Lets Stop George Bush before he Destroys the Whole Planet Earth.

[The_Doc_Man]

American are the only people in the world who deny that their media reflect their culture. I wonder why they're so ashamed of it?

OK, you bloody twit, that one is a non sequitur in that it performs the fallacy of the unrelated antecedent.

We deny that the media reflects our culture accurately because anything that shows "ordinary" life won't sell. "Big media" is out for a buck - our slang for making money. So they sell fantasy - which by definition is fantastic in the sense of "not real." What facet of reality they choose to show is of no consequence. Whatever the media shows, it is exaggerated, stretched to fit, and otherwise not representative of reality. It has omissions, additions, modifications, flights of fantasy, extrapolations, compressions, and all of the other little tricks that make the program "fit in the time allotted."

Since that presentation is not related to reality, how does it figure that we are ashamed of our real culture? (Answer: It does not.)

Therefore, when you toss in that remark about Americans being ashamed of their culture, you drew it from the nothingness inside you because you surely cannot have deduced it from our comments on what our media actually display. You were just being mean-spirited. You can deny it but I'm calling you out that you were just bashing for the sake of bashing. Either that, or your ability to understand logic is sorely deficient.

Hollywood (and probably Pinewood in the UK) have NO RELATION TO REALITY! If there is any shame, it is about a human - not a USA - trait. Morbid curiosity. We have no lock on this one. That is why the stuff made in TinselTown sells. It appeals to the basest of human interests.

I've watched the police video shows referenced in other posts. I once talked to a police officer who happens to also be a tennis buddy of mine. He told me what was going on. I'll try to explain.

Once you have a police chase that involves collisions, refusal to stop, and other issues that indicate an unwillingness to cooperate, you quickly get into the situation called a "felony stop." Listen to the shows more carefully to hear this phrase. I have heard it many times when the tape comes from the California area and the officer's voice is that of the helicopter observer.

In this mode of operation, the police ASSUME the worst because the driver has ALREADY SHOWN IT TO BE TRUE! Trying to force an officer off the road, trying to run down pedestrians (or just plowing through intersections without regard to pedestrians), using the car AS A WEAPON - these make the actions of the driver a FELONY. In such cases, to protect the lives of the police AND the citizens around them, the rule is that you draw your weapon because you will not accept further resistance. The driver has already performed a felony or two before they get the vehicle stopped.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Basically lives lost with no gain whatsoever.

There, Dan, we agree.

Hezbollah's agenda includes destruction of Israel. Isreal's agenda is survival and retribution against those who attack. Both involve a desire to kill others. And there is where the no-win situation comes about.

 

[Rich]

But to answer your question about who has departed or spent less time here because of the continuous crapfest this place has become: my visits here are increasingly infrequent,

Where's the loss there?
I have to confess I thought you were complaining about nomorehype leaving the forum but then I noticed it was Americans you were referring too. Well lets face it the Yanks aren't exactly know for staying the distance when in an argument are they?

 

[Rich]

What I mean is that I have watched you refuse to accept ANYONE ELSE'S point of view.

No, only American Republicans views, let's take a look at how well Bush's policy of bombing the crap out of everyone that doesn't tow the American line is shall we?
America bombed the crap out of Afghanistan because it wouldn't hand over BinLiner, are you still there searching no! you handed the mess over to others due to the fact that Saddam was taking the piss out of America and you wanted more than one war. Hussein was caged in by the alliance and the no fly zone, he wasn't a threat to anyone!
Who has the voice of Muslims now? Iran! Well done now we're in a worse frigging mess than before

You carry on and bury your head in the sand about bombing the crap out of the world and going in all guns blazing and remember who brought IRAN to the forefront it now enjoys in the middle east

 

[Rich]

We deny that the media reflects our culture accurately because anything that shows "ordinary" life won't sell.

Bollywood manages very well

 

[Rich]

Dan-cat



This was in response to my comment about no innocent citizens in Lebanon.

If the folks in Lebanon didn't kick out Hezbollah themselves, they became part of the problem. I see the parallel to this in inner cities of the USA. The druggies take over whole neighborhoods and the people who live there haven't got the guts to stand up to them. So they let it happen, then complain when nobody stops them from preying on the neighborhood.

Just remember, not to decide is to decide. If you don't want to be bombed to Hell and gone, remove the targets from your area.

That's what makes America so frigging dangerous, I challenge you again, by your definition we should have bombed the crap out of Ireland after all because it harboured terrorists they must have all been guilty!

 

[Rich]

I rest my case.

I'm sure Perry Mason had a gun too, just in case

 

[Rich]

These programmes are based on the abnormal.

There must be a hell of a lot of the abnormal over there then

 

[MrsGorilla]

there are no reasons given for their infrequency

It has been increasingly stale in here. I go through periods where I may not visit for a few weeks and when I come back, inevitibly the discussion is right where I left it. I certainly don't feel as if I'm going to miss anything.

I came here over three years ago and you're still talking about the same crap.

I will drop this topic for a while, because you ( and Kraj) just don't understand what I'm getting at

I must admit, I don't really understand what you're getting at either. As far as I can see, all of the questions that you and Rich have asked have been answered many times in myriad ways, yet you still claim not to understand. Is that really possible? Or is it just that you would rather believe Hollywood instead of us?

Time and time again on US programmes we see guns, shooting, killings, blacks are bad, whites are good, we see corruption at highest levels, we see corruption at lower levels, we see street violence, knifings, we see motorists shooting each other in road rage,

the point is if Hollywood make these programmes and its all untrue, where do they base their ideas from? is it fantasy?

Short answer, yes. Hollywood churns out this crap in an effort to make money. People would rather pay to see a violent movie rather than a movie about an average Christian family going to church. I really don't understand why you keep harping on this topic anyway. I have never once watched a British show and thought that I must be learning about what life is really like over there. Fiction = Fake. The movies that you are referring to are not "true" stories.

The one-upmanship that has been going on between the movie studios doesn't help matters either. The trend the last few years however has been to steer clear of the R rating and shoot for PG-13 ratings so that more families can go and see movies together. Therefore, the amount of violence in movies has been on the decrease, thank goodness.

Ask Cindy why she keeps a gun on top the wardrobe. Ask other members why they keep an arsenal of weapons. Why do cops carry guns?

We have that gun because it was given to us by my husband's stepdad. My point I tried to make (and tried and tried ) way back when in the Gun Crime thread was that if I had to use it to defend myself or my family I would do so without hesitation. Does crime happen here? Yes, just as it does over there. Do murders happen here? Yes, just as they do over there. Cops carry guns because criminals are dangerous. Seems pretty self explanatory to me.

Lets move on to another subject

Thank goodness.

Now, I'm going to back out of this discussion again and go back just to making light-hearted comments again, in a vain attempt to lighten the mood around here.

 

[dan-cat]

There must be a hell of a lot of the abnormal over there then

Nothing that can't be handled by one such as me...

 

[Rich]

Nothing that can't be handled by one such as me...

I've always thought of Americans as the Mekon meself

 

[Rich]

We have that gun because it was given to us by my husband's stepdad. My point I tried to make (and tried and tried ) way back when in the Gun Crime thread was that if I had to use it to defend myself or my family I would do so without hesitation.

But we worry in case you accidentally shoot yourself in the foot Cindy, honest

 

[dan-cat]

But we worry in case you accidentally shoot yourself in the foot Cindy, honest

I would have thought she uses her feet to pull the trigger

 

[Rich]

I would have thought she uses her feet to pull the trigger

That's disgusting! there are children viewing this forum

 

[MrsGorilla]

I'm sure Perry Mason had a gun too, just in case

Perhaps, but then the guy he was defending was never guilty, was he? Otherwise the show would have been over too quickly.

 

[MrsGorilla]

But we worry in case you accidentally shoot yourself in the foot Cindy, honest

Thanks for your concern.

I would have thought she uses her feet to pull the trigger

And thanks for that too.

Actually, we have the stupid thing up out of reach and unloaded right now since we have a youngun.

 

[Adeptus]

Bollywood manages very well

So you think that Indians spend all day singing & dancing?

 

[Rich]

So you think that Indians spend all day singing & dancing?

better than running around all day shooting each other


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14502154/

 

[Rich]

The movies that you are referring to are not "true" stories.

Bonnie & Clyde, Dillinger, St Valentines Day Massacre, The Lone Ranger etc. all fiction?

 

[ColinEssex]

This was in response to my comment about no innocent citizens in Lebanon.

If the folks in Lebanon didn't kick out Hezbollah themselves, they became part of the problem.

By your own definition, if the USA folks don't sort out Bush, they become part of the problem. Bush happily kills tens of thousands of people on a whim and sends 3,000 ish Americans to their deaths. So the USA folks are also to blame? or is it different when its the USA inflicting their ideals on other countries?

Doc, just going back to the police thing - you said

In this mode of operation, the police ASSUME the worst because the driver has ALREADY SHOWN IT TO BE TRUE! Trying to force an officer off the road, trying to run down pedestrians . . . . . . . . . . the rule is that you draw your weapon because you will not accept further resistance. The driver has already performed a felony or two before they get the vehicle stopped.

we have exactly the same instances here, yet our police deal with it without the need for shouting / guns drawn / pump action shotguns etc etc. Our police deal with these perps in a firm, polite and efficient way, if necessary they may handcuff them. I think the USA police just seem to over-react all the time.
Do you admit that your gun worshiping culture has forced your police along this aggressive 'Wyatt Earp' stance? it is proven (in the UK) that it is not necessary.

As I said, the dollar is the No 1 religion in the USA with the gun at No 2

Cindy -

We have that gun because it was given to us by my husband's stepdad. My point I tried to make (and tried and tried ) way back when in the Gun Crime thread was that if I had to use it to defend myself or my family I would do so without hesitation

Actually, we have the stupid thing up out of reach and unloaded right now since we have a youngun

I hate to say this but your first quote and second don't mesh together. By the time you find the gun and ammo and load it - do you think the perp is going to wait? you may as well get rid of the thing. Anyway, you live with Mr Universe - who in their right mind will take him on? he could kill with one sneeze

Col