Not only can idiots and unstable people get easy access to firearms, but the entire country is idiotised and destabilised by a constant government propaganda war. In this fiction, America, the Land of the Free, is under threat from all sorts of dark forces: axes of evil, terrorists, subversives. It is a siege mentality which is deliberately created. The idea is laughable to us. The US is so big and so far away from most other people, that it's going to take more than a couple of beardies in tents in the desert to do anything that the US would notice. On the back of this media/propaganda induced psychosis, the arms manufacturers, the Blackwaters, Halliburtons and a whole host of "security" companies get very rich. Their heads and consultants ARE the government and they also get very, very rich. But the media is so nailed down (and controlled by the same interests) that no debate is possible. If you said that the Iraq and Afghan wars were achieving nothing except to make certain people very rich, you'd be accused of siding with the enemy and "putting our armed forces in harm's way". So this debate does not exist in the States. You end up with: Propaganda -> paranoid psychosis -> survivalist groups -> weapons stockpiling -> unstable people living out their war fantasies. Coming to a school near you. And we thought that Cold War Russia was brainwashed.
That attitude (“Isolationism”) has always been a major strand in American thinking, unlike in Britian. That is why congress refused to let USA join in WWII until they were forced to by Pearl Harbour. And that is why Britain has had to go to such lengths from 1945 till now to keep the Americans interested in maintaining forces in Europe. Americans are tempted to think that men with cloths round their heads in remote, obscure, poor, backward countries can murder and tyrannise one another all they like – what does it matter to us? Let them all go to hell! Then came 9/11. It showed that poverty-stricken lunatics from obscure countries can strike devastating blows against the heart of America. That was the game changer. Isolationism was wiped out at a stroke. America was left with no option but to get involved.
What is that fascination with the good old US of A? If there is third world then we consider ourselves to be frist world, no? Perhaps we are. But for how long? are our social security systems durable over centuries? that remains to be proven as they only exist for 60 years.. Who says that the US system, albeit much harsher than ours, won't be the best a society can do for most of it's citizens over meaningfull periods of time (multiple centuries) I think the us is the land of the free. Especially for those who keep flocking to it and come from areas that are anything but free. Sometimes we read "Free" as "guaranteed quality of life". It has always felt to me that Free for the amricans is the freedom to have a go at obtaining quality of life. Albeit without any guarantee of succes. The only advantage having a frame of security of property and the unlikelyhood of a governement taking it all away. It feels like the US is the second world. Where many live in the first but also many live in the third world. And where not much is needed to go from first to third.. But isn't it a bit hard on a nation to blame it for not being 1000 years old? Claiming to be 1000 years old, does that not imply having waisted an awfull lot of time to evolve to where we are now. having taken 940 years to stop slaughtering each other on ever growing scales and at last turning into a 'wealth redistributing social security' heaven? The USA are not a country defined along ethnic roots but a sort of club with rules that are mainly economical. contribute and you're fine, don't and you're not. Apart from that, do whatever you please. found your church , have you're own culture and habbits.. the club couldn't care less.. if 25% of americans don't make the grade out of poverty, still 75% have. of which 50% are not badly off. and if you're clever enough to make it to the top 10%, no one will hold you back. The only thing the crisis is doing is making the mid 50% have a much worse time then before the crisis. but, so far, the system itself hasn't changed. And if you're a first or second generation poor devil from wherever how culturally developped will you get to be? There is more to it : the US carries a strong ambiguity in it. On one hand it lays all responsibility with the individual and on the other hand it seems as that their is a strong 'dogville' like pressure from communities on these individuals. Not being part of the church is socially suicidal in whole regions. I ve always thought that this responsibility for ones own well being is extremely stressful. And in itself inflicts the fear to have to defend oneself. Now defending oneself is a pritty vague notion and arms and guns sort of materialise this will to protection. ' i bought every gun i could, so i did all i could' The stress from the individualist society also creates an urge for environments where doubts can be laid to rest. Where difficult questions can find easy answers. where the lonely figure can find adhesion in a larger context. And where better to be found in faith, religion and church communities? Add a abominal educational system that focusses largely on 'techniques' then on broad views and you have all you need to have millions of god fearing gun waving evangelical fundamentalists. But isn't the main question why on earth it is that whatever happens in the states comes to us 15 years later? in Europe, individualism ( neo conservatism) is on the rise. the sense of community ( belonging to a group that will take care of all) is dwindling and senseless violence is on the rise. Europe has it's shootings as well and is becoming a grimmer place in general. Tolerance to immigrants is evaporating, Europe as larger project bursts at the seams, countries politics are falling back on simple populists line. Regions as small as medium cities are shouting for independance. Obesity is on the rise here as well. the economy has evolved to the same conglomerates that rule our lives as well. In many cases , they are the same... it is good not to have the freedom to stock up on weapons you can wage war with. As i'm sure that should one have the possibility, Europeans would follow suit very rapidly and one would be surprised who would run to the gunshop first... Sometimes we still look at our American brethern with some demise. And think they are us. They are no longer. Most of them no longer come from Europe. And only time will tell who can maintain it's system the longest. Us or them
but if you do more than a just a cursory look at both pearl harbour and 911 you'll see that the 'facts' just dont stack up...never mind the fact that the yanks were warned DIRECTLY by the japanese of the time and date of pearl harbour (and removed its major battleships as a consequence)...something they dont tell you when you visit pearl harbour and watch their cute propoganda film in the museum. this was a false flag incident designed to get american public opinion behind the war....same as the bay of tonkin incident where the US wanted to galvanise public opinion into an attack on vietnam. 911 again has a ludicrous script...it beggars belief that we all went along with it...again i urge people to do some research (obviously avoiding faox news and the bbc accounts who incidentally have never answered why jane stanley reported the 'collapse' of building 7 live on air when it was clearly visible behind her at the time..then collapsed (ie demolished) about 45 minutes later...)>>jane stanely has never been seen on bbc news since. 50,000+ rescue workers have died since 911 and ground zero was declared safe, but has there been an enquiry?? dont be silly. there are so many quesrtions that are ignored or ridiculed, like how can a passenger jet leave no wreckage in two locations, and only leave a 16ft hole in the side of the pentagon (16ft is about the same size as a carbon fibre remote controlled drone aircraft).... no, the yank authorities stop at nothing....rather like our own 7/11 attack..too many parallels between the attacks...for instance, both were having practice runs of the exact same events on the exact same day at the exact same locations...Why was NORAD shut down on 911?? the only time in history.... still, im drifting off topic....
i agree with a few sentiments in your post but some i think are very idealistic and wide of the mark..how can you seriously suggest that the american system is probably the way to go when 99% of the wealth is held by 1% of the population...the 1% who are the rule makers and benefactors? freedom does not mean round the clock surveillance and it does not mean religious ideology..these are the very opposite of freedom...'if youre clever enough to make it to the top'...are you serious?? most of those that make it 'to the top' are there by inheritance, luck or crime... america is NOT a meritocracy..how can the talented individual become a success when they are in a perpetual state of survival?? most of us in the UK are 'comfortably poor' too...only a few pay cheques away from repossession and almost everyone is in debt...often, life long debt in the form of mortgages. as long as the money system operates on interest they will, by definition, never be enough money in the supply, and also, by definition, they will be one of two winners and tens of thousands of losers whose money gravitates upwards...the millions at the bottom support the few at the top of the pyramid...money does not filter down, certainly not in any meaningful way. America does not consider itself european, it considers itself american. We, in europe are under a misguided belief that europe is special to america..it isnt and most brits think we have a special relationship...yes we do...we kiss their arses...america is much more concerned about germany, a country with some financial clout, as the spokesman of europe.. the most important country to america is china, period.
Well it wasn't quite as you suggest. Yes, the US was isolationist before WW1 and it took the Lusitania to change that attitude, and again at WWII where they were happy to see Europe burn - it was none of their business. But how do you stack up isolationism with the constant CIA toppling of governments and installation of sympathetic regimes (Chile, Iran, Nicaragua to name but a few) post WWII or the constant wars fought by proxy in Africa? Then there was the Vietnam war, and then the first Iraq war. To suggest that the US was all isolationist until 911 is ridiculous. Indeed, the US attracted fundamentalist Muslim opprobrium precisely because it has a finger in every pie and manipulates every country it can. The entire globe is considered by the US to be its sphere of influence. 9/11 provided the perfect catalyst for the US to get brazenly involved everywhere. But if you read Woodward's book Plan of Attack, it is quite apparent - written in black and white - that the 2nd Iraq war was planned well before 911. Then the reason for removing Saddam was conflated with "international terrorism". 9/11 didn't so much leave the US no choice as to provide the perfect excuse for global bullying.
Funky sorry but it is uk that is the most monitored country. Like US UK monitors mails, telephone calls, texts, internet usage but also has loads and loads of cameras. UK also has extra laws in regards of terrorism and detaining terror suspects. Everyone who wants to attack anything and plans it will do spying, test runs, tests, recon and I for one do not want to live in a country where a muslim with a bag is an automatic terrorist. Glidd think about it UK gets told by Germany we will attack you on X exactly here. At time of war would that not be suspicious?
Also Americans might not be educated but one must admire their conviction in spreading what they believe is right. Maybe if they were more educated they would spread different message but doubt their conviction would decrease. Finally most of Americans are happy with what they got who are you to tell them otherwise. You bitch that they stick their finger in to everything yet want to stick yours in to what they do. Fix UK then go fix others, unlike in US it seems UK citizens are mostly unhappy yet do nothing. Funky 911 script is actually very easy to understand and it all sticks. Organiser of 911 had extensive experience how to hijack plane or knew people who did have first hand one. Flying a modern airliner is not that hard if you do not want to land it. Try Boeing training simulators you will be surprised.
You mean like fundamentalist Muslims should be admired because they spread their conviction of what is right? Or perhaps the Nazis should be admired because they spread their conviction of what is right? Maybe we should admire Stalinists because they spread their conviction of what is right? I don't want to stick my finger in anything. I quite like the Swiss version of neutrality, or the Swedish one. I just don't want to see a continual wailing and gnashing of teeth from the US every time they have a gun massacre when they have no intention of doing what needs to be done to fix the problem, though I admit it is only symptomatic of their flawed society. It's not just guns they need to fix but their whole attitude to their society. In this I feel very much on the same wavelength as Mr. Rimpler.
There is a difference in spreading ideology of hate and suffering and idea of democracy where people have option of choice, choice is freedom. Fact is comparing US to Nazis or any other fundamentalist that spreads hate is wrong. Maybe in time US will be viewed the same as them but for now they are far from it. They try to teach those who they believe are wrong, might even go to war with governments that force their view on their citizens through fear and intimidation. However as far as we know they do not kidnap citizens of US to torture them to get their family members to change mind or to get them to change mind/admit to something. Well not openly like any other dictatorship does. They are not perfect but neither are we. I will agree Sweden is quite nice and neutral, lived there and can say they could be those teaching others.
Well, they are quite happy to kidnap people from other countries and either inter them without trial for 10 years or alternatively to hand them over to other states for torture under their supervision. Haven't you been reading the papers for the past decade, Lucasz?
i certainly wouldnt argue you concerning the point about the amount of CCTV in the UK..its the most heavily monitored country on earth in terms of cameras. The point i was making was that americans have had even more of their civil rights removed than we have...for the time being. Glidd, lets also not forget that it was Prescott Bush (george dubyas granpappy) who was selling oil to the RAF and the Wehrmacht throughout WW2...its nice to know that we have that special relationship isnt it. both of countries men died together on the beaches, as did our polish and canadian allies in the air...meanwhile the money men and decision makers reaped huge profits..to my knowleedge, not one member of the bush family was ever involved in any military conflict inspite of the fact that theyre constantly aligning themselves with the armed forces... when you take a step back from the movie of life, you start to realise what a crock we get constantly fed, and to merely question any of it, is to be a subversive or a conspiracy theorist...let the masses police the masses and all that. Although i love my country (england), it and the UK gets on my tits, and one day i would like to try a new life somewhere else. nowhere is perfect, but id like to give it a go..i just dont see me living the rest of my days in the UK. Our greatest humanist acheivement is probably the NHS...an idea that the loony americans is akin to militant communism because they cant see the wood for the trees and have such a fkd up sense of reality and a total lack of compassion for one another.
I guess you are talking about Guantanamo prisoners? Are they not terrorists and terror suspects rather then random people? Where there not other countries involved, where there not citizens of EU countries there as well as Americans and others? There were plenty of secret prisons all over EU and middle east and many countries where helping them out so not Americans alone but international cooperation.
they certainly try and teach weaker countries a lesson thats for sure...but they pick their fights carefull and those fights are usually along the oil pipeline that runs across the middle east and is protected by almost 300 US military bases. as for your comment stating that the US dont simply arrest its citizens is totally and utterly wrong...this is very well documented..something in the order of 10,000 'missing' so far, under the implementation of the patriot act..many were tortured at guantanamo under so called anti terrorism laws, some were murdered. have a snoop online..im also sure that there was a panorama edition about it. they murdered their own President, let 50,000 911 rescuers go knowingly to their deaths, allowed pearl harbour to happen, instigated countless unjust wars resulting in the loss of millions of lives... so what makes you think that they wouldnt murder or torture Mr. Anon?? theres so much i could say in response but again we're skewing way off topic.
