Quote Originally Posted by spaldy View Post
BTW, the one thing the US has that you don't is the ability to type the above. You post this and someone that's offended or in charge of monitoring "hate speech" comes down on you like a ton of bricks. Doesn't matter if what you say is right or wrong. Now you have a overlord that determines what's "correct thinking".

That's also why the US has the second amendment. You have zero ways of fighting back even if so inclined to do so. It's a little harder when your serfs are armed. Our founders did not arm us to protect our homes or put food on the table. They armed us to fight the "tyranny of government". It's a concept that many Europeans and Australians don't understand. it's also why the Aussies were able to forcibly lock people away in "camps" and even make them pay for it during covid. As disgraceful of a chapter in their history as the US internment camps of Japanese Americans in WWII.

This is dark thread and I'll bow out but your self assured nature on how right your side is and how wrong the other side in reflects a lack of understanding of the bigger picture of control of the masses.
Err, you suggest if I was to post something that was contrary to officaldom I'd get the boys coming round? Not sure which UK think I live in, but I suspect it's a good deal more "free" than your "land of the free, home of the brave". The USA is (in)famous for its litigious habit, everyone has a lawsuit out against someone else, the lawyers must be laughing all the way to the bank. The UK isn't perfect by any means, but the right to speak freely is (usually!) well observed, and (within certain understandable limits) we can say or do what we like (the recent pro-Palestinian protests are an example, even though some took it a bit too far and were arrested for causing criminal damage, all very well captured on various live news outlets).

As for your much vaunted Second Amendment, we have a policing policy the works by consent, as opposed to armed force, have had for just about the whole of the last 200 years (round about when the USA came into being), so we don't need to buy assault rifles, pump-action shotguns, sub-machine guns, "bump" stocks that seek to get round the ban on machine guns etc etc etc, and to wander round carrying lethal weapons in order to "defend themselves" from what I ask, or fighting back against?????? Worth remembering that In 2022, 48,2041 people died by firearms in the United States — an average of one death every 11 minutes. Over 27,032 people died by firearm suicide, 19,651 died by firearm homicide, 463 died by unintentional gun injury, an estimated 643 were fatally shot by law enforcement.

In the UK, there were 29 homicides by shooting in the year ending March 2023. I know where I feel safest.

I don't say I'm right about any of the nominees, simply pointing out, or questioning the suitability, of those who are happy to engage in ***ual intercourse with an under age person as long he can pay her off, or people with no experience whatsoever in the area they are expected to head up, or mysoginists, convicted felons etc etc etc are the kind of people that the citizens of the United States of America think are suitable in any way shape or form. There is right or wrong in all of this, that's for sure.