Got a crazy forwarded political email from your family? Post them here.

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Dr Christmas: Apr 24, 2010; Berninating the one percent,
Berninating the Wall St.
Berninating all the people
In their high rise penthouses!
🔥😱🔥🔫👴🏻

Reagan was able to advocate being a petty, spiteful dick to poor people in a folksy, friendly way that no one has been able to do quite since.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 05:19

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# ? Jun 8, 2024 05:40

Phone: Jul 30, 2005; 親子丼をほしい。

Are you guys talking about noted actor, snitch, and war criminal Ronald Reagan?

# ? Dec 4, 2013 05:20

TapTheForwardAssist: Apr 9, 2007; Pretty Little Lyres

VitalSigns posted:

When I was in Airborne School at Ft Benning in the min 2000's, "John Wayne" and "Hollywood" are still pejoratives that refer to your first couple of practice jumps unburdened by gear--all of the easy fun cool-looking parts and none of the actual work or effectiveness. It was also used by Drill Sergeants to reprimand soldiers who tried to look cool while doing tactically stupid poo poo that will get you pointlessly killed in a real battle.

In Marine lieutenants' Basic School at Quantico in the 2000s, I recall that referring to someone as "John Wayne" was a teasing way of noting someone had one side of their helmet's chinstrap unclipped (which is both pointless and sloppy). Kind of in the same way that if someone put on their camo blouse and the collar was accidentally popped up in the back, you'd call them "Elvis".

Similarly, when I was in artillery school the term "John Wayne" was used during "call for fire" training. That is, when we'd have a bunch of young officers with folding stools sitting up on a hillside in the Wichita mountains and radioing in coordinates to a howitzer way back behind them, trying to direct artillery shells onto junked tanks on a mountain a few miles away across the valley from us. Not to get too technical, but normally you direct the first artillery shell based on your best reading of a map and compass, then after seeing where it lands you do geometry calculations to bring it horizontally in-line with the target, then the third round you use to try and "bracket" the target; that is, you want to have your second round be either slightly closer or further from you than the target is, then your second the opposite, so you know the target is somewhere in the middle of those two coordinates. Then after your third you announce "fire for effect" and they just dump a bunch of artillery rounds on that coordinate. The problem is, if you've used your third round and haven't really managed to figure out what coordinate the target is at, then your "fire for effect" is going to end up being a half-rear end guess and pray for good luck.

That situation, having hosed up your first three rounds and pulling a hail-Mary, the instructors referred to as "if it comes to that, you just gotta undo your chinstrap, put your hands on your hips, and issue a bold correction [i.e. make a huge wild-rear end-guess] and fire for effect."

A little less blatant, but still a mocking reference saying "well, you're a moron and hosed up your calls, so try and make it look good and just maybe you'll totally luck out and it won't be blatantly obvious that you're an assclown."

TapTheForwardAssist fucked around with this message at 05:26 on Dec 4, 2013

# ? Dec 4, 2013 05:21

Mike the TV: Jan 14, 2008; Ninety-nine ninety-nine ninety-nine; Pillbug

My parents-in-law are now telling me that experts are now saying we are in a period of global cooling. I have no response for them.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 05:32

JohnClark: Mar 24, 2005; Well that's less than ideal

This Ad Stunned So Many Liberals, The NFL Banned It From The SuperBowl!

The Conservative Post posted:

There was an ad that was created that you probably have not seen, and for a reason that will make you angry. Originally created for Super Bowl Sunday, danieldefense.com created a compelling ad.

The ad evidently bothered liberals a little too much. How much exactly? They were bothered so much by it that the NFL listened to them and decided to BAN it!

I absolutely loved the ad, and I�m sure you will too! The video below includes the ad, and a phenomenal response by NRA�s Coloin Noir.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvzAt9Yx7s8

This crap has been all over my facebook lately, and I doubt it'll surprise you to learn that it's complete crap. Aside from the ad itself being really badly made, the NFL's ad policy has long banned a bunch of stuff from being shown during telecasts of games, including firearms. Maybe we can get conservatives to boycott the NFL!

# ? Dec 4, 2013 05:47

Mo_Steel: Mar 7, 2008; Let's Clock Into The Sunset Together; Fun Shoe

Mike the TV posted:

My parents-in-law are now telling me that experts are now saying we are in a period of global cooling. I have no response for them.

I'm sure some are. See, anyone can say they are an "expert", it's a meaningless term. I'm an expert in your parents-in-law being wrong. Fortunately, we can look at some meaningful measures of people who actually know what the gently caress they're talking about. When surveyed, ~97% of actively publishing climatologists (also known as the most knowledgeable people on the face of the planet on the subject of human caused global climate change) answered that the mean global temperature have generally risen since pre-1800 and that human activity is a significant contributing factor in that change. That's ignoring the release of affirmative statements by virtually every single national or international scientific body with any meaningful research on the subject worldwide. Including the 34 national Academies of Science, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Meteorological Society, and many others. Notably, no scientific body of national or international standing on the entire planet rejects the findings on human caused global climate change.

Additionally, you might try this link for debunking other claims on the subject. Other useful links can be found here.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 05:53

VitalSigns: Sep 3, 2011

TapTheForwardAssist posted:

In Marine lieutenants' Basic School at Quantico in the 2000s, I recall that referring to someone as "John Wayne" was a teasing way of noting someone had one side of their helmet's chinstrap unclipped (which is both pointless and sloppy). Kind of in the same way that if someone put on their camo blouse and the collar was accidentally popped up in the back, you'd call them "Elvis".

Haha oh yeah, I forgot about the chin-strap one, we got called John Wayne for that too...chinstraps...so...itchy...just want to unsnap it...
Basic seems so long ago now!

In OIF, the Army had a few designs of desert uniforms that were cut with huge collars for some reason. We called them Elvis collars. But as I'm sure you know, Elvis went and did his service when he was drafted and insisted on being treated no differently than any other soldier even though the military wanted to assign him to perform at USO shows, so the Elvis jokes weren't pejorative the way the ones about draft-dodging* chickenhawk John Wayne were.

*I should mention that I abhor the draft and have absolutely nothing against draft dodgers, whether they defy the law openly and go to prison for their beliefs, or whether they use every deferment in the book or run to Canada or even fake a disability. Any of that is fine, and I have no right to judge the way someone chooses to avoid impressment into a war he thinks is wrong. But when he suddenly turns hawkish after he's too old to go himself and insult anti-war veterans who served and know what war is, or call kids cowards for protesting the war and the draft and facing down police or National Guard brutality for their beliefs when he was too chickenshit even to stand up and protest when he did. Well, no. gently caress that.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 06:18

J.A.B.C.: Jul 2, 2007; There's no need to rush to be an adult.

Phone posted:

Are you guys talking about noted actor, snitch, and war criminal Ronald Reagan?

NOFX did a pretty good job summing up Reagan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8FQTucDxi8

VitalSigns posted:

Haha oh yeah, I forgot about the chin-strap one, we got called John Wayne for that too...chinstraps...so...itchy...just want to unsnap it...
Basic seems so long ago now!

It wasn't really itchy for me, but I always had a problem getting the button to stay buttoned. When we moved to the new ACH, with the chin strap and the pad on the back of the head, it was inexcusable to have it off.

Also, how long ago was basic for you?

J.A.B.C. fucked around with this message at 08:48 on Dec 4, 2013

# ? Dec 4, 2013 08:45

Thomas13206: Jun 18, 2013

http://patriotaction.net/forum/topics/obama-s-military-purge-why-and-what-it-means-from-a-colonel

quote:

I received the email below from a very pragmatic, level headed attorney friend of mine who would best be described as a center-right Conservative. Certainly not an extremist or even a TEA Party member. The contents of this letter is dramatic enough...but given the sender's relatively moderate political position and his reputation in the international legal and finance community, it is even more telling...and, frankly, chilling:
Earlier this week I sent around an email noting how Obama has been purging the military of it generals, commanders, and leaders over the past few years. Seems anyone who disagrees with Obama and/or his policies is getting purged�a.k.a. fired. While it is true a small number have been removed due to sexual misconduct or other conduct obviously inappropriate under military guidelines, most were purged due to bizarre reasons that seem to have been concocted, e.g., one highly-decorated and competent general was purged for sending an email using profanity in it. Oddly enough, that same general was openly critical of Obama�s handling of Benghazi.

I was told all of this by a colleague of mine who is a Colonel in the Army, presently stationed in the Middle East.

Well, the media has picked up on this story and ran an article today addressing the same issue. Here is the article:
http://www.wnd.com/2013/10/top-generals-obama-is-purging-the-military/

When I asked my colleague the Army Colonel why he thinks Obama is doing this, the reply I received from this life-long soldier and Army leader shocked me. Paraphrasing him, this is what he told me in a nutshell.

He said, most branches of the service routinely engage in war �games� and come up with strategies and tactics on how to handle every type of military conflict and scenario that can be imagined . One of the big new battle scenarios being actively discussed in the military recently is how to handle civil unrest in the U.S. and fighting in the streets. What will the Army do if called in to fight armed civilians in the streets of the United States? How will that urban warfare be conducted? Will troops be able to fire upon other American citizens when the troops take an oath to protect American citizens?

He said many in the military are discussing the very real possibility that Obama will attempt to stay in office beyond two terms. It is being speculated that Obama will do this by declaring a state of martial law. The easiest way to declare martial law is when there is massive civil unrest and riots throughout the U.S. Thus, it is believed that Obama, and his regime, will intentionally create a situation of massive civil unrest. Some believe he has already started to implement that strategy by forcing Obamacare on everyone (when the populace did not ask for it and less than 300 people in power voted for it). Perhaps the Obama Administration is not too concerned over the totally dysfunctional Obamacare website and the additional fact that millions will be dropped from their existing insurance policies which they already had and liked. The Obama Administration may not care if getting health care becomes more difficult and more expensive because it is all leading toward civil unrest. It is believed by some that Obamacare will only get worse and worse, and then in 2 to 3 years when people have a very difficult time getting medical treatment for themselves or their loved ones, people will get enraged.

Moreover, it is being speculated that around the same time when the frustration levels over Obamacare are hitting a critical point in 2 to 3 years, there will be a �glitch� in the welfare payment (or EBT) payment system. The tens of millions who rely on EBT handouts to sustain themselves will be cut off. The overwhelming majority of the EBT recipients are Black. The Obama regime will then blame the �glitch� on the Republicans, i.e., Republicans froze government spending which �forced� Obama to suspension of EBT payments. (Obama will intentionally drive spending up and up uncontrolled knowing full well that one day the Republicans will be backed into a corner and finally vote for a freeze in spending.) Obama will create heightened racial tension by telling everyone that the White Republicans are racially motivated and did this to hurt the Black community. This manufactured racial tension, combined with growing tensions over the then-collapsing medical coverage due to Obamacare, will result in race wars and civil unrest. People will take to the streets.

By the way, you should know that my colleague, the Army Colonel who is telling me all this, is Black. He specifically commented, and outwardly expressed his embarrassment, about how Blacks have become so dependent and enslaved by the welfare system and the Democrats that it would be very easy to create civil unrest and race wars merely by cutting off, or dramatically hindering, EBT payments for only a month or so. He believes that many Blacks, who have a misguided sense of entitlement, will then take to looting stores and rioting.

Once the race wars, civil unrest, and violence becomes pervasive throughout the U.S., Obama will declare martial law and take over. Elections can, and will, be postponed under martial law.

My colleague noted that this possibility is clearly being analyzed and discussed inside the military because such a martial law strategy is nothing new. Tyrannical and dictatorial leaders in the past have done the martial law strategy many times. He noted that dictators such as Stalin, Mussolini, and Hitler did basically the identical thing. He went on to say that one of the most recent examples of this strategy was when Marcos declared martial law in the Philippines from 1972-1981 due to civil unrest. The Philippines had democratic elections up until that time. When martial law was declared, the Philippine constitution was suspended, its Congress dissolved, all elections were suspended, and Marcos remained in power for years beyond his elected term. The alleged �terrorist bombings� that occurred in the Philippines, which lead to Marcos declaring martial law, have always been questioned and never proven to be the acts of actual terrorists.

He concluded by saying that many believe this is the real reason behind the purgings of military generals. The older members of the military, and especially its generals and leaders, tend to be more conservative and they believe in the Constitution�and following the Constitution. Thus, a tyrant and dictator needs to get rid of these military leaders before a state of martial law is declared if the rising dictator wants the military to follow along and do what the dictator says. Due to the loss of many experienced military leaders the past few years, the military is now being run and guided more and more by younger, inexperienced leaders. The type who won�t really know what to do if martial law was declared. Moreover, he noted that there is a growing mindset throughout the military now that every soldier needs to keep quiet and just follow along with what Obama says and wants to do or you will be fired and your military career ruined. Again, I was told this is nothing new since removing strong military leaders in advance of declaring martial law is a historically-proven element of a rising tyrant and dictator.

I was taken aback after hearing all that from my colleague.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 09:57

E-Tank: Aug 4, 2011

quote:

I was taken aback after hearing all that from my colleague.

Well, I'd be taken aback after hearing a bunch of bullshit spew forth from someone whom I at one point thought was somewhat intelligent too.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 10:08

mr. mephistopheles: Dec 2, 2009

Could you at least paraphrase or bold the most damning sentences in that essay of rambling paranoia bullshit?

# ? Dec 4, 2013 10:22

TapTheForwardAssist: Apr 9, 2007; Pretty Little Lyres

quote:

the military is now being run and guided more and more by younger, inexperienced leaders

Just had to single out one of the best phrases, partially because this sentiment gets brought up in some other fwd:fwd:fwd pieces posted in the past.

So... we're purging all the salty and experienced veteran officers of the 7-week invasion of Grenada, the 6-week invasion of Panama, and the 6-month 1991 Gulf War in which 14 Americans were killed.

And... we're replacing them with "younger, inexperienced leaders" whose entire careers have been largely defined by two simultaneous grueling counter-insurgencies which have lasted for 8 years and 12 respectively and had absolutely massive sweeping effects on how the US military functions.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 11:56

hirvox: Sep 8, 2009

mr. mephistopheles posted:

Could you at least paraphrase or bold the most damning sentences in that essay of rambling paranoia bullshit?

There isn't any, it's just speculation. Supposedly the military is running war games where the scenario is massive civil unrest on home soil. So the author speculates that Obama is creating that massive unrest by having Obamacare and EBT fail on purpose. And after that's it's the slippery slope to tyranny. And the military "purges" he's complaining about are to get rid of anyone who wouldn't want to follow this plan.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 12:32

ErIog: Jul 11, 2001

hirvox posted:

There isn't any, it's just speculation. Supposedly the military is running war games where the scenario is massive civil unrest on home soil. So the author speculates that Obama is creating that massive unrest by having Obamacare and EBT fail on purpose. And after that's it's the slippery slope to tyranny. And the military "purges" he's complaining about are to get rid of anyone who wouldn't want to follow this plan.

That has also been a perennial right wing tinfoil hat story since the Clinton administration. Right winger talkers used to flog that one with "go to Newsmax.com to see the tanks being painted for urban warfare... Slick Willy's gonna declare martial law in order to cancel elections..."

The generals firing thing is a new twist based on nothing but a bunch of trumped up bullshit about routine firings for clear violations. It's sad to me that I'm only in like my mid-20's, but I'm still old enough at this point to remember these same lies going around ages ago. I wish they'd be more creative.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 12:47

Verisimilidude: Dec 20, 2006; Strike quick and hurry at him,
not caring to hit or miss.
So that you dishonor him before the judges

pd187 posted:

http://patriotaction.net/forum/topics/obama-s-military-purge-why-and-what-it-means-from-a-colonel

I love it when people try to preface a bunch of bullshit by saying "I heard it from someone who is very level headed and NOT extreme." Let the words speak for themselves and offer a credible source of the info. And no, your "lawyer friend" or "a colonel in the army" are barely credible sources of law and military advice, let alone race wars.

JohnClark posted:

This Ad Stunned So Many Liberals, The NFL Banned It From The SuperBowl!

This crap has been all over my facebook lately, and I doubt it'll surprise you to learn that it's complete crap. Aside from the ad itself being really badly made, the NFL's ad policy has long banned a bunch of stuff from being shown during telecasts of games, including firearms. Maybe we can get conservatives to boycott the NFL!

Football is The Most American Thing, right after NASCAR and subtle racism. It's much easier to just blame liberals and the media, and make the NFL to be some poor fool duped into believing the PC culture of the LIEberal media.

Verisimilidude fucked around with this message at 13:00 on Dec 4, 2013

# ? Dec 4, 2013 12:55

ArchangeI: Jul 15, 2010

hirvox posted:

There isn't any, it's just speculation. Supposedly the military is running war games where the scenario is massive civil unrest on home soil. So the author speculates that Obama is creating that massive unrest by having Obamacare and EBT fail on purpose. And after that's it's the slippery slope to tyranny. And the military "purges" he's complaining about are to get rid of anyone who wouldn't want to follow this plan.

Leaving aside the minor fact that the US Army regularly wargames the invasion of Georgia by Florida. They are planning exercises. I mean, gee, I wonder why a military involved in two COIN operations would wargame a response to major unrest in a city!

# ? Dec 4, 2013 13:01

J.A.B.C.: Jul 2, 2007; There's no need to rush to be an adult.

TapTheForwardAssist posted:

So... we're purging all the salty and experienced veteran officers of the 7-week invasion of Grenada, the 6-week invasion of Panama, and the 6-month 1991 Gulf War in which 14 Americans were killed.

And... we're replacing them with "younger, inexperienced leaders" whose entire careers have been largely defined by two simultaneous grueling counter-insurgencies which have lasted for 8 years and 12 respectively and had absolutely massive sweeping effects on how the US military functions.

Who also have more stringent restrictions on promotion due to the amount of NCOs in the ranks, increased training requirements and other factors that older promotions didn't face.

ArchangeI posted:

Leaving aside the minor fact that the US Army regularly wargames the invasion of Georgia by Florida. They are planning exercises. I mean, gee, I wonder why a military involved in two COIN operations would wargame a response to major unrest in a city!

Remember that it's only right and proper if 'Our Guy in Office' does it. Otherwise they're planning to destroy :911:

# ? Dec 4, 2013 13:44

fallingdownjoe: Mar 16, 2007; Please love me

Of course you just know how the people who spread that sort of paranoid "the Army's going to gently caress us over" bullshit will respond if you respond in a serious way. Because if you respond by saying "That's terrible! We need to cut funding to the Military now!" there's no way they'll actually let you do that.

Basically you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 14:31

Armyman25: Sep 6, 2005

The really fun part is reading the comments and seeing people say the military needs to stage a coupe so Obama won't declare martial law and take over the country. I'm not sure how the Army could, on the one hand, be the instrument of a fascist take over of the US and at the same time be an organization of Patriots ready to save the Constitution by destroying it.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 15:34

VitalSigns: Sep 3, 2011

Armyman25 posted:

The really fun part is reading the comments and seeing people say the military needs to stage a coupe so Obama won't declare martial law and take over the country. I'm not sure how the Army could, on the one hand, be the instrument of a fascist take over of the US and at the same time be an organization of Patriots ready to save the Constitution by destroying it.

Yeah but Our Boys who, like me, dream only patriotic dreams like assassinating the President, are led by officers. And you know what a requirement to a get a commission is, right? That's right: a bachelor's degree from the liberal university system :freep:

VitalSigns fucked around with this message at 15:48 on Dec 4, 2013

# ? Dec 4, 2013 15:46

ferroque: Oct 27, 2007

The anarcho-libertarians on my friends list never fail at being absolutely infantile over the most trivial of things.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 16:07

Eggplant Squire: Aug 14, 2003

The [commit minor white person crime] -> [stuff happens where you ignore it or actively resist the government] -> [GOVERNMENT KILLS YOU] has been around for a while.

I remember hearing how if you don't pay your tax extortion to the feds then don't show up when they try to get your back taxes and then resist arrest when the cops come for you and then shoot a cop who is trying to force you to jail they'll EXECUTE YOU!! I guess if republicans didn't support the death penalty it wouldn't be an issue but then they'd complain that instead it would just be the ATF coming to your house and when you don't go with them they murder you. Also I'm not sure what they expect the government to do in regards to people that break the law; just ignore it? (for middle/upper class people yes)

# ? Dec 4, 2013 16:20

VitalSigns: Sep 3, 2011

Radish posted:

I remember hearing how if you don't pay your tax extortion to the feds then don't show up when they try to get your back taxes and then resist arrest when the cops come for you and then shoot a cop who is trying to force you to jail they'll EXECUTE YOU!! I guess if republicans didn't support the death penalty it wouldn't be an issue but then they'd complain that instead it would just be the ATF coming to your house and when you don't go with them they murder you. Also I'm not sure what they expect the government to do in regards to people that break the law; just ignore it? (for middle/upper class people yes)

That police officer who is hassling me on the highway for just minding my own business driving recklessly like I always do could be out enforcing useful laws against real criminals like that homeless guy panhandling near my neighborhood that I hate looking at.

J.A.B.C. posted:

It wasn't really itchy for me, but I always had a problem getting the button to stay buttoned. When we moved to the new ACH, with the chin strap and the pad on the back of the head, it was inexcusable to have it off. Also, how long ago was basic for you?

It wasn't actually that long ago: 2002, it just feels like forever ago. I hated the old 1980's helmets we had in Basic. When we got issued the ACH at my unit before deployment I didn't mind wearing it at all.

VitalSigns fucked around with this message at 16:37 on Dec 4, 2013

# ? Dec 4, 2013 16:33

Mo_Steel: Mar 7, 2008; Let's Clock Into The Sunset Together; Fun Shoe

Ferroque posted:

The anarcho-libertarians on my friends list never fail at being absolutely infantile over the most trivial of things.

Just reply with this:

You could try reasoning with them too but good luck digging them out of that rabbit hole.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 16:39

WampaLord: Jan 14, 2010

Ferroque posted:

The anarcho-libertarians on my friends list never fail at being absolutely infantile over the most trivial of things.

Of all the laws to single out, the one that encourages people to wear seat belts is probably the worst example I can think of. Who doesn't want to wear a seatbelt anyway? It's not the 70s, we've all grown up using them forever at this point. Hey crazy libertarians, you don't have to worry about being "Executed" :ohdear:

if you just wear the loving thing.

Also, no one's going to shoot you because you're all cowards who would never resist arrest anyway except to whine about it after the fact.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 16:41

Eggplant Squire: Aug 14, 2003

I briefly knew a girl who wouldn't wear one and apparently broke up with a boyfriend partly over the fact that he wouldn't stop harping on her to put it on (the car also wouldn't shut up about it which got irritating). I also had a co-worker who never wore one either. Some people REALLY don't like wearing seat belts for reasons I don't quite understand.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 16:45

rkajdi: Sep 11, 2001; by LITERALLY AN ADMIN

WampaLord posted:

Who doesn't want to wear a seatbelt anyway? It's not the 70s, we've all grown up using them forever at this point.

The same kind of morons who don't wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle. PA is pretty close to me, and I see quite a few people from there who don't. Never quite figured out why people hated it, though the co-morbidity with rebel/Gasden flags or the moron label suggests suicidal stupidity.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 16:53

PoizenJam: Dec 2, 2006; Damn!!!
It's PoizenJam!!!

If I remember correctly this crazy libertarian traffic laws crap came up earlier in the thread, with some libertarian bitching that speeding and reckless driving were victimless crimes if no one was hit, and therefor shouldn't be crimes at all. It was phrased as the government scamming the populace by fining for non crimes.

Because preventative arrests totally don't make any sense. I suppose I should be free to fire a gun wildly in the middle of a city so long as I'm lucky enough to avoid hitting anyone.

So yes dipshit, wear a seatbelt. Because someday, someone might be in that car with you when you crash. If the crash doesn't kill your friend, your crash dummy body flying around the car certainly will.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 16:53

Phone: Jul 30, 2005; 親子丼をほしい。

I was going to do the math on how hard you'd have to swing a baseball bat at somebody to get an equivalent force of them eating the steering wheel, but effort. Minor crashes have peak Gs in the 30s range. Race incidents/crashes have peak Gs in the 80+ range (yay 6 point belts and Hans devices).

I told a coworker to GTFO when he didn't buckle up when I was driving. He was extremely butt hurt about it. A common excuse is that they're in the back seat and who cares? Well... I can either get a ticket for your dumb rear end not buckling up or I can have the pleasure of several thousand pounds of force being applied to the back of my seat.

Driving cars that aren't 2 seaters is annoying at times.

Phone fucked around with this message at 16:56 on Dec 4, 2013

# ? Dec 4, 2013 16:54

Eggplant Squire: Aug 14, 2003

People make the same argument for drunk driving.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 16:55

PoizenJam: Dec 2, 2006; Damn!!!
It's PoizenJam!!!

Phone posted:

I told a coworker to GTFO when he didn't buckle up when I was driving. He was extremely butt hurt about it.

People who don't wear seatbelts don't get to ride in my car cause I fancy neither PTSD from seeing a friend's broken and destroyed body flung from my car, nor getting killed by a free flying 120-200 pound person in my car.

Radish posted:

People make the same argument for drunk driving.

So unless someone actually dies or gets hurt it's not a crime, even if your behaviour and state of mind dramatically increases that likelihood through outright negligence? What's a libertarians' opinion on wielding a gun in a threatening matter at people but not having any 'intention' of shooting?

PoizenJam fucked around with this message at 17:00 on Dec 4, 2013

# ? Dec 4, 2013 16:57

Phone: Jul 30, 2005; 親子丼をほしい。

Radish posted:

People make the same argument for drunk driving.

RATIONAL ACTORS

# ? Dec 4, 2013 16:57

VitalSigns: Sep 3, 2011

WampaLord posted:

Of all the laws to single out, the one that encourages people to wear seat belts is probably the worst example I can think of. Who doesn't want to wear a seatbelt anyway? It's not the 70s, we've all grown up using them forever at this point. Hey crazy libertarians, you don't have to worry about being "Executed" if you just wear the loving thing.

Some people never grow out of the adolescent phase wherein they rage against someone requiring them to do something, even if that thing is almost effortless and clearly their own interest and no reasonable person would actually not want to do it anyway.

Oh God, I must have been such an insufferable prick back in the day
:smith:

Poizen Jam posted:

So unless someone actually dies or gets hurt it's not a crime, even if your behaviour and state of mind dramatically increases that likelihood through outright negligence? What's a libertarians' opinion on wielding a gun in a threatening matter at people but not having any 'intention' of shooting?

You left out crucial facts that a Libertarian requires to answer your question. What skin color does the wielder have?

# ? Dec 4, 2013 17:01

Selachian: Oct 9, 2012

ErIog posted:

That has also been a perennial right wing tinfoil hat story since the Clinton administration. Right winger talkers used to flog that one with "go to Newsmax.com to see the tanks being painted for urban warfare... Slick Willy's gonna declare martial law in order to cancel elections..."

The generals firing thing is a new twist based on nothing but a bunch of trumped up bullshit about routine firings for clear violations. It's sad to me that I'm only in like my mid-20's, but I'm still old enough at this point to remember these same lies going around ages ago. I wish they'd be more creative.

Although to be fair, there were also folks on the left claiming that Bush would invoke the sweeping powers Congress gave him in the Authorization for Use of Military Force and refuse to leave office after 2008 'cause we were still at war.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 17:08

borkencode: Nov 10, 2004

Mike the TV posted:

My parents-in-law are now telling me that experts are now saying we are in a period of global cooling. I have no response for them.

"The man on TV said to expect it to get colder for the next few months."

http://ifglobalwarmingisrealthenwhyisitcold.blogspot.com/

# ? Dec 4, 2013 17:16

The Rokstar: Aug 19, 2002; by FactsAreUseless

Well, the thing about speeding in particular is that (I think, although this could be flawed memory/outright bullshit) studies have shown that the speed limits in most areas are actually set slightly lower than they should be if the goal is to minimize accidents, and most areas do use speeding violations as a revenue generator.

That's about the extent to which I agree with that line of reasoning though, and my solution would be to just slightly raise the speed limits, not to get rid of them entirely.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 17:18

PoizenJam: Dec 2, 2006; Damn!!!
It's PoizenJam!!!

The Rokstar posted:

Well, the thing about speeding in particular is that (I think, although this could be flawed memory/outright bullshit) studies have shown that the speed limits in most areas are actually set slightly lower than they should be if the goal is to minimize accidents, and most areas do use speeding violations as a revenue generator.

That's about the extent to which I agree with that line of reasoning though, and my solution would be to just slightly raise the speed limits, not to get rid of them entirely.

A criticism based on safety data and available research is grounded and fine. A criticism based on 'gently caress you, I'll do what I want and shouldn't have to suffer consequences' is bullshit.

Because like it or not, while you're correct about speed limits being set quite a bit lower than optimal safety would allow, a dude driving 150km/h (90mph?) in a 100km/h (60mph) zone is making things more dangerous for everyone- even if on some level everybody would be safer driving his speed.

borkencode posted:

"The man on TV said to expect it to get colder for the next few months."

http://ifglobalwarmingisrealthenwhyisitcold.blogspot.com/

See, I live in Newfoundland, and I've even made comments to this effect believing full well in anthropogenic global warming. But winters suck here and after 40cm of snow it's a fun, if flippant and facetious, comment to make.

I'm left wondering if the grumbling in some of these comics might be the same, and not all crazy right wing anti-environmentalist pandering. Of course, when you're making such jokes in print, how the public interprets that joke is of concern. Especially if you run the risk of reinforcing the ideas of your more right leaning readers.

PoizenJam fucked around with this message at 17:26 on Dec 4, 2013

# ? Dec 4, 2013 17:22

Mo_Steel: Mar 7, 2008; Let's Clock Into The Sunset Together; Fun Shoe

borkencode posted:

"The man on TV said to expect it to get colder for the next few months."

http://ifglobalwarmingisrealthenwhyisitcold.blogspot.com/

That link should be sourced for the definition of ignorance, gently caress me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4Z0S9yRTyw

# ? Dec 4, 2013 17:23

The Rokstar: Aug 19, 2002; by FactsAreUseless

Poizen Jam posted:

A criticism based on safety data and available research is grounded and fine. A criticism based on 'gently caress you, I'll do what I want and shouldn't have to suffer consequences' is bullshit.

Because like it or not, while you're correct about speed limits being set quite a bit lower than optimal safety would allow, a dude driving 150km/h (90mph?) in a 100km/h (60mph) zone is making things more dangerous for everyone- even if on some level everybody would be safer driving his speed.

Yeah, and in fact I think the studies that I vaguely remember said something to the effect of the reason why low speed limits are more dangerous isn't because of just the speeds, but because it causes greater disparities in how fast people are going because of some people going 80 and other people going 50 or whatever.

e: But given the choice between leaving the speed limits as they are or getting rid of them altogether, leaving them is clearly the better option.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 17:24

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# ? Jun 8, 2024 05:40

Patience: Jul 1, 2006; Success on someone else's terms don't mean a fucking thing.

ErIog posted:

That has also been a perennial right wing tinfoil hat story since the Clinton administration.

It's sad to me that I'm only in like my mid-20's, but I'm still old enough at this point to remember these same lies going around ages ago. I wish they'd be more creative.

The funny and terrifying thing about these tin foil hat stories is they're not just tinfoil hat stories, they are also fantasies that reflect secret conservative desires and fears.

If you pick it apart rationally, it falls to pieces- all military personnel and liberals would not go along with an open attack on conservatives, other people would object, conservatives would not be easy to identify, etc. But they persist because they're useful.

They're useful in that they serve to reinforce a fictitious us vs. them mentality; so it is good for group cohesion. There's a morality to it. The conservatives are always the ones under attack; which reflects how they sincerely feel and is something they've been saying for years- that their values are under attack, so that reinforces ideology. They also assume that in a martial conflict, conservatives would always have the upper hand, which is another vindication of their ideology.

The thing I find scariest is that these fantasies always assume a universal hatred of conservativism- which in turn justifies their response. You know that whole "demonization of the Other to legitimize what I am going to later do to them"? This is that in reverse. It's being persecuted for your beliefs, and as a martyr getting to enact violence in the name of a glorious cause and survival.

# ? Dec 4, 2013 17:27

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