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Forum: Internet Links Topic: Insane mom gasps, clutches pearls started by: thibodeaux Posted by thibodeaux on Jun. 20 2014,13:41
< http://boingboing.net/2014/06/05/playmobils-political-incorre.html >QUOTE even the first Playmobil set we got - a police station - made me squirm as I unpacked the multiple handguns and shotguns.
Posted by GORDON on Jun. 20 2014,15:21
Squirm with sexual excitement?
Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 20 2014,17:31
She's going to burst a blood vessel when she sees the Robert Mapplethorpe Playmobil set.
Posted by thibodeaux on Jun. 21 2014,06:57
It probably comes with an Evil Republican Senator who is trying to cut Mapplethorpe's NFA grant.
Posted by TPRJones on Jun. 23 2014,07:20
QUOTE “It’s not nice of the Indians to go bad. They should have just said ‘Stop,’” countered my son. Uh oh. Yeah! How dare he take the pacifist play-nice bullshit she's been teaching him as real? Now she gets to explain that in the real world saying "Stop" doesn't mean shit, you have to fight or die. Enjoy! Posted by GORDON on Jun. 23 2014,07:29
We live in a country where half the population finds the guy who yelled "Stop!" when getting his head beat against a concrete sidewalk is at fault when he killed the guy attacking him.The law sided with the victim this time, but who knows what happens next time. We are going to keep steeping in the crazy, and pretty soon we will hit the saturation point. Shit is fucked. Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 23 2014,07:54
QUOTE Shit is fucked. Any ETA on when the sky's falling? I've been hearing "society is doomed" for some time now. Posted by GORDON on Jun. 23 2014,08:48
Hard to say. The White House doesn't think it can get away with actually setting the army on the populace, so has been arming the IRS and Bureau of Land Management and has expanded to DHS to the point where anyone living within 100 miles of the US border has no rights. The NSA is keeping tabs on everyone while the government is trillions in debt... I heard someone say the other day that we are in so much debt that the combined value of (known) gold on the planet couldn't cover it. Debt that grows bigger every day but we can't stop it because of racism.SO nah, shit has always been this way, nothing is different, everything is fine. Also, America will be the first empire that lasts forever. It will never come to an end. Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 23 2014,09:02
QUOTE I heard someone say the other day that we are in so much debt that the combined value of (known) gold on the planet couldn't cover it. I'm sure the dude you heard it from is an absolute authority on macroeconomics. In addition, that would suck ... if we were on the gold standard or if mercantilism still held sway. Posted by GORDON on Jun. 23 2014,09:04
Yeah that would suck so at least we don't need to worry about that.
Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 23 2014,09:07
(GORDON @ Jun. 23 2014,11:04) QUOTE Yeah that would suck so at least we don't need to worry about that. Neither of those has been in play for nearly 50 years. Posted by GORDON on Jun. 23 2014,09:20
Awesome. But if that one little line is what you are going to pick out of the entire paragraph to nitpick, does that mean the rest are valid concerns? Or aren't? Business as usual or no? That was your assertion. Things have always been this way. I disagree. Back up your statement.
Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 23 2014,09:25
Things have been this way since post-WWII. As far as your lifetime is concerned, this is status quo.
Posted by TPRJones on Jun. 23 2014,09:59
Things have always been this way, period. Oh, the details have changed tremendously and the stage is far more futuristic than in the days of Peisistratos and William the Conqueror, but people who have power have very often been inclined to abuse it to their own ends and control the lives of the people. And those in power have always sought to monitor how people think and talk, and just because the technology has changed since the Mishnah and the Edict of Compiegne that doesn't really make it different or new. When it comes to the hearts of men, there is nothing new under the sun. The tools change, but the use to which they are put is a never-ending cycle. But I'm an optimist. Even though those who would do this evil have better tools than ever before, the common man also has access to most of those same tools. While those in power have had their potentials for evil multiplied, the people are exponentially harder to control then ever before. The eternal conflict is tipping in favor of unstoppable freedom. You only see more bad because what you are able to see has been vastly expanded from before, not because there is more bad to be seen then before. IMO. Posted by GORDON on Jun. 23 2014,11:59
Then you must admit that if nothing has changed, then all empires crumble, as well. Is there no parallel between the way the American government treats its citizens today, and the way Rome went off the deep end?
Posted by TPRJones on Jun. 23 2014,12:21
No difference at all. And not just rome, but countless other empires small and large both before and after. Yet you wrote as if this is a new phenomenon. That is where I was disagreeing.America in it's present state may indeed collapse and fade away. I'm not worried; we'll come up with something even better. As novel and full of beautiful ideal as our Constitution was for the time, it's 200 years out of date now and riddled with awful loopholes. We need a fresh one anyway. Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 23 2014,12:25
(GORDON @ Jun. 23 2014,13:59) QUOTE Then you must admit that if nothing has changed, then all empires crumble, as well. Is there no parallel between the way the American government treats its citizens today, and the way Rome went off the deep end? The theories behind the "fall of Rome" are many and varied, as well as the date which half "fell." I haven't seen any barbarians trying to cross over rivers just yet. The parallel might be the political scene is becoming increasingly oligarchical and you've got a lot of douchebags in power whose job is to remain in power, as opposed to being public servants. Posted by GORDON on Jun. 23 2014,12:26
(Malcolm @ Jun. 23 2014,15:25) QUOTE (GORDON @ Jun. 23 2014,13:59) QUOTE Then you must admit that if nothing has changed, then all empires crumble, as well. Is there no parallel between the way the American government treats its citizens today, and the way Rome went off the deep end? The theories behind the "fall of Rome" are many and varied, as well as the date which half "fell." I haven't seen any barbarians trying to cross over rivers just yet. HA. Texas, Rio Grande. Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 23 2014,12:26
QUOTE As novel and full of beautiful ideal as our Constitution was for the time, it's 200 years out of date now and riddled with awful loopholes. We need a fresh one anyway. You'd figure we'd try to revamp it a bit instead of rigging a broken system for total backwards compatibility. Fucking king of England trying to quarter soldiers in my house. Motherfucker. Posted by GORDON on Jun. 23 2014,12:29
(TPRJones @ Jun. 23 2014,15:21) QUOTE No difference at all. And not just rome, but countless other empires small and large both before and after. Yet you wrote as if this is a new phenomenon. That is where I was disagreeing. America in it's present state may indeed collapse and fade away. I'm not worried; we'll come up with something even better. As novel and full of beautiful ideal as our Constitution was for the time, it's 200 years out of date now and riddled with awful loopholes. We need a fresh one anyway. It isn't new in the grand global scheme of humanity, it is new in that the general public in America has figured out that they can vote themselves free candy. Wealth creators are the enemy, wealth takers are the heroes. NOTHING good can come of this. And yes, something good did finally arrive after Rome shrank out of Europe, with the Renaissance. How long was that period in between? Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 23 2014,12:33
(GORDON @ Jun. 23 2014,14:26) QUOTE (Malcolm @ Jun. 23 2014,15:25) QUOTE (GORDON @ Jun. 23 2014,13:59) QUOTE Then you must admit that if nothing has changed, then all empires crumble, as well. Is there no parallel between the way the American government treats its citizens today, and the way Rome went off the deep end? The theories behind the "fall of Rome" are many and varied, as well as the date which half "fell." I haven't seen any barbarians trying to cross over rivers just yet. HA. Texas, Rio Grande. Mexicans != barbarians. Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 23 2014,12:35
QUOTE And yes, something good did finally arrive after Rome shrank out of Europe, with the Renaissance. How long was that period in between? That was worthwhile only because the Muslims kept around a shitload of ancient knowledge of antiquity and it finally made its way across Europe after that peaceful cultural mingling called the Crusades coupled with the advent of the printing press. Posted by GORDON on Jun. 23 2014,12:35
Aren't they?
Posted by TPRJones on Jun. 23 2014,12:38
QUOTE NOTHING good can come of this. And again I disagree. A world of good can come from this. You can't start something new until you end something old. Do you want us to keep limping on as we have been forever? As to the length of the middle ages, while nothing is new under the sun I will point out that the rate of change has ramped up a lot since then. Things will get bad. They may get bad for a few years. But as long as no one starts throwing around nukes all willy-nilly, I'd be surprised if it wasn't all good and settled within a decade. Shouldn't lose more than, say, 20% of the population of the most dense urban areas, with less than 1% of the rural population dead. A cheap price for a good future, IMO. Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 23 2014,12:39
(GORDON @ Jun. 23 2014,14:35) QUOTE Aren't they? No. Not even fucking close. When we start having regular pitched battles with thousands of combatants at the Texas-Mexico border, I'll retract my statement. Once we start granting them citizenship only on promise of service in the Border Patrol, or only promise to grant them second-rate citizenship, I'll retract my statement. Posted by TPRJones on Jun. 23 2014,12:49
Yeah, there haven't been nearly enough bloody battlefields for that analogy to hold water.There's a big difference between a war of words and ideas over illegal immigration and clubbing a few thousand people to death. That's the same sort of thinking that ends up with some mother clutching her pearls about Playmobil sets. Posted by Troy on Jun. 23 2014,12:52
This certainly is a thread about first world toy problems.
Posted by GORDON on Jun. 23 2014,13:04
(Malcolm @ Jun. 23 2014,15:39) QUOTE (GORDON @ Jun. 23 2014,14:35) QUOTE Aren't they? No. Not even fucking close. When we start having regular pitched battles with thousands of combatants at the Texas-Mexico border, I'll retract my statement. Once we start granting them citizenship only on promise of service in the Border Patrol, or only promise to grant them second-rate citizenship, I'll retract my statement. I'm not sure how not fighting them (very hard) at the border means they aren't barbarians that are, well, illegally storming the border. The reason we aren't stopping them is because they (or their families already here) vote democrat and there is dirty money to be made. Doesn't mean we aren't getting invaded, and it doesn't mean it isn't changing the landscape, politically or socially. Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 23 2014,13:10
QUOTE I'm not sure how not fighting them (very hard) at the border means they aren't barbarians that are, well, illegally storming the border. The reason we aren't stopping them is because they (or their families already here) vote democrat and there is dirty money to be made. When the barbarians pushed against the rivers and borders, the Romans sent in the regular armed forces to deal with them and got beat back. When the US Army starts losing armed fights to the illegal immigrants, that'd be similar. Posted by TPRJones on Jun. 23 2014,13:15
More to the point, the barbarians weren't trying to get jobs. They were there to plunder, rape and pillage. When the majority of illegal immigrants start killing American men, raping American women, and burning down the cities, then I'll consider there is a bit of parallel there.
Posted by GORDON on Jun. 23 2014,13:18
I like how you felt the need to qualify "the majority of" them aren't raping and pillaging.What is the tipping point where enough raping and murdering becomes a barbarian invasion that also happens to be moving other members of their civilization in at the same time? Posted by TPRJones on Jun. 23 2014,13:33
I didn't say any of them are raping an pillaging. I just didn't want you to pull up a couple of examples and call that a massive barbarian horde.I'd say over 50% of them dedicated to such activities would qualify the whole as a barbarian horde. Less than that and perhaps you could consider it a small horde masked by large numbers of non-horde "invaders". Less than 1% and you've just got typical evil humans being typically evil. Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 23 2014,13:34
QUOTE I like how you felt the need to qualify "the majority of" them aren't raping and pillaging. There is always a small minority of assholes in any demographic. Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 23 2014,14:50
My < favourite experiment > that shows humanity's predisposition to turn on humanity. The fact that even one person pressed a button because some other motherfucker vocalized loudly enough is damning. A buddy of mine had the following argument for why the species will kill itself (as opposed to having a natural disaster take us out), "Given enough time, technology increases. Given more technology, it's easier for a random psychopath to kill people. It is also generally easier to tear things down than built them up. It's only a matter of time."
Posted by TPRJones on Jun. 23 2014,15:43
I don't think Milgram applies to this scenario. It has to more to do with trust in authority than it does with whether people will help each other or not. And the early 60s were a VERY different time when it comes to how the average American thought of Authority embodied in either a politician or a scientist in a lab coat.
Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 23 2014,15:48
(TPRJones @ Jun. 23 2014,17:43) QUOTE I don't think Milgram applies to this scenario. It has to more to do with trust in authority than it does with whether people will help each other or not. And the early 60s were a VERY different time when it comes to how the average American thought of Authority embodied in either a politician or a scientist in a lab coat. You think there's ... less trust in authority nowadays? No way. I see more people willing to give over more control of more aspects of their lives than I recall back in the day. The average American is still gullible as fuck and getting worse, which is how I explain who's in DC. Posted by TPRJones on Jun. 23 2014,15:59
No way. Here is a point where we completely disagree. I see a lot more people thinking for themselves now than ever before. There are still plenty of gullible old people around who trust authority, but everyone under the age of 50 I know wouldn't trust any politician further than they could throw them.Doesn't mean they are very good at thinking for themselves, mind you. But it's a start. Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 23 2014,16:01
I don't see any major elections reflecting that, certainly not in my lifetime.
Posted by TPRJones on Jun. 23 2014,16:56
No? Looks to me like voter turnout is awful low across the board under age 50, which would tend to confirm my point. Especially when you consider that Milgram was around the highest turnout we've seen since proper measurements started. Obama was able to boost that some in 2008, but I think he's pretty well cured most of those kids he suckered of trusting a politician again.
Posted by GORDON on Jun. 24 2014,06:47
(TPRJones @ Jun. 23 2014,16:15) QUOTE More to the point, the barbarians weren't trying to get jobs. They were there to plunder, rape and pillage. I would say that well over half of them crossing the river are actually trying to get on welfare benefits, create an anchor baby, and/or trying to get their kids here before the next round of amnesty, even more than they are trying to get jobs. I would consider this plunder of American treasure. Did you say a 50% threshold would make them a barbarian horde? Posted by TPRJones on Jun. 24 2014,07:34
QUOTE I would consider this plunder of American treasure. While I would disagree with your estimates, I much more strongly disagree with your sentiment. There is a huge difference between this and actual violent plundering. This is exactly the same sort of thinking that says making a finger gun in school is the same as taking a real gun to school. EDIT: I originally said "taking a finger gun to school" but that's just ... weird. Like some kid got on the bus with his hand that way and hid it that way until he could put his hand in his locker and stick it under some books where no one could see it? Posted by GORDON on Jun. 24 2014,07:42
Entering a country illegally with the sole purpose of taking someone elses money that you have no right to is.... fine? Sounds like theft to me, but what's your perspective?
Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 24 2014,07:45
QUOTE Obama was able to boost that some in 2008, but I think he's pretty well cured most of those kids he suckered of trusting a politician again. < Someone else > will sucker them again, simply because the opposing party will go to the four corners of the world to find a less viable candidate. Posted by TPRJones on Jun. 24 2014,07:49
Of course it's not fine. But let's not call it pillaging when it is not. Barbarian hordes are serious shit, and intense raping and pillaging is something that literally leaves the ground soaked with the blood of your citizens and your cities burned down to ashes.As to theft, sure. That I will accept, although given the amounts involved on an individual level I would consider it petty theft. Admittedly it is much bigger en masse and it can be a problem if it gets too large. But calling it "pillaging" is an insult to the millions throughout history slaughtered by actual pillaging hordes and is the conservative version of the absurdest sort of thinking we usually make fun of around here when liberals do it. Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 24 2014,07:49
(GORDON @ Jun. 24 2014,09:42) QUOTE Entering a country illegally with the sole purpose of taking someone elses money that you have no right to is.... fine? Sounds like theft to me, but what's your perspective? That's not their sole purpose. Their sole purpose is to get the fuck out of the shit situation they're in by staying put. Posted by TPRJones on Jun. 24 2014,07:54
(Malcolm @ Jun. 24 2014,09:49) QUOTE That's not their sole purpose. Their sole purpose is to get the fuck out of the shit situation they're in by staying put. Also, this. So far all the illegals I've met have had stories centered around how they had to get away before the drug cartels killed their son or some other awful shit. None of them were looking ahead to the US as a place to get rich, they were looking behind at where they came from and running in fear. But then all the ones I've known have been the hard-working sort of illegals, because I met them through work. Perhaps there's a whole other set of them I just haven't come into contact with yet. Posted by GORDON on Jun. 24 2014,08:02
(TPRJones @ Jun. 24 2014,10:49) QUOTE Of course it's not fine. But let's not call it pillaging when it is not. Barbarian hordes are serious shit, and intense raping and pillaging is something that literally leaves the ground soaked with the blood of your citizens and your cities burned down to ashes. As to theft, sure. That I will accept, although given the amounts involved on an individual level I would consider it petty theft. Admittedly it is much bigger en masse and it can be a problem if it gets too large. But calling it "pillaging" is an insult to the millions throughout history slaughtered by actual pillaging hordes and is the conservative version of the absurdest sort of thinking we usually make fun of around here when liberals do it. Yeah, I see your point, but I don't think there is as great a divide in the two positions as you say. How many 15 million illegals, if given amnesty, times... what is the average welfare payout? I'll call it $500 per person just because it is hard to find real numbers. So $7.5 billion per month going to people making so little money that they qualify for welfare, every year. $90billion a year... we're almost talking about real money. I dunno. Lots of "great migrations" happened in history that took decades or centuries, including the "barbarian invasions" of Europe and could only be recognized once enough time had passed. I bet there was more than one dude in 500AD who ever only saw one local city get sacked in his lifetime and didn't recognize it as a full-scale invasion, either. But whatev. At least we have enough jobs for all of them and our own teenagers who are actually supposed to be here. Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 24 2014,08:07
QUOTE I bet there was more than one dude in 500AD who ever only saw one local city get sacked in his lifetime and didn't recognize it as a full-scale invasion, either. How in the fuck do you refer to this as an invasion? Immigration != war. This is not armed conflict. If anything, you have problems with your elected officials not doing anything. I also find it difficult to blame people entering this country illegally when they are leaving something worse. It's like Dwayne T. Robinson trying to make John McClane feel bad for all the broken glass he's caused. QUOTE At least we have enough jobs for all of them and our own teenagers who are actually supposed to be here. Our own teens would rather be out YOLOing instead of doing real work. Posted by GORDON on Jun. 24 2014,08:08
(Malcolm @ Jun. 24 2014,11:07) QUOTE QUOTE I bet there was more than one dude in 500AD who ever only saw one local city get sacked in his lifetime and didn't recognize it as a full-scale invasion, either. How in the fuck do you refer to this as an invasion? How do you not? Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 24 2014,08:10
Did the Pilgrims invade?
Posted by GORDON on Jun. 24 2014,08:10
(Malcolm @ Jun. 24 2014,11:10) QUOTE Did the Pilgrims invade? Ask Squanto. Posted by TPRJones on Jun. 24 2014,08:13
QUOTE How much ill-gotten money is that? I would guess more than the total value of the entire roman empire, and counting Well, it's hard to make a direct comparison like that. There were no US dollars in use in Roman times so you can't just take the inflation rate. And no one uses the Roman denarius anymore so you can't extrapolate from that either. The only fair way to look at it would be as a percentage of GDP of the nation being stolen from, and I would say that the barbarian hordes that destroyed Rome took a much larger percentage of Rome's wealth from them, while the theoretical hispanic welfare families have taken almost nothing in comparison. But sure, I guess I see your point. Although I would say that even if your estimates are anywhere close to reality, the problem here lies almost entirely in a broken welfare system and not the illegal immigrants. QUOTE At least we have enough jobs for all of them and our own teenagers who are actually supposed to be here. Um, no. The jobs that I have seen them doing are quite literally jobs that no teenager would do. Well, maybe a teenager who's parents had died and they were trying to single-handedly support their four young siblings so the government won't come and put them in foster homes. Maybe those teenagers would do these jobs. But not real teenagers. And certainly not for the cheap wages being paid. Hell, I wouldn't do those jobs at ANY price unless it was the only thing keeping me from living under a bridge. QUOTE I bet there was more than one dude in 500AD who ever only saw one local city get sacked in his lifetime and didn't recognize it as a full-scale invasion, either. Almost certainly true. But one sacked city is still a whole world away from our current ZERO sacked cities. Posted by GORDON on Jun. 24 2014,08:21
(TPRJones @ Jun. 24 2014,11:13) QUOTE QUOTE At least we have enough jobs for all of them and our own teenagers who are actually supposed to be here. Um, no. The jobs that I have seen them doing are quite literally jobs that no teenager would do. Well, maybe a teenager who's parents had died and they were trying to single-handedly support their four young siblings so the government won't come and put them in foster homes. Maybe those teenagers would do these jobs. But not real teenagers. And certainly not for the cheap wages being paid. We should be seeing a resurgence of the old practice of teens working a farm for a season, or joining the forestry service, or the peace corps, or whatever, after high school/secondary schooling. Building character and padding the resume and making them more attractive to employers. These jobs used to be done by teens, but not any more. I am not actually sure why. NOW these are the jobs that immigrants do and people say "because no one else will do them," which I have never liked as an argument. What's the response... "If you say so?" If that ended up being the best path for my kid at that point in his life, you bet your ass I will be nudging him in that direction. One thing that isn't going to happen is his getting out of school thousands in debt and then he lives with me until he is 25 whining that he can't find a job. If he travels with a group of migrants for a summer picking tomatoes and learning Spanish, you bet your ass that'll get his head out of his ass. If that becomes a problem with him. Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 24 2014,08:21
(GORDON @ Jun. 24 2014,10:10) QUOTE (Malcolm @ Jun. 24 2014,11:10) QUOTE Did the Pilgrims invade? Ask Squanto. Well then, they should've stayed their roundhead asses in England and let everyone continue to make their lives shitty rather than putting the onus on the Native Americans to keep them alive during the first incredibly harsh years in the first colonies. Those fucking thieving bastards. Posted by GORDON on Jun. 24 2014,08:26
I was kind of surprised you used the pilgrims as an example, when the natives absolutely considered the influx of whitey as an invasion. Lots of wars were fought trying to get whitey out, and almost succeeded, once.I can't remember the name of the war. I want to say early 1700's, and the natives pushed the European settlers in new england back hundreds of miles to within a few miles of the ocean. Posted by TPRJones on Jun. 24 2014,08:42
I'm not 100% sure I'd call the European settlement of the new world an invading horde. It's getting closer, but it's not quite as single-mindedly bloodthirsty as a pillaging horde.But it's an interesting choice in that it raises other questions. Would the world now be a better place if the Europeans had never invaded the New World? If not, how do you know that the future Estados Unidos De América won't also be a big improvement to the world? If the only difference between the two is that the European invasion was us doing the invading and the Hispanic invasion is us being invaded and that makes all the difference in the world, that seems pretty shallow as moral argument. Theoretically. Although of course it makes perfect sense from a practical standpoint. QUOTE NOW these are the jobs that immigrants do and people say "because no one else will do them," which I have never liked as an argument. I completely agree with you on this point. The world the way it is now is just like that, though. I quite literally cannot think of a single teenager I know who would do these jobs, but I know many illegals that will. When I say that I am not making an argument, I am reporting facts. Personally I think that says a lot more about the teenagers than the immigrants. EDIT: Well, and the jobs. These are some really shitty jobs. Posted by GORDON on Jun. 24 2014,10:34
(TPRJones @ Jun. 24 2014,11:42) QUOTE I'm not 100% sure I'd call the European settlement of the new world an invading horde. It's getting closer, but it's not quite as single-mindedly bloodthirsty as a pillaging horde. But it's an interesting choice in that it raises other questions. Would the world now be a better place if the Europeans had never invaded the New World? If not, how do you know that the future Estados Unidos De América won't also be a big improvement to the world? If the only difference between the two is that the European invasion was us doing the invading and the Hispanic invasion is us being invaded and that makes all the difference in the world, that seems pretty shallow as moral argument. Theoretically. Although of course it makes perfect sense from a practical standpoint. The American natives were getting close to leaving the stone age before the first Spaniards landed in the 1400's, but smallpox brought that to an end. There was 90% native die-off in a short amount of time. This isn't really something that can be discussed.... they got wiped out before the actual conflicts even started. There isn't anyone to blame, it was just a stone age culture vs. European high technology. It would never have ended any other way unless somehow explorers didn't find the NA continent for another couple hundred years when the natives could have dealt with the smallpox. I disagree with the US government breaking every treaty that happened afterwards, but that is a different discussion. There was even a line going through the Appalachians at one point that the President of the United States promised the natives that the europeans would never cross. Settlers crossing that line started all kinds of conflicts. Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 24 2014,10:53
QUOTE There isn't anyone to blame, it was just a stone age culture vs. European high technology. I dispute that greatly. European "high technology" got its ass kicked for several years until the local inhabitants clued the colonists in on how shit worked in the New World as far as flora and fauna go. QUOTE Personally I think that says a lot more about the teenagers than the immigrants. Indeed. Most kids know their parents are a safety net. Fuck raking leaves in that case. < Some people > are trying to short circuit that. Posted by GORDON on Jun. 24 2014,10:58
(Malcolm @ Jun. 24 2014,13:53) QUOTE QUOTE There isn't anyone to blame, it was just a stone age culture vs. European high technology. I dispute that greatly. European "high technology" got its ass kicked for several years until the local inhabitants clued the colonists in on how shit worked in the New World as far as flora and fauna go. Being a fish out of water doesn't mean they were not technologically superior. The europeans adapted a lot faster than the natives did, obviously. Basically, the entire world of muskets and ocean going vessels fell on a culture that still didn't know how to make bronze. As far as I know. I asked my history prof one day if the natives were smelting metal before the spaniards showed up, and she "didn't think so." I never cared enough to research it. If they were, it wasn't yet enough to matter. Posted by Malcolm on Jun. 24 2014,11:06
Bows and arrows still beat rifles for rate of fire until repeaters got invented in the 1800s.
Posted by GORDON on Jul. 07 2014,17:36
BTW, 50k kids are not coming here to work, they are coming here to get some treasure.< http://www.washingtontimes.com/news.....U7 > Granted, I can't imagine how bad shit would have to be before I packed off my kid to another country, so a big part of me says WTF IS GOING ON DOWN THERE. But still. Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 07 2014,17:55
There's not a good way to look anti-immigration without coming off looking like a dick in PR-ville. It's doubly hard considering this country was founded and fueled by immigrants, yes, a shitload of them being illegal. It's like standing up and being, "Oh shit, sorry guys. The clock ran out a little bit ago. Should've been here during the 1800s, though. Wow. Those were some days. Land rushes a-plenty."
Posted by GORDON on Jul. 07 2014,18:29
(Malcolm @ Jul. 07 2014,20:55) QUOTE There's not a good way to look anti-immigration without coming off looking like a dick in PR-ville. It's doubly hard considering this country was founded and fueled by immigrants, yes, a shitload of them being illegal. It's like standing up and being, "Oh shit, sorry guys. The clock ran out a little bit ago. Should've been here during the 1800s, though. Wow. Those were some days. Land rushes a-plenty." I don't think anyone would argue that there could, in the future, be a point where the USA cannot handle, assimilate, afford, or whatever any more immigrants. Who knows where that point is. What makes one "evil" is deciding that time is sooner rather than later. Posted by TPRJones on Jul. 07 2014,20:39
I still can't blame them too much. If your kid is starving or likely to be killed you go somewhere else. Anywhere else. Regardless of if it's illegal to do so or not.
Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 07 2014,20:58
QUOTE I don't think anyone would argue that there could, in the future, be a point where the USA cannot handle, assimilate, afford, or whatever any more immigrants. The population density in the US is tiny compared to places like India, China, Spain, Japan, and various other holes in Europe. It's going to have to get way more crowded with a way, way shittier economy. Posted by GORDON on Jul. 07 2014,21:27
(Malcolm @ Jul. 07 2014,23:58) QUOTE QUOTE I don't think anyone would argue that there could, in the future, be a point where the USA cannot handle, assimilate, afford, or whatever any more immigrants. The population density in the US is tiny compared to places like India, China, Spain, Japan, and various other holes in Europe. It's going to have to get way more crowded with a way, way shittier economy. Which is why there are evil people who say "sooner" before we hit that point. But that's evil. Posted by Vince on Jul. 08 2014,05:01
1914 immigrant: "Go to America. If you work hard, you can make a life for yourself"2014 immigrant: "Go to America. They give you free stuff." I don't blame them for wanting to be hear either. But allowing this flood of illegals in and grant them amnesty (which is coming) is going to change the political landscape. And I don't mean "make us more Democrat party" I mean "make us more south American government". This won't end well. Posted by Leisher on Jul. 08 2014,05:48
QUOTE 1914 immigrant: "Go to America. If you work hard, you can make a life for yourself" 2014 immigrant: "Go to America. They give you free stuff." That's a great point. I'm all for immigration, but I think everyone needs to enter the country legally, file the proper paperwork, get the background checks, and pass the citizenship test. If you're here illegally, you shouldn't be here. If folks think that's inhumane, they are more than welcome to go south of the border to do charity work, and take their money with them to help out. I get why folks run here, and in their situation, I would too. However, it hasn't just resulted in some folks here losing a few tax bucks. This exodus is changing our culture and lifestyle. It impacting our politics and social services. We're being told to adapt to accommodate those coming here illegally instead of the illegals adapting to our culture. A lot of people on both sides of the border have died, and will continue to die because of these illegal crossings. Posted by Malcolm on Jul. 08 2014,07:20
QUOTE ...and pass the citizenship test. Half the natural born citizens of this country couldn't pass one. Posted by Leisher on Jul. 08 2014,07:33
(Malcolm @ Jul. 08 2014,10:20) QUOTE QUOTE ...and pass the citizenship test. Half the natural born citizens of this country couldn't pass one. I wouldn't argue that, but they're not trying to earn their citizenship. Frat boys don't get hazed once they're in... Besides, I have a whole different set of expectations for folks born here. |