OT: The quick answer is yes, and every General knows it. Ask some of the Soviets who got kicked out of Afghanastan by the locals... the current Afgan chapter is not finished...
To be fair, I have only (mostly) questions, but a few points: There is a huge difference in sending an army to a foriegn country to kill those who are willing to be killed (the enemy), and sending in the national guard to suppress a domestic situation (your cousins). Your argument has been made before and has a lot of validity. What should be kept in mind is that Really Bad Stuff TM does not happen when everyone has a job, and the country is running well. It happens at really bad times, after natural disaster and man-made disasters that push people to thier limits.
I am not saying that we can turn back the clock and move back to the farm, I am pretty sure we can't. But we can ask really serious questions about what we really need, and can I do something for myself and not be dependent on some government, business, commune to provide it for me. At some point, you may no longer have a choice is being dependent, you are force into a dependent
relationship. Your freedom to chose is lost, and the further into this relationship you go, the more freedoms you will/have lost.
Thanks for reading my (longish) post..
If you still don't have any understanding of what is meant by the "right to bear arms" is about, you still need to re-read your history and understand what it really means to be self-sufficient. The basis of American freedom is self-sufficient autonomous peoples, equal but distinct peoples without an all-powerful government over them. Remember, the King of England was the authority of the land, and any breath of dissent was ultimately punishable by death. The US constitutions is an attempt to limit power and therefore check anyone who wants to be king, even for a four year term.
That being said, a few years ago I would have agreed with you. I would have said, we don't need the right to bear arms, we are all law-abiding people. The fact is, that the rule of law is too easily crossed, and the government that professed to to be your protector becomes your jailor. For some recent examples, talk to the Spanish people about Franco, or the Italians about Musilini or Ukrainians about Lennon.
But at the seasoned age of 34, I start to ask myself: why am I so dependent on banks, fickle employers and the power grid. Why do I give so much of my money to provide services that I could do myself, or use less of.
The short answer is I am not self-sufficient. I have allowed myself to be influenced by the material needs that make me dependent on the outside world. And as long as I am dependent on the outside world for policing, financing material needs, energy to run my car, computer, stove, microwave, and lights... I am entered into an agreement that I might not like the terms of. In fact I might be persuaded to give up more of my contract right (i.e. freedom of movement) to provide more security.
But we have been on this slipery slope since the First World War. The only people that might have escaped some of this madness are the Amish, Mennonites and other people that have remained separate from the world and its dependencies. After the bloodbath that was the 20th Century and the influence of communism, we have been all too eager for Government to be our overlord and protect us from car accidents, too hot coffee and other threats real and imagined.
So, at the end of the day. Be glad that you have the Right to Bear Arms and that the government has not taken away all of your avenues of resistance if the time ever comes that you need to fight your way out of situations in your own city or state or country. Lennon thought that the communist revolution would have to happen again and again. Over throwing waves of classes that worked to oppress people. I think he might have had it half-right that no Government or constitution could stand forever, and that it would be inevitable that Governments would need to be brought down by revolutionary forces, and sometimes that fight gets bloody.
Don't let Governments tell you what is best for your, and don't allow them to take away any of your rights, because Government always want more.
Unless they can come up with some HUGE reason to not go Intel/Linux the server market is lost to them.
Huh?! What are you talking about! Sun is the largest producer of big unix boxes on the planet. Unless you are mom and pop shop, Sun has to be one of your finalists for new servers. Ever here of a little thing called TCO?! Solaris is way cheaper to administrate over a thousand servers than Linux/Winwhatever will ever be. Don't even get me started on managing multiple linux kernels!!
..if you can get new episodes from your TiVo owning friend, why buy a TiVo???
If I could borrow a cooking pot from my mother, why would I buy my own?
If I could borrow a CD why would I buy my own (although lots of people do...)
If I could borrow a vhs tape of my friends taping of Altons Browns latest diatribe on protiens and salt, why would I watch the show? But I would watch the show and I would buy the DVD if it was good programming!!
Slashdot Mirror
OT: The quick answer is yes, and every General knows it. Ask some of the Soviets who got kicked out of Afghanastan by the locals... the current Afgan chapter is not finished...
To be fair, I have only (mostly) questions, but a few points: There is a huge difference in sending an army to a foriegn country to kill those who are willing to be killed (the enemy), and sending in the national guard to suppress a domestic situation (your cousins). Your argument has been made before and has a lot of validity. What should be kept in mind is that Really Bad Stuff TM does not happen when everyone has a job, and the country is running well. It happens at really bad times, after natural disaster and man-made disasters that push people to thier limits.
I am not saying that we can turn back the clock and move back to the farm, I am pretty sure we can't. But we can ask really serious questions about what we really need, and can I do something for myself and not be dependent on some government, business, commune to provide it for me. At some point, you may no longer have a choice is being dependent, you are force into a dependent relationship. Your freedom to chose is lost, and the further into this relationship you go, the more freedoms you will/have lost. Thanks for reading my (longish) post..
If you still don't have any understanding of what is meant by the "right to
bear arms" is about, you still need to re-read your history and understand
what it really means to be self-sufficient. The basis of American freedom is
self-sufficient autonomous peoples, equal but distinct peoples without an
all-powerful government over them. Remember, the King of England was the
authority of the land, and any breath of dissent was ultimately punishable by
death. The US constitutions is an attempt to limit power and therefore check
anyone who wants to be king, even for a four year term.
That being said, a few years ago I would have agreed with you. I would have
said, we don't need the right to bear arms, we are all law-abiding people. The
fact is, that the rule of law is too easily crossed, and the government that
professed to to be your protector becomes your jailor. For some
recent examples, talk to the Spanish people about Franco, or the Italians
about Musilini or Ukrainians about Lennon.
But at the seasoned age of 34, I start to ask myself: why am I so dependent on
banks, fickle employers and the power grid. Why do I give so much of my money
to provide services that I could do myself, or use less of.
The short answer is I am not self-sufficient. I have allowed myself to be
influenced by the material needs that make me dependent on the outside world.
And as long as I am dependent on the outside world for policing, financing
material needs, energy to run my car, computer, stove, microwave, and
lights... I am entered into an agreement that I might not like the terms of.
In fact I might be persuaded to give up more of my contract right (i.e.
freedom of movement) to provide more security.
But we have been on this slipery slope since the First World War. The only
people that might have escaped some of this madness are the Amish, Mennonites
and other people that have remained separate from the world and its
dependencies. After the bloodbath that was the 20th Century and the influence
of communism, we have been all too eager for Government to be our overlord and
protect us from car accidents, too hot coffee and other threats real and
imagined.
So, at the end of the day. Be glad that you have the Right to Bear Arms and
that the government has not taken away all of your avenues of resistance if
the time ever comes that you need to fight your way out of situations in your
own city or state or country. Lennon thought that the communist revolution
would have to happen again and again. Over throwing waves of classes that
worked to oppress people. I think he might have had it half-right that no
Government or constitution could stand forever, and that it would be
inevitable that Governments would need to be brought down by revolutionary
forces, and sometimes that fight gets bloody.
Don't let Governments tell you what is best for your, and don't allow them to
take away any of your rights, because Government always want more.
OpenBSD lite. For the only interested in a partial code review...
Unless they can come up with some HUGE reason to not go Intel/Linux the server market is lost to them.
Huh?! What are you talking about! Sun is the largest producer of big unix boxes on the planet. Unless you are mom and pop shop, Sun has to be one of your finalists for new servers. Ever here of a little thing called TCO?! Solaris is way cheaper to administrate over a thousand servers than Linux/Winwhatever will ever be. Don't even get me started on managing multiple linux kernels!!
..if you can get new episodes from your TiVo owning friend, why buy a TiVo???
If I could borrow a cooking pot from my mother, why would I buy my own?
If I could borrow a CD why would I buy my own (although lots of people do...)
If I could borrow a vhs tape of my friends taping of Altons Browns latest diatribe on protiens and salt, why would I watch the show? But I would watch the show and I would buy the DVD if it was good programming!!
Sounds perfect for that ufo control panel. Black control panel with the black buttons...