GeorgiaDon

"Practical use" has nothing to do with it. Think "Walter Mitty fantasizing about being Rambo". Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

For sure, school shooting are money in the bank for the NRA. It's occurred to me that if the US went too long without a mass shooting, the NRA might have to stage one themselves. However that is unlikely to be necessary, as Americans seem to step up to the task at frequent intervals. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

I'll take a stab at this, based on my 32 years living in Canada and Europe, and 28 years living in the US. Of course these are generalizations, in no sense should they be taken to apply to every individual American or Canadian. In no particular order: 1. American culture is more authoritarian/militaristic than Canadian and European culture. Canadians and Europeans are generally more happy with a negotiated settlement to conflicts in which everybody wins something (even if they also may lose something), whereas Americans often seem to be most satisfied if they can force their opponent to submit. Americans tend to define "winning" in terms of their opponent losing (and the more complete or humiliating the loss the better); the concept of "win-win" seems unsatisfying. This is clearly seen in politics, where compromise has become an unforgivable sin, and where military force has replaced diplomacy as a negotiating tactic. 2. Americans tend to attribute personal success almost entirely to their own efforts, whereas Canadians and Europeans are more likely to recognize that the society in which they live presents them with opportunities that contribute to their success. As a result, Americans tend to see themselves as in direct competition with the people around them, whereas Canadians and Europeans are more likely to see their neighbors as collaborators, or at least not as threats to their success. 3. Because of (2), Americans tend to resent paying for things like public education, public health, and social safety nets, and do so only to the minimum extent possible. This leads to (4). 4. Americans tend to regard access to health care (including mental health care) as a commodity, not a right. As a result, access to care is limited if you are poor or if your job does not provide health insurance as a benefit. Individuals with serious mental health issues are much more likely to be unable to get or keep a job, and so they are likely to be poor and have no access to mental health care. The exception is if they commit a violent crime (which applies to a small minority of those with mental health issues, most of whom are more likely to be victims of crime than they are to commit a crime). The US prison system has become the default system for warehousing the mentally ill, but they often don't get appropriate medical care in prison, they are just shut away from society for a while and then they are released no better than when they entered prison. Everybody talks about gun violence as a mental health issue, but most do not want to pay the cost of treating people with mental illnesses. In Canada and Europe, mental health treatment is much more available, the poor are not excluded, and having a mental illness does not carry the social stigma and life-long repercussions it carries in the US. 5. Americans tend to define "success" as "financial success", whereas other societies place more emphasis on "being happy" regarding connections to family, friends, feeling that you are making a contribution to your community, and so on. Financial success is nice of course, but it's not as important to Canadians and Europeans to be doing better than all your friends/neighbors/family as it is to Americans. 6. Everybody wants status, in the sense of being respected by your peers. That is a basic human behavior. Because of (5) Americans define status in terms of money, more than Canadians or Europeans tend to do. In American culture, money brings you more status than you lose with antisocial behavior, even criminal behavior. A successful (rich) criminal is often admired for their willingness to do whatever it takes to succeed. Also to a surprising extent (to me anyway) just having your name known, without regard to why it is known, is seen as a source of status. Becoming famous is an end in itself, regardless of the reason. In Canadian and European culture antisocial behavior tends to cost you more in status with your peers, and this generally cannot be overcome by being wealthy. In some cultures, such as traditional Japanese culture, being convicted of a crime often leads to complete social ostracism, even by your own family. 7. America has a much higher income gap, and higher poverty rates, compared to other developed democracies. If you happen to be born at the bottom of the economic ladder, conventional routes to higher status (get a good education leading to a good job, for the most part) may not be as available as it would have been had you been born into a middle/upper class family. Often membership in a gang, and criminal activity such as dealing drugs, is a much quicker and more available route to status. So putting this all together: In American culture antisocial behavior such as aggression and even crime is more socially acceptable, even admired in some circles, if it buys you status in terms of money or just other people "respecting" (i.e. fearing) you. Americans tend to feel that they are on their own, not part of an interconnected society, so they tend to feel less responsible for what happens to other people, compared to Canadians and Europeans. If Americans feel their status is threatened (economically unsuccessful, socially unsuccessful) it's more acceptable to blame the people around you, who are more likely to be seen as competitors. Anger/aggression is more socially acceptable in America than it is in Canada or Europe. Now lets add in: 8. It's really easy to obtain firearms. I do believe that in the US, compared to other advanced democracies such as Canada and the US, you have a higher proportion of people who feel angry at their lack of status (either economic or social), tend to blame other people, and feel (or know) that they are on their own, disconnected from everybody around them. Added to the mix will be some people with similar anger issues compounded with undiagnosed or untreated mental illness. Most of those people will not go so far as to commit mass murder, but given the easy access to firearms some will. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Perhaps the answer is right there in the 2nd amendment: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. Keeping and bearing arms will earn you membership in a well regulated state militia. You have to show up for training and drill regularly (say, once a month). If you cannot participate in the well regulated militia, because you are insane, you can't keep your temper under control, you can't work alongside whites/blacks/hispanics/whatever, you can't hit the broad side of a barn door, you can't be bothered with basic firearms safety rules, etc then you get booted from the militia and can't keep and bear arms. Maybe the well regulated militia can stand watch at schools? I know, it would never work. Because reasons. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Ummm another idiotic comment. Are you really suggesting that Australia, Canada, UK, etc. etc don't have violent TV programs and video games? Really? If so, you need to get out more.I think what he's saying is that the government should control TV, movies, books, video games, regulate our speech, read all of our emails, and lock up anyone who says or writes anything they don't like. Some people seem to feel that would be preferable to having any inconvenience or impediment placed in the path of their desire to own and carry any sort of firearm, everywhere and all the time. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Sometimes I wish there was a "like" button on these posts. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Maybe she was! "Oh God, yes, just like that...! Jesus, that feels good!" Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

You've got to admit they're pretty resourceful, though. Five years old, and all on their own they scraped up the money to pay some coyote to smuggle them across the desert and into the USA, just so they could sponge off our overly generous ...what? Educational system? Medical benefits? In more civilized nations, they consider kids who get dragged into situations involving broken laws to be victims, not perpetrators. And, in more civilized nations, they don't punish people for things that were done to them as children. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

“Rob Porter is a man of true integrity and honor, and I can't say enough good things about him,” White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, Tuesday February 6, 2018 “I have worked directly with Rob Porter nearly every day for the last year, and the person I know is someone of the highest integrity and exemplary character,” Huckabee Sanders, Feb. 6, 2018 The incompetence in the White House is truly staggering. Ah no; Rob Porter is resigning, after abuse allegations from his two ex-wives were made public. The White House was made aware of the allegations in November and allowed him to work without a full security clearance, CBS News' chief White House correspondent Major Garrett reports. White House communications director Hope Hicks, who is dating Porter, helped craft his public statement, Garrett confirmed. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rob-porter-hope-hicks-boyfriend-white-house-aide-resigning-amid-abuse-allegations/So, let's see if I have this right. Hillary Clinton should rot in jail for the rest of her life because a handful of improperly marked emails (not marked "secret" but someone later on decided maybe they should have been) were sent to her private email account. Trump and Kelly knowingly allowed someone without a security clearance to handle every communication that crossed the President's desk, much of it classified or top secret. So what penalty would be fitting for Trump and Kelly? Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

OK, but if Page provided information against Burykov in March 2016 (when Burykov pled guilty) then why were they seeking a FISA warrant to surveil him in October 2016? Something seems funny about the timeline. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Fixed it for you. They've brought it to a new level of sophistication, it's only because it's their turn. Wendy P. No doubt both parties have played the game in the past, but computer modeling has allowed a degree of efficiency that wasn't really possible before. Pennsylvania has 800,00 more registered Democrats than Republicans, but with the current map Republicans hold 12 of 18 congressional seats (1 is currently in a special election but it too is a safe R seat). In some states, such as Wisconsin, a majority of the population voted Democrat but a large majority of the seats went to Republicans. Nationally, it is estimated that Democrats would have to win 58% of the votes to have 50% of the seats in the House. I don't think we have ever before had this degree of institutionalized stranglehold on office by one party. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

I agree. I have not responded to rushmc for a couple of years. Any attempt to have a rational discussion with him is just pissing in the wind. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Haig was charged with manufacturing armor-piercing bullets without a licence, based on two unused rounds found in Paddock's arsenal. If he is convicted, this carries up to a 5-year prison term. No armor-piercing rounds were used during the massacre. He also sold Paddock some tracer rounds, which also were not used in the massacre. None of the ammunition actually used by Paddock was sold to him by Haig. It's frustrating to everyone that the perpetrator of the Las Vegas massacre can't be punished as he killed himself. Sticking someone who had nothing to do with what happened in jail for 10 years would only compound the tragedy. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Fixed it again. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Fixed it. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Woman tried to take a full grown peacock on a United Airlines flight as an emotional support animal, but the airline wasn't buying it. WTF? I raise peacocks and I never go into their enclosure without a club in hand. Those birds are big, strong, and aggressive. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

To be fair, he is alleged to have said "you're smart and beautiful, just like my daughter". Though still highly creepy, it's not quite the same as "you look just like my daughter". The man is repulsive enough without having to embellish his lecherousness. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Sonny Perdue is not one of my favorite people, but in fairness it should be pointed out that he is not from the Perdue family that owns the chicken processing business. [Link (see the end of the section on "early life and education".] Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

I saw that interview as well. The military ballots and provisional have not been counted, though, and they won't be counted until Dec 26 (if I recall correctly). However there are not likely to be enough of those to change the outcome. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

The plot thickens: "Sources: Kushner was the "very senior" transition member who directed Flynn to contact the Russian ambassador" Better get out that pardon pen! Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

An additional rationale for the EC at the time it was established was that it provided a mechanism for implementing the 3/5 compromise. If slaves counted as 3/5 of a person for purposes of the census and congressional representation, how could that be reflected in presidential votes without actually allowing slaves to vote? The EC was the answer, as each state got a number of EC votes that corresponded (more or less) to their "population". Of course, that reason for the EC is long rendered obsolete, as the EC itself should be. What would be great would be a constitutional amendment to abolish the EC. Senator Boxer proposed one after the last election, but it had no chance to pass in Congress, and it had written in a seven year deadline for ratification. The seven year deadline has become normal in proposed amendments, but in reality it is a sort of "poison pill" that allows politicians to act as posers, proposing amendments they know have no chance of being ratified. What we need is a proposed amendment without a time limit, as was the case with the 27th amendment (passed congress in 1789, ratified by the 38th state in 1992). Over time, states that felt disadvantaged by the EC would hopefully ratify the amendment (Democratic-leaning states when a Republican is elected president despite losing the popular vote, and at other times Republican-leaning states when the reverse happens), until eventually enough states ratify it to kill the EC. Also with a "live" proposal on the table, politicians could campaign on the promise to ratify the amendment. I would certainly seriously consider voting for a candidate that would help get the amendment ratified. However, to start the process it would have to pass Congress in order to be sent to the States, and the current congress would certainly never do that. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

That is indeed some funny shit. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

I'm pretty sure Marc doesn't do ironic, or sarcastic, at least not so skillfully. Regurgitating Breitbart/Infowars fake news with a side serving of gratuitous insults, on the other hand... Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Could also have something to do with the 10-day waiting period (sometimes referred to as a "cooling off period") in California. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

Are you willing to offer your own children, spouse, members of your extended family, your best friend, or even your self as blood payment? Should that payment be exacted (which I certainly hope would never be the case) would you be so callous as to say "Well the loss of my wife/son/daughter/etc is not too big a price to pay"? You certainly seem callous enough about other people's loss. Don _____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)