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Topic: Assault weapon bans - page 2. (Read 36619 times)

legendary
Activity: 1540
Merit: 1001
September 27, 2013, 05:54:12 PM
So, yeah, I'll revisit it. If some dipshit is juggling knives on the inflatable life raft that I am on, I'll ask him politely to stop. If he don't, I'll shoot him before you have to. I intend to live. He's endangering me. If he is merely stupid, give him a chance. If he's a deliberate menace? Feed him to the fucking sharks. (BTW, "lifeboat situations" are often used as red herrings in debate. In truth, it is such an unlikely event that it only would ever come up IN debate. )

I was going to add that in reality, there would be five lifeboats, and all five have knife jugglers.  Four of them are friends, the fifth isn't.  One of the four threatens the fifth.  The fifth threatens to retaliate, and the other three declare it unsafe for the fifth to have knives.

M
legendary
Activity: 1050
Merit: 1000
You are WRONG!
September 27, 2013, 02:37:10 PM
Not everyone is eligible to leave. Their are certain groups of people that can't get a passport. Look it up.
thats just as much as about other countries don't want you to visit.
member
Activity: 85
Merit: 10
September 27, 2013, 02:33:21 PM


That's not a democracy. I can call an airplane an apple pie, but that doesn't make it so. Move along.

Not everyone is eligible to leave. Their are certain groups of people that can't get a passport. Look it up.

Anarchy is the only real form of democracy as people can take charge of the own lives instead of a "government".
hero member
Activity: 812
Merit: 1000
September 27, 2013, 01:47:21 PM
And you can generally leave a country which is a democracy.

Like the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

That's not a democracy. I can call an airplane an apple pie, but that doesn't make it so. Move along.
member
Activity: 85
Merit: 10
September 27, 2013, 01:42:41 PM
And you can generally leave a country which is a democracy.

Like the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
hero member
Activity: 812
Merit: 1000
September 27, 2013, 01:28:05 PM
See? not that different. your clearly don't like bitcoin. (No really! its no joke, this is what bitcoin is like)

No one is forcing anyone to use Bitcoin. It's a free market.

51% starts changing the rules? I can sell my bitcoins. I can stop accepting their blocks. I can fork to my own version.

Bitcoin is no democracy.

And you can generally leave a country which is a democracy.
legendary
Activity: 1050
Merit: 1000
You are WRONG!
September 27, 2013, 12:23:55 PM
I normally don't edit other peoples posts, but here goes:

In bitcoin 51 percent of those who have the franchise can completely disenfranchise the remaining 49 percent without repercussion which is a violation of the non aggression principle. Thus, I am opposed to bitcoin. I have many other reasons to oppose it as well, which I'm not currently inclined to go into in detail. Suffice it to say that I am an individual, and proud of it. bitcoin does not recognize that there is such a thing as an individual, only groups. Groups are statistical constructs. I'm all for voluntary cooperation, but such is nigh impossible in a bitcoin.

Worse still, bitcoin is mob rule. The loudest voice generally rules the mob, so it becomes dictatorial to the whims of the few very quickly. It happened in Athens, and it's happened everywhere else that democracy has been the "rule of law" as well. bitcoin is about as stable as nitroglycerin in sunlight, but far less useful.
See? not that different. your clearly don't like bitcoin. (No really! its no joke, this is what bitcoin is like)

You just seem to run off at the keys with no goal aside from provocation. It's hard to hit a moving target, and a pain in the ass to debug the logical fallacies, misrepresentations, and emoting of someone who either has no position or just likes to sling mud. 
Just about right. Im a nihilistic egoistic rationalists(what makes me happy is ultimately good), who like to troll on you people's poor logic and assumptions, but have no real opinion, except it's fun to sling mud.
legendary
Activity: 1204
Merit: 1002
Gresham's Lawyer
September 27, 2013, 10:09:00 AM
"Democracy: The original 51% attack".
why are you even on this forum then? don't you like bitcoin?

Bitcoin has no politics, rather it is about pure honesty..  It is good for all people, of all types, irregardless of the political systems (or lack of them) in which they find themselves by accident of birth.  It is as much communal and democratic, authoritarian and anarchistic it is all of these when it is the honest and best for that aspect and so also it is none of them.
Its checks and balances are encoded mathematics.  It is outside of the box.
legendary
Activity: 1372
Merit: 1022
Anarchy is not chaos.
September 27, 2013, 10:03:23 AM
"Democracy: The original 51% attack".
why are you even on this forum then? don't you like bitcoin?

how many logical fallacies does this post embody?

Anyway, I was quoting someone else's tagline, which I agree with. I'm on this forum because I find bitcoin immensely interesting, I'm in this subthread because I find the subject matter interesting, and I'm engaging in these arguments because they are being presented in a way I cannot find any legitmate anarchist or even libertarian would ever endorse.

As to how that relates to bitcoin (the quote), that should be obvious. Both the humour and the truth of it.

In a modern democracy (the few that actually ARE democracies rather than thinly disguised empires like the United States) 51 percent of those who have the franchise can completely disenfranchise the remaining 49 percent without repercussion which is a violation of the non aggression principle. Thus, I am opposed to democracy. I have many other reasons to oppose it as well, which I'm not currently inclined to go into in detail. Suffice it to say that I am an individual, and proud of it. Democracy does not recognize that there is such a thing as an individual, only groups. Groups are statistical constructs. I'm all for voluntary cooperation, but such is nigh impossible in a democracy.

Worse still, democracy is mob rule. The loudest voice generally rules the mob, so it becomes dictatorial to the whims of the few very quickly. It happened in Athens, and it's happened everywhere else that democracy has been the "rule of law" as well. Democracy is about as stable as nitroglycerin in sunlight, but far less useful.

If you are going to cherry pick quotes, at least have the decency to indicate SOME of the context.

While I disagree with FirstAscent's position, they can at least post up a cogent argument. You just seem to run off at the keys with no goal aside from provocation. It's hard to hit a moving target, and a pain in the ass to debug the logical fallacies, misrepresentations, and emoting of someone who either has no position or just likes to sling mud. 

Presented for the pure edification of your miserable soul: http://www.csun.edu/~dgw61315/fallacies.html
legendary
Activity: 1050
Merit: 1000
You are WRONG!
September 27, 2013, 09:33:20 AM
"Democracy: The original 51% attack".
why are you even on this forum then? don't you like bitcoin?
legendary
Activity: 1372
Merit: 1022
Anarchy is not chaos.
September 27, 2013, 06:52:28 AM
....I am an atheist, and I disagree that there is a god necessary for morals. That being said, I'm not a "positive" atheist, but rather simply an unbeliever after having spent half my life searching for a way to believe in a benevolent god. I think this thread is probably the wrong place, but I'd like to hear your views on the subject. Your post, unlike those who subscribe to most any religion, showed some thought. I gave up on the idea of a god that wants to be worshiped a good while back, but I'm still open, somewhat, to the idea that one might exist.

However, the ideas of basic morality are easily derived from human experience, and to a lesser degree, the non human world around us. Things just work better when you have an ethical framework. Not necessarily FASTER, but better.

-KB.
I agree.  By most standards I am an athiest but I seem to get along quite well with religious people of the sort who consider religion a matter between themself and their superior.  Not so well do I get along with the asses preaching whatever.

The 80% of "athiests" who are socialists, I don't get along too well with.

I fall in the other 20 percent, though I question your figures. I *was* a socialist when I was quite young, but there are more problems than answers there. Socialism leads to totalitarianism or worse yet, democracy. Don't recall who, but somebody here has a good tagline: "Democracy: The original 51% attack". I can expand on that, but I can't improve on it.

You will never get away from democracy, unless you wish to go the full authoritarian route.

NAP is democracy at its best, and authoritarian at its worst. Do you care to revisit the knife wielding juggler on the life raft?

NAP is an adjunct. It is the logical expression of a peaceful warrior, not the suicide clause you seem to want it to be. Democracy is mob rule, BY DEFINITION. Mobs never make good decisions, and if they do by some miracle, the next one will negate it.

I have been debating anarchist philosophy for over a decade on the side of anarchism, and NOT ONCE have I seen someone who was actually an anarchist posit such a crazy thing. I'm sorry, but I just can't buy that anyone would be that stupid in print unless they were simply trying to provoke you.

So, yeah, I'll revisit it. If some dipshit is juggling knives on the inflatable life raft that I am on, I'll ask him politely to stop. If he don't, I'll shoot him before you have to. I intend to live. He's endangering me. If he is merely stupid, give him a chance. If he's a deliberate menace? Feed him to the fucking sharks. (BTW, "lifeboat situations" are often used as red herrings in debate. In truth, it is such an unlikely event that it only would ever come up IN debate. )

NAP is part of an ethical framework that eschews the initiation of violence UNLESS IT IS NECESSARY TO DEFEND ONESELF. thus Non AGGRESSION principle. It is not pacifism, as a pacifist would not stop the juggler and simply accept his fate. Most political systems either explicitly or implicitly reject the NAP because they CANNOT exist without massive fraud, theft, and violence. This is especially true of Democracy. If taken to it's logical conclusions, if three men said that YOU should be killed, it would be your duty to allow them to take your life. Anarchy, and NAP, stand in opposition to that. Or that they should take your property. Or deliberately endanger you. Or reduce you to a component in the great god Society that the democraticly minded all seem to bow down before.

hero member
Activity: 812
Merit: 1000
September 26, 2013, 10:55:07 PM
....I am an atheist, and I disagree that there is a god necessary for morals. That being said, I'm not a "positive" atheist, but rather simply an unbeliever after having spent half my life searching for a way to believe in a benevolent god. I think this thread is probably the wrong place, but I'd like to hear your views on the subject. Your post, unlike those who subscribe to most any religion, showed some thought. I gave up on the idea of a god that wants to be worshiped a good while back, but I'm still open, somewhat, to the idea that one might exist.

However, the ideas of basic morality are easily derived from human experience, and to a lesser degree, the non human world around us. Things just work better when you have an ethical framework. Not necessarily FASTER, but better.

-KB.
I agree.  By most standards I am an athiest but I seem to get along quite well with religious people of the sort who consider religion a matter between themself and their superior.  Not so well do I get along with the asses preaching whatever.

The 80% of "athiests" who are socialists, I don't get along too well with.

I fall in the other 20 percent, though I question your figures. I *was* a socialist when I was quite young, but there are more problems than answers there. Socialism leads to totalitarianism or worse yet, democracy. Don't recall who, but somebody here has a good tagline: "Democracy: The original 51% attack". I can expand on that, but I can't improve on it.

You will never get away from democracy, unless you wish to go the full authoritarian route.

NAP is democracy at its best, and authoritarian at its worst. Do you care to revisit the knife wielding juggler on the life raft?
legendary
Activity: 1372
Merit: 1022
Anarchy is not chaos.
September 26, 2013, 10:36:39 PM
....I am an atheist, and I disagree that there is a god necessary for morals. That being said, I'm not a "positive" atheist, but rather simply an unbeliever after having spent half my life searching for a way to believe in a benevolent god. I think this thread is probably the wrong place, but I'd like to hear your views on the subject. Your post, unlike those who subscribe to most any religion, showed some thought. I gave up on the idea of a god that wants to be worshiped a good while back, but I'm still open, somewhat, to the idea that one might exist.

However, the ideas of basic morality are easily derived from human experience, and to a lesser degree, the non human world around us. Things just work better when you have an ethical framework. Not necessarily FASTER, but better.

-KB.
I agree.  By most standards I am an athiest but I seem to get along quite well with religious people of the sort who consider religion a matter between themself and their superior.  Not so well do I get along with the asses preaching whatever.

The 80% of "athiests" who are socialists, I don't get along too well with.

I fall in the other 20 percent, though I question your figures. I *was* a socialist when I was quite young, but there are more problems than answers there. Socialism leads to totalitarianism or worse yet, democracy. Don't recall who, but somebody here has a good tagline: "Democracy: The original 51% attack". I can expand on that, but I can't improve on it.
legendary
Activity: 2926
Merit: 1386
September 26, 2013, 10:10:36 PM
....I am an atheist, and I disagree that there is a god necessary for morals. That being said, I'm not a "positive" atheist, but rather simply an unbeliever after having spent half my life searching for a way to believe in a benevolent god. I think this thread is probably the wrong place, but I'd like to hear your views on the subject. Your post, unlike those who subscribe to most any religion, showed some thought. I gave up on the idea of a god that wants to be worshiped a good while back, but I'm still open, somewhat, to the idea that one might exist.

However, the ideas of basic morality are easily derived from human experience, and to a lesser degree, the non human world around us. Things just work better when you have an ethical framework. Not necessarily FASTER, but better.

-KB.
I agree.  By most standards I am an athiest but I seem to get along quite well with religious people of the sort who consider religion a matter between themself and their superior.  Not so well do I get along with the asses preaching whatever.

The 80% of "athiests" who are socialists, I don't get along too well with.
legendary
Activity: 1372
Merit: 1022
Anarchy is not chaos.
September 25, 2013, 08:41:42 PM

The thread was some 100 plus pages long. Those generally against libertarian were arguing that that the knife juggler should be tied up, and people can't keep nuclear weapons. The anti-government crowd were quite adamant that such individuals cannot be violated against unless directly threatening you. I'm being serious.

My political leanings are more or less negligible, though am admittedly fascinated by the discourse.  There isn't a "party" that I can agree with or that represents my views, so I can't claim to be a libertarian, or anarchist, or any of that.  I am probably not even old enough to have enough perspective or energy for political matters being still shy of my 50th birthday by a few years.  My guiding principle is that more love is better, and am motivated to increase that where I can. 

I was going to say something very similar, but decided against it.  I too don't agree with any one party, but I lean more towards libertarianism.  Like you, my guiding principle is love.  Love, of course, is God.  Those who've read my posts long enough know I believe the answer to all the problems is more morality, which stems from Godliness.  I'm not talking about religion, I'm talking true Godliness.  I don't claim to fully comprehend it myself, just stating my stance and underlying belief.

M
Were I to get back in the political fray, I would probably back small l libertarians. Not the LP, as they have shown themselves to be traitors to the cause they allegedly champion even before Murray walked away in disgust. Rothbard's libertarian vision is similar to my anarchic one. But, unlike Mr. Rothbard, I have come to the conclusion that the system cannot be changed for the better from within, because it works too well for those who run it. The barrier to entry, in the US, isn't money. Ron Paul pretty well proved that. It's price is much higher. It's your soul.

Which brings me to your last paragraph. I am an atheist, and I disagree that there is a god necessary for morals. That being said, I'm not a "positive" atheist, but rather simply an unbeliever after having spent half my life searching for a way to believe in a benevolent god. I think this thread is probably the wrong place, but I'd like to hear your views on the subject. Your post, unlike those who subscribe to most any religion, showed some thought. I gave up on the idea of a god that wants to be worshiped a good while back, but I'm still open, somewhat, to the idea that one might exist.

However, the ideas of basic morality are easily derived from human experience, and to a lesser degree, the non human world around us. Things just work better when you have an ethical framework. Not necessarily FASTER, but better.

-KB.
legendary
Activity: 1540
Merit: 1001
September 25, 2013, 06:16:43 PM

The thread was some 100 plus pages long. Those generally against libertarian were arguing that that the knife juggler should be tied up, and people can't keep nuclear weapons. The anti-government crowd were quite adamant that such individuals cannot be violated against unless directly threatening you. I'm being serious.

My political leanings are more or less negligible, though am admittedly fascinated by the discourse.  There isn't a "party" that I can agree with or that represents my views, so I can't claim to be a libertarian, or anarchist, or any of that.  I am probably not even old enough to have enough perspective or energy for political matters being still shy of my 50th birthday by a few years.  My guiding principle is that more love is better, and am motivated to increase that where I can. 

I was going to say something very similar, but decided against it.  I too don't agree with any one party, but I lean more towards libertarianism.  Like you, my guiding principle is love.  Love, of course, is God.  Those who've read my posts long enough know I believe the answer to all the problems is more morality, which stems from Godliness.  I'm not talking about religion, I'm talking true Godliness.  I don't claim to fully comprehend it myself, just stating my stance and underlying belief.

M
legendary
Activity: 1204
Merit: 1002
Gresham's Lawyer
September 25, 2013, 05:47:06 PM
You have a point there.  Most gun use, and all nuclear use, is by government.
We've outsourced our culpability.
legendary
Activity: 1540
Merit: 1001
September 25, 2013, 05:41:49 PM
Rassah, haven't you figured out yet that these two have no idea what NAP means? I think they think we're taking a sleep break Smiley

For those who don't know, the wiki link is pretty decent. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-aggression_principle

We've been discussing NAP here for a long time. Right back to the days over two years ago when the NAP proponents were going on about the injustice of violating the rights of a knife juggler practicing his art of juggling on an inflatable raft with five other passengers in the middle of the ocean with sharks circling.

Don't even make assumptions about our awareness of NAP.

We were discussing it back in the days when the NAP proponents were saying how wrong it would be to violate the rights of people who wished to walk about with rain drop triggered nuclear weapons on cloudy days.

Did you claim these extreme examples of passive aggression were not aggression, or did they?
If it was they, then it looks like you are right and they were wrong about what is non-aggression, at least according to this guy:
http://andrewglidden.com/refining-the-nap-with-passive-aggression/
But again, I am in no way an expert on NAP and the definition of "aggression" may be a moving target for the principle, for all I know.

The thread was some 100 plus pages long. Those generally against libertarianism were arguing that that the knife juggler should be tied up, and people can't keep nuclear weapons. The anti-government crowd were quite adamant that such individuals cannot be violated against unless directly threatening you. I'm being serious.

If they aren't a threat, what's the issue?  And who's going to enforce it?  What makes the US or the UN "better" than any other country with nuclear weapons?  Governments certainly can not be trusted more than individuals, in fact, I'd argue the opposite.

M
legendary
Activity: 1204
Merit: 1002
Gresham's Lawyer
September 25, 2013, 05:38:00 PM
For the folks that need SSRI, they can probably be a great thing.  What they aren't is perfectly safe (and what is?).  The list of side effects includes things like suicidal thinking.  They are very widely prescribed and probably do good things for some but not all folks.  They are one of the most prescribed drugs. 
There is a lot of common ground between SSRI and weapons.  Most of those folks that use them do so safely.  Both are heavily regulated.  Both require an authority approval to obtain in most cases (SR excepted presumably, I wouldn't know), and when they go wrong it can make the nightly news.

Where they diverge is when there is some blame game to play in the media.  The reason for that divergence would be interesting to understand but all I'd be able to do is speculate.
legendary
Activity: 2926
Merit: 1386
September 25, 2013, 05:14:38 PM
.....back a bit to guns and assault.  Most all of the folks who are particularly bad decision makers in the US at least tend to make these bad decisions while under the influence of some particularly harsh psychoactive substances... Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors being the biggest culprit here.  If one were to advocate a ban, SSRIs might be a more likely target than the particular weapon at issue, but I wouldn't even go that far myself.  There is probably some good purpose for them and they are perhaps simply over-prescribed?  It may not be an all out BAN that is needed, and just a bit more judicious use?

Part of where this line of reasoning leads is that if the abuse of the psychoactive pills is the culprit in mass murders (It is beginning to look that way) those who go nuts and kill due to the pills are not going to stop if they simply can't get guns. 

There are actually some interesting questions in this problem.  For example, consider the particular way they go nuts.  Maybe it is a way in which they are particularly eager to do something like pulling a trigger, and not interested in swinging an axe, or blowing up a building. 
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