I can't handle the Connecticut bleating on Facebook

[Guest Atlya]

By attempting to somehow dismiss people's sadness by somehow ranking the cause relative to other terrible events doesn't mean you've introduced some kind of new perspective on the situation, it only makes you into a giant fuckface.

It IS sad that those children had to die, but it was also sad how that guy was raised by his... mother?

She totally had responsibilities there and I insist on saying that things like "her mother should have locked him away" is terribad. Just wanted to add this here because I've just heard that today.

[Queen Victoria]

Skimmed the first few pages of this and don't feel like wading through 11, but has the whole "BUT CRIMINALS WOULD STILL HAVE KNIVES!!111!eleven" argument been brought up yet? Even more hilarious.

Criminals wouldn't have knives, criminals would have guns -- because they are criminals. They aready don't care about the law.

There are roughly 200 million privately-owned and legal firearms in the United States. Let's say you outlawed them all tomorrow. How would you go about retrieving them? How would you make sure they were all melted down? That's the problem with these grand, Eurotrash dreams for Americans -- they always involve some facist-style invasion of privacy, where Big Brother lords over every aspect of our lives, all in the interests of 'safety' and 'justice.'

Of course, you'd never get that far, because the moment you banned all those guns, their owners would be done with your system -- they'd be shooting at you. And don't think they wouldn't. After all, you've suddenly criminalized a key tenant of the only democracy they've ever known or believed in, thus utterly ruining it. Why should they respect one law when you've tossed another out?

This is what zealotry on the left leads to: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/newspaper-publishes-gun-owners-names-addresses-215214269--abc-news-topstories.html Boy, that sure is a free and just country -- treating gun owners like sex offenders. Merry Christmas America -- probably one of the last you'll see, at this rate.

[wilan]

Ah, now I understand what is meant by "the land of the free".

[Guest Atlya]

Criminals wouldn't have knives, criminals would have guns -- because they are criminals. They aready don't care about the law.

There are roughly 200 million privately-owned and legal firearms in the United States. Let's say you outlawed them all tomorrow. How would you go about retrieving them? How would you make sure they were all melted down? That's the problem with these grand, Eurotrash dreams for Americans -- they always involve some facist-style invasion of privacy, where Big Brother lords over every aspect of our lives, all in the interests of 'safety' and 'justice.'

Of course, you'd never get that far, because the moment you banned all those guns, their owners would be done with your system -- they'd be shooting at you. And don't think they wouldn't. After all, you've suddenly criminalized a key tenant of the only democracy they've ever known or believed in, thus utterly ruining it. Why should they respect one law when you've tossed another out?

This is what zealotry on the left leads to: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/newspaper-publishes-gun-owners-names-addresses-215214269--abc-news-topstories.html Boy, that sure is a free and just country -- treating gun owners like sex offenders. Merry Christmas America -- probably one of the last you'll see, at this rate.

USA, a democracy? Muahahahahah! Too many stupid rednecks in your cuntry is the worst.

Tell me, if you're so proud of "dmocracy" and "civil liberties", why haven't you already taken arms against that government that sells you and your liberties to greedy corporations ?

You should already have shot all of them by now, but you'd rather yell at "eurotrash" because even with all your guns, ou can't do JACKSHIT about all this.

[Queen Victoria]

USA, a democracy? Muahahahahah! Too many stupid rednecks in your cuntry is the worst.

Better than whatever shithole has-been you hail from.

Tell me, if you're so proud of "dmocracy" and "civil liberties", why haven't you already taken arms against that government that sells you and your liberties to greedy corporations ?

Who in the what now?

You should already have shot all of them by now, but you'd rather yell at "eurotrash" because even with all your guns, ou can't do JACKSHIT about all this.

Well, at least I'm better off than you -- can't do jack shit about anything, and doesn't even have a gun.

[wilan]

Better than whatever shithole has-been you hail from.

I think Belgium is a rather good place to live, actually.

[vennie]

Better than whatever shithole has-been you hail from.

I believe there are quite a few statistics and ranking lists (life expectancy per country and stuff like that) that will show you that belgium and a lot of other european countries, are quite ahead of the US.

You could've known that if you could look past the barrel of your gun (see wat I did thar)

[bdog]

For all the arguing going on, I imagine sitting at a computer and posting to an internet forum is fairly similar experience from country to country.  I mean, other than the fact that I have a .44 Magnum sitting here so that my Sister doesn't steal my Christmas presents, and of course she has her little hunting rifle sitting by the couch, but that's only to protect herself in case Dad comes around.   

Joyeux Noël!!

[Queen Victoria]

I believe there are quite a few statistics and ranking lists (life expectancy per country and stuff like that) that will show you that belgium and a lot of other european countries, are quite ahead of the US.

You could've known that if you could look past the barrel of your gun (see wat I did thar)

I don't need to look at statistics to know that I (still) live in the greatest country on Earth. I'm certainly glad I'm not yet spending fifty percent of my income funding a bloated, all-socialist government, huge, unnecessary, self-serving public works projects like railroads to nowhere, and healthcare systems so corrupt and broken that the citizens of most European countries still flock to the United States to receive the best care. Belgium? Shithole. What have they ever done other than get run over in two world wars? Have some national pride -- slow down the Germans for a change.

[Guest Atlya]

I don't need to look at statistics to know that I (still) live in the greatest country on Earth. I'm certainly glad I'm not yet spending fifty percent of my income funding a bloated, all-socialist government, huge, unnecessary, self-serving public works projects like railroads to nowhere, and healthcare systems so corrupt and broken that the citizens of most European countries still flock to the United States to receive the best care. Belgium? Shithole. What have they ever done other than get run over in two world wars? Have some national pride -- slow down the Germans for a change.

The Germans are moronic that's for sure, but at least there's an ocean between us. Just turn your gun over and shoot yourself, if all you people does that maybe there's still a chance for the US to shine.

And sure the US is one of the greatest countries, along with China and Russia, pretty big countries those.

[Guest flamins]

I don't need to look at statistics to know that I (still) live in the greatest country on Earth. I'm certainly glad I'm not yet spending fifty percent of my income funding a bloated, all-socialist government, huge, unnecessary, self-serving public works projects like railroads to nowhere, and healthcare systems so corrupt and broken that the citizens of most European countries still flock to the United States to receive the best care. Belgium? Shithole. What have they ever done other than get run over in two world wars? Have some national pride -- slow down the Germans for a change.

Did you just say that you didn't need to look at any facts before coming to the conclusion that you're living in the greatest country on earth?  Let me guess, you've never actually left North America, never travelled anywhere that doesn't speak English, and don't have a passport?  This would explain why you are under the bizarre impression that the Europeans have pork-barrel projects like your endless bridges to nowhere, or that EU citizens would ever travel to the USA for healthcare that would cost them hundreds of thousands and could be had for free in their own countries. 

You know, back in the 1950s, it might even have been true that the USA was the best nation on earth.  Well, for white people, anyway.  Not so now.  Standards of living are far higher in many other countries.  Life expectancy, general health, family life, GDP per capita, and general happiness are all far higher in many European states than they are in the US.  Crime is lower, mental illness less common, social mobility greater, family breakdown more infrequent, racial divisions less caustic, educational outcomes higher. 

Oh, I forgot.  You're not interested in facts.  Just in clinging to your comforting delusions.

Hell, America can't even offer itself as the model for the future any more.  Asia rises rapidly, and the exciting locus of future commercial power is to be found in the megacities of the future hyperpowers of China and India.

Hate to break it to you bub, but the USA has been in relative decline for decades.  You're bankrupt, over-extended, in hock to foreign creditors to the tune of trillions of bucks, and strangely incapable of securing victory in two minor wars. Not to mention you're mired with a decrepit public infrastructure, broken public education system and inept political process that is incapable of delivering any meaningful change.  Such things do not the world's greatest country make.

(Oh, and FYI, it's "tenets" not "tenants".  A pet peeve of mine.)

[Queen Victoria]

Did you just say that you didn't need to look at any facts before coming to the conclusion that you're living in the greatest country on earth?  Let me guess, you've never actually left North America, never travelled anywhere that doesn't speak English, and don't have a passport?  This would explain why you are under the bizarre impression that the Europeans have pork-barrel projects like your endless bridges to nowhere, or that EU citizens would ever travel to the USA for healthcare that would cost them hundreds of thousands and could be had for free in their own countries. 

You know, back in the 1950s, it might even have been true that the USA was the best nation on earth.  Well, for white people, anyway.  Not so now.  Standards of living are far higher in many other countries.  Life expectancy, general health, family life, GDP per capita, and general happiness are all far higher in many European states than they are in the US.  Crime is lower, mental illness less common, social mobility greater, family breakdown more infrequent, racial divisions less caustic, educational outcomes higher. 

Oh, I forgot.  You're not interested in facts.  Just in clinging to your comforting delusions.

Hell, America can't even offer itself as the model for the future any more.  Asia rises rapidly, and the exciting locus of future commercial power is to be found in the megacities of the future hyperpowers of China and India.

Hate to break it to you bub, but the USA has been in relative decline for decades.  You're bankrupt, over-extended, in hock to foreign creditors to the tune of trillions of bucks, and strangely incapable of securing victory in two minor wars. Not to mention you're mired with a decrepit public infrastructure, broken public education system and inept political process that is incapable of delivering any meaningful change.  Such things do not the world's greatest country make.

(Oh, and FYI, it's "tenets" not "tenants".  A pet peeve of mine.)

And you live where? I mean, it hardly matters because it sucks, but all the same, it must be some kind of a magical land to be so free of fault. Also, way to nitpick on the spelling. It's the classic internet troll's redoubt.

[vennie]

And you live where? I mean, it hardly matters because it sucks, but all the same, it must be some kind of a magical land to be so free of fault. Also, way to nitpick on the spelling. It's the classic internet troll's redoubt.

Haha did you really accuse Flamins of being a troll while you are spouting insults without even so much as some commentary why you have that opinion (see the bolded part of the quote). Or not even being open to the notion that, yes, there could be countries who have their shit together better as the US.

And now, a bit about Queen Victoria, since we're spouting insults anyway;

You're a typical, self-entitlement-oriented, inbred (hillbilly), insular, nationalistic, inherently violent, unfashionable, paranoid, arrogant, unsophisticated, fat, lazy, vulgar, greedy, racist, spoiled-rich, ignorant, stupid, humorless, loud, obnoxious, gum-chewing, carbon-emitting, baby-killing, gun-toting, bible-thumping, flag-waving, self-centered, globalizing, uncouth, swearmouthed, boorish non-human Neanderthal American obsessed with sex, celebrities and McDonalds that demands the entire world revolve around himself and people like you are exactly the reason why the rest of that world tends to hate Americans.

[Guest primitive]

Haha did you really accuse Flamins of being a troll while you are spouting insults without even so much as some commentary why you have that opinion (see the bolded part of the quote). Or not even being open to the notion that, yes, there could be countries who have their shit together better as the US.

And now, a bit about Queen Victoria, since we're spouting insults anyway;

You're a typical, self-entitlement-oriented, inbred (hillbilly), insular, nationalistic, inherently violent, unfashionable, paranoid, arrogant, unsophisticated, fat, lazy, vulgar, greedy, racist, spoiled-rich, ignorant, stupid, humorless, loud, obnoxious, gum-chewing, carbon-emitting, baby-killing, gun-toting, bible-thumping, flag-waving, self-centered, globalizing, uncouth, swearmouthed, boorish non-human Neanderthal American obsessed with sex, celebrities and McDonalds that demands the entire world revolve around himself and people like you are exactly the reason why the rest of that world tends to hate Americans.

+1 billion.

Now, imagine what its like sharing a country with someone like Queen Victoria, and knowing that people who happen to share his particular brand of stupid are the ones that represent your country on the global stage. Hence why I lie and tell people I'm Canadian when travelling.

In fact, almost willing to bet that about half of all Canadians that people meet in Europe are just embarrassed Americans.

[Queen Victoria]

You're a typical, self-entitlement-oriented, inbred (hillbilly), insular, nationalistic, inherently violent, unfashionable, paranoid, arrogant, unsophisticated, fat, lazy, vulgar, greedy, racist, spoiled-rich, ignorant, stupid, humorless, loud, obnoxious, gum-chewing, carbon-emitting, baby-killing, gun-toting, bible-thumping, flag-waving, self-centered, globalizing, uncouth, swearmouthed, boorish non-human Neanderthal American obsessed with sex, celebrities and McDonalds that demands the entire world revolve around himself and people like you are exactly the reason why the rest of that world tends to hate Americans.

You're an asshat.

I didn't even bother to read the list, by the way.

Asshat.

[vennie]

You're an asshat.

I didn't even bother to read the list, by the way.

Asshat.

Are you sure not to read the list? It contains many truths from which you could learn something. Now, I know you are quite unfamiliar with the concept of 'learning' or even 'thinking' as your countries defunct educational system has only prepared you for consumption of bite-size low-level bits of information (and chicken nuggets), but you should at least try!

You're not beyond saving! You have to believe in yourself! Sure, it's hard to while living in a country that is completely bankrupt in every way that counts, even besides the fact the US debt is bigger than its economy (17,000,000,000,000 dollars).

But hey, if you really are getting depressed by all the things we have said to you, you can always retreat back into the safe, warm and cozy delusion that the US is the greatest country that has ever existed, despite the fact that it has only been around for a blink of an eye and is already in decline.

Rest assured that all the structures that older and longer lasting civilisations and empires have erected from even 10,000 years ago are still standing today and will keep on standing even when the US is nothing but a wasteland of crumbling, disintegrated and faded McDonalds and Starbucks buildings on every what used to be streetcorners. Comfort yourself in the fact that you are a descendant of Europe's Unwanted so that you too share that link with it's great history and structures.

See? There's much to live for and living in America is no reason to commit suicide just yet.

Just...seek help.

[Klaus!]

The insults you're leveling at Vicky can go both ways guys. Europe isn't without it's crippling demographic issues, massive debt, and unemployment.

[bdog]

What have they ever done other than get run over in two world wars? Have some national pride -- slow down the Germans for a change.

A thread that started in modern day Connecticut reaches back through time and space to hit WWII in completely irrelevant fashion.  It's been a long time coming but I do believe this means that Curvage is officially back online. 

[vennie]

The insults you're leveling at Vicky can go both ways guys. Europe isn't without it's crippling demographic issues, massive debt, and unemployment.

That's not what this is about, Klaus. Europe is full of faults, problems and idiots. Personally, I couldn't care less about Europe.

It's Queen Victoria's smug attitude about the US and his unwillingness to see/blindness to the fact that the US is not always better as other countries, or that there are countries which on some points outperform/outclass/outwhatever the US, while he keeps holding on to his dream about the grandeur of America, what this is about.

And he's not alone in that behavior.

I often imagine Americans engulfed in a massive nationwide circlejerk over the red, white and blue flag of America. Nothing wrong with a healthy sense of pattriotism, but holy shit, get your head out of ass.

[bdog]

I often imagine Americans engulfed in a massive nationwide circlejerk over the red, white and blue flag of America. Nothing wrong with a healthy sense of pattriotism, but holy shit, get your head out of ass.

But it smells so good in there! 

[leedstwo]

God, this is fun to watch. Where's my popcorn?

Patriotism, nationalism, and jingo bore me, but I do actually love America. We have some pretty fantastic cultural myths about struggle, diversity, and freedom (not to say that other countries don't, of course!). Also, the land is gorgeous, and my friends live here!

When I talk to my friends, neighbors, and family members who think like Queen Victoria, though, and I'm just amazed.

I mean... ok, in Queen Victoria's ideal world, everyone has a gun. Also, we as Americans believe that we are better than everyone else in the world and we don't need any evidence or statistics to back those claims up? This is all starting to sound like the wild west mixed with the movie Highlander.

There can be only one...

[Guest Atlya]

The insults you're leveling at Vicky can go both ways guys. Europe isn't without it's crippling demographic issues, massive debt, and unemployment.

Who said Europe countries were perfect? HE said that the US of A was the GREATEST country (ever-in-the-whole-while-world-alternate-universes-included).

Besides he flushed aside what was probably the highest rated argumentory we could have from flamins.

He definitely takes more from queen than Victory-a.

[Heart and Mind]

I don't need to look at statistics to know that I (still) live in the greatest country on Earth.

Hilarious. I cant believe i read that whole post...

[wilan]

I don't need to look at statistics to know that this is the greatest thread on the internet.

[caitidee]

All this talk of McDonald's and chicken nuggets is making me hungry.