Should America grow up and seriously restrict gun use/ownership?

[Rockburner]

I can't see them messing with their beloved constitution.

Not a criticism of you, but this argument always make me laugh. It's the 2nd amendment.

When the guns in a country outnumber the population it would seem to me banning them would only have limited effects.

How about investing in healthcare, mental health support and the welfare state? Or even just mandate some minimum level of paid leave, that'd be a start! Having to work every day with no guaranteed holiday would make me want to shoot people too

What are you, some kind of commie??

[demographic]

I voted yes, either that or just restrict Americans.

[ZRX61]

Is it true that although you can't buy a fully automatic AK, you can buy a belt fed machine gun like an M60?

Joe Public can't buy 9mm "automatics" either...

You can buy indeed buy a belt fed M60, or even a 50cal Ma Duece, but the cost of doing so is prohibitively expensive. You ain't buying an M60 for under $10K, then there's the FFL3 ticket & all the expense/hassle of getting that piece of paper & the cost of ammo calculated in $100's/minute . I worked under a FFL3 many years ago & we had an M60 & several 50Cal's on hand. A full auto AK47 would fall under the same regs. There was a part in AK's that would allow a semi-auto version to fire on full auto if you held the gun upside down. Took a while for the feds to figure that out as it didn't occur to them to test fire the guns upside down. They're obviously still out there as I've heard them in a local shooting area & seen the tracer rounds on NYE.

The odd thing about belt fed weapons in Ca is that they said the "10 round magazine" law applied, so you could only have 10 round belts... which don't last long @ 600-750 rounds a minute. That law wasn't around when I was playing with them.

Calizuela banned Barrett .50 rifles.. which backfired in spectacular fashion when the various PD's in the State were told by Ronnie Barrett to go fuck themselves (literally) when they wanted their .50 rifles worked on/serviced by the manufacturer. Not sure what the current situation is as Barrett is now owned by an Aussie company.

There's only been two murders in the US by legally owned full autos, & one of those was a cop who used his PD issued gun (to off his wife IIRC)

The American situation is difficult, you ban someone buying an AR-15 or some other assault rifle in a gun shop, if they want one bad enough for nefarious reasons, they probably know someone who can get one. It's not like the things are rare.

Just go to Mexico & buy one of the thousands that Obama/Holder illegally sent across the border to the cartels. Some of those have shown up in the US in the hands of gangbangers.

[Yambo]

Not a criticism of you, but this argument always make me laugh. It's 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.

Now, I doubt very much if the school shooters or even the Branch Dividians were part of a Militia let alone a well regulated one.

There's a lot of clarification needed in that Amendment starting I'd suggest with what was intended at the time it was passed as an Amendment to the Constitution. Does the United States, with the most powerful military on the planet and a reasonably competent Home Guard need to rely on a Militia? And who gets to say that any Militia is 'well regulated'. What does that mean? Is the USA in danger of not being a 'free state'?

The legislature are basically cowards for not Amending the Amendment or taking money to do nothing. Or both.

But fuck 'em. It's their problem and they don't see it as a problem all the time they can do thoughts and prayers.

[Screwdriver]

The second amendment is there to stop an overambitious state deciding to become more authoritarian.

You know, like the dems are attempting right now with partisan control of the judiciary, mass media and the FBI/CIA.

<edit> dunno if anyone here remembers but doddery old Joe once warned any citizens who complained about the rigged election that if they tried to exercise that safeguard, "we've got F16's".

Two observations:
1. he was threatening to launch the US miltary against its own people
2. the logic of that argument implies it's "us" against "them".

[MyLittleStudPony]

It's nee laughing matter.

[Bigjawa]

I can't see them messing with their beloved constitution.

Not a criticism of you, but this argument always make me laugh. It's the 2nd amendment.

When the guns in a country outnumber the population it would seem to me banning them would only have limited effects.

How about investing in healthcare, mental health support and the welfare state? Or even just mandate some minimum level of paid leave, that'd be a start! Having to work every day with no guaranteed holiday would make me want to shoot people too

The amendments are a bit like adding a wing to a stately home a few years after it's built, after a few years they're seen as part of the original structure. But the biggest problem is that once they start repealing amendments then it's a precedent for someone who would like to appeal, say, the first or fifth ones.

One reason they won't invest more in healthcare is the same as they won't cut back on guns. Both make an awful lot of money for people, people who donate to political parties and both bring in serious amounts of tax dollars. The government won't give up it's cash cow as sick people are money generators. So is Billy Bob redneck and his mates buying ammo by the crateload.

[DefTrap]

The second amendment is there to stop an overambitious state deciding to become more authoritarian.

You know, like the dems are attempting right now with partisan control of the judiciary, mass media and the FBI/CIA.

<edit> dunno if anyone here remembers but doddery old Joe once warned any citizens who complained about the rigged election that if they tried to exercise that safeguard, "we've got F16's".

Two observations:
1. he was threatening to launch the US miltary against its own people
2. the logic of that argument implies it's "us" against "them".

Seems unfair to have a go at the alleged civil-warmongering of a doddery president and not point out the alleged civil-warmongering of a doddery past and would-be president.

From his horses mouth - no need to claim any different.

[ZRX61]

The amendments are a bit like adding a wing to a stately home a few years after it's built, after a few years they're seen as part of the original structure. But the biggest problem is that once they start repealing amendments then it's a precedent for someone who would like to appeal, say, the first or fifth ones.

One reason they won't invest more in healthcare is the same as they won't cut back on guns. Both make an awful lot of money for people, people who donate to political parties and both bring in serious amounts of tax dollars. The government won't give up it's cash cow as sick people are money generators. So is Billy Bob redneck and his mates buying ammo by the crateload.

The 2nd Amendment guarantees all the others...

[ZRX61]

The second amendment is there to stop an overambitious state deciding to become more authoritarian.

You know, like the dems are attempting right now with partisan control of the judiciary, mass media and the FBI/CIA.

<edit> dunno if anyone here remembers but doddery old Joe once warned any citizens who complained about the rigged election that if they tried to exercise that safeguard, "we've got F16's".

Two observations:
1. he was threatening to launch the US miltary against its own people
2. the logic of that argument implies it's "us" against "them".

Right now, Biden is the most dangerous person on the planet. Between being a belligerent, egotistical cunt & a senile imbecile the dumb bastard (& General Milley) is going to drop us all into WW3. At least all the other major players are predictable.

[DefTrap]

Right now, Biden is the most dangerous person on the planet. Between being a belligerent, egotistical cunt & a senile imbecile the dumb bastard (& General Milley) is going to drop us all into WW3. At least all the other major players are predictable.

For parity, just a reminder that Trump threatened 'fire and fury' on Kim Jong Un (after Trump, the second most volatile World leader) and to 'totally destroy' NK back in 2017, whilst also planning to blame it on someone else. Nice. When you've ousted sad-sack Biden, this is who is waiting in the wings. Win.
Is this sort of President-talk worrying or chest-beating for the dull masses or wut? Certainly it's becoming more frequent as 'we' 'choose' (quotes for added drama) increasingly unsuitable Presidents.

[Screwdriver]

Right now, Biden is the most dangerous person on the planet. Between being a belligerent, egotistical cunt & a senile imbecile the dumb bastard (& General Milley) is going to drop us all into WW3. At least all the other major players are predictable.

Some chap (Matt Taibbi) is being grilled by congress over the Twitter files. The Dems are annoyed that all of their "secret" backroom manipulations are being revealed to the world. Like the embedded FBI agents effectively running Twitter as a propaganda machine for the left or the "Russia collusion" story invented by Hilary Clinton et. al.

On the day he was due to testify, the IRS inexplicably TURNED UP AT HIS HOUSE for no good reason. Clearly someone thought it was a good idea to remind this journalist who he is fucking with.

All it has done is shown more partisan behaviour where the mechanisms of public office are being weaponised by the left.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Is this sort of President-talk worrying or chest-beating for the dull masses or wut? Certainly it's becoming more frequent as 'we' 'choose' (quotes for added drama) increasingly unsuitable Presidents.

It does seem like a constant one upmanship battle of "who can be the biggest macho dick". Speaks volumes on the American psyche really.

[Hoonercat]

Right now, Biden is the most dangerous person on the planet. Between being a belligerent, egotistical cunt & a senile imbecile the dumb bastard (& General Milley) is going to drop us all into WW3. At least all the other major players are predictable.

Some chap (Matt Taibbi) is being grilled by congress over the Twitter files. The Dems are annoyed that all of their "secret" backroom manipulations are being revealed to the world. Like the embedded FBI agents effectively running Twitter as a propaganda machine for the left or the "Russia collusion" story invented by Hilary Clinton et. al.

On the day he was due to testify, the IRS inexplicably TURNED UP AT HIS HOUSE for no good reason. Clearly someone thought it was a good idea to remind this journalist who he is fucking with.

All it has done is shown more partisan behaviour where the mechanisms of public office are being weaponised by the left.

Got to be the worst attempt at intimidation ever, turning up when he's out and leaving a note which he read after testifying. I wouldn't call identity theft 'no good reason'.

The taxman left a note instructing Mr. Taibbi to call the IRS four days later. Mr. Taibbi was told in a call with the agent that both his 2018 and 2021 tax returns had been rejected owing to concerns over identity theft.

[Bigjawa]

Is this sort of President-talk worrying or chest-beating for the dull masses or wut? Certainly it's becoming more frequent as 'we' 'choose' (quotes for added drama) increasingly unsuitable Presidents.

It does seem like a constant one upmanship battle of "who can be the biggest macho dick". Speaks volumes on the American psyche really.

What do you do? All but two of the presidents in the past 40 odd years have been macho idiots, Reagan wanted to bomb Russia, Clinton chased anything with a hole and a heartbeat, W was an idiot who wanted a gulf war like his daddy and Trump, well, enough has been written to explain without me doing it.

Only Bush Sr, who had seen actual combat, and Obama came across as relatively sensible.

They should put an upper age limit on the job, there's not a hope that an 80 year old man will have the faculties of a 50yo.

[Cousin Jack]

The US presidential election system is a farce.

Apart from the complex system of Primaries, Caucuses, Electoral Colleges and whatever, only millionaires need apply.

[Screwdriver]

Some chap (Matt Taibbi) is being grilled by congress over the Twitter files. The Dems are annoyed that all of their "secret" backroom manipulations are being revealed to the world. Like the embedded FBI agents effectively running Twitter as a propaganda machine for the left or the "Russia collusion" story invented by Hilary Clinton et. al.

On the day he was due to testify, the IRS inexplicably TURNED UP AT HIS HOUSE for no good reason. Clearly someone thought it was a good idea to remind this journalist who he is fucking with.

All it has done is shown more partisan behaviour where the mechanisms of public office are being weaponised by the left.

Got to be the worst attempt at intimidation ever, turning up when he's out and leaving a note which he read after testifying. I wouldn't call identity theft 'no good reason'.

The taxman left a note instructing Mr. Taibbi to call the IRS four days later. Mr. Taibbi was told in a call with the agent that both his 2018 and 2021 tax returns had been rejected owing to concerns over identity theft.

Yes I saw that claim which was made after the fact. Given that you appear to accept that IRS agents did in fact turn up at this reporters address, how often do they make such house calls? Is it relatively common or as has been suggested, vanishingly rare? Don't you think they'd write first to express their concerns?

Is it then just a "coincidence" that at or around the time of this journalists testimony somebody decided now was a good time for the IRS to pay him a visit? Just a coincidence right? Really? You believe that?

[DefTrap]

Pretty sure that literally everyone who has done something serious enough to warrant a house-call from the authorities, also claims that they never ignored the one million warning letters, it was the first they ever heard of it. If you're a council house dweller not paying your bills you call it "unfairness from The Man", if you're middle-class living in a shiny house probably you call it "mechanisms of public office ... being weaponised by the left"

[ZRX61]

For parity, just a reminder that Trump threatened 'fire and fury' on Kim Jong Un (after Trump, the second most volatile World leader) and to 'totally destroy' NK back in 2017, whilst also planning to blame it on someone else. Nice. When you've ousted sad-sack Biden, this is who is waiting in the wings. Win.
Is this sort of President-talk worrying or chest-beating for the dull masses or wut? Certainly it's becoming more frequent as 'we' 'choose' (quotes for added drama) increasingly unsuitable Presidents.

Trump also told Putin that if he invaded Ukraine it would be the last thing he did... & Trump was the only President I can think of that didn't start bombing the fuck out of another country.
As for who is waiting in the wings, the Democrats have no one. We can only hope for Desantis.

[weeksy]

We can only hope for Desantis.

And then you can whinge about that too