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Cry "Havoc," and let slip the hogs of war. |
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This refusal to compromise is going to doom this country. This country was built on compromise, right or wrong. In the past, I also had the sense that both parties were motivated by the best interests of the country and its people, rather than just trolling and getting invited to cable news.
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"Me fail English? That's unpossible!" |
#43
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One other point I will make: The Ukraine War has made it a lot more difficult for me to be as comfortable aligning myself with the right, because I find it abhorrent that so many conservatives are openly sympathetic towards Russia in the conflict.
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Cry "Havoc," and let slip the hogs of war. Last edited by MT2008; 02-10-2023 at 06:48 PM. |
#44
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I understand. It is also interesting to note that in the Thirties as the Japanese Empire and Nazis were causing problems it was many a popular commentator (Father Coughlin) and politician (Huey Long) in the U.S. who publicly stated that they sided or at least sympathized with Germany and were against the U.S. getting involved. The more things change I suppose.
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However, this is the first time since World War II (as far as I know) that the loudest anti-war voices have come from the Republican Party, and not the Democrats. It's very disconcerting to me to hear GOP legislators accusing the Biden administration of "warmongering"; they sound a lot like the Democrats who opposed the Iraq War 20 years ago.
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Cry "Havoc," and let slip the hogs of war. |
#46
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"Me fail English? That's unpossible!" |
#47
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And yes, I agree that the anti-war, isolationist right's criticism of the current conflict makes no sense. There are plenty of valid arguments to be made RE why we should exercise caution in Ukraine...the cost of the war effort is definitely not one of them.
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Cry "Havoc," and let slip the hogs of war. Last edited by MT2008; 03-11-2023 at 07:15 PM. |
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It's an attempt to stick it to the "other side," plain and simple.
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"Everything is impossible until somebody does it - Batman RIP Kevin Conroy, the one true Batman |
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That, and the fact that there are a (depressingly high) number of conservatives in this country who have been won over by Putin's charm offensive where he's tried to portray himself as a guardian of the values that they hold dear. Sadly, his con-man tactics have been effective. (Side note: When it comes to gun rights, Russia is hardly a role model for the U.S.)
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Cry "Havoc," and let slip the hogs of war. |
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Looking back at the posts that Nyles and Commando552 wrote in 2016, here are some of my thoughts. I do recognize that I have the benefit of 7 years of retrospect that neither of them had, and that the world is a very different place compared to 2016 (i.e., Trump hadn't been elected U.S. POTUS yet, no pandemic and post-Floyd riots, no Jan 6 insurrection/riot, no Bruen decision, no conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, etc.) But I still think there's value in re-visiting the thoughts of both.
I'm going to begin by pointing out a fundamental difference in my American perspective vs. their non-American perspectives: I think that it is very uncommon for most non-Americans to accept and get behind the idea of the "militia" being comprised of people armed with personal weapons. I understand that many people in the 21st century regard the very notion of the citizen "militia" as outdated at best, and suspicious at worst - indeed, I think many on the left, and in the federal government, now regard the "militia" as synonymous with anti-state sentiments. While I understand those sentiments, I don't agree with them, even if I think there's an argument to be made that many current U.S. proponents of the "militia" concept are extremists and that they discredit the concept with their radicalism. But I can't get behind the idea that the concept of a militia is obsolete. Not when events in Ukraine and Israel in the past two years have demonstrated why a civilian "gun culture" and "militia" still plays a major role in 21st century warfare, and when (here in the States) our elected officials have demonstrated an unwillingness to uphold law and order if it conflicts with their personal ideologies. I spent quite a bit of 2020 and 2021 living in a U.S. city that saw major riots and political violence, and I'm really glad that I own multiple AR-15s and handguns. I'll at least agree with the notion that while there is a universal right to bear arms, that presumption still has exceptions. There are plenty of people who are clearly not suited to being members of the "militia", whether due to age (too young or too old), anti-social personality characteristics (i.e., felons), or mental health issues. There is no benefit to society, or the defense of either persons or society, by arming such people. Those responsible for enforcing law and order face the daunting challenge of figuring out who those people are, and it's not always obvious. But in a liberal democratic republic like the U.S., the presumption is that someone has the rights enumerated in our Constitution are protected at a societal level, and the burden is on the government to demonstrate that individuals must be deprived of those rights. What gun controllers, by and large, are promoting is the inverse of that very concept, and that's why, whatever their intentions (i.e., I know that they're not all freedom-hating Marxists), I question their logic. Quote:
Anyway, I'm glad that Commando still acknowledges the following... Quote:
Another consideration: Ultimately, gun control is likely going to be made obsolete as additive manufacturing/3D printing continues to advance. Right now, additive manufacturing techniques are mostly making frames for polymer handguns, but inevitably, there will come a time when a person at home can print a complete pistol with the same QC and tolerances as a factory firearm. In 2016, nobody knew what "ghost guns" were - now the U.S. government is trying in vain to put that toothpaste back in the tube, recognizing that gun control is about to become an obsolete concept. I've also found it hilarious that gun control groups like Everytown for Gun Safety are actually encouraging USG (with a straight face) to ban or strictly regulate 3D printers for civilian ownership, without considering the massive economic ramifications for the U.S. if that were to happen. (Spoiler alert: Nobody in a million years will ever listen to them.) Quote:
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Cry "Havoc," and let slip the hogs of war. Last edited by MT2008; 05-13-2024 at 09:13 PM. |
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