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Now this rant will probably go through a list of subjects so I'll break it up.
As a starting note, I'm a democrat so republicans, prepare to disagree. Accept maybe on the first on.

Why Should American's Hate America?
Now I've never gotten this. I simply cannot comprehend the people out there who, when asked, would willing say they hate this country. If pressed, they'll answer something like the people of stupid or we're so an extremely violent country. I just wonder why they think this makes us deserving of hate.

I can see where other countries are coming from when they hate us. We chew through resources like a rat through a power cord, and we stick our little American nose-guns into their business, but what makes America so deserving of hate from it's people. It's not like you get the shaft when it comes to freedom in comparison to other places. Compare us to 7/10 other places in the world and we have vast freedom compared to there.


Violent Video Games
I was shocked thursday to discover that my mother was one of them.
One of the people that thought somehow games warped our minds to make us psycho killers. I'm so tired of these people.

I'd like to pose a hypothetical to you all.
A man stands over a young woman in the street. Tears and blood are streaming from the young ladies face as she sobs and the man brings his fist across her face again and again. You see her eyes search the crowd for someone to help her as he hits her again and again.
Do you....
A. Think "Lol this is just like GTA" and go along you merry prick [censored] er way.
B. Be shocked
C. Call 911
D. Pull the [censored] hole on beating the girl off of her

Now, I usually don't like to speak for those around me, because I feel it's narrow minded and pretentious, but I'm pretty goddamn sure that none of my gameing friends or the gamers here are, as Jack Thompson and many seem to think, going choose option A.

Why do they seem to think we'll have some greater separation from reality than someone who reads books or watched a movie. Some think that because your actions actually cause what happens in a game. But consider this, using the same logic that can be countered. Books cause violence. Instead of either movies or games, we're the violence is directly delivered to you, books actively prompt your mind to come up with these horrible images yourselves, making an even greater connection to the violence occur. Some would say books have been around for centuries and therefore there wouldn't be a spike. I ask you, what spike?
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/viort.htm
Violent crime as whole is falling as video games rise.
And look! Because I've gone far too long without being sarcastic and my hands have started shaking, look at this![url]
http://www.nea.gov/news/news04/ReadingAtRisk.html[/url]

There you have it. Books cause violence.

But seriously, how can people site this rise in rates of violence that doesn't exist! In the same way I could easily say that puppy rates rise whenever Jack Thompson speaks. It's not even real. But people don't seem to get this. People like him have taken the fear of a new media which occurs every time, ie. movies, rock and roll, and turned it into this even greater terror and dread at it. So no violence raised, no violence becoming more ok with gamers, what the hell are they afraid of that's true?


Alright, I'm all ranted out.
I'll probably produce more garbled ranting later.

Meh, Keldoth, there's not much to disagree with from my Republican angle. I mean, sure, I could quibble with your second paragraph about "Why Hate Your Own Country," but it's pretty minor. Just details -- the main point stands in my opinion too. I think America could beat out more than 70% of the world in freedoms, though. Anybody got the study handy or do I need to look that up myself?

Anyhow, I've never figured out the point of that level of self hatred and anger. These are the people unwilling to admit any redeeming qualities to America. Now, I don't care where you're from; if you don't think there are any redeeming qualities to your country you should leave. If there is even one redeeming quality, I can see the argument that you're staying in order to help set things back on track, but if there's nothing worth saving, why not go somewhere more to your liking?

-- Let me clarify something --
Obviously, my above rhetorical wondering assumes you've got the ability to do so; which the average America-hating American does, or at least they've generally got the ability to try. If your country is won't let you leave, even if you want to and are willing to try (see Cuba), then that's something else althogether.

Meh, I've met some try Bushites which is really to who I was referring.

Exactly, if you hate our country that much, it's not like you don't have other options. Canada certainly isn't far from us. What they say is either wrong or a misnomer. If your here to set things back on track that means you can't hate it enough wholely.

EDIT: Unlike in other places in the world, no ones going to stop you from leaving.

Ah. I think I understand, though I think they're probably also not that bright (I'm a big fan of our President myself, though I'll admit he's not perfect by any means). Now, I can totally see them (as good social conservatives) complaining about the level of violence in video games (and they really ought to extend their complaining to all entertainment). But pragmatically, they have to understand that they've got to play gatekeeper, and if they're actually decent conservatives, they shouldn't want the government interfering. Of course, they don't see it that way -- we need to Do What It Takes to "keep our children safe!" But the belief that videogames cause violence? That's stupid. It's always been stupid, it'll be stupid for the foreseeable future. It's the parents' responsibility to ensure that their children can separate reality from fantasy and are capable of acting in a manner consistent with civilized society. Videogames are simply the current opiate of the masses, so they bear the blame when something bad happens and nobody is willing to accept responsibility or admit that some people are either evil or simply not right in the head. The "Books Cause Violence" argument stands to reason much better, especially if you do the sort of picking and choosing that people do for videogames. I mean, think about the violence that has historically and is currently inspired by politcal and religious texts. There's better support that "The Communist Manifesto" is responsible for millions of deaths than the idea that "Grand Theft Auto" is responsible for less than a hundred.

--Hrm---
That came out more rambling than I intended it to be. It's getting too late and I'm too tired to make coherent arguments, so I think I'm just going to stop for the time being.

The video game thing isn't really a repub/dem divide as far as I can tell. There've been democrats that wanted to censor games and republicans that wanted it. I actually agree with you on most of that.

I hate America in its current form. If you don't like something someone did, you sue them. You'll probably win too. (the woman who sued McDonald's, the woman who tripped over her own kid in a furniture store and won the case against them, the lady who sued some little girls who baked her some cookies because she thought they were trying to poison her) You can't even breathe without getting a lawsuit thrown at you. Something has to be done about our government as well. There's a bill or something in the house that proposes putting a price cap on gas at 2.49/gal but there are congressmen who are opposing the bill. Likely because the gas companies are paying them off. We're suffering while these 'people' are getting fat off all the money they're making doing nothing.

Jack Thompson only chose to target violent video games because he knew there was money to be made. Soccer moms everywhere rejoiced when they didn't have to watch their own kids because they could just have the government do it for them with the ESRB.

Or maybe the congressmen oppose the cap from a environmental stand point, I would.

They most likely oppose it so that we continue to watch how much we use to actually help the environment. A side effect of people driving less to conserve their gas is less emissions from the cars that would be driving. More than that, it's not like putting a price on gas is just going to make the gas crisis go away. It isn't simply greed that raises costs, it's that we, as a planet, are slowly running out of gas. It's more than 10 dollars a barrel because it costs enough that for them to make a profit, they have to make a barrel cost 10 dollars. When people watch the gas they use it, and I know these seems pretty goddamn obvious, lowers the gas they use.

And this is nitpicking but "Soccer moms" probably wouldn't shell their kids off. More like bring them to soccer to shell them off.

Are you in America? Than leave or do something to change it instead of just saying what's wrong with it. Not even a big step, just say, don't sue anybody and tell your friends not to sue anybody and vote to re-elect people who don't support mass lawsuits.

And tell me something, which would you prefer, the mild fascism here with your mentioned bribing, which I do not deny happens, or outright fascism in Nazi Germany. Or how about war in Sudan. Or oppression in South Africa.

My point is, there are far worse places to be, but there are a few better, so if you hate it so much, why not leave?
In this country, no ones going to stop you.

Or stay and hate the country.
In this country, no ones gonna stop you from doing it either.


EDIT: Alright, I'm starting to get garbled and aggressive, sorry about that. It's time for me to stop debating for the night.

I'm trying to figure out how they propose to cap the price of a commodity that is an import...who's going to pay the difference?
O.o

As for the American self-hatred...well, it's simple:

- Most people are sheep
- It is popular to hate America (justified in some ways and places, not so much in others)
- The sheep do what is popular and what they're told, so they hate America

These are the same people who usually don't eat rice unless it is in overpriced sushi, but went and bought a hundred-pound bag that one week that we were being told that there was a shortage...somewhere...
:roll:

I live in Rosslare and no one really seems to even pay attention to America. Every one I know doesn't hate America but is more "meh". I agree completely with your stand on video games though.

I definitely don't hate america, but I do agree with luca about the obvious corruption. Our government isn't run by the people anymore, it's owned by the telecos and oil companies. Oh, and you know the Oil companies are artificially inflating by the fact that diesel is more expensive than gas. Diesel is a by-product of the process used to make gasoline, so why does it cost more?

That, and any time a pro-consumer bill enters either the senate or the house, it gets lobbied down. Politicians get kickbacks and we as consumers get screwed. Again. It's things like that that really piss me off. =/

What's Ireland like? I'm seriously thinking of moving their many years down the road. xP

You see, I can't change America alone and there are too many people who just don't care enough to change things. From what I hear, there's no law that says we have to pay income tax. Why are we doing it? Because only a few people are standing against the government and that's not enough. Also, if I remember correctly, if Congress decides that the people voted for what they think is the wrong President, they have the power to vote in a President and overrule the people's vote. Someone check me on that one.

And actually, these two other lawsuits I mentioned did happen.

http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transc ... 602_s3.htm
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6130_102-0. ... eID=744226

Its calm, and I want to say crisp. People here are very nice. Unless you bring up northern Ireland or the IRA, then prepare for the unexpected. Its overcast ( I love cloudy days ) most of the time, and very green. The only place I would avoid is northeastern Ireland. Thats where they speak celtic/Irish. No people do not drink as much as belived. I hear that alot for some reason. *shrugs*