WintreathBoard

I'm really sorry I haven't seen the map.
I'll just randomize.
Anywhere at all.

You know,now that I think of it, it really does make me look kind of bad that I haven't seen the map..

Symboli wrote:

I'm really sorry I haven't seen the map.
I'll just randomize.
Anywhere at all.

You know,now that I think of it, it really does make me look kind of bad that I haven't seen the map..

It's in our World Factbook Entry at the top of the region page.

Thalasus wrote:

Not good, but not bad enough to worry about. The military hates you, but the Villa has them on a leash and you're too far away to really matter to the average Thalasus Joe.

Well I guess it's good for properganda? Currently Mr.Mcnarma is being used for a series of recruitment posters depicting him with a very large head and nose. Allouxia is divided on where it stands with Thalasus. One half is disgusted by the Thalasians and would love to obliterate them for the attack on the naval base. The other side where Autarch Allo stands is more accepting and trying to move forward with the nation progress.
The common threat all Allouxians seem to agree on is the Balticians. No offense Greater Balticia

Don’t mind me everyone, I’m doing nothing suspicious. Just twiddling my thumbs and wishing the US would just restrict guns.

Deeply, deeply, deeply inaccurate. Saying 'criminals won't care' is marginally accurate, but if that's the case, why do we ban child pornography, or heroin, or Kinder Surprise eggs? After all, criminals will be able to get them anyway - so there's really no sense in banning them. And if you disagree with me about any of those three things - well, why do you feel differently about guns?
The difference between guns and Prohibition or the war on drugs is that people have been trying to get high for millennia, whereas people would prefer not to use weapons unless they have no recourse. You are comparing desire to own and presumably make use of a weapon, and desire to get riggedy-riggedy-wrecked, which is as false an equivalency as I could ever imagine; it is not the comparison of apples to oranges, but rather apples to, oh, coming-of-age novels.
Don't get me wrong - I like firearms. I'm personally comfortable with their use, only mildly aggravated with their price, and frankly in an utterly unsurprising move as a young adult male think they're pretty cool. But I'm also keenly aware that I think that people in aggregate (although, tragically for my self-consistency in misanthropy, only rarely in specific) are dangerous raving idiots who should barely be allowed to procreate. Letting these same dangerous idiots own tools which were designed for the sole purpose of killing other people, for all that they have been mentally repurposed for 'fun' or 'sport' or 'self-defense' or 'hunting' is incredibly dangerous not just to me in particular but society in general.
Do I then propose that we take away all Americans' firearms? Obviously not. It's politically untenable and would paint a great big target on my chest, that given the high incidence of firearms in this country means I wouldn't last very long. But enforcing much stricter controls on them within the limits of cities with a population greater than 50,000 would be a heck of a strong start that wouldn't be seen as 'he's trying to take our guns!' by people living in rural areas for whom they are very much tied up with identity and self-defense, while being a damn sight safer for society as a whole.

And if you think this is busting your balls, I initially wrote another 1500 words before deciding to pare my argument down to this.

Allouxia wrote:

Getting rid of guns won't solve anything. Criminals won't care about a law banning weapons they'll still get them off the black market. Banning guns will only make it impossible for law abiding citizens to defend themselves. Guns don't kill people Solaran olympus people kill people. If anything just gun shops run extensive background checks for people with a history of mental illness or a criminal record.

I never said make guns illegal, that’s very idiotic to do. I would more checks like Switzerland.

French Albania wrote:

Deeply, deeply, deeply inaccurate. Saying 'criminals won't care' is marginally accurate, but if that's the case, why do we ban child pornography, or heroin, or Kinder Surprise eggs? After all, criminals will be able to get them anyway - so there's really no sense in banning them. And if you disagree with me about any of those three things - well, why do you feel differently about guns?
The difference between guns and Prohibition or the war on drugs is that people have been trying to get high for millennia, whereas people would prefer not to use weapons unless they have no recourse. You are comparing desire to own and presumably make use of a weapon, and desire to get riggedy-riggedy-wrecked, which is as false an equivalency as I could ever imagine; it is not the comparison of apples to oranges, but rather apples to, oh, coming-of-age novels.
Don't get me wrong - I like firearms. I'm personally comfortable with their use, only mildly aggravated with their price, and frankly in an utterly unsurprising move as a young adult male think they're pretty cool. But I'm also keenly aware that I think that people in aggregate (although, tragically for my self-consistency in misanthropy, only rarely in specific) are dangerous raving idiots who should barely be allowed to procreate. Letting these same dangerous idiots own tools which were designed for the sole purpose of killing other people, for all that they have been mentally repurposed for 'fun' or 'sport' or 'self-defense' or 'hunting' is incredibly dangerous not just to me in particular but society in general.
Do I then propose that we take away all Americans' firearms? Obviously not. It's politically untenable and would paint a great big target on my chest, that given the high incidence of firearms in this country means I wouldn't last very long. But enforcing much stricter controls on them within the limits of cities with a population greater than 50,000 would be a heck of a strong start that wouldn't be seen as 'he's trying to take our guns!' by people living in rural areas for whom they are very much tied up with identity and self-defense, while being a damn sight safer for society as a whole.

And if you think this is busting your balls, I initially wrote another 1500 words before deciding to pare my argument down to this.

you forgot to quote

French Albania can you write my essays for me, engineers aren’t good in writing English. Also as US citizen it really pains me that I can’t do anything to really affect change. Yes, I can contact my senators and representatives, I can’t propose laws that can potentially do good for the country I love. I truly do feel powerless and today just magnified it even more. I fuc*ing hate it so much, when you can clearly see and identify the problem but those in power simply just ignore it!

Solaran olympus wrote:

French Albania can you write my essays for me, engineers aren’t good in writing English. Also as US citizen it really pains me that I can’t do anything to really affect change. Yes, I can contact my senators and representatives, I can’t propose laws that can potentially do good for the country I love. I truly do feel powerless and today just magnified it even more. I fuc*ing hate it so much, when you can clearly see and identify the problem but those in power simply just ignore it!

I have attractive rates depending on the desired grade and subject matter.
And you could, lots of interest groups pass essentially pre-written legislation to senators who would support it. The problem is that private individuals don't really have a lot of sway unless they're wealthy, in which case it's quite easy to find an interest group to hide behind, or just make one up whole-cloth. If you're genuinely interested in doing something like that - find some citizen's organization and volunteer with them. And if you can't find an appropriate one, there's nothing stopping you beyond motivation from essentially just starting up your own. MAAD sprang up from grassroots efforts and got a great deal of reform through; if enough people feel strongly enough about an issue, it's definitely possible to effect change.
The problem is most people wind up jaded and apathetic as a result of the system, instead of retaining any quantity of hope to effect meaningful change. Which really only further solidifies the current system as among the best ones for maintaining and entrenching a power base.

French Albania wrote:

Yeah, I'm probably delusional in imagining that this country could ever grow some common sense. That optimism stands in deeply confusing contrast to my general state of misanthropy.

The only thing that gets politicians to act is votes. There are a lot more conservative votes and a lot more industry dontations (which translates indirectly into votes) to be gained by being pro-gun, far more so than there is to gain by proposing gun control or being anti-gun. Being pro-gun will get you boatloads of money, while being anti-gun gets your local chapter of the NRA frothing at the mouth and tickling the conspiracy-theory fancies of everyone in your constituency. Being silent on the matter or framing it as a crime or mental health issue is the safest, because you're avoiding the ire of the NRA and other politically active gun nuts while not being entirely reprehensible.

The day that politicians on the national level start to actually lose elections over being against gun control, if that day ever comes, is the day things change in favor of disarmament in America. Until then, enjoy the status quo of dead concertgoers and schoolchildren, laid down as sacrifices at the national altar of Smith & Wesson.

If it sounds like I am bitter, I am. As someone who owns guns and enjoys using them (for target shooting), I am sick and tired of these mass shootings that keep happening and the assholes who jump in the issue just to make an argument that they deserve to keep their military-grade toys. I don't need a fully-automatic rifle to defend myself from robbers or from a potentially oppressive government (although voting might be a little more effective on the government front, dontcha think?): my pump-action shotgun is plenty good enough for that and some. As a gun owner who plans on buying another gun, I want restrictions. I want to have to provide a certificate of mental health. I want to take mandatory firearm training. I want it to be a huge pain in the ass to get guns or gun attachments, because I have a basic spot of f*cking empathy and I want people to stop dying because of this.