History shows these are the first 2 things banned.......

[WTF]

Originally Posted by Jacuzzme

That’s the stupidest thing I’ve read in a while. He didn’t ban iPhones either, I believe.

I thought y'all were strict constitutionalists +?

[texassapper]

Originally Posted by 1blackman1

Caesar banned neither when he became dictator of Rome.

Tell me you don't understand Roman history without telling me you don't understand Roman history.

[1blackman1]

Originally Posted by ICU 812

We can argue about Jan 6th forever, but several things are clear to me. No one arrested inside the Capitol building on Jan 6th was armed. The only violent death was from a gunshot to the head of an unarmed woman from a capitol police officer. Other deaths that day were from chronic health issues such as heart attacks/strokes and subsequently from mental health issues.

We can argue about whether or not it was a protest or an attack etc, but it was not an "armed insurrection", nor was it bloody or deadly.

Sure, there are plenty of guns out there in Fly-Over land, but they stayed at home. If half of the thousands of folks standing in front of the stage that day had brought weapons of any kind and used them, we would be having a totally different discussion here today.

They didn't and we aren't.

So if I use a bat to beat you to a pulp I’m not “armed”? If I use a flag pole to beat you I’m not armed? If I use bear spray on you and beat you I’m not armed? What about a sharpened pole that I use as a spear?

It’s clear that you have no clue what “armed” means.

[oilfieldace]

Originally Posted by 1blackman1

So if I use a bat to beat you to a pulp I’m not “armed”? If I use a flag pole to beat you I’m not armed? If I use bear spray on you and beat you I’m not armed? What about a sharpened pole that I use as a spear?

It’s clear that you have no clue what “armed” means.

So, you agree calling an inanimate object such as an AR an assault weapon is dead wrong?

Will you also concede that anything that can cause bodily harm can be classified as an assault weapon?

Do you agree every rioter in the Summer of love who had any of the items you mentioned should be incarcerated?

Do you concur a firearm has greater potential for inflicting harm at a distance the other items you listed , do not?


Careful you are beginning to sound like a conservative

[Yssup Rider]

No, I don’t agree with much of anything you said. And that hackneyed line of interrogation is useless. And, I might add, not germane to the “story” presented by the OP.

Riddle me this. Why was Trump told there were guns in the mob during the Jan 6 riot? Do you agree there were?

[oilfieldace]

I don’t know who you are talking too Sonny. Since I wasn’t there and haven’t watched a second of the hearings , I can not answer the guns or no guns question.

Your Germane comment didn’t slip under the rug, unfortunately the Nazls are too ignorant to catch your shit slanging

[Yssup Rider]

Who is Sonny?

I know you can’t be talking to him. He’s dead.

I do find it telling, however, that you admit to not watching the hearings or even knowing what was said yet continue to argue hypothetically based on old RWW talking points.

One might conclude that you are arguing in your spare time.

[1blackman1]

Originally Posted by oilfieldace

So, you agree calling an inanimate object such as an AR an assault weapon is dead wrong?

Will you also concede that anything that can cause bodily harm can be classified as an assault weapon?

Do you agree every rioter in the Summer of love who had any of the items you mentioned should be incarcerated?

Do you concur a firearm has greater potential for inflicting harm at a distance the other items you listed , do not?


Careful you are beginning to sound like a conservative

You continue on the path of stupid. Stick to a single subject. I made none of the statements you made.

Jan 6 was an armed insurrection. That’s a fact. ICU is clueless as to what “armed” means. I pointed that out for him.

YR, you know oildude has no clue what germane means. They don’t teach that in the trailer.

[oilfieldace]

Originally Posted by 1blackman1

You continue on the path of stupid. Stick to a single subject. I made none of the statements you made.

Jan 6 was an armed insurrection. That’s a fact. ICU is clueless as to what “armed” means. I pointed that out for him.

YR, you know oildude has no clue what germane means. They don’t teach that in the trailer.

You seem to have a fixation on Trailer Houses, FYI when I retired 7 plus years ago, I was pulling in 2 grand a day from the confines of a trailer house. Unlike you it wasn’t from selling dope. For 20 years I ran the drilling operations for 2 major independent O & G companies When there was a problem UM walked past all those useless college degrees and asked me to fix the problem. Then went to consulting where the real money was.Thank God for capitalism. So run along mate and peddle your inept BS elsewhere. God Bless Trailer houses I made a fortune residing in several!

[Yssup Rider]

Originally Posted by oilfieldace

You seem to have a fixation on Trailer Houses, FYI when I retired 7 plus years ago, I was pulling in 2 grand a day from the confines of a trailer house. Unlike you it wasn’t from selling dope. For 20 years I ran the drilling operations for 2 major independent O & G companies When there was a problem UM walked past all those useless college degrees and asked me to fix the problem. Then went to consulting where the real money was.Thank God for capitalism. So run along mate and peddle your inept BS elsewhere. God Bless Trailer houses I made a fortune residing in several!

Just wanted to make sure you said that.

Now please try to stay on topic, which is Ellen’s meme.

[Tsmokies]

You left off the banning of women's rights woman.

[1blackman1]

Originally Posted by oilfieldace

You seem to have a fixation on Trailer Houses, FYI when I retired 7 plus years ago, I was pulling in 2 grand a day from the confines of a trailer house. Unlike you it wasn’t from selling dope. For 20 years I ran the drilling operations for 2 major independent O & G companies When there was a problem UM walked past all those useless college degrees and asked me to fix the problem. Then went to consulting where the real money was.Thank God for capitalism. So run along mate and peddle your inept BS elsewhere. God Bless Trailer houses I made a fortune residing in several!

Sure Trailer Bob. We will see whether you’ve practiced your lie enough times to keep it straight.

[eccieuser9500]

Originally Posted by ICU 812

We can argue about Jan 6th forever, but several things are clear to me. No one arrested inside the Capitol building on Jan 6th was armed. The only violent death was from a gunshot to the head of an unarmed woman from a capitol police officer. Other deaths that day were from chronic health issues such as heart attacks/strokes and subsequently from mental health issues.

We can argue about whether or not it was a protest or an attack etc, but it was not an "armed insurrection", nor was it bloody or deadly.

Sure, there are plenty of guns out there in Fly-Over land, but they stayed at home. If half of the thousands of folks standing in front of the stage that day had brought weapons of any kind and used them, we would be having a totally different discussion here today.

They didn't and we aren't.

There is no argument, at all, there. Unless you are an enemy of the state. I stand with the United States.









You?

Happy 4th.

[chefnerd]

Originally Posted by Austin Ellen

Oh for God's sake - you don't even know the difference between dictatorship and totalitarianism. Let me help this amature out. You're welcome.

Dictatorship- Form of government in which one person or a small group possesses absolute power without effective constitutional limitations. Totalitarianism- Form of government that permits no individual freedom and that seeks to subordinate all aspects of the individual's life to the authority of the government.

Actually, if you look up the definition of both word they are synonyms.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictatorship
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dict...otalitarianism


The one major difference in a dictatorship is that usually a dictator is someone who is charismatic and becomes something of a populist among the people of the country, but in the end that's pretty much all that differs

[chefnerd]

Some points to consider about dictators and totalitarianism.
1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism. From the prominent displays of flags and bunting to the ubiquitous lapel pins, the fervor to show patriotic nationalism, both on the part of the regime itself and of citizens caught up in its frenzy, was always obvious. Catchy slogans, pride in the military, and demands for unity were common themes in expressing this nationalism. It was usually coupled with a suspicion of things foreign that often bordered on xenophobia.
2. Disdain for the importance of human rights. The regimes themselves viewed human rights as of little value and a hindrance to realizing the objectives of the ruling elite. Through clever use of propaganda, the population was brought to accept these human rights abuses by marginalizing, even demonizing, those being targeted. When abuse was egregious, the tactic was to use secrecy, denial, and disinformation.
3. Identification of enemies/scape-goats as a unifying cause. The most significant common thread among these regimes was the use of scapegoating as a means to divert the people’s attention from other problems, to shift blame for failures, and to channel frustration in controlled directions. The methods of choice—relentless propaganda and0 disinformation—were usually effective. Often the regimes would incite “spontaneous” acts against the target scapegoats, usually communists, socialists, liberals, Jews, ethnic and racial minorities, traditional national enemies, members of other religions, secularists, homosexuals, and “terrorists.” Active opponents of these regimes were inevitably labeled as terrorists and dealt with accordingly.4. The supremacy of the military/ avid militarism. Ruling elites always identified closely with the military and the industrial infrastructure that supported it. A disproportionate share of national resources was allocated to the military, even when domestic needs were acute. The military was seen as an expression of nationalism, and was used whenever possible to assert national goals, intimidate other nations, and increase the power and prestige of the ruling elite.
5. Rampant sexism. Beyond the simple fact that the political elite and the national culture were male-dominated, these regimes inevitably viewed women as second-class citizens. They were adamantly anti-abortion and also homophobic. These attitudes were usually codified in Draconian laws that enjoyed strong support by the orthodox religion of the country, thus lending the regime cover for its abuses.
6. A controlled mass media. Under some of the regimes, the mass media were under strict direct control and could be relied upon never to stray from the party line. Other regimes exercised more subtle power to ensure media orthodoxy. Methods included the control of licensing and access to resources, economic pressure, appeals to patriotism, and implied threats. The leaders of the mass media were often politically compatible with the power elite. The result was usually success in keeping the general public unaware of the regimes’ excesses.
7. Obsession with national security. Inevitably, a national security apparatus was under direct control of the ruling elite. It was usually an instrument of oppression, operating in secret and beyond any constraints. Its actions were justified under the rubric of protecting “national security,” and questioning its activities was portrayed as unpatriotic or even treasonous.
8. Religion and ruling elite tied together. Unlike communist regimes, the fascist and protofascist regimes were never proclaimed as godless by their opponents. In fact, most of the regimes attached themselves to the predominant religion of the country and chose to portray themselves as militant defenders of that religion. The fact that the ruling elite’s behavior was incompatible with the precepts of the religion was generally swept under the rug. Propaganda kept up the illusion that the ruling elites were defenders of the faith and opponents of the “godless.” A perception was manufactured that opposing the power elite was tantamount to an attack on religion.
9. Power of corporations protected. Although the personal life of ordinary citizens was under strict control, the ability of large corporations to operate in relative freedom was not compromised. The ruling elite saw the corporate structure as a way to not only ensure military production (in developed states), but also as an additional means of social control. Members of the economic elite were often pampered by the political elite to ensure a continued mutuality of interests, especially in the repression of “have-not” citizens.


10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated. Since organized labor was seen as the one power center that could challenge the political hegemony of the ruling elite and its corporate allies, it was inevitably crushed or made powerless. The poor formed an underclass, viewed with suspicion or outright contempt. Under some regimes, being poor was considered akin to a vice.
11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts. Intellectuals and the inherent freedom of ideas and expression associated with them were anathema to these regimes. Intellectual and academic freedom were considered subversive to national security and the patriotic ideal. Universities were tightly controlled; politically unreliable faculty harassed or eliminated. Unorthodox ideas or expressions of dissent were strongly attacked, silenced, or crushed. To these regimes, art and literature should serve the national interest or they had no right to exist.
12. Obsession with crime and punishment. Most of these regimes maintained Draconian systems of criminal justice with huge prison populations. The police were often glorified and had almost unchecked power, leading to rampant abuse. “Normal” and political crime were often merged into trumped-up criminal charges and sometimes used against political opponents of the regime. Fear, and hatred, of criminals or “traitors” was often promoted among the population as an excuse for more police power.
13. Rampant cronyism and corruption. Those in business circles and close to the power elite often used their position to enrich themselves. This corruption worked both ways; the power elite would receive financial gifts and property from the economic elite, who in turn would gain the benefit of government favoritism. Members of the power elite were in a position to obtain vast wealth from other sources as well: for example, by stealing national resources. With the national security apparatus under control and the media muzzled, this corruption was largely unconstrained and not well understood by the general population.
14. Fraudulent elections. Elections in the form of plebiscites or public opinion polls were usually bogus. When actual elections with candidates were held, they would usually be perverted by the power elite to get the desired result. Common methods included maintaining control of the election machinery, intimidating and disenfranchising opposition voters, destroying or disallowing legal votes, and, as a last resort, turning to a judiciary beholden to the power elite.
Does any of this ring alarm bells? Of course not. After all, this is America, officially a democracy with the rule of law, a constitution, a free press, honest elections, and a well-informed public constantly being put on guard against evils. Hist