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California's Efforts To Restrict Elon Musk's Flamethrowers Go Down In Flames (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: A California state bill that would have more heavily regulated the use of flamethrowers has now effectively fizzled out in a legislative committee. In light of this development, there's nothing to stop Boring Company customers in California from receiving the company's sold-out flamethrowers. On May 26, the day after the bill died in committee, CEO Elon Musk tweeted: "About to ship. @BoringCompany holding flamethrower pickup parties in a week or so, then deliveries begin. Check https://www.boringcompany.com/... for details." After Musk said he would be selling a flamethrower dubbed "Not a Flamethrower" to get around customs, Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) authored a bill that would have imposed more restrictions on their acquisition and use.
"I honestly thought it was a joke when I saw the news about this," the assemblyman said in a statement at the time. "This product, in the wake of California's deadliest wildfire year in state history, is incredibly insensitive, dangerous, and most definitely not funny." He added: "There are many times in which technology and inventions benefit society but are not made available to the public. We don't allow people to walk in off the street and purchase military grade tanks or armor-piercing ammunition... I cannot even begin to imagine the problems a flamethrower would cause firefighters and police officers alike."
"I honestly thought it was a joke when I saw the news about this," the assemblyman said in a statement at the time. "This product, in the wake of California's deadliest wildfire year in state history, is incredibly insensitive, dangerous, and most definitely not funny." He added: "There are many times in which technology and inventions benefit society but are not made available to the public. We don't allow people to walk in off the street and purchase military grade tanks or armor-piercing ammunition... I cannot even begin to imagine the problems a flamethrower would cause firefighters and police officers alike."
As far as wacky jokes go, this one is a little over the top.
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
After Musk said he would be selling a flamethrower dubbed "Not a Flamethrower" to get around customs
And also for the simple fact that it's not a flamethrower. It's a blowtorch in the shape of a squirt gun.
I've used blow torches to kill weeds, they only go a few inches out. It's why they're called "torches". If the range is minuscule it's fine, but if the thing can shoot flames several feet I'd have problems with it. And not because it's a weapon (a gun would be a better choice if you're trying to kill folks) but because CA's had a drought for ages and the last thing they need is numbnuts running around setting stuff on fire for fun (which appears to be the core market for this thing).
TL;DR, It's fun & games until folks lose their homes in wildfires.
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Er, when was the last time a forest fire was started by a flamethrower? Its not like any idiot could do this with some matches and newspaper, correct? Doesn't Assemblyman Miguel Santiago have better things to do with his time, such as beg for bribes and discover and expose subconscious racism?
"How incredibly insensitive it is to continue to sell guns when so many Americans are getting killed with them." Some politician was quoted as saying after the last gun death...
It's sort of odd for Santiago to use those examples because you can buy a tank in the US no problem. It's only the main gun and machine guns that are regulated, with the main gun requiring a $200 destructive device tax as well as the same $200 DD tax on each shell. But if you don't want the guns on it you can buy a tank just fine with no background checks.
The same goes for armor piercing ammunition. The ban in the US on it only applies to handgun calibers. You can still buy black tipped 30-06 from WWII.
I honestly thought it was a joke when I saw the news about this," the assemblyman said in a statement at the time. "This product, in the wake of California's deadliest wildfire year in state history, is incredibly insensitive, dangerous, and most definitely not funny.
Maybe if the commies in Commifornia gave up communism they wouldn't have to deal with Hellfire and mockery.
Elon Musk needs to be held accountable for any and all damage and loss of life these cause, for all of time.
We don't allow people to walk in off the street and purchase military grade tanks or armor-piercing ammunition.
We prefer to keep those ourselves, you know, to use against innocent people around the world when the occasion requires us to drone their asses.
Fuck off slavers.
If Elon was putting spy satellites in orbit for the government it wouldn't make the "news" though. Hmmm....
Wake me up when the spygate revelations come to light. And there's still no proof Bin Laden had anything to do with 9-11, beotches. AE911Truth org
I cannot even begin to imagine the problems a flamethrower would cause firefighters and police officers alike."
Just look around. Nothing has changed. Flamethrowers have been legal in CA since before it became a state. And yet to the best of my knowledge there isn't a single instance, ever, of one being used maliciously. (please correct me if I'm wrong)
This attempt at legislation looks more like a some kind of "OMG! Flamethrowers are scary! We have to outlaw them!" type of knee jerk BS I've come to expect from California lawmakers.
Considering a teenager was recently ordered to pay $37 million in restitution for starting a fire with fireworks Elon is setting himself up to be sued for billions when these things end up being misused. Enjoy your litigation, rocket-bro.
Take the case of Nury Martinez, who put forward a bill to send personalized "prostitute letters" to the owners of cars driving through high crime areas using license plate scanners.
Later her personal assistant tried to change history by having documents redacted and modifying Wikipedia dozens of times in direct contravention of Wikipedia's guidelines. He even used his own personal account with name attached.
You can call these people whatever party you want. But a lot of the community is very sick of being legislated to death. You break laws in California by getting out of the bed on the wrong side.
Musk doesn't have a conscience. It's that simple. No sign that he understands the consequences of his actions whatsoever.
Come on, hes basically selling a pocket lighter, not heroin to children, like the drug company Bayer used to do
I've not looked up the specs, but as one who is slightly familiar with real flamethrowers, (and I doubt this is one), then you have to be really careful...if not, you're just as likely to cover yourself with flaming liquid as you are to "have fun"...or whatever the hell you're trying to do with it.
Musk doesn't have a conscience. It's that simple. No sign that he understands the consequences of his actions whatsoever.
This statement is obtuse and you are an obtuse person.
"The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
That's nothing compared to the problems a flamethrower would cause to marshmallows.
#DeleteFacebook
Because it is immoral and should be against the law for richer people to pay poorer people above market for their homes and turn crime ridden cess pools into nice areas to live.
"Put forward a bill" is like saying, "someone thought it was a good idea." Did it have significant support? Did it pass? Or are you just trying to make mountains out of mole hills?
Consequences are for poor people. If people lose their homes due to other people playing with his toys, well, it is their own fault for living so close to other people!
Its the ONLY way to make the childrens safe!
Come on, hes basically selling a pocket lighter, not heroin to children, like the drug company Bayer used to do
Come on, Bayer didn't just sell heroin to kids, they made chemical weapons for use against US soldiers. Which of course is why they lost the US trademarks for Heroin and Aspirin.
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
Unpossible anyone couldnt be free in state with AR15s. Bigly free cunt! Get with the program and get a pardon for those silly crimes...
Boy are you in for a shock when Cali goes after the gun makers.
The best of YOUR knowledge isnt very impressive skippy.
That isn't a fucking flamethrower, it's an expensive weed burner with a cool shape. You can buy them anywhere. It's compressed gas powered as well, so it's very safe.
These people don't know their ass from a gloryhole in a truck stop bathroom.
Hahaha... Go focus on doing something other than telling everyone else how to think and do life
Good point, but 'military grade' is widely understood (but vague term) that is used to describe weapons that aren't really useful unless you just want to cause carnage and destruction.
Grenade launchers, fully automatic weapons, crewed weapons, LAW rockets, cannons, Armor-piercing, incendiary, and explosive ammunition, mines and similar devices are probably fair to describe as military grade weaponry. Assault rifles are a bit more fuzzy, but mostly because lax laws have allowed them to proliferate as 'hunting rifles'.
Tommy guns were available via mail order catalogues in the 1920s to the public, but then later went on to be used by the army in ww2. Did the army call them Civilian Grade weapons? Any label you slap on something is going to be somewhat vague and fuzzy, because of the nature of people and language, but I think most people understand basically what military grade weapons means.
HA! I just wasted some of your bandwidth with a frivolous sig!
designed for killing men over long periods of time with minimal maintenance. The latter part is usually what's emphasize in marketing. The former part is what worries people.
Based on what I've read this 'flamethrower' isn't military grade in either sense. Although as other's have pointed out on this thread the problem is that it encourages playing with fire in a state hit hard with drought.
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As long as the weaponry removed, it's not really any different than a bulldozer. Heck, you can probably still buy one with weapons if you pass an FBI background check. Which isn't that hard, since I know of people who own functioning artillery pieces.
I should also point out that armor piercing ammo existed long before Kevlar or other modern body armor appeared on the scene. It was actually aimed at penetrating vehicular armor, not body armor.
Iâ(TM)m sure it will be as well planned out as browns bullet turd.
Its not a real flame thrower. Its a torch, the kind you can get on amazon for $10. You hook it up to propane. They are extremely common. Look I hate the Elon Companies more then any of you because I worked for one. But this debate is so dumb I can only assume the lot of you are Trump voters. Here you go https://www.amazon.com/Greenwood-Durable-Nozzle-Propane-Trigger/dp/B00O3AGOYO/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1528097453&sr=8-6&keywords=propane+torch Thats all it is, it jsut has a nice skin job. Now shut up already your lowering the IQ of the whole room.
If California wasn't such a cesspool of savage morons, maybe the state could let its people have nice things.
Besides, there's so much land not in the city they can take their money to and start a new life outside a lot of poverty.
Not a lot of jobs out of the city, nor practical transit to and from where there is jobs.
It is basically just a blowtorch. I think the problem people have with it is that it is being sold as a novelty toy. Blowtorches aren't toys and should never be depicted as such. I understand both sides of this argument. The problem isn't whether he should be allowed to sell blowtorches, clearly that is fine. And, anyone can easily make a homemade DIY one which also isn't illegal. It isn't illegal to use matches, lighter fluid, aerosol cans, etc. I would personally though have a problem with them painting Dragon Ball Z on the side and advertising a canister of lighter fluid as a toy for spraying in random directions. There's even footage of Elon jumping around in front of the camera using it like a futuristic space gun, at one point he freaked out the cameraman by pointing it at him. I think California fixated on the wrong problem. The reason they lost the case is that they were arguing that no one should be able to sell a blowtorch, and that's the wrong argument and also not the issue.
Tanks are legal to own. Just a bit expensive. And if the main gun is operative a tax stamp is needed for the destructive device. Armor piercing, even anti tank rounds are available as well...
.22 caliber round in a sabot are high enough velocity that they’ll defeat armor. Smart people that have criminal intent would just violate any restrictive laws, make their own. It’s not a technological barrier.
Politicians seldom actually research. And regards armor piercing rounds? Tungsten balls put into hollowpoint ammo suffice for light armor, and large game hunting rounds that aren’t armor piercing, will pierce armor. The military personnel care about efficiency. So they want lighter weight armor piercing rounds. They need to keep 40-60 pounds of MRE, grenades, clothing, etc. with them, but bad guys just need to carry ammo. A military weight burden of nitro express rifle rounds is quite a number of them. Heck 12 gauge magnum shells with 1 and 1/4 ounce slugs is effective against most body armor. But hunting rounds with a
Of course in California just order an armored upscale vehicle protected to your desired specs. Gun ports optional.
- Tjp
I am in wallow with my inner money grubbing capitalistic pig. ... Oink!
When governments targeted gun makers, the gun makers just decided to limit their liability and not sell to police or other government entities in those jurisdictions. Barret won’t sell to NY or CA. Some go farther Magpul moved out of Colorado. Weatherby left California for Wyoming. So not just refusing sales, moving jobs too.
- Tjp
I am in wallow with my inner money grubbing capitalistic pig. ... Oink!
I doubt you'll read this, but are you really that disconnected from reality?
A COUNCIL PERSON put forth the idea. That means that one of these people who are supposed to represent the people thought it was a good idea. That is a problem.
Even more of a problem is the rest of the post that you ignored. A public official repeatedly defacing Wikipedia and removing legitimate information because she's EMBARRASSED that she's so idiotic....she's perfectly willing to hide truthful statements if it means retaining votes.
But I'm sure we don't hold our elected officials to high standards. I think you've demonstrated that already. Even at the lowest general level we teach them it's ok to lie, dissemble, and hide their true beliefs.
Exactly backwards.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
People need a place to live, a place to work, and a way to get there and back. Should each of those be in or out of the city?