Trust your government

[Nogard]

In another thread, crystal/flagg wanted to know why anyone needed protection from their government. We have a lot of people here from all over the world. Anyone want to comment? Mine to follow

 

[Flagg]

Good idea nogard it would be interesting to hear peoples views here. I would like to point out however that I was referring to the US in that thread. I obviously perfectly understand that there are many countries in the world run by autocrats and dictators where persecution is rife. It would be interesting to hear from them too.
Also, "trusting the government" is a tad different to feeling the need to arm oneself in order to protect oneself from the government.

[This message has been edited by flagg (edited 03-10-2000).]

[This message has been edited by flagg (edited 03-10-2000).]

 

[Fallen Angel]

Well if we know one thing it is that history tends to repeat itself. America was taken from the Indians with guns, fought the English for freedom with guns, fought Mexico for Texas with guns, and fought itself with guns. Those are just the wars or battles fought on American soil.

Europe Russia and Asia have been hot beds of strife and contention since the hords began moving out of the high steppes back before Christ was born. That strife is still going on today. Did it ever help or protect the common man to take away his weapons? or did it just make it easier for the ones who had the weapons to control the country?

Governments and countries tend to start strong and young with great ideals. They grow fat and bureaucratic in middle age as they gloss over the ideals. Decadent, lazy, and spiteful in old age with few ideals left except self preservation. The cycle then starts over as the common man rebels or an outside force conquers.

Trust the government? To do what? Levy taxes, fuck up everything they touch, line their own pockets, promote special interests, and that is just our government which I consider to be one of the best in the world.

 

[Growler145]

As I stated in another post, thread,whatever,,I believe we're being subjugated..Simple as that,,talk about it and do nothing,,then we'll bitch when it happens,,lets see,,Have they banned my assualt pencil yet??

 

[Laurel]

It's not a matter of distrusting the government so much as it's an awareness that, as American citizens, we ARE the government. People are self-centered by nature. I would be stupid to blindly expect politicians to do what's best for me. As an American citizen, it is my responsibility to stay current on political and world events, to seek out all information on issues that affect me, and to vote accordingly.

It's both lazy and silly, IMHO, to sit back and trust The Government to do what's best. "The Government" is made up of human beings, with their own agendas, morals, needs, etc. Governments are not infallible - they fuck up all the time.

As far as the gun issue, I think they're dangerous and cause harm. However, they're a fact of life in my country, Flagg. All the rhetoric in the world can't change that. That being said, I'm very much in favor of responsible gun ownership, as it's the lesser of two evils. There are situations in which guns are appropriate, and there are situations where they are not. There are people who should own guns, and people (most of us, actually) who should not. It's a responsibility that not everyone can handle. The risks are too great. But criminalizing gun use will help in the U.S. as much as Prohibition in the 1920's kept people off alcohol. It's too late for that - you can't change the past.

 

[LittleDixie]

Democide: the intentional killing of an unarmed or disarmed person by government agents acting in their authoritative capacity and pursuant to government policy or high command.

1. 49% of the democide deaths in Soviet Russia between 1917-1987 were caused due to the conditions of camps people were forced into. Just 5% of people were killed because of deportation.
2. Between 1900-1987, 46.6% of the deaths that have occurred in China can be attributed to democide. In comparison, 42.6% of the deaths in the time period are attributed to famine.
3. Ten different government regimes between 1900-1987 murdered 1,000,000 people or more, but less than 10 million people.
4. Rwanda joined the 1 million murder democide club in just 4 months of being in power.
5. The total number of people killed by democide since 1900: 242 million.
6. If all these bodies were laid head to toe, with the average height being 5′, then they would circle the Earth 10 times.
7. Communist China is believed to be responsible for over 76 million deaths between 1949-1987, which is 15 million more than the USSR era in Russia.
8. Between 1948-1987, North Korea is believed to have murdered 1.66 million people.
9. The Allied Powers are also on the democide list. The United Kingdom is believed to be responsible for 816,000 democide deaths since 1900.
10. 5 different regimes are believed to have killed more than 10 million people. Two of those regimes are based in China.
11. China also has a place in the top megamurderer lists and the centi-kilomurder lists as well, which when all totaled together means China has been responsible for about 1 in 3 democide deaths in the last century.
12. A vast majority of the incidents of democide from non-Communist governments occurred duing the years before and during World War II.
13. Between 1900-1920, Mexico was responsible for 1.4 million democide deaths.
14. In 4 years, Cambodia became the #8 ranked democidal government, killing 2.035 million citizens.
15. Turkey, Russia, and China all make the list of top governments responsible for democide on at least 2 occasions.
16. The Top 5 government entities that have killed people through demoide are responsible for over 219 million deaths.
17. During the years before and during World War II, Japan was responsible for 5.9 million deaths.
18. Vietnam has been responsible for 1.67 million deaths by democide from 1945-1987.
19. In the broad category of colonialism, it is estimated that 50 million people were killed in total by their governments or an opposing government regime.

 

[oneblueye]

i'm one of those people that trust NOTHING and no one that thinks and breathes, ESPECIALLY that is out of my line of sight... and people everywhere around the world are in a never ending loop of actions and words that reinforce my unrelenting belief that PEOPLE NEVER CHANGE.
We were are born inheriting the blood on our ancestors hands and the attitudes and ways of thinking that drove them.

 

[Champakian]

And yet what passes for Liberalism on the Left is predicated on the belief
that they can abrogate basic human nature and act politically upon that.

 

[Wat_Tyler]

Kitty Mama killed it and it shoulda damn stayed dead.

 

[sigh]

And yet what passes for Liberalism on the Left is predicated on the belief
that they can abrogate basic human nature and act politically upon that.

The Left? I'm sure I can match you, and pass you quickly, by pointing out specific examples of how the Right is all about denying (or incorrectly defining) human behavior and acting politically on that. In this current environment, the Right, in fact, is far exceeding the Left in playing that particular game. Both are happy to do it, but your inability to see the mote in your own eye is telling.

 

[Champakian]

I am such a Leftist troll magnet...
__________________________________________
Democrat born. Democrat bred. Libertarian led (by Democrats).

 

[Wat_Tyler]

I am such a Leftist troll magnet...
__________________________________________
Democrat born. Democrat bred. Libertarian led (by Democrats).

https://memes.yarn.co/yarn-clip/0ba795b0-936b-493b-81d9-60d467e8a54c

 

[Champakian]

*chuckle*

The movie that keeps on giving...

 

[Dribble]

Kitty Mama killed it and it shoulda damn stayed dead.

She should put many threads out of their misery...but she likes watching people wallow in pain. We all know what kinks she gets into...