International Gun Ban Treaty
- Thread starter MobbinINda916
- Start date
I would disagree somewhat here - the US had its best time in the period after the war when a middle class was created - it was allowed to happen because the powers to be, i.e. the ruling oligarchy/plutocracy feared a revolution so a lot of concessions were made around the time of the Great Depression. Which have then been slowly chipped away ever since the 70s. But what must not be overlooked is that all of this was made possible by the abundance of cheap petroleum and by the wealth pump the US imposed on half of the world and that siphoned wealth and resources into the US.
The years prior to the turn of the 20th century were horrible for the majority of the population.
The years prior to the turn of the 20th century were horrible for the majority of the population.
As I have said many times, we, where "we" means the world, need to move away from tribalism (the nation state is nothing more but an extension of tribalism) and towards perceiving ourselves as part of one common global society. Because there is no way global challenges will be met unless people think globally and see themselves as citizens of the world.
"Living, eating and breathing AMERICA" is completely contrary to this objective, and ultimately can be extremely destructive, both self-destructive and destructive for the rest of the world. And in fact it is
"Living, eating and breathing AMERICA" is completely contrary to this objective, and ultimately can be extremely destructive, both self-destructive and destructive for the rest of the world. And in fact it is
The world will never move away from tribalism. It has been here since the beginning of time, why would it suddenly change? & why would the remainder of the world ( even if the U.S. & a few other countries jumped on the bandwagon ) want to do this? There is tribes within the same country & tribes within the same cities that kill each other off... Shiites & Sunis ring a bell?
What you are explaining is utopia, a perfect world... rainbows & pots of gold. Pure fiction, & I do not ever see it happening in ours, nor in our children's, grandchildren's, great-grandchildren's lifetime.
The problem with socialism is that it can only work if people in a society have reached a minimal level of development, otherwise it falls victim of our primal animal instincts and at its worst it can turn into a complete disaster. They did not recognize the part about the role of primal animal instincts in shaping human behavior, but they still fully realized that people have to be "ready" for socialism way back in the late 19th and early 20th century and a lot of, of ten very heated, debate was going on between communists at the time. Many argued that there was no point trying to establish communism in Russia, a place where the majority of the population were illiterate peasants. Something that subsequent events confirmed but only after the experiment had been carried out prematurely with the disastrous consequence of discrediting the otherwise not so bad idea.
Still, the US has a particularly twisted perception of the idea. Because the media here has always been in the hands of the wealthy plutocracy, that plutocracy, which had plenty of reasons to hate socialist ideas, also had plenty of opportunity to brainwash the population using its control over media into thinking communism and socialism are dirty words. And they have been so successful that today you have people using the label "socialist" to demonize a president whose policies are by all objective measures center-right to moderate right wing. But the view of communism as something evil and oppresive is entirely a product of that propaganda. Make no mistake, communist regimes did a lot that fully deserves to be demonized but they did it because they were oppresive totalitarian oligarchies, not because they were true to the communist ideals. That's not what the many of brightest young minds had put ther hopes on before and between the wars and this is the part that most americans are totally ignorant about - nobody at the time thought of communism as a system of oppression, exactly the opposite, the idea was to bring freedom and equality to everyone. Most of the best young intellectuals of the time were communists. The problem is that most of them died fighting for the cause so in the end the ones who were left standing and in power were the paranoics because those are the kind of people that are best suited to survive a revolution where you have to be constantly on alert and suspect everyone around you in treachery; if you don't have these characteristics, you are not likely to survive. It happens in most revolutions, it's also the reason why the French revolution turned into the reign of terror and there many other such example. That's how you start with the pure honest communist ideal and end up with a monster like Stalin. And once you have Stalin in charge, you begin exporting the same pattern of governance to other countries - before and during WWII, a lot of communists from all over Europe were hiding in Moscow, however that was also the time of the great purges so there was a very strict selective filter on the kind of individuals that survived the period. Note that those weren't the idealists to begin with - most of those were in their home countries fighting various right-wing dictatorships or the Nazis, and most didn't make it - but on top of that they had to be able to survive the darkest years of Stalin's rule. Those same people then came back to their home countries, took power and, not surprisingly, implemented what they had learned while in Moscow...
But those are subtleties that are very rarely mentioned in the US so people have no understanding of what is meant by the words and abuse them left and right.
Still, the US has a particularly twisted perception of the idea. Because the media here has always been in the hands of the wealthy plutocracy, that plutocracy, which had plenty of reasons to hate socialist ideas, also had plenty of opportunity to brainwash the population using its control over media into thinking communism and socialism are dirty words. And they have been so successful that today you have people using the label "socialist" to demonize a president whose policies are by all objective measures center-right to moderate right wing. But the view of communism as something evil and oppresive is entirely a product of that propaganda. Make no mistake, communist regimes did a lot that fully deserves to be demonized but they did it because they were oppresive totalitarian oligarchies, not because they were true to the communist ideals. That's not what the many of brightest young minds had put ther hopes on before and between the wars and this is the part that most americans are totally ignorant about - nobody at the time thought of communism as a system of oppression, exactly the opposite, the idea was to bring freedom and equality to everyone. Most of the best young intellectuals of the time were communists. The problem is that most of them died fighting for the cause so in the end the ones who were left standing and in power were the paranoics because those are the kind of people that are best suited to survive a revolution where you have to be constantly on alert and suspect everyone around you in treachery; if you don't have these characteristics, you are not likely to survive. It happens in most revolutions, it's also the reason why the French revolution turned into the reign of terror and there many other such example. That's how you start with the pure honest communist ideal and end up with a monster like Stalin. And once you have Stalin in charge, you begin exporting the same pattern of governance to other countries - before and during WWII, a lot of communists from all over Europe were hiding in Moscow, however that was also the time of the great purges so there was a very strict selective filter on the kind of individuals that survived the period. Note that those weren't the idealists to begin with - most of those were in their home countries fighting various right-wing dictatorships or the Nazis, and most didn't make it - but on top of that they had to be able to survive the darkest years of Stalin's rule. Those same people then came back to their home countries, took power and, not surprisingly, implemented what they had learned while in Moscow...
But those are subtleties that are very rarely mentioned in the US so people have no understanding of what is meant by the words and abuse them left and right.
Funny you should speak on that. This is off topic but your 1st amendment rights are already being tampered with... Ever heard the recent "Anti-Bullying" laws that certain members of government are trying to pass? Basically if you say something negative about somebody and they decide to kill themselves because of what you said you can be prosecuted in some areas. Fucked up right? You have the right to speak your mind but only if it doesn't hurt others feelings..SMH However thats a topic for another thread.
You give the government an inch and they take a mile! Somebody has got to put there foot down at some point! This is what i would call another step in the direction of the "Pussification" of our country. American citizens can't allow the government to step all over there rights or they will continue to do so in whatever manner they see fit.
You give the government an inch and they take a mile! Somebody has got to put there foot down at some point! This is what i would call another step in the direction of the "Pussification" of our country. American citizens can't allow the government to step all over there rights or they will continue to do so in whatever manner they see fit.
That isnt tampering with the 1st amendment. No one is saying people cant say something...you can say whatever the fuck you want. However, the aftermath my lead to something else. So, no, they are "taking away" the 1st amendment. Stop twisting words to fit your argument.
No one is giving the government anything....this doesnt even make sense.
*rollseyes*
You act like your 75 years old. This is shit my grandpa would say.
No one is giving the government anything....this doesnt even make sense.
*rollseyes*
You act like your 75 years old. This is shit my grandpa would say.
If Chinese people had guns like Americans, they'd be killing each other left and right. Right now are school holidays and I coach Basketball to kids and teenagers in my spare time. Especially the kids get into it that much, we'd see at least one Columbine everyday here if they had an access to guns...
Chinese people don't need guns...
they have something called MARTIAL ARTS.. they can break you skull with kick to the head...
break your ribs with one punch...
and rip your heart out while it's still beating with the touch of death....
they whole body is a weapon... some monks over there..
can break bricks with their bare hands....
i don't think they need a gun to kill u..
Guns don't kill people...
people kill people..
they have something called MARTIAL ARTS.. they can break you skull with kick to the head...
break your ribs with one punch...
and rip your heart out while it's still beating with the touch of death....
they whole body is a weapon... some monks over there..
can break bricks with their bare hands....
i don't think they need a gun to kill u..
Guns don't kill people...
people kill people..
Switzerland is a society that has reached a level of development that makes this possible. Very few places are like that. The US isn't - the truth is that the US is a country full of people with third-world mentality using resources at twice the first-world rate, which makes them think they live in a developed society but that's not true at all except for isolated pockets here and there
Also, int Switzerland they don't just have guns - they are all trained as soldiers; that's very different from the situation in the US
Also, int Switzerland they don't just have guns - they are all trained as soldiers; that's very different from the situation in the US