Did you ever hear Bill Hicks on guns? He was brilliant. In one monologue he would compare handguns to football hooligans in England. American 20000 deaths due to handguns, in England where guns aren't legal, 14. But you'd be a fool and a communist to suggest that there is a connection. I did a bit of maths on what the US spends on gun based violence just in prison terms (I was watching some dodgy netflix series on murder and it got me thinking). $2.1tn per year was my calculation based on cost per prisoner etc (I didn't look at the budget though, so don't quote me!). A simple comparison with countries where guns aren't legal and the tiny amount that is spent in comparison says to me that apart from the abhorent violence that is caused by the easy access to them, look at the savings, and I haven't even started on the police, probation service, social security etc. I'd love to get the sums right and then talk to some staunch gun types (who are always obsessed with low taxes) and give them the tax percentage that is raised by gun ownership.
I already know what their answer would be. ‘You can’t put a price on freedom’. They see guns as an essential foundation of a democratic society. Why would the government listen to its citizens if there was no way for the citizens to defend themselves? Sort of like the nuclear deterrent on a global stage. American guns are that same idea on a societal level
I lived in the US for 8 years, in many states you may be surprised how many don't see it as that. I lived just outside Seattle and there was talk of state based gun control when I lived there and the vast majority were in favour of licensing (like we do), it was around 90%. While it was surveys done around the city and not out in the wilds of Washington, it's still somewhere that hunting is very popular and some can be precious about their guns. Sadly the NRA lobby is way too powerful and influential. And the USA is too broken due to the innate corruption, funding models, lobbies etc.
I am not very computer wise, but I have just discovered Grok intruding on X. How many other AI intrusions are there?
It’s ok, it was slightly less than 41,000 people who died to guns in the US last year so they could protect their freedom from tyranny.
You just proved how stupid you really are, how could he post if he was somewhere else? Thought you would be out celebrating your pals latest triumphs, cutting off arms supplies to Ukraine and alienating Canada and China. Brilliant moves.To be a fan of Trump, in his words "you have to be a little bit batty"
It’s insane. I told you people. I knew before you did. These guns are coming to other people’s countries, bringing their messed up religion with them. It’s actually so crazy. You thought the dems were telling the truth. But you know all these guns… and it isn’t because these guns are black… it isn’t that… but yeah you didn’t believe me when I said we needed to do something against gunmigration! All you lefty liberals! The Orange One?
Childish meme away but Trump is the only thing standing between us and huge escalation at this point. 1) NATO=US/EU alliance w/ security guarantees 2) Russia invaded to prevent Ukraine's admission into NATO 3) Zelensky is now saying he will only accept a ceasefire if the US/EU offers security guarantees 4) So Zelensky will only end the war if he becomes a de facto NATO member, which Russia won't accept, obviously (see #1 and #2) Democrat politicians and EU politicians are all advising Zelensky to stand firm in this path to prolong the war. (Military industrial complex want to make money.) No concerns for human cost or seeking peace. Just care how much money can they make. Trump is genuinely the only Western leader standing between all these lunatics and WW3. He deserves major support for taking this fight on and trying to strike a peace deal. Meanwhile Starmer wants to escalate and throw as much money as possible at the situation because as usual he wants to virtue signal. Absolute clown of a man
Alternatively, Putin could just withdraw all his forces from Ukrainian territory and you could could stop being his pimp by proxy.
