They dismiss statistics from other places as irrelevant to their circumstances. I have spent a considerable amount of time in the USA over the years, and also met many ex pat Americans during my time in the Philippines. Most are very pleasant people on a one to one basis, friendly and helpful. Their attitude to guns though runs deep and is founded on the concept that the safety of themselves, and their families, is vested in them personally and not in society generally. Together with an immovable belief that the Constitution is set in stone and cannot be changed to suit changed circumstances means their mindset is at odds with ours.

Then you have the NRA being such a powerful lobby in a political environment where this matters. Whilst the case for checks and the removal of military weapons might seem a no-brainer to us, it
isn't to the NRA.

There is no obvious answer, given the divided state of their politics.

The only hope is the rise of a truly charismatic leader who can speak truth to the hearts of everyone. Reform of the politics which reduces the power of lobby groups is a prerequisite, followed by much stricter moderation of all social media platforms to ensure that whilst the free expression of opinions continues, dangerous content is either flagged or removed.

Will it happen? No chance.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

You would hope so, people have convinced themselves that 'any' change going forward (say future restrictions on buying semi automatic weapons) will result in people 'taking away their guns', so I don't see it. It's a ridiculous slippery slops fear anyway, as who presicely is going to take away guns from millions of Americans? I can't say I'd be applying for that job.

Oh yes absolutely agree.

I have been a few places, Arizona, New Hampshire, New York, Miami as a few but for me it is a very unsettling place.

I’ll enjoy the movies, the extremes displayed through documentary, enjoy the technology etc etc. But as far as common sense and any grip on reality goes, I could not possibly envision living there.

Still all very much a circus to me, I’ll therefore continue quite content as an amused or bemused spectator than participant thank you very much.

Now Zaha's got a bit of green grass ahead of him here... and finds Ambrose... not a bad effort!!!!

Over the years I've been to rural and city areas stateside, but as the partisanship and rage amps it up, I feel less and less inclined to ever return. America is not the world.

Much like with you, there are certain aspects of Lady Liberty that I can admire from afar, but I now appreciate the dangers of getting my mitts on her tits.

It's a mindset issue that is pushed because its profitable, and keeps the plebs at loggerheads rather than acknowledging that they have signficant class based common cause. Often arbitrary batches of beliefs that people get their groupthink memo on.

A future scenario where there's a split and some kind of near utopia follows because the demographics you dislike aren't there is detached from the reality that the same division fixated mindsets and financial dynamics toddle along too regardless of which way you slice and dice people. New contrived divisions will soon appear, and I fear you'll again be at the very front of the queue waiting to lap them up.

Edited by BlueJay (02 Jun 2022 7.48pm)

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Essentially you either want more gay disco or you don't.

Personally I think we had it right back in the eighties.

Now they want to indoctrinate and confuse your kids.

Edited by Stirlingsays (02 Jun 2022 9.19pm)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)