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[Strife26]

Calling them countries is pretty iffy at this point. Failed State is just barely outside an accurate description these days

[smjjames]

Iraq doesn't seem to be in a civil war per the usual defintion, or rather the civil war seems to have changed from Sunni vs Shiia to everybody else vs ISIS.

Either way, Iraq is a troubled state and pushing ISIS out won't make the underlying problems go away.

[Zangi]

That oil, babe.  Which oil company gets the awesomely exclusive deals to that hot stuff?  Not like the now conveniently non-existent Iraq and Syria gov'ts get any say in it.
Oh whats that?  They stabilized and want back control of that oil?  Too bad, those obviously international legally binding contracts are sticking.

[redwallzyl]

thank god finally. i can already hear the crazy Obama hatting gun nuts coming out of their bunkers to decry this breech of their rights. F them.

http://www.npr.org/2015/12/31/461615381/president-obama-preparing-to-take-executive-action-on-guns

[Strife26]

thank god finally. i can already hear the crazy Obama hatting gun nuts coming out of their bunkers to decry this breech of their rights. F them.

http://www.npr.org/2015/12/31/461615381/president-obama-preparing-to-take-executive-action-on-guns

How *dare* those badthink bastards disagree

[Twi]

Ah, is it time for our scheduled gun control/rights flamewar? :V
_{inb4 I start a metadiscussion on why we can't discuss something civily and it gets heated}

[Strife26]

Most likely. Lemee go get my flame resistant clothes.

[Willfor]

* Willfor starts greasing down the slippery slopes.

[Strife26]

* Willfor starts greasing down the slippery slopes.

Now, I know that I'll be on the opposite side of everyone else, but I'd like to start by pointing out that slippery slope is not nearly as fallacious as usual when it comes to rights. Once a right goes away, getting it back is very difficult (excepting a sufficiently powerful court upholding the right).


Privacy rights that one would expect to be protected under the Fourth Ammendment are broken. Big brother is going to be collecting your metadata for a nice, long healthy time. Similarly, now that prosecutors can boilerplate a case against obviously hyperbolic speech, don't be surprised to see the same thing in the future.



Anyway, assuming that was a reference to the slippery slope into flame nation and thread locking, I won't particularly inflame things, but I won't make promises if people feel like demonizing anyone who considers 2nd ammendment rights to be an express and individual one.

[Mephansteras]

Well, it depends on what he does. I have zero problem with all gun sales requiring a background check in order to proceed. The second amendment grants people the right to bear arms, it does not say that everyone should be able to buy whatever gun they want regardless of their criminal and mental history.

I've always thought that the ability to just go buy a gun at a gun show without any real limitations to be rife for abuse.

[scriver]

As long as everyone (on both sides: both those few who think it and those few who think the other side wants it) remember that a complete gun ban is not feasible and as the first mention such a thing is mentioned in any way by any side it is time to takte a break in the discussion, I'm up for it. Flame on!

[Powder Miner]

I don't actually mind background checks, what I DO mind is the usage of Executive Order to get it done. Separation of the branches very well exists for a reason, and the more and more I see presidents like Obama and his predecessor throw EOs out as if they were laws the more annoyed I get, especially because they provide base for later and similar executive orders.

Given, it's hardly a new trend (looking at you FDR, TR, Wilson and apparently Coolidge), but I still don't like it.

[Frumple]

Folks, do please remember that boss toad has previously asked for people to not do the whole 'fire is coming' thing. We could do without it.

If you're worried about the volatility of a topic, encourage calm heads and restrained tongues, or avoidance, instead of making speculations regarding flammability.

[redwallzyl]

I don't actually mind background checks, what I DO mind is the usage of Executive Order to get it done. Separation of the branches very well exists for a reason, and the more and more I see presidents like Obama and his predecessor throw EOs out as if they were laws the more annoyed I get, especially because they provide base for later and similar executive orders.

Given, it's hardly a new trend (looking at you FDR, TR, Wilson and apparently Coolidge), but I still don't like it.

he wouldn't have to do it if congress would actually do anything.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Because "the legislature is useless, we can at least get something done with a strong executive" has never caused problems before.