Comments on: Economic dominoes continue to fall

By: Guy McPherson

Guy McPherson — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:49:00 +0000

I don’t know about a Christmas tree, but I suspect the six-year-old’s Halloween ghost tree will still be up, as it was last Christmas (it’s a dead branch filled with homemade “ghosts”). There should be lots of bargains at the few stores remaining in business this holiday season, but they aren’t selling anything I want … no durable goods have been on sale in this country for decades.

By: Stan Moore

Stan Moore — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:39:31 +0000

I like having my guns. I would prefer that most other people not have any I fear my government, but it has nothing to fear from me.
Many nations feel that the death penalty is barbaric. I would like to see it dramatically expanded, including implementation for lying politicians, corrupt law enforcement personnel and bureacrats in the judicial system who practice or tolerate deliberate injustice.
I do agree that there are different cultures within the civilized world and that my own USA is the one culture that feels exceptional based on the power of mythology even as it simultaneously is rigged to implode, explode, erode, corrode and do the Humpty Dumpty.
I am in favor of making land mines illegal worldwide and nuking the national capital of any nation that refuses to sign. But the constitution protects my guns and I’d like to keep them for symbolic reasons. Plus, they are simply more fun than video games.
Will Obama be unable to pick up his Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo because he is too busy running wars as the US Commander in Chief?
He could always buzz over there in a stealth bomber and refuel on his way to drop a bunker buster over an Iranian nuclear facility.
I heard today from Dr. David Ellis of Arizona as he wanted me to communicate with another Dr. (Tischendorf) who I have not met, but whose name reminds me of some old Prussian Warlord. But I really like David Ellis and he has written some of the best natural history papers on raptors, their plumages, their nests, etc. ever written in my opinion. I am still hoping that some day I can travel with him to Mongolia to study saker falcons while there are still some left and while the airline industry is still relatively intact.
Enough musings in my 2009 Rambler (internet version).
Guy — do have you plans to set up an XMas tree this year at the mud hut and do you expect to find bargains at the local shopping malls?
Stan

By: matt

matt — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:45 +0000

different locations different realities
I think I prefer my ‘truth’, and I am sure a
Dane and/or a Norwegian would prefer theirs as well

By: Greg Breneman

Greg Breneman — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:21:46 +0000

Matt one other thing. I respect your perspective from down under but the reliance on governance and government is a huge reason we all now face this mess.

By: greg Breneman

greg Breneman — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:12:35 +0000

Matt at the point of collapse of your “advanced democratic nation” with a population of 25 million and all that space you will look very attractive to the 200 million indonesians living just north of you and the 3 billion in china plus india if they can get there. We will not be in a position to help you like we did at the battle of the coral sea when japan decided to pay you a visit in 1942. I guess you can always throw rocks. Good luck from an american perspective.
As for american paranoia about are government I certainly would think that the washington/wall street/banker lowlifes ripping us off for several trillion dollars might upset some people and perhaps we have not been paranoid enough.

By: matt

matt — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:21:27 +0000

From an Australian perspective some of the comments here on guns, gun control etc are completely insane. The way you guys think is completely foreign to other advanced ‘democratic’ nations.
Just thought I would let you know, sounds like you guys are in this
nra type consensus ‘constitution’ trance nonsense. Ideology is blinding!
If stanley’s reasoning is anything to go by, sounds like you guys
are keen on land mines as well.
Although, Guys reasoning is sound.
Read an article recently that the American public have a long history of paranoia with regards to governance and their government.
Many examples of this have been illustrated here.

By: Greg Breneman

Greg Breneman — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:08:02 +0000

I agree with you Stan if based on a pure historical body count all the criminals in history cannot compete with government and authority when it comes to the death and destruction they have caused. As for Guys assertion that only hunting rifles be allowed those people that do not like guns or hunting would like to seize all guns period and they make that quite plain. Militias that are organized by government and not by the people themselves then become just a tool of central authority as the police and army already are. Disarming the populace is always preferred by the elites so they can do what ever they like with impunity. From a practical standpoint the NRA must defend everything or it will lose everything to “common sense laws” or “reasonable gun laws” as your rights then erode away to nothing as has happened in England. When a government says you have no right to defend yourself then in plain english they have told you that you are expendable. Besides here in Arizona or anywhere else in the U.S. you cannot walk in and buy a true “assault rifle” since they must be selective fire with a full auto switch setting,they just look like the military version. By the way many hunters now use AR15 clones for hunting with the legal 5 round magazine in place to conform to hunting regulations. Because of the military design that they are based on they are a more rugged rifle and easy to get parts for. Example Remington R15 and R25.

By: craig moodie

craig moodie — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:38:23 +0000

Guy, Phew! I thought I was losing my mind for a minute. I am relieved you agree with me on the Baker issue. There appears to be some contradiction in her stance if you compare her latest article to some previous one’s, particularly the one on economic collapse. By the way I too, do not agree entirely with the Carlin piece but you have to admit it is a touch of genius.

By: Guy McPherson

Guy McPherson — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:56:53 +0000

craig, I was thoroughly disgusted by Carolyn Baker's latest piece. If she actually loved human life, and human individuals, she would be cheering for a rapid collapse. I've covered this ground before. By the same token, faster collapse means we'll take far fewer species down the extinction abyss with us ... so I disagree, albeit slightly with Carlin in this exceptional case. The planet might shrug us off like fleas, but we're killing the living parts of the planet along the way.

By: Stan Moore

Stan Moore — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:32:25 +0000

I am a gun owner, but not an NRA member. I think the courts have applied the constitution as amended to private gun ownership and I happen to believe that citizens should be allowed to own any weapon they can afford, including 50 caliber full automatic machineguns, howitzers, or anything. I construe the constitution to mean a citizen should be allowed to arm himself for protection from his government. I feel far more at risk ultimately from government than from common criminals.
At the same time, there are severe sanctions for breaking the law and I am not intent on breaking the law to prove a point. I do believe that you should not do the crime if you are not willing to do the time, and I am not willing to go to prison or risk it in the interests of the full expression of gun ownership.
As far as hunting goes, you never know when they will raise bag limits and full auto with a 30 round clip will come in handy
I also believe that people who are afraid of guns are looking at the wrong end of the barrel for what should be the source of their fear.
A gun in the right hands is a blessing, in my view, and in the wrong hands is a deadly tool, but nothing more. Far more humans have been killed by those in authority (military, police, etc.) and sanctioned by society to take life than by criminals. There is literally no comparison.
Stan Moore