Once again the good Democrat is foiled by those bad Republicans. If it's that easy to push the President around, he shouldn't be President. H4rr4r is right, it's a rigged game. The sooner people realize that, the better.
From what I've seen, Americans don't fear their government enough. Most people I talk to trust their government to keep them safe from the bad people their government has told them they should be afraid of. There is some fear, but it's often couched in, "Yeah, but what are you going to do? There's terrorists out there!"
I fear my government because I don't fear the terrorists (because I think they largely do not exist). I try not to be too hard on my countrymen, because I know they have been propagandized so ferociously they don't know which end is up. I just wish they could see it too.
Sure, but if we didn't have scanners and it was fairly trivial to get through security, they number would skyrocket.
That's your fear talking. These scanners have only been in place a few years. It's not like there were frequent attacks before that. So what are they preventing? All of this hysteria is caused by our reaction to a singular event over a decade ago; an event these scanners would not have prevented.
Yes, this is a good example. Personally, I never put my toiletries in a clear plastic bag when I go through airport security. I use the original containers, regarless of size, and keep them in my toiletry bag in my carryon like a normal person should. I put the carryon bag through the x-ray scanner. 9 times out of 10 I get the bag back at the other end without issue. In fact, the only place I have been stopped is at LAX, and they just took one of the oversize bottles, leaving the rest.
It is a sham and a farce. The American people are kept afraid of a largely non-existent threat in order to line the pockets of insiders and tighten control of the population.
This is especially true because the "terrorists" largely do not exist. Oh sure, there may be a pissed off radical or two, but that has always been the case. This newest enemy is useful for profit and power however. Seen from that angle, these machines make pefect sense.
With higher standards for vehicle roadworthiness and driver performance (namely through automation), you may be able to raise those limits a bit, but even with perfect driver performance there's still a physical limit to a vehicle's ability to overcome inertia and change direction.
Personally, I would prefer we increase driver performance by actually training drivers beyond minimal competency. It is way too easy to get a drivers license in many places in the US. Drivers are not trained in accident avoidance, car control or skid control. Instead, it's pull out into traffic, change lanes, make a left turn against traffic, and Bam! you're a licensed driver! Increasing driver competence and confidence would go a long way towards traffic safety, and would be much more effective than these stupid cameras.
Have you ever driven in Germany? It is a pleasure! People actually know how to drive, as opposed to the US. They are more highly trained than their US counterparts. And they can actually enjoy their sports cars, unlike here in the Land of the Free.
Over 750,000 Americans are arrested every year for possession of a plant.
“Why is marijuana against the law? It grows naturally upon our planet. Doesn't the idea of making nature against the law seem to you a bit . . . unnatural ?” - Bill Hicks
So, since we can't eradicate organized crime in one fell swoop by legalizing pot, we should keep it illegal? That's some fine reasoning right there. Yes, a black market exists for cigarettes and liquor, but it is tiny. The vast majority just go to the store. Hell, you could even brew your own beer to get it really cheap! But again, most people just go to the store.
But hey, whatever. You seem to have made up your mind.
The thing is, when I was in college it was much easier to get pot than beer, precisely because beer was regulated. To get beer I needed a fake ID; to get weed, I just had to walk down the hall. The war on drugs is a dismal failure if you accept its stated goals.
Yes, and look at the consequences of prohibition and the war on drugs, large organized gangs making huge amounts of money, and a prolonged violent street war that has claimed thousands of lives.
Wow, most people are not so direct when talking about the CIA.;-P
Pot is outlawed because it was in competition with paper and tobacco back in the day. I mean, even if you don't change the stance on pot change the stance on hemp(I believe hemp is also illegal to grow, not to import). Hemp I have heard is a very strong organic fiber also makes for good paper(constitution is printed on hemp I believe).
Indeed. Help also competed with newly-invented synthetic fibers like Rayon and Nylon back in the 20's. Making it illegal also gave law enforcement an excuse to go after black musicians and Mexicans. Criminalizing pot worked for the establishment on a number of levels.
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Well, then it's simply wrong, very overreaching and kinda useless for main reason - avoid tragic accidents on streets.
That might not be the main reason.
Some good points, but the CRA did not cause the housing bubble. The bubble was global, and the CRA only affected US housing, so there was something else going on. See Matt Taibbi at http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/one-last-note-on-michael-bloomberg-20111105 or Barry Ritholtz at http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/06/most-subprime-lenders-werent-covered-by-cra/ Both authors have done excellent work on chronicling the housing boom and bust and what went wrong.
Once again the good Democrat is foiled by those bad Republicans. If it's that easy to push the President around, he shouldn't be President. H4rr4r is right, it's a rigged game. The sooner people realize that, the better.
From what I've seen, Americans don't fear their government enough. Most people I talk to trust their government to keep them safe from the bad people their government has told them they should be afraid of. There is some fear, but it's often couched in, "Yeah, but what are you going to do? There's terrorists out there!"
I fear my government because I don't fear the terrorists (because I think they largely do not exist). I try not to be too hard on my countrymen, because I know they have been propagandized so ferociously they don't know which end is up. I just wish they could see it too.
After all, the people cannot grant a power to the government that they do not themselves have.
In what perpendicular universe is this true? The government has lots of powers that I, myself, do not have.
You must have missed the part where they aren't required to tell you they have the warrant. We don't know if they did or not.
Which probably means they don't. If they had a warrant, they would have said, "We had a warrant".
From what I have seen, the whole Internet is confused about what Occam's Razor means.
Clearly, God's God made God. And His God's God made God's God. It's Gods all the way down!
Sure, but if we didn't have scanners and it was fairly trivial to get through security, they number would skyrocket.
That's your fear talking. These scanners have only been in place a few years. It's not like there were frequent attacks before that. So what are they preventing? All of this hysteria is caused by our reaction to a singular event over a decade ago; an event these scanners would not have prevented.
Yes, this is a good example. Personally, I never put my toiletries in a clear plastic bag when I go through airport security. I use the original containers, regarless of size, and keep them in my toiletry bag in my carryon like a normal person should. I put the carryon bag through the x-ray scanner. 9 times out of 10 I get the bag back at the other end without issue. In fact, the only place I have been stopped is at LAX, and they just took one of the oversize bottles, leaving the rest.
It is a sham and a farce. The American people are kept afraid of a largely non-existent threat in order to line the pockets of insiders and tighten control of the population.
How about if I just latch on to any argument that furthers my agenda?
This is especially true because the "terrorists" largely do not exist. Oh sure, there may be a pissed off radical or two, but that has always been the case. This newest enemy is useful for profit and power however. Seen from that angle, these machines make pefect sense.
I have never seen this happen. But if it did, I would just "lose" my toll ticket. It's a bit more on the toll, but much cheaper than a ticket.
I do it for the fun of it. A turbo car with tight suspension and sticky tires is a blast to drive!
With higher standards for vehicle roadworthiness and driver performance (namely through automation), you may be able to raise those limits a bit, but even with perfect driver performance there's still a physical limit to a vehicle's ability to overcome inertia and change direction.
Personally, I would prefer we increase driver performance by actually training drivers beyond minimal competency. It is way too easy to get a drivers license in many places in the US. Drivers are not trained in accident avoidance, car control or skid control. Instead, it's pull out into traffic, change lanes, make a left turn against traffic, and Bam! you're a licensed driver! Increasing driver competence and confidence would go a long way towards traffic safety, and would be much more effective than these stupid cameras.
Have you ever driven in Germany? It is a pleasure! People actually know how to drive, as opposed to the US. They are more highly trained than their US counterparts. And they can actually enjoy their sports cars, unlike here in the Land of the Free.
Over 750,000 Americans are arrested every year for possession of a plant.
“Why is marijuana against the law? It grows naturally upon our planet. Doesn't the idea of making nature against the law seem to you a bit . . . unnatural ?” - Bill Hicks
So, since we can't eradicate organized crime in one fell swoop by legalizing pot, we should keep it illegal? That's some fine reasoning right there. Yes, a black market exists for cigarettes and liquor, but it is tiny. The vast majority just go to the store. Hell, you could even brew your own beer to get it really cheap! But again, most people just go to the store.
But hey, whatever. You seem to have made up your mind.
Of course not! Murderers are the #1 cause of murder!
Sure they can. Just don't provide police funding for pot busts, funding for prosecuting cases, etc.
Yeah, go ask the City of Oakland how that's going. The DEA still exists you know. It is a federal law and it supersedes state and local laws.
Then why has marijuana never been linked to lung disease or cancer? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/25/AR2006052501729.html
The thing is, when I was in college it was much easier to get pot than beer, precisely because beer was regulated. To get beer I needed a fake ID; to get weed, I just had to walk down the hall. The war on drugs is a dismal failure if you accept its stated goals.
Yes, and look at the consequences of prohibition and the war on drugs, large organized gangs making huge amounts of money, and a prolonged violent street war that has claimed thousands of lives.
Wow, most people are not so direct when talking about the CIA. ;-P
The difference is that the burden of proof is on the pro-legalization side as substances of this nature are dangerous until proven otherwise.
Yeah? Prove it!
Pot is outlawed because it was in competition with paper and tobacco back in the day. I mean, even if you don't change the stance on pot change the stance on hemp(I believe hemp is also illegal to grow, not to import). Hemp I have heard is a very strong organic fiber also makes for good paper(constitution is printed on hemp I believe).
Indeed. Help also competed with newly-invented synthetic fibers like Rayon and Nylon back in the 20's. Making it illegal also gave law enforcement an excuse to go after black musicians and Mexicans. Criminalizing pot worked for the establishment on a number of levels.