Why America Needs To Introduce Tougher Gun Controls Now!

[Galaxieretter]

It doesn't help that a majority of the people in the United States are super obese. I bet that has a lot to do with the death rate.

And the health care in this country DOES suck. But there are just too many people to have free public health care. If there would be public health care then the health care would be crap. It would be not enough funds spread over too many people. It would be best to let the states make their own public health systems then to have the federal government impose their will on the country.

And don't ban cigarettes. I don't think I would be able to last without them. I would get super pissed and start beating people up or something. Besides tobacco would just become another illegal drug. I hate it when people who don't smoke act like it would be nothing to ban it. If you don't like them then don't smoke them but don't force your ideals on someone else.

[Gr1nreaper]

whatever you say but i do believe it will happen eventually. americans should not have to pay insane prices for health care especially when at least 50 million of them are uninsured because of the ridiculous prices & no america's health care is not the best in the world they are 38th. even canada australia & new zealand do better than the united states

I should be touched by that comment. You seem to care sooo much for the welfare of all the poor, stupid, trigger-happy "Americans" as you so loosely refer to the citizens and residents of the United States.

...But I'm not!

Seriously. Perhaps you should worry about the plight of your own Aborigine communities instead. They're a lot closer to home, and I'm sure have far more impact on your life than how the people of the United States choose to live and die.

[Syllypryde]

Ah, social issues and politics! Just the very mention of either one can turn even the most civilized of people into savages, especially against people that disagree with their views. So I will do my best to remain civilized here.

For all of you who are against guns and want stiffer gun control laws need to pick up a Webster's dictionary because it is obvious you do not seem to understand the definition of "law-abiding!" Law-abiding citizens do not commit crimes, criminals do. Just like you, the criminals want stiffer gun control laws, too. It makes their jobs a lot easier! If the government were to take away guns from law-abiding citizens, the criminals are now free to rob stores and break into peoples' homes and will no longer have to worry about being shot!

Regardless of what the gun laws are, criminals will always find a way to get guns, legal or illegal. So by making stiffer laws, all you are doing is taking guns away from law-abiding citizens, the people who obey the law, people who pay their taxes, and people who are civilized and use their guns safely.

The whole point of the right to bear arms was so we law-abiding citizens could not only protect ourselves from the criminals, but even more importantly, to protect ourselves from an oppressive government! If you do not believe me, then read and re-read the Declaration of Independence, the very document our great country was founded upon. Yes, our country has problems, but taking guns away is not going to solve any of them. 48 out of 50 states now have "right to carry" laws in place. In most of these states, gun-related crime has decreased NOT increased.
Even if by some pipedream it was possible to make it so no one, not even criminals could get guns, that still won't stop the criminals. They will just stab people and beat them to death instead!

Besides, before we make new gun control laws, don't you think that maybe, just maybe we should start enforcing the laws we already have first?

Patrick
P.S.- We have the right to bear arms! People willing to give away their rights for security have neither!

[Rorie]

whatever you say but i do believe it will happen eventually. americans should not have to pay insane prices for health care especially when at least 50 million of them are uninsured because of the ridiculous prices & no america's health care is not the best in the world they are 38th. even canada australia & new zealand do better than the united states

I should be touched by that comment. You seem to care sooo much for the welfare of all the poor, stupid, trigger-happy "Americans" as you so loosely refer to the citizens and residents of the United States.

...But I'm not!

Seriously. Perhaps you should worry about the plight of your own Aborigine communities instead. They're a lot closer to home, and I'm sure have far more impact on your life than how the people of the United States choose to live and die.

oh shut up! i believe in what i want to believe in ok. your government has a right to make sure that no one goes without medical care & that can only happen with universal health coverage. as i said b4 it will happen maby not just now

[Syllypryde]

oh shut up! i believe in what i want to believe in ok. your government has a right to make sure that no one goes without medical care & that can only happen with universal health coverage. as i said b4 it will happen maby not just now

I have a cousin who lives in Canada, where they have free health care for everyone. She lives in Toronto. She has told me on a few occasions that it can take 9 months to year and a half just to get checked out for a cold! If it takes that long to see a doctor for something as minor as a cold, then how long does it take for people who are seriously sick? Free health care is a nice notion, but what good is it if you cannot even get an appointment to be checked out? What would someone with cancer do? A.I.D.S.? Diabetes? Lukemia? You're f--ng DEAD before the doctor even decides to get around to examining you! I am just talking about the examination here. Once the doctor has finally seen you and suggests you need surgury or some other live saving operation, then how much longer do you have to wait for that? Another 9 months to a year and a half?

You guys can have your free health care. I would rather spend half of my household income for quality medical care in a timely manner than to wait almost a year to see a doctor who cannot do anything for me because by the time I finally see him I am to sick for him to be any help!

Patrick

[Galaxieretter]

oh shut up!

No, YOU shut up.

your government has a right to make sure that no one goes without medical care & that can only happen with universal health coverage.

Yeah... They have a right. Not a responsibility.

Why does it matter? There are always going to be people who aren't getting the treatment they need or deserve. That's the way the world works Rorie.

Besides the United States government has it's priorities. And that's more along the lines of incredibly large companies with no future in the modern market than the people who elect it.

[Gr1nreaper]

Seriously. Perhaps you should worry about the plight of your own Aborigine communities instead. They're a lot closer to home, and I'm sure have far more impact on your life than how the people of the United States choose to live and die.

oh shut up! i believe in what i want to believe in ok. your government has a right to make sure that no one goes without medical care & that can only happen with universal health coverage. as i said b4 it will happen maby not just now

Did I hit a nerve?

According to this article, "Australia is ranked as one of the 'worst wealthy nations' at improving the health of indigenous people." Where, "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, on average, die nearly 20 years younger than other Australians, and infant mortality is three times higher."

As a disclaimer, I am entirely impartial to the plight of the Aborigines; did not even read the entire article cited above; and am not prepared to form an opinion regarding any social problems Australia may face.

Oh yeah, and what Galaxieretter said is true. The Constitution of the United States in no way makes the government the responsible for the health or welfare of its citizens or residents, and AFAIK the Constitution is still the basis for our government even if it is over 200 years old.

[Rorie]

oh shut up! i believe in what i want to believe in ok. your government has a right to make sure that no one goes without medical care & that can only happen with universal health coverage. as i said b4 it will happen maby not just now

I have a cousin who lives in Canada, where they have free health care for everyone. She lives in Toronto. She has told me on a few occasions that it can take 9 months to year and a half just to get checked out for a cold! If it takes that long to see a doctor for something as minor as a cold, then how long does it take for people who are seriously sick? Free health care is a nice notion, but what good is it if you cannot even get an appointment to be checked out? What would someone with cancer do? A.I.D.S.? Diabetes? Lukemia? You're f--ng DEAD before the doctor even decides to get around to examining you! I am just talking about the examination here. Once the doctor has finally seen you and suggests you need surgury or some other live saving operation, then how much longer do you have to wait for that? Another 9 months to a year and a half?

You guys can have your free health care. I would rather spend half of my household income for quality medical care in a timely manner than to wait almost a year to see a doctor who cannot do anything for me because by the time I finally see him I am to sick for him to be any help!

Patrick

fine believe what you want believe. but canadians, australians, kiwis even the english are definitively healthier people & who do they have to thank?. universal health care i really do not see why you americans do not see the benefits of it. just think cheaper medicines. cheap doctor visits. it really is a good thing c'mon just think how much longer you will live

[Rorie]

no that not all you will hear from me

US spent $US52b on nukes in 2008: report

Posted Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:00pm AEDT

The United States spent at least $US52 billion ($77 billion) on nuclear-related programs last year, most of it to maintain and refurbish its arsenal of nuclear weapons, a report has said.

The report by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said the estimate was pieced together from publicly available documents because the Government does not track overall spending on nuclear-related programs.

"Total appropriations for nuclear weapons and weapons-related programs in fiscal year 2008 were at least $US52.4 billion, according to the best available data," the report said.

It said the Defence Department's costs of deploying and maintaining nuclear weapons was a partial estimate, and therefore the figure may be too low.

Even so, the report said, it was far larger than most officials would acknowledge.

"About 55.5 per cent [$US29.1 billion] of all nuclear expenses go toward upgrading, operating, and sustaining the US nuclear arsenal," the report said.

"These costs will increase significantly if the DOE's [Department of Energy's] proposals to rebuild the nuclear weapons production complex and resume the production of nuclear weapons are approved and funded," it said.

The cost of sustaining the US nuclear arsenal by itself was an estimated $US5 billion dollars, the report said.

By comparison, $US5.2 billion (9.9 per cent of the total) was devoted to preventing the spread and use of nuclear weapons and nuclear technology in fiscal 2008, it said.

Threat reduction programs do not require the same level of spending as maintaining nuclear forces, the report acknowledged.

But it said the disparity in the spending priorities "sends a message to the rest of the world that the United States considers preserving and enhancing its nuclear options more important than preventing nuclear proliferation."

-AFP

with that money they could have paid for miilions of sick americans & made sure that they got the care they needed but no bush chooses to waste $US52 billion on garg rather than take care of their own people. i really hope obama does what he says about health care. the u.s is well overdue for national health coverage if it doesn't happen america will be the most hated nation is the world why? because they do not take care of their sickest. i would say i am anti-american i don't care if people say i am racist i have a right to voice my opinion & i will not silenced by a group of yankees by saying stay out of our countries problem why should i? you are always poking your nose into cuba & australia. fidel castro was not a tryant your past presidents may have brainwashed you with that garg. if castro was a dictator then why is cuba's health care one of the best in the third world. answer me that?

[StupidBunny]

if castro was a dictator then why is cuba's health care one of the best in the third world. answer me that?

Cuba's health care IS one of the best in the world. Period. I will not deny that. But just because Castro's regime gives the people free health care doesn't mean he isn't a dictator. The Soviet state also offered free health care to the people. You must realize that a dictatorship is simply a government that holds effective absolute power over its country. They can do some nice things but they are still authoritarians, and as a result they will demand, to some extent, obedience from the people. So, yes. I still think Castro was a dictator. He enacted an excellent health care system, but he was a dictator.

canadians, australians, kiwis even the english are definitively healthier people

"Even the English"...see, they way you phrase that it makes you sound surprised that the English have good standards of living. Why do you insist on sticking "even" before all these countries? It's very odd.

you are always poking your nose into cuba & australia.

I'm an American and I don't give a damn what Cuba and Australia do with themselves. They're sovereign nations and I dont' think the US should nose around in their affairs. Why the hell do you assume all Americans think exactly the same about everything? We're people too, you know.

with that money they could have paid for miilions of sick americans & made sure that they got the care they needed but no bush chooses to waste $US52 billion on garg rather than take care of their own people.

Yes, I agree that the Bush administration could have spent that money on much more productive things. Once again, the action's of a country's government is not always the same as the will of the people. I and almost everybody I know despised Bush.

the u.s is well overdue for national health coverage if it doesn't happen america will be the most hated nation is the world

The US may already be the most hated nation in the world, and it definitely has nothing to do with the health care issue. Most of the world really can't be bothered to hate us for not having universal health care.

universal health care i really do not see why you americans do not see the benefits of it.

*Sigh*

Once again, I know plenty of Americans who love the idea of universal health care. I myself think it's a good idea in many respects, and I agree that the US health care system needs reworking. The problem is that giving universal health care to 300 million people is extremely expensive, especially if it's health care worth having. The Soviet Union by 1991 had almost the same number of people, and even as early as the 1970s their health care, universal though it was, was not enough to sufficiently treat people and life expectancy declined. It's not that it's a bad idea, it's just that it's pretty unfeasible.

And seriously stop acting like all Americans are selfish gun-toting retards. It's insulting and sure as hell doesn't make you look any smarter.

[Djaser]

I don't see why a dictatorship should be a wrong thing persee.

[StupidBunny]

I don't see why a dictatorship should be a wrong thing persee.

The way I see it, a good government is one that doesn't harm its people or mismanage its country's economy. In theory, a dictatorship could fit this, possibly better than a democratic state since there would be less deliberation in what the state does. Where the problem comes in is that, in most cases, dictatorial states need to somehow silence their opposition in order to remain in power.

Really, I guess the question is what counts as harm and mismanagement.

[Djaser]

Exactly. I would even go so far as saying that for some countries in the word democracy would never work mostly due to multiple ethnicities who rival each other. That's why I think it's so strange that most western people despise every government that isn't democratic. Like it so terrible not being able to vote.

[Syllypryde]

......with that money they could have paid for miilions of sick americans & made sure that they got the care they needed but no bush chooses to waste $US52 billion on garg rather than take care of their own people. i really hope obama does what he says about health care. the u.s is well overdue for national health coverage if it doesn't happen america will be the most hated nation is the world why? because they do not take care of their sickest. i would say i am anti-american i don't care if people say i am racist i have a right to voice my opinion & i will not silenced by a group of yankees by saying stay out of our countries problem why should i? you are always poking your nose into cuba & australia. fidel castro was not a tryant your past presidents may have brainwashed you with that garg. if castro was a dictator then why is cuba's health care one of the best in the third world. answer me that?

Rorie, did you even read my post at all? I never said I did not want cheaper medical, cheaper dental, cheaper perscriptions, etc. What I said was what good is free health care if cannot use it because you cannot get in and see the doctor?

I cannot help but laugh hysterically about how you trash the United States, yet you do not seem smart enough to realize that billions of dollars of American money each year helps pay for that unversal health care you are so proud of! That is right! America gives billions to Great Britain, Australia, Isreal, as well several third and fourth world countries throughout the world. Are you going to sit there, Rorie, and tell me the Australian government does not use some of those billions to help pay for your universal health care? Maybe the US government would be able to afford universal health care for Americans if they stopped giving billions of dollars a year to ungrateful bastards like you!

You are quick to point out how much the United States spends on miltary and defense, but you conveniently leave out the fact that many of reasons we see it necessary to keep our military strong is not only to protect ourselves from terrorist aggression, but to protect the rest of the world as well. Yes, sometimes the US can throw its might around too much, but at the same time, when there is a world crisis, who does the world go to for help? Not the U.N. and certainly not NATO! That is right! The Unites States! When the world is tearing itself apart, the world expects the US to fix everything and then complains about how we do it. Instead of bashing us all the time, maybe you should get off your ass and help protect the world! Yeah, that's what I thought!

Yes, most of the world hates the United States and most of the world is quick to point the finger everytime we doing something selfish. But when the Unites States does something generous we don't hear a peep from any of you. Now why is that? America maybe the most arrogant nation in the world, but we are also one of the most generous. Like I said earlier in my post, we send billions of dollars a year to help other people in other countries. Remember the Tsunami disaster in Asia? Billions of dollars were raised to help the surviors and families of the disaster. Take a wild guess which country sent a majority of that money?

If you want to hate Americans, that if fine, Rorie. I might actually take your opinions seriously if they weren't full of bias, hatred, jealousy, mis-information and devoid of any credible facts. Except for your statements of the US health care system being poor and Cuba's health care system being one of the best in the world, everything you else you have said in this topic and others as well (yes, I have read all of your ridiculous diatribes) are complete nonsense and there is little to no germ of truth in most of what you say.

You call Americans idiots, but if we are so stupid then why do people from all different countries come to our colleges and universities for an education? If America is such a horrible country to live in then why do millions of Mexicans, Asians, Arabs, etc. immigrate to our country each year? If America is so corrupt and stupid then why do millions of people in dozens of countries imitate our lifestyles, our customs and our social behaviors? It's quite interesting that most of the world hates us, yet they like our money, like our schools, like our celebrities, like our movies and television programs, like our music, like our clothes and fashions, and will send members of their families to come live in the United States for a better life. That's not too bad for a country with a poor health care system!

Yes, Rorie, you have the right to your opinion! In addition, you have every right to express your opinion. Buy I also have the right to my opinion and my opinion is you have no idea what the hell you're talking about! You know nothing about what kind of country America is and you know nothing about what kind of people Americans are. If any other members would like respond to this post and debate in a civilized manner for or against my views, I would be more than happy to do so. As for you, Rorie, there is no point even talking to you. Everything I just said will fall on deaf ears and you will continue to spew your sanctimonius, self-righteous views of fantasy.

Patrick

[Syllypryde]

Exactly. I would even go so far as saying that for some countries in the word democracy would never work mostly due to multiple ethnicities who rival each other. That's why I think it's so strange that most western people despise every government that isn't democratic. Like it so terrible not being able to vote.

Unfortunately, in most dictatorships (I say most because there are always exceptions) being denied the right to vote is not the only right you are being denied. In fact, you have no rights... AT ALL! A democratic government is supposed to serve the people (at least in theory.) But in a totalitarian state it is completely reversed. You serve them! You have no freedom to do anything. If you DARE do anything they either put you in prison, or more likely, have you executed. A democracy is not perfect, but it usually treats its people a lot more like human beings.

Patrick