Who'll be the better president?

[FordGT90Concept]

...noone thinks either of the candidates are much use...

FordGT90Concept disagrees with that statement.

If Obama does win, it's not like I can do much about it. I'll just moan for four years and attempt to vote him out. XD

 

[mdm-adph]

Is democracy not about the MAJORITY?

No -- democracy is about protecting the rights of the minority. What you described is called "mob rule."

Everybody knows my views on the leagalisation of firearms....I am against it personally, I just find it kind of funny that a country can call itself "the land of the free" when it's citizens need to carry guns to feel safe. I can appreciate some of the arguments in favour, however I dont agree with them, it kind of dilutes the argument when so many gun crimes and deaths are caused by them, if it's civilised to go round killing people every minute of every day then thank god the UK is an un-civilised heap of cr*p ...........and ultimatly, as recent history has shown, all the guns in the world sadly dont stop terrorist bombings.

I don't think most Americans own firearms because they feel like they "need" them to be safe -- I think they own them because it's a right that they have, and it feels good to enjoy that right.

And like I've said before, you can't directly connect amount of gun deaths to amount of guns -- countries like Canada (and hell, even Switzerland) have a huge amount of guns/person in their borders, and they don't have anywhere near the amount of gun deaths as America. (America's problems with crime are more than likely a result of the high poverty rate -- gun deaths are merely a side-effect. Banning guns aren't going to stop crime or killings.)

 

[Tatty_Two]

Yeah it does. Gay used to mean happy. Now it more commonly refers to homosexuality...

If I said "I'm gay," you'd think I was a homo first and foremost. You wouldn't think I was "happy" and not a homo.

Yup, but as I said, the origional definition still stands..............

gay

• adjective (gayer, gayest) 1 (especially of a man) homosexual. 2 relating to homosexuals. 3 dated light-hearted and carefree. 4 dated brightly coloured; showy.

• noun a homosexual person, especially a man.

— DERIVATIVES gayness noun.

— USAGE Gay is now a standard term for ‘homosexual’, and is the term preferred by homosexual men to describe themselves. As a result, it is now very difficult to use gay in its earlier meanings ‘carefree’ or ‘bright and showy’ without arousing a sense of double entendre. Gay in its modern sense typically refers to men, lesbian being the standard term for homosexual women.

— ORIGIN Old French gai.


You just have to make sure you dont confuse nouns with adjectives

 

[Tatty_Two]

No -- democracy is about protecting the rights of the minority. What you described is called "mob rule."



I don't think most Americans own firearms because they feel like they "need" them to be safe -- I think they own them because it's a right that they have, and it feels good to enjoy that right.

And like I've said before, you can't directly connect amount of gun deaths to amount of guns -- countries like Canada (and hell, even Switzerland) have a huge amount of guns/person in their borders, and they don't have anywhere near the amount of gun deaths as America. (America's problems with crime are more than likely a result of the high poverty rate -- gun deaths are merely a side-effect. Banning guns aren't going to stop crime or killings.)

yep, I can go along with that, however, you also have lots of other rights that you probably dont persue so why so many choose to persue this one?

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Name the last time you heard "gay" used in casual conversation in not relating a homosexual. The word "gay" is now taboo.

Of course they don't purge dead defintions from the dictionary because there is no reason to. They serve the purpose of providing etymology links.

 

[mdm-adph]

yep, I can go along with that, however, you also have lots of other rights that you probably dont persue so why so many choose to persue this one?

Rights don't need to be "pursued" in order to exist. The very nature of the word "right" describes something that is unalienable -- something that you possess precisely by doing nothing.

 

[WhiteLotus]

Name the last time you heard "gay" used in casual conversation in not relating a homosexual. The word "gay" is now taboo.

Of course they don't purge dead defintions from the dictionary because there is no reason to. They serve the purpose of providing etymology links.

I use the word gay all the time. It now means stupid/silly/pointless. As in, "oh, well that's gay."

 

[SK-1]

I use the word gay all the time. It now means stupid/silly/pointless. As in, "oh, well that's gay."

Thats good What a vast difference in definition. The other parallel word I thought of is "FAG", two totally different meanings across the pond.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

I use the word gay all the time. It now means stupid/silly/pointless. As in, "oh, well that's gay."

I forgot about that usage. I think, in that context, it does mean happy but in a sarcastic way...

 

[Bigjohn]

Name the last time you heard "gay" used in casual conversation in not relating a homosexual. The word "gay" is now taboo.

Of course they don't purge dead defintions from the dictionary because there is no reason to. They serve the purpose of providing etymology links.

Fag was a cigarette as recently as the korean war.... most commmonly smoked by a brit...

 

[magibeg]

Fag was a cigarette as recently as the korean war.... most commmonly smoked by a brit...

It makes english sound that much more interesting. Like asking if you can "bum a fag".

 

[Bigjohn]

It makes english sound that much more interesting. Like asking if you can "bum a fag".

But you gotta be careful - if someone does not hear you right you get in trouble for calling that "bum a fag"...

 

[mdm-adph]

I always knew this thread was going to degrade one day into people throwing around the "fag" word...

 

[Tatty_Two]

Rights don't need to be "pursued" in order to exist. The very nature of the word "right" describes something that is unalienable -- something that you possess precisely by doing nothing.

That was actually my point, but if you "exercise" that right, you could argue that it's persued, unless you word play of course, "the right to carry weapons so they do because they can.....because it feels good" .....is that not persuing the right? as you said, the right remains wether they have a weapon or not, you have the right to get drunk every night....do you? (unless of course you live in parts of Alaska I suppose).

 

[Tatty_Two]

Fag was a cigarette as recently as the korean war.... most commmonly smoked by a brit...

It's still commonly used in the Uk to denote a cigarette now, just as some people still refer to being happy as "gay".

@ Mdm.....we dont use the word "fag" here generally for anything other than a cigarette......so in most cases, if a Brit uses the word it's in-offensive but I can understand perhaps the more complex issues facing the terminology in the US.

 

[DaedalusHelios]

Thats good What a vast difference in definition. The other parallel word I thought of is "FAG", two totally different meanings across the pond.

The majority of young people in America use it that way. It had that meaning in the USA(about 8 years ago) before it did in the UK. I see your 42 though so I don't blame you not knowing.

 

[hat]

yep, I can go along with that, however, you also have lots of other rights that you probably dont persue so why so many choose to persue this one?

Because it's fun to load & fire a weapon and have at it. Also guns happen to be great tools for hunting.

 

[SK-1]

The majority of young people in America use it that way. It had that meaning in the USA(about 8 years ago) before it did in the UK. I see your 42 though so I don't blame you not knowing.

use what what way? I was talking about the cigarette term, not the gay/happy thing.

 

[trt740]

Amen to that! I am a conservative liberal with the occasional socialist tendancy

and hes a middle to high level army commander, who know how to use about every weapon made and can kill ya with his little finger. Stop Tatty your scaring me.

 

[Bigjohn]

Anyone comment on Obamas "hail mary" speech today? All about feel good, feel good, let me make you feel good... and not a thing about the FACTS...

 

[farlex85]

Anyone comment on Obamas "hail mary" speech today? All about feel good, feel good, let me make you feel good... and not a thing about the FACTS...

Facts shmacts, not a word comes out of a nominee's mouth round this time that is a fact. It's campaigning, the general public likes feel-gooderies. Didn't catch the speech, may look into it later though.

 

[Bigjohn]

Yeah, but this was a speach full of BOLLOX!

 

[farlex85]

Yeah, but this was a speach full of BOLLOX!

Bullox eh? What kind in particular? Or better yet a link to the speech?

 

[ShadowFold]

[!] Oh No

 

[Bigjohn]

Bullox eh? What kind in particular? Or better yet a link to the speech?

I believe it's this here pile of crap and bullshit.