child's detention, may not inform any further person, including the other parent. This clause also applies to detention of adults.
nihilanthic: turning it into a fuckin program
EudoraDreamt: Holy shit
nihilanthic: yeah.
nihilanthic: they cant even talk about it
EudoraDreamt: I'm a copy and paste this to Tacitus realm, k?
nihilanthic: sure thing

Damned smart kid, in' he?

[Oz girl]

i would liketo share that i did not vote for these fuckers!!!!
ASIO (our eq) of the CIA have actually been doing this since the "war on terror" begun! it is a breach of the constitution and is currently being fought. Probably unsucessfully because our PM is a fcktard who loves bush. i dont even know if bush knows who or where we are! Apparently this has taken off more than tough love did! We also decided to let David Hicks rot in Gtmo bay wihtout invervening even tho you guys still have not charged him! We kiss the US ass on a daily basis since the war on terror began!

But i dont see this as a reason to throw out the broader concept of the role of govt. Taxes both here and in the US are paid for a reason. I therefore expect a govt will use them to give me a pension when i am old,  make sure my kids get a higher education if this is what they choose, get me better when i am ill  and provide adequate policing so that i dont have to shoot criminals myself!

Because our current PM is a fucktard I plan to vote for the other guy. Obviously the majority of Australians were pretty retarded in their thinking when they voted for him. This kind of retardation is possibly a reflection of the way they conduct their everyday life.Then again our most famous people throw phones! Such is life

[Antigen]

Taxes both here and in the US are paid for a reason. I therefore expect a govt will use them to give me a pension when i am old, make sure my kids get a higher education if this is what they choose, get me better when i am ill and provide adequate policing so that i dont have to shoot criminals myself!

T'is a belief against all experience. Look, just remember that governments are staffed by people. You give people power, they abuse it. The more power you give them the harder it is to control the abuse. The whole idea of the American republic was to keep a very limited government authorized to do only three things; defend against foreign attack, maintain peaceful trade among (not within) the several states and to levy such taxes, imposts and duties as needed to do those other two things.

Get much more complicated than that and the whole thing falls apart. In other words, to err is human but to really foul things up requires government funding.

[Dr Phil]

I think this video is symbolic of the nature of American society at the moment.


       

Be sure to watch the ending.... (the sound doesnt work until :16)

[Oz girl]

You give people power, they abuse it

Which is why it would be silly to move toward communism. Its a fine line tho. Neither system is perfect. But as i see Australia move more toward an American system of unfettered fre enterprise  and further away from the traditional principals of a fair go for all i dont feel any more free.
For the first time since the 50s Unversities have set aside some full fee places for rich dumb kids.
Junk food is making our kids fat. We dont have cheese in a can yet but give it time.
Civil liberties have been strongly curtailed. Particularly if your name is something like Al haddad. (the only wayt this govt has decided to involve itself!!!!!)
Out much lauded industrial relations system is being dismantled so that employers can pay low level workers whatever they like regardless of whether it is fair
But i ddont feel any freer under a system where we are moving toward minimal public interference and assistance. i am also wondeering why under this minimal interference sysyem i am paying as much if not more tax than ever.

[Antigen]

I just got back from the courthouse. I've been spending as much time as possible as far as possible from centers of commerce and county seats and not watching much tv, so the contrast is stark. In this little po dunk court house they have metal detectors and an xray machine and no less than 4 armed officers guarding the door.

I carry a very small pen knife. Last time I was there my daughter called me while I was getting a lecture about the requirement to declare any and all weapons. Not enough to hand it to the little eraser-head who takes his stupid job way too seriously.

This trip, same thing. If I had been thinking I could have put the thing in my metal stash box and sent it through the x-ray machine in my purse. Instead of walking through the metal detector before remembering the thing, I emptied my pockets into the tray. "Hey, you've been here before haven't you? And didn't I tell you you have to declare your weapon?" "I just put it down right in front of you!" "No, you have to state outloud to him that what you're handing me is a knife."

On the way out the door, I handed the little dweeb my official slip wittnessed and signed by anothre officer and asked for my dangerous weapon back. He took two steps over to the lock box, open it and another compartment inside and retrieve my dangerous weapon. I think the whole point of it is just to make sure that anyone who has any dealings in the courthouse is made most uncomfortable to even carry an object that may remind someone that weapons exist.

But I am now fully and officially Ginger McNulty again. :-)

[AtomicAnt]

Ginger's story about the pen knife reminds me of my recent flight from NJ to NC. The rule is no liquids on the plane, even you purchased them after going through security.

Apparently, one of the boarding agents wasn't paying attention because a woman brought bottled water onto the plane.

The flight attendant asked the woman if the person outside had explained that you cannot bring liquids onto the plane. The woman, surprised, said no. The flight attendant had her take it back off the plane, where she drank the rest of the water and tossed the bottle.

Then, to my amusement, the flight attendant announced on the PA that anyone who has brought liquid onto the plane must remove it immediately.

I, and the man next to me, laughed out loud. He looked at me, and said, "She just made a bunch of innocent people throw away their water."

And of course any terrorists gladly would have taken their dangerous liquids back off the plane. They were caught fair and square, right?"

[BuzzKill]

Incredible about the water. Why does no one have any common sense any more?  

I also used to carry a knife. It wasn't a little pen knife - but it was perfectly legal. I was always getting in trouble with it. They'd search my purse and there was this knife - and they'd be all shocked and surprised - you got a knife in there, they'd say. Well yeah - so? This always upset them. I often had to argue and insist it was in fact legal. Usually they just wanted to hold it until after the show or when we otherwise left the building or premises - but a few times they tried to confiscate it. I eventually quite caring it. It just wasn't worth the hassle.

Ginger - I assume that is good news - about the name change? But do we now have to worry about the Mcnutty agenda - as opposed to the Warbus agenda? I always kinda liked the sound of that - the Warbus agenda.  

[Antigen]

No, I suppose now we have to worry about the rest of the McNulty tribe getting upset with the affiliation.  :rofl:

[Dr Phil]

Six Killed In Lancaster School Shooting

POSTED: 11:47 am EDT October 2, 2006
UPDATED: 1:58 pm EDT October 2, 2006

The Lancaster County coroner said six people were killed during a school shooting in Lancaster County, Pa., in the town of Paradise.

Police said the situation is now under control.

"So far six confirmed dead and the helicopters are pulling into (Lancaster General Hospital) like crazy," Lancaster County Coroner Gary Kirchner said.

State police said the shooter is killed, but it is not clear if he is one of the six referred to by Kirchner.

Witnesses told WGAL-TV in Lancaster that a man went into the school and took hostages. Some children were able to get out of the school. They ran through a meadow to a nearby farm and alerted the family there to what was happened. Police were then contacted. Negotiations took place. But at some point, at least 10 shots were fired within the school, WGAL reported.

Numerous medical personnel were called to the scene and people were seen being evacuated by helicopter to Hershey Medical Center.

Officials at the Hershey Medical Center confirm that victims are being admitted there. A spokeswoman says the hospital anticipats treating more than one patient, but the spokeswoman does not know how many.

Three people were also taken by ground to Lancaster General Hospital. One of them is reportedly in critical condition.

The Wolf Rock School is a one-room Amish school located on Mine Road.

NBC 10 will have details on this developing story and our John Blunt is at the shooting scene.

http://www.nbc10.com/news/9981916/detail.html

[BuzzKill]

Oh Geez.


I'm struck nearly speechless. I meant to ask earlier and it slipped my mind. I have now been reminded. . .

How mush of this do you suppose is Copy-Cat work?

Has blowing away school kids, become 'the' way, those who want to go out with a bang, now chose to go - as a result of the notoriety of Columbine?