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Post by Marshall on Feb 17, 2018 12:55:46 GMT -5
Just to take one last whiplash-inducing turn... I personally dread what awaits us around the corner because I -- and people who believe as I do (however few we might currently be) -- won't take up arms when the government turns on us completely. And it's turning now. Well, I don't want to call your opinion into doubt. I just don't understand why you'd say that. We can talk off-line, if you like. But I'm confused why you'd feel so totally disenfranchised. |
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Post by millring on Feb 17, 2018 13:52:36 GMT -5
Just to take one last whiplash-inducing turn... I personally dread what awaits us around the corner because I -- and people who believe as I do (however few we might currently be) -- won't take up arms when the government turns on us completely. And it's turning now. Well, I don't want to call your opinion into doubt. I just don't understand why you'd say that. We can talk off-line, if you like. But I'm confused why you'd feel so totally disenfranchised. I don't mean to sound cryptic. I'm just seeing more and more call to use the power of law -- the power of government -- to enforce what used to be political correctness. Additionally, the freedom to have alternative ideas and solutions is being shut down forcibly in our universities. It's getting closer and closer to being illegal to think the way I think. And when that starts to be enforced, well, I'm not looking forward to that -- especially when those in power are the ones who get to decide all the definitions. All my views have been pared down to simply this: I am a racist, a homophobe, a transphobe, a misogynist, a xenophobe, narrow-minded, bigoted, a member of a terrorist group. That's not future. That's now. I'm stunned every day to see college-educated people on my facebook feed -- people who think of themselves as good people (and who are good people) on the right side of all issues -- seething with hatred for things I believe in. They wouldn't even need to be nudged to turn a blind eye to my being shipped off to re-education camp. They would cheer it. |
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Post by majorminor on Feb 17, 2018 13:56:53 GMT -5
I'd clear my throat and knit my brow for you bro...
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2018 14:36:12 GMT -5
Gee and now we learn that the FBI was too busy with the Russian BS and other crap to actually investigate this shithead who they were, at least, twice warned about. So ... if you see something ... never mind ... go back to bed.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2018 14:37:29 GMT -5
[...] Let's blame those bitter clingers. Must be their fault.  Well he is holding an actual military assault weapon. |
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Post by millring on Feb 17, 2018 14:40:49 GMT -5
The FBI employs approximately 35,000 people. I think they could investigate Russian influence and tend to warnings about an impending murder plot. I doubt that dropping the latter ball has anything to do with the leadership who was trying to spare us from a Trump presidency.
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Post by Russell Letson on Feb 17, 2018 14:52:41 GMT -5
I'm stunned every day to see college-educated people on my facebook feed -- people who think of themselves as good people (and who are good people) on the right side of all issues -- seething with hatred for things I believe in. Well, there's a big part of your problem right there. I can find complementary-opposite opinions on my FB feed, and I know that elsewhere on FB and various foaming-at-all-orifices sites there's even more poisonous stuff. People can be assholes. I grew up in a place and time where casual anti-Catholic and antisemitic remarks were common and racism was rarely challenged. We now replaced the back fence, the barber shop and beauty parlor, the fraternal-organization smoker, and the family gathering with a system of megaphones. I'm a secular materialist and unashamed apostate Catholic. How do you fancy my chances (even if I weren't geriatric and addicted to irony) of running for public office? |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2018 14:54:42 GMT -5
The FBI employs approximately 35,000 people. I think they could investigate Russian influence and tend to warnings about an impending murder plot. I doubt that dropping the latter ball has anything to do with the leadership who was trying to spare us from a Trump presidency. Well sure it's easier to identify an anonymous Russian hacker than a kid who's user name is his actual name. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2018 15:02:24 GMT -5
Well, I don't want to call your opinion into doubt. I just don't understand why you'd say that. We can talk off-line, if you like. But I'm confused why you'd feel so totally disenfranchised. I don't mean to sound cryptic. I'm just seeing more and more call to use the power of law -- the power of government -- to enforce what used to be political correctness. Additionally, the freedom to have alternative ideas and solutions is being shut down forcibly in our universities. It's getting closer and closer to being illegal to think the way I think. And when that starts to be enforced, well, I'm not looking forward to that -- especially when those in power are the ones who get to decide all the definitions. All my views have been pared down to simply this: I am a racist, a homophobe, a transphobe, a misogynist, a xenophobe, narrow-minded, bigoted, a member of a terrorist group. That's not future. That's now. I'm stunned every day to see college-educated people on my facebook feed -- people who think of themselves as good people (and who are good people) on the right side of all issues -- seething with hatred for things I believe in. They wouldn't even need to be nudged to turn a blind eye to my being shipped off to re-education camp. They would cheer it. Oh c'mon! The Progressive movement has made the world a better place. I'm stunned that a baby fetus can be killed terminated just as it exits the womb, something that's defended vociferously as a constitutional right, and people like you and me can't see that the world's a better place without that child. What the hell's wrong with us? |
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Post by millring on Feb 17, 2018 15:06:36 GMT -5
I can find complementary-opposite opinions on my FB feed, and I know that elsewhere on FB and various foaming-at-all-orifices sites there's even more poisonous stuff. I'm not talking about memes. I'm talking about people I know. How do you fancy my chances (even if I weren't geriatric and addicted to irony) of running for public office? I'd vote for you if there was something in it for me. |
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Post by Russell Letson on Feb 17, 2018 15:23:10 GMT -5
All the old-guy irony you can eat, plus guaranteed guitar-playing whenever you're no more than a 90-minute drive from St. Cloud.
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Post by millring on Feb 17, 2018 15:35:32 GMT -5
What public office are you going to be able to hold and still be allowed to live in your palatial St Cloud estate?
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Post by amanajoe on Feb 17, 2018 15:40:15 GMT -5
On the other hand, the most sophisticated, best armed military in the world has been held to no better than a draw in every conflict since the 1950s with Panama and Grenada being the only exceptions. Take away an armed populace and that's not so. Those are wars from afar that we are not totally committed to. It's a completely different animal than an internal civil war for control of a nation. We don't want to annex Afghanistan as the 51st state. That title goes goes to Canada. Puerto Rico gets the shaft again, I thought we kept promising them they could be the 51st state. |
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Post by Rob Hanesworth on Feb 17, 2018 15:43:19 GMT -5
Those are wars from afar that we are not totally committed to. It's a completely different animal than an internal civil war for control of a nation. We don't want to annex Afghanistan as the 51st state. That title goes goes to Canada. Puerto Rico gets the shaft again, I thought we kept promising them they could be the 51st state. Puerto Rico would settle for electricity at this point. |
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Post by amanajoe on Feb 17, 2018 15:57:51 GMT -5
Puerto Rico gets the shaft again, I thought we kept promising them they could be the 51st state. Puerto Rico would settle for electricity at this point. Well, I did edit out that we couldn't let them be a state until they got their act together and fixed all their infrastructure problems. Once that is done, they can then be a state and let it all crumble like the rest of the states. |
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Dub
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I'm gettin' so the past is the only thing I can remember.
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Post by Dub on Feb 17, 2018 16:30:19 GMT -5
Puerto Rico would settle for electricity at this point. Well, I did edit out that we couldn't let them be a state until they got their act together and fixed all their infrastructure problems. Once that is done, they can then be a state and let it all crumble like the rest of the states. I'm guessing there is no big push in Puerto Rico to become a state of the US. I doubt a referendum would pass. |
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Post by Marshall on Feb 17, 2018 17:03:10 GMT -5
What public office are you going to be able to hold and still be allowed to live in your palatial St Cloud estate? Indianapolis Colts Head Coach. |
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Post by TKennedy on Feb 17, 2018 19:33:01 GMT -5
People can be assholes. I grew up in a place and time where casual anti-Catholic and antisemitic remarks were common and racism was rarely challenged. We now replaced the back fence, the barber shop and beauty parlor, the fraternal-organization smoker, and the family gathering with a system of megaphones.
That’s good Russ, real good. Right on the mark.
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Post by brucemacneill on Feb 17, 2018 19:57:07 GMT -5
I'm waiting to see if this thread turns into a real intellectual but reality based discussion on the possible ways of at least lessening the violence problem we're having. I can always hope. First of course we'll have to get all the personal problems and ideologies out of the way. As far as I can tell, no one here is the type to shoot up a school or a church or mosque or synagogue. I can't tell about country music festivals. We do have gun people and non-gun people, left and right, artists, academics, journalists and working stiffs. I would seem to be a reasonable cross section of U.S. residents, so, like congress, it should be possible to debate ideas civilly. Maybe someone has a good idea. Good ideas have to be possible as well as functional.
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Post by TKennedy on Feb 17, 2018 20:18:35 GMT -5
Well one big thing is the internet. Nut cases are no longer isolated and can find their views legitimized and reinforced on countless forums and websites. You Tube videos are full of ideas.
Bullying has been given a whole new venue by social media, a “megaphone” to quote Russ. How many school shooters have been bullied on social media.
24 hr internet news websites with over the top coverage of mass shootings put ideas in deranged heads.
We would be a lot better off without Facebook and Twitter.
Current gun laws and background checks are not being enforced and data is not being entered.
I would think establishing a commission of multi disciplinary experts including representatives from the firearm industry and NRA to comprehensively assess the issue using all available data and make recommendations to Congress would be logical.
We don’t need knee jerk legislation.
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