1

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Yet Another Gun Law Thread

« on: October 10, 2024, 09:45:35 AM »

I think I'm interpreting "disarm" and "ban guns" a bit more broadly than you, but regardless, I'll rephrase - I strongly disagree with the notion that an armed population are somehow a check on the federal government or a deterrent to any undesirable activity on their part, and that if the government were planning to pass shitty, unpopular, or blatantly unconstitutional laws, they would first need to disarm the population. That's just something that gun enthusiasts like to tell themselves (and everyone else) so they can imagine that they're actually performing an important civic duty by pursuing their hobby.

As Jim Jeffreys notes in his bit about guns in one of his stand up tours, there's only one argument for having guns, and that's "I like guns".
People don't need it for "protection", they're not going to rise up against the government, they just like guns.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Yet Another Gun Law Thread

« on: October 09, 2024, 01:05:00 PM »

This is correct. I have no intention of violent acts upon any individual or government entity. Violence is wrong and bad.

What do you want a gun for then? It's raison d'etre is violence.

3

Flat Earth Investigations / Re: Circumnavigation World Record Sailing Discrepancies

« on: October 04, 2024, 01:48:41 PM »

I couldn't find the diameter of the FE in the Wiki but I'd be interested to know what the distance travelled would have to be on a FE to go round the ice wall. What speed would she have had to be doing to get round in 91 days and would that have been possible with her boat?
I thought Tom was a bi-polar kinda guy these days anyway.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: US Presidential Election 2024

« on: September 28, 2024, 10:28:50 AM »

Do you really think that Trump sincerely believes that Haitian migrants are running amok and eating pets in Springfield? I certainly don't. This is a strategic move on his part. He's seen success with makiig racist or racially-charged attacks in the past, and he's trying to replicate that.

I dunno. I don’t think he’s that smart.
If he is just playing dumb then he deserves an Oscar. It’s a triumph of method acting.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: US Presidential Election 2024

« on: September 27, 2024, 08:40:27 AM »

Yes, it’s doubtful that the case will go anywhere, but it’s yet another example of the number of fucks that Trump gives about the truth and the potential consequences of his words and actions.

Right.
This is my big issue with Trump. I disagree with his general worldview. But that's OK, that can be the basis for some discussion.
But the big issue is the way he comes to decisions and conclusions about things.
He sees something on TV about Haitians eating cats in Springfield - from one of the networks he watches which constantly reinforce his worldview.
He regurgitates it in the debate, is immediately told that there are no credible reports of that actually happening and just mutters "well, I saw it on TV..."

I think literally the next day he's announcing mass deportations, clearly having made zero effort to actually check anything

Now, clearly the mass immigration in to Springfield has caused issues. It's reasonable to believe that something should be done. But the something should be based on actual facts and an understanding of the situation, not right leaning media outlets feeding you lies which you don't bother to check and then start basing policy on even after being told that they were lies.

For someone who goes on about "fake news" all the time, he sure does like to lap up all the lies which feed in to his worldview. Which is depressingly common these days of course, but I don't think anyone who does that should be in any position of power. Make policy based on data and facts, not "stuff you saw on TV". Sigh.

6

Flat Earth Theory / Re: The Firmament /Dome

« on: September 18, 2024, 02:19:40 PM »

The real flying altitude of commercial airplanes is some 6-7 km:

No it isn't.
But even if it was, that would still mean you're half the distance to the sun when you're flying.
Shouldn't it appear twice as big?

7

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Yet Another Gun Law Thread

« on: September 18, 2024, 09:15:35 AM »

Oh really, so if I disarmed your police and military entirely, would you feel more or less safe?

I said "people", I'm talking about the general population.
Again, the concept of a "disarmed military" is a nonsensical oxymoron.
I think I'd feel less safe if police routinely carried guns. But overall I agree it's the right thing that they have specialist units who can.

Only in the mind of a person such as yourself does it make sense to disarm the citizens of a country but allow its government to own and distribute weapons only to people it chooses to.

And only in the mind of a person such as yourself does it make sense to let "the people" have guns so they can rise up against the government and then spend most of their time shooting each other rather than doing that.

The purpose of removing guns from a population is not for the benefit of the population; it's for the benefit of the government ruling over them.

What  benefit to the government get from doing that? What, it would mean you can't all rise up against them? You can't anyway. I mean, you could try but they've got much bigger and better toys than you. And you don't have an authoritarian government anyway so why would you want to? In case you ever have one? That seems vanishingly unlikely and even if it did ever happen see above about the better toys they have. I know whose side my money would be on.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Yet Another Gun Law Thread

« on: September 18, 2024, 08:20:04 AM »

The only reason you keep bringing this up

I didn't. Rushy did - look at the post I was actually responding to.

Also, the primary intent of the Second Amendment in the US is not for the purpose of personal safety, so your safety argument is irrelevant.

The Second Amendment was written before the government had drones, missiles and nuclear weapons.
The safety argument is not mine, it's one often trotted out by gun fans.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Yet Another Gun Law Thread

« on: September 17, 2024, 03:07:32 PM »

You already live in a society where people feel the need to carry guns to feel safe.

Incorrect. People don't carry guns here. The police here don't routinely carry guns either. There are some specialist units who do but, in general people do not carry guns not feel the need to. I'll leave you to think about how nonsensical the concept of a disarmed military is.

The problem isn't the gun.

Up to a point, but removing the guns is an easier fix than trying to fix a large population, a percentage of which will obviously be mental because statistics.

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Flat Earth Theory / Re: The Firmament /Dome

« on: September 17, 2024, 01:13:57 PM »

The Sun measures 636 meters in diameter, the orbital altitude is some 10-12 km.

That's roughly in the range of cruising altitude of commercial planes. Why don't they hit it? Or at least be noticeably closer to it.

11

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Yet Another Gun Law Thread

« on: September 17, 2024, 10:16:06 AM »

It's just like AATW calling out his own country. He doesn't trust his fellow countrymen with guns because he doesn't trust himself with guns and projects it onto others.

I don't particularly want to live in a society where people feel the need to have or carry guns around to feel safe.

The fact of the matter is that Dems cheat elections, rig them so that you can't track their cheating, then, when that doesn't work, they try to shoot you dead.

So...they probably shouldn't have guns then.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: US Presidential Election 2024

« on: September 16, 2024, 01:29:37 PM »

It's not a very good attempt if you don't even get a shot off.
I'm amazed this sort of thing doesn't happen all the time in the US, given that you're all armed to the teeth because reasons.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: US Presidential Election 2024

« on: September 16, 2024, 08:00:35 AM »

He wasn't admitting that the whole thing was a lie.

Why wasn't he? He's been told it's a lie. The police in the town have quite loudly stated there are no credible reports of this happening.
Trump was told that in realtime during the debate, he just muttered "Well, I saw it on TV".
Oh well, that's ok then. No further questions.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Is the UK okay?

« on: September 14, 2024, 07:48:22 AM »

Nice opinion.

Of course it's an opinion. You literally just finished pointing out that the US Presidential Debate doesn't have an objective winner.
Now you're confused that this is a matter of opinion?

But as I said earlier, freedom is in the eye of the beholder. You're free if you think you are and we overwhelmingly believe we are.
Attempts to objectively measure this agree. So yes, we're OK thanks.

All you're doing is standing outside someone's house shouting through the window about how shit it is. Well ok, don't come and live here then. We do live here and we mostly think it's fine thanks. Not perfect, which house is - yours definitely isn't. But, as these things go, it's fine. Thanks for your concern though, obvs.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: US Presidential Election 2024

« on: September 13, 2024, 07:58:28 AM »

It is quite funny seeing Trump wandering around claiming he won a debate which he clearly lost, claiming the polls show he won when they clearly don't. I'm sure there are polls of MAGA cult members which do say that, but they're too far gone to be taken seriously.
He behaves like a child who just lost a race and goes around saying "I won! I won! I definitely won!". It's a bit sad really, especially considering there's still a decent chance he could be president again.
In his head he probably does believe he won, he lies to himself as much as he does to others. And it's somewhat depressing that it won't have moved the dial one bit for millions of people who will vote for him no matter what.
But maybe for people who are still undecided his rambling display compared with Harris' far more assured one - and her ability to get under that wafer thin skin of his - will have given them some pause for thought.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: US Presidential Election 2024

« on: September 13, 2024, 07:26:08 AM »

it actually doesn't look like that. at all.

To be fair, Tom has quoted a highly reliable source for his claim. The source being the bloke who clearly lost the debate 

17

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Is the UK okay?

« on: September 12, 2024, 05:09:35 PM »

In the books 1985

Is that the sequel to 1984? Is it any good?

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Is the UK okay?

« on: September 12, 2024, 04:28:49 PM »

Ah yes, that's why it constantly appears in your major news outlets

It doesn't.

You can't say rude things about people online without getting arrested for it in the UK

Yes you can.

Woah, the word "dystopian" and "authoritarian"

The words I used were hyperbole, so were yours.
But to answer the OP once again - yes, the UK is OK, thanks for asking.

19

Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Is the UK okay?

« on: September 12, 2024, 11:43:48 AM »

I don't see how "not okay" translated to "dystopian authoritarian nightmare".

Yes, where did I get that idea?!

your government is a chaotic cacophony of nonsense that involves sending people to jail for tweets.

Once again, unsurprisingly, a foreigner cannot comprehend the idea of a right enshrined by the government, because they don't have any rights! Your government doesn't trust you to tweet your own thoughts or to own a weapon. You don't even trust each other to own them, either! A true nightmare of a civilization.

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Philosophy, Religion & Society / Re: Is the UK okay?

« on: September 12, 2024, 08:17:35 AM »

It isn't even that hard to find these. Surely if this was so rare, the UK wouldn't constantly have news articles about it?

If it was that common it wouldn't be newsworthy, it would just be how things are.
As I said earlier in the thread, in some ways neither the US or the UK is OK. Both nations have their issues.
But in other ways, including the freedoms we enjoy, both countries are basically OK.
Organisations who attempt to objectively measure these things regard both nations as free, and people in the UK overwhelmingly feel they're free.
So yes, we're OK thanks.