I know I should avoid posting in this thread... unless its with a schematic, but I guess admin could always remove any of my posts if he/she sees them to be unfit.
Its interesting to see how others 'see' their own country, and other coutries, as of course we all have different views, but I guess you guys must see vastly different things than I.
A quick note on the UK 'riots'. Gotta love media sensationalism, if it wasn't bad enoug that the BBC made out it was 'all about economic crisis', they also grossly exaggerated the areas affected - which were then amplified by the worlds media - one online friend from germany said his news was asking if 'marshall law' will be declared in london. Granted I do live several miles fm the center of London, so I wasn't in 'the thick of it' - but it really wasn't anything particularly spectactular, and only got the media attention it did because it originated as a small protest against police shooting an (allegedly) armed young man. It was nothing to do with the man who was shot, nor was it the economic 'crisis', or a political protest. It was simply the fact that a few theives saw an opportnity to go looting whilst the police where on the back foot - and as others noticed they were getting away with it, they joined in. It was quite literally 150-200 'unemployed' going joining in to pick themselves up a new bluray player.
Paranoia is growing here in the UK, which saddens me. In the US, it, seems to me at least, to be a 'way of life', as the media scare their citizens into believing a terrorist attack is imminent, or 'our economy will fall, another depression' get your guns out!'. It sells papers, and encourages small companies to 'make a buck' by selling office-based parachutes, guns, defence weapons. Fear always helps to sell things, but I'm surprised so many academics actually buy into it. Sure the worlds economy is on a downturn, food prices are rising, but, in the context of the past 20 years, of even 10 years - things are surprisingly comfortable. Why the fear?
As for 'only seeing foreigners commit crime' - I assume thats on tv? I do not know the crime rates in Canada, or or the US (and the UK ones are generally warped as they don't seperate violent crime from financial crime). It may be a 'fact' that you see 'mostly foriegners' committing crimes on tv, but.... its television.... hardly something which is driven by boring old facts. Without actually travelling the country/world, asking those involved and seeing things first hand, one cannot make a truely informed opinion about crime, nor any complete views about the state of a country's disolution. A with all media, one should take it with a 'pinch of salt'.
And for 'high powered stunguns'? I'm sure people wil modify them. With all weapons carried by the public, it escalates. The public have weapons, so called bad guys' get bigger weapons, so the public get even bigger weapons. Its why guns are banned for personal onership in the UK, over here is more about knives. Either way, its driven by fear, and thats no way to live.
Its interesting to see how others 'see' their own country, and other coutries, as of course we all have different views, but I guess you guys must see vastly different things than I.
A quick note on the UK 'riots'. Gotta love media sensationalism, if it wasn't bad enoug that the BBC made out it was 'all about economic crisis', they also grossly exaggerated the areas affected - which were then amplified by the worlds media - one online friend from germany said his news was asking if 'marshall law' will be declared in london. Granted I do live several miles fm the center of London, so I wasn't in 'the thick of it' - but it really wasn't anything particularly spectactular, and only got the media attention it did because it originated as a small protest against police shooting an (allegedly) armed young man. It was nothing to do with the man who was shot, nor was it the economic 'crisis', or a political protest. It was simply the fact that a few theives saw an opportnity to go looting whilst the police where on the back foot - and as others noticed they were getting away with it, they joined in. It was quite literally 150-200 'unemployed' going joining in to pick themselves up a new bluray player.
Paranoia is growing here in the UK, which saddens me. In the US, it, seems to me at least, to be a 'way of life', as the media scare their citizens into believing a terrorist attack is imminent, or 'our economy will fall, another depression' get your guns out!'. It sells papers, and encourages small companies to 'make a buck' by selling office-based parachutes, guns, defence weapons. Fear always helps to sell things, but I'm surprised so many academics actually buy into it. Sure the worlds economy is on a downturn, food prices are rising, but, in the context of the past 20 years, of even 10 years - things are surprisingly comfortable. Why the fear?
As for 'only seeing foreigners commit crime' - I assume thats on tv? I do not know the crime rates in Canada, or or the US (and the UK ones are generally warped as they don't seperate violent crime from financial crime). It may be a 'fact' that you see 'mostly foriegners' committing crimes on tv, but.... its television.... hardly something which is driven by boring old facts. Without actually travelling the country/world, asking those involved and seeing things first hand, one cannot make a truely informed opinion about crime, nor any complete views about the state of a country's disolution. A with all media, one should take it with a 'pinch of salt'.
And for 'high powered stunguns'? I'm sure people wil modify them. With all weapons carried by the public, it escalates. The public have weapons, so called bad guys' get bigger weapons, so the public get even bigger weapons. Its why guns are banned for personal onership in the UK, over here is more about knives. Either way, its driven by fear, and thats no way to live.
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