Job Discussion Forums

[sparks]

Of course our landscape has influenced our mentality in many ways, for the average American wood isn't a luxury, as in Europe

Has anyone seen this? Truly amazing!

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/12/megan-mcardles-outrageous-gun-recommendation/266450/

[Sashadroogie]

Wood a luxury? In Europe? What are we talking about exactly?

[sparks]

In the States there are wooden telephone poles, for example--I was just being silly. Anyway, I agree that the idea of American individualism/frontier culture is part of the rampant gun culture.

[spiral78]

There are wooden 'telephone' poles all over the landscape because US politicians haven't wanted to invest in infrastructure and haven't therefore, buried the majority of cables underground, as has been done in large swaths of Europe. Hence, the massive power outages in the US every time a storm hits.

Luxury? Not !! In this case US use of wood is the direct cause of massive power outages; Germany has an average of 21 minutes of outages yearly - and yes, there are storms in Germany too (more snow and ice than hurricanes, but comparable to the midwest).


http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/02/opinion/frum-buried-lines/index.html

[Sashadroogie]

Collectivisation is the key to solving this blight on American society. Community spirit needs to be carefully fostered, group feeling nurtured. The only people who can overcome this gun insanity are the People - as in "We, the People..." All of this "I, me, mine" attitude is responsible for many of the modern day evils afflicting the States, but especially gun crimes. Guns seem to afford the right and security to go it alone in society, the threat of using them enough to dissuade even one's neighbours from approaching.

So, form a soviet to deal with excessive individualisation. If guns must be held, then train owners not only how to use them, but when to use them. Such training can be easily carried out in Pioneer camps as in Russia. ( Show me a Russian who can't strip down and re-assemble an AK-47, yet there is not all that much in the way of school massacres...)

Doesn't sound realistic to you? Look at Switzerland. Illegal not to have a gun there, yet no regular outrages. Why not? Community feeling - "we're all in this together and are armed to protect each other from military invasion, not random criminals..." Which I believe was the original idea in America too...

A Socialist response is the only one that makes any sense here. Just like with healthcare. I hope the US catches on and catches up.

[wangdaning]

[sixthchild]

Yeah thanks spiral, don't know how I missed this thread, must have been all the gunsmoke. Seriously, a lot of fuss about this gun thingy, its people who kill other people remember, you know they use all sorts of things every day, like cars, alcohol, cigarettes,extreme sports, I'm sure between us we could complile quite a list.
another thing, so much media time and debate is banging on about this, yet when 11 afgan kids get killed collecting firewood, or the fact that kids in Africa die every DAY of starvation no gives a damn, yet its different if the kids come from the states, WHY?? The gun laws in the states can be changed if the people with the power want that to happen but until their familes are gunned down thats not gonna happen, we all know that!

[fat_chris]

[kpjf]

[johnslat]

Dear sixthchild and kpjf,

I agree, too - it's far easier to feel sorrow when it strikes closer to home.

But at least, to my knowledge, nobody's doing this, either, about ". . . 11 afgan kids get killed collecting firewood, or the fact that kids in Africa die every DAY of starvation . . ."

http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&rlz=&q=arabs+celebrating+9+11+youtube&oq=Arabs+celebrate+9%2F11+youtube&gs_l=igoogle.1.0.0i22.17275105.17289301.0.17291240.28.28.0.0.0.0.379.3635.1j19j4j1.25.0...0.0...1ac.1.jmITP0Mzo78

Regards,
John

[artemisia]

Yes, kids die in war torn and poverty stricken regions, people kill other people, and overall I�ve heard mass gun slaughters compared to being struck by lightning � it�s statistically that rare.

I don�t know if that�s true because it seems to be on the increase, but I don�t think it matters. I don�t see the point of many of the comparisons because it�s not comparing like with like. Cars, though potentially lethal, are not designed to kill people. Lightning is random and without human purpose: it can't be controlled. It seems to me the killers take glory in their moment of absolute power, knowing that others are running, hiding and terrified: this kick is part of the scenario. What else would provide that on such a large, public scale?

Getting your head around mass poverty on a huge geographic scale and a region that�s been war torn for generations is almost impossible. When the problems are so massive, where do you begin? How would you protect those 11 Afghan kids and a further 11 in such a dangerous region? But a schoolroom of kids slaughtered in those regions would be major news, I think. It�s something closer to everyday reality that we can get quickly our heads around and feel the impact of the horror of it. I don�t think that�s a reaction specific to a country, but certainly closer to home it hits harder.

[Otterman Ollie]

I think there is another side to this debate that has not been touched yet! Why is it that a young man such as this can go out and commit such an unbelieveable act?
What is wrong with Americian society that events such as this are becoming an all to frequent occurence?
If what some are saying in the media this was just waiting to happen, just as sure as 9/11 was. What or when is the next outrage of this kind going to take place and will any lessons be learned from this or others to come in the future?
Somehow I doubt it, violence breeds more violence, bearing in mind the U.S in not in the middle of a civil war it is an incredibly violent country!

[Sashadroogie]

I thought I had touched on this - my Marxist analysis provides a reason as to why these acts happen.

[Otterman Ollie]

Oh you mean all that twaddle about russians been able to strip down weapons and all that fostering and community nonsense, sorry mate but I think you need to look at the bigger picture here.
Basically the average log cabin dweller has moved to the urban areas and has now a fully blown arse-enal at his /her disposal and is just dying to see how much damage they can do to their nearest minority group or rampant runaway political group or wannabe terroist or poor unfortunate who looks like he might break into their home on account they are starving, when there is none of them more traditional targets, they go for the soft option, namely a school, just to show the world at large, a) they can do it, coz its the land of the free and they want to be free to share their bullets with the same society that gave them the license to buy them. b) They have unfortunate memories of school days and didn't want the kids to go through the agony they went thro. c) Like most modern log cabin dwellers they are pretty screwed up and they want to vent and get noticed, the real screw balls don't kill themselves, which says a lot about Norway, yeah remember him?
Don't worry gun lovers you're not alone, there must be a whole army out there just waiting to get their chance to make the nine o clock news.

[Sashadroogie]

Twaddle, eh? As opposed to the non-stop nonsense on TV stations covering this tragedy?

Marxist dialectic provides plenty of information about the alienation suffered by members of a Capitalist society. And alienation is a key element in the whys and wherefores of US gun massacres.