Colorado Shooting - How horrible!

[thaiturkey]

The global shift would be economical and knowing that China has a much stronger economy is looking in my back yard. War has changed as well as power, there is more fear of an economic collapse that forces our country to sell to the highest bidder then an actual invasion. Although that is partly because there is an armed person "behind every blade of grass" and an invasion is financially impractical.

The bigger thing that you are missing is that yes I see the world and most Americans do but there is not a dam thing I can do about it or what my own government is doing to it. With our president passing executive orders that don't even need anyone to approve or disprove and politicians making backdoor deals and sneaking the bad in to a bill that no other politician would reject because it would be political suicide to do so. What can we do to stop it. If we vote another candidate they will do the same, voting in this country has been picking the lesser of evils for a long time. I don't think I have ever seen a candidate that I would trust to represent me or even tell the truth and do what they say they will. Politicians represent themselves, they do just enough to try and be less evil then the other guy (often on the surface only) but then they do what they can to gain wealth and they are willing to sacrifice others and even lives to get it. All you see is what your own government wants you to see, unless you can say you have a truly unbiased media. If so let me know your news stations I would love to read unbiased news for once. I already read British, french, US, and Japanese news.

What you say about politicians is universal so don't look there for very much.

I believe that the economic advance of China is a bubble. At least, if the old Western industrial nations could produce their better quality at lower prices, the game would be over for China. Chinese companies can make excellent quality while a Western boss is standing over them (viz. Apple and BMW) but, left alone, will try to scam the world with shoddy quality. On the other hand, Chinese families running their own businesses are hard working and successful but usually not in their ancestral homeland.

The economic threat to the West is Asia as a whole. Asians, by and large, haven't yet fully grasped what Western society can offer. Whether or not you agree with it, they will work hard for less pay and live with fewer material comforts. That spells damnation for Western business because of the expectations of workers and owners there.

The news stations that you read probably, between them, give as balanced a view as you can get. The BBC is probably the best of those. Also try Sky on the internet. I can't see it these days but the English speaking Al Jazeera TV channel is also remarkably even handed. You may hesitate, as I did, to believe that but try it or its website if you can.

 

[mom'sfolly]

Back on topic...

The Colorado shooter is said to have been under psychiatric care. This can mean an awful lot of things, anything from trouble dealing with the stress of a highly demanding PhD program to psychosis.

If he had a truly dangerous psychotic disorder, how would we, as a society, prevent him from acquiring and using weapons? Would medical records be needed to buy a gun? Or should there be no background check on buying guns? How should internet shopping for weapons be monitored/controlled? Should the government monitor guns sales, and flag multiple purchases over a short period of time? Would that prevent terrorist attacks or shooters like the Colorado case? If purchases of pseudophed can be monitored, why not weapons purchases.? Do we incarcerate the mentally ill to prevent any attack? Do we do this for any mental illness or only those we consider a threat? Who gets to decide who would be restrained? Do we force medical treatment of those we deem mentally ill?

Lots of questions, but there are very few answers. Most people tend to avoid the tough answers. Gray areas and issues of individual freedom tend to make most extremely uncomfortable. This is true for most issues, the black and white issues are fairly rare.

 

[thaiturkey]

Afghanistan...the British couldn't control it, the Russians couldn't (maybe because the US was buying the Afghans weapons) and the US can't. No real surprise. And if you do read history, you will know that the US supported the Taliban, for several reasons. One reason what the Taliban stopped poppy growing.

We've done what we intended in Afghanistan, we got the Al Queda leaders. I still think Pakistan has some answering to do. Either they were completely oblivious or in collusion; neither bodes well for continued cordial relations.

As for the widespread civil chaos, and the need to defend yourselves on a daily basis...I think it is tinfoil hat territory. JMHO.

The only large scale natural disasters that would cause more than a single city problems in the US are things like a major California earthquake or Mt Hood or Ranier erupting, or a huge subsidence earthquake and subsequent tsunami. I would find it very difficult to believe the entire US would descend into anarchy even in such an extreme event. As for an invasion...not even in my wildest imagination could I believe that this could successfully happen in the US.

As for the militia groups; if widespread social chaos and anarchy happened, I wouldn't rely on them to do more than contribute to the problems. Most of these groups have agendas, some of them are fairly unpleasant. And if by militia you mean an armed citizenry, I suspect they would also add to the issues. Nothing anyone has said in terms of "protecting" themselves mentioned working for the greater good, only the selfish motives of "I'll get/protect/save mine, and to hell with anyone else".

Spot on!

I'd just add that the Taliban and the Northern Alliance (the scallywags now in control thanks to foreign interference) were once one and funded, trained and armed by the US and Britain in the war with Russia. The sin committed by the Taliban after the Russians had gone home was that they controlled the south and didn't like the idea of a pipeline passing through. Remember that the official reason given for decimating the country was that the Taliban were harbouring bin Laden. Well he's long gone, they say, so what's it all about now?

 

[thaiturkey]

Back on topic...

The Colorado shooter is said to have been under psychiatric care. This can mean an awful lot of things, anything from trouble dealing with the stress of a highly demanding PhD program to psychosis.

If he had a truly dangerous psychotic disorder, how would we, as a society, prevent him from acquiring and using weapons? Would medical records be needed to buy a gun? Or should there be no background check on buying guns? How should internet shopping for weapons be monitored/controlled? Should the government monitor guns sales, and flag multiple purchases over a short period of time? Would that prevent terrorist attacks or shooters like the Colorado case? If purchases of pseudophed can be monitored, why not weapons purchases.? Do we incarcerate the mentally ill to prevent any attack? Do we do this for any mental illness or only those we consider a threat? Who gets to decide who would be restrained? Do we force medical treatment of those we deem mentally ill?

Lots of questions, but there are very few answers. Most people tend to avoid the tough answers. Gray areas and issues of individual freedom tend to make most extremely uncomfortable. This is true for most issues, the black and white issues are fairly rare.

Quite so. The case may reveal at least some of the answers in due course but, usually, the public are never told the full story.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

A doctor in most states as I understand it has a obligation to report anyone that may harm there self or others to authorities. The check now required to buy weapons would flag these people an stop the sale.


A well known gun rights person from from Tn on YouTube was flagged for making a bad joke to to doctor an they took all of his guns for his safty.

 

[thaiturkey]

I'm off to bed now. It's late here. I hope to be awakened at some time tonight by the heavy rainfall that we badly need.

I'd like to thank the Mods. for leaving this thread open. The discussion is very interesting and I'm learning a lot from it. I hope that other posters feel the same.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

The news stations that you read probably, between them, give as balanced a view as you can get. The BBC is probably the best of those. Also try Sky on the internet. I can't see it these days but the English speaking Al Jazeera TV channel is also remarkably even handed. You may hesitate, as I did, to believe that but try it or its website if you can.

I dont think much of the BBC but I am pretty happy with CNN international an Al Jazeera. Both are on Roku by the way.

 

[chickened]

You see, you're not up to speed with what's going on.

Things really do not change that much concerning human behavior, same content just a different package

 

[chickened]

Back on topic...

The Colorado shooter is said to have been under psychiatric care. This can mean an awful lot of things, anything from trouble dealing with the stress of a highly demanding PhD program to psychosis.

If he had a truly dangerous psychotic disorder, how would we, as a society, prevent him from acquiring and using weapons? Would medical records be needed to buy a gun? Or should there be no background check on buying guns? How should internet shopping for weapons be monitored/controlled? Should the government monitor guns sales, and flag multiple purchases over a short period of time? Would that prevent terrorist attacks or shooters like the Colorado case? If purchases of pseudophed can be monitored, why not weapons purchases.? Do we incarcerate the mentally ill to prevent any attack? Do we do this for any mental illness or only those we consider a threat? Who gets to decide who would be restrained? Do we force medical treatment of those we deem mentally ill?

Lots of questions, but there are very few answers. Most people tend to avoid the tough answers. Gray areas and issues of individual freedom tend to make most extremely uncomfortable. This is true for most issues, the black and white issues are fairly rare.

You do realize that all these bandaid remedies for gun, drug or whatever the issue are for comfort to the masses for they really do not have any tangible effect on those that CHOOSE to do bad things.

 

[chickened]

I dont think much of the BBC but I am pretty happy with CNN international an Al Jazeera. Both are on Roku by the way.

I had to reread where you said CNN international the other CNN had 58,000 viewers last month or something like that.