TAP VS The Military Mind

[ArMaP]

Because You made eye contact and it's a polite thing to do?

What, smile to someone I don't know just because we made eye contact? If we acted like that we will be constantly smiling like idiots to everyone. 

You seem to be equating a smile at a stranger You made eye contact with but really don't care about with a form of "lying."

If I don't have any reason for smiling then I see it as deception.

Or keeping Your mouth closed (discretion) when somebody at a party starts spouting something You don't agree with but You know it might get ugly if You speak up...  That's "lying?"

No, that's not lying, and I don't think I said it was.

Well, I can see you likely DO think smiles at strangers and using discretion is "lying."  Ok.

No, I think that smiling at strangers because "it's the polite thing to do", when I have no reason for it, is deception. As for "using discretion" I don't see why you interpreted what I said that way, what I said was that I could be rude "when I think I should", it's not the same thing as not being discrete.

Are You that dissociated from society?  It sounds like is and I'm so sad if You are.

From US society? I probably am, I don't know why you think everyone, everywhere, acts according to what you think is "the right way".

PS: I read once (I don't remember where) that in the US many people, when talking with another person, look more to the other person's mouth than to the eyes. Is that true?

[Amaterasu]

When it gets to THAT point your guns will be useless because they will have 30,000 plus unmanned Predator drones over your head that can singly take out your house and city block... and from a distance that you won't even see them

Perhaps so, z, but the 30,000 drones cannot be EVERYWHERE...

If that was their main aim... we would already be disarmed

They cannot disarm Us by force - not MOST of Us.  We have to be convinced collectively that We will "be safer" if We VOLUNTARILY disarm Ourselves.  That is what They are working towards.

[Amaterasu]

What, smile to someone I don't know just because we made eye contact? If we acted like that we will be constantly smiling like idiots to everyone. 
If I don't have any reason for smiling then I see it as deception.
No, that's not lying, and I don't think I said it was.
No, I think that smiling at strangers because "it's the polite thing to do", when I have no reason for it, is deception. As for "using discretion" I don't see why you interpreted what I said that way, what I said was that I could be rude "when I think I should", it's not the same thing as not being discrete.
From US society? I probably am, I don't know why you think everyone, everywhere, acts according to what you think is "the right way".

PS: I read once (I don't remember where) that in the US many people, when talking with another person, look more to the other person's mouth than to the eyes. Is that true?

I guess We are at loggerheads here. [shrug]  I don't think social norms of politeness for its own sake is "lying" or "deceitful" - I mean if someOne smiles at You, do You feel They are motivated by a desire to deceive You??? But, whatever.

As for the last question, I don't know.  Never noticed one way or another.  I tend to make eye contact.

[Ellirium113]

There are 2 debates raging here...

1) Guns to protect against tyranny
2) Guns for personal defense

The debate on #1 is pretty much a dead horse as we all know unless you have an army backing you there is no chance of using your gun without you likely dying trying.

#2 is where the debate is at and as Zorgon mentioned unless immigration policy changes it may be a nessecity to keep a gun on hand. An assault rifle? I don't think so though. If people are not physically fit enough to defend themselves or face uneven odds a gun does provide an adequate deterrent. I am not scared of guns just the guy pointing it.

[The Matrix Traveller]

There will always be guns for 2 reasons.

1.     No One Trusts LIFE..... As the Flesh is at WAR against LIFE !
and
2.     Billions of $$$$$$$$$ are made each year from this Industry.

When we make "Peace" with LIFE, then and ONLY then, shall ALL our problems evaporate !   

But can people make peace with LIFE in this world ?

I hope so, sooner rather than later, but LIFE has "Eternity" to observe.   

The ONLY ONE which shall "Win" in the End is LIFE !

The human species has already lost the WAR even before it started....   

It just needs the human species to realise this, and begin to learn !

[ArMaP]

I guess We are at loggerheads here. [shrug]

Maybe, I don't know what that means. 

I don't think social norms of politeness for its own sake is "lying" or "deceitful" - I mean if someOne smiles at You, do You feel They are motivated by a desire to deceive You??? But, whatever.

What you don't seem to understand is that each country has it's own social norms of politeness, and I think those in use in the US see the appearing polite more important than the being polite. But that's just me.

In Portugal we don't smile at strangers because we happened to look at each other, we only smile at people if we have a real reason for doing it, and we have been doing it for centuries (generally speaking, I'm not that old, yet ).

People in the US like to have guns and smile at everyone? Good for them, we prefer not to smile at everyone and not depend on weapons to feel safe.

[Amaterasu]

Joyce Lee Malcolm: Two Cautionary Tales of Gun Control

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323777204578195470446855466.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

Thoughts and data on gun control.

[Amaterasu]

There will always be guns for 2 reasons.

1.     No One Trusts LIFE..... As the Flesh is at WAR against LIFE !
and
2.     Billions of $$$$$$$$$ are made each year from this Industry.

When we make "Peace" with LIFE, then and ONLY then, shall ALL our problems evaporate !   

But can people make peace with LIFE in this world ?

I hope so, sooner rather than later, but LIFE has "Eternity" to observe.   

The ONLY ONE which shall "Win" in the End is LIFE !

The human species has already lost the WAR even before it started....   

It just needs the human species to realise this, and begin to learn !

I say We can achieve this peace is We stop accounting for meaningful energy expended - which is the function of exchange - be it barter, trade or money.

[zorgon]

People in the US like to have guns and smile at everyone? Good for them, we prefer not to smile at everyone and not depend on weapons to feel safe.

I don't trust people that smile all the time  Experience has shown me they usually have something to hide..

Religious zealots smile all the time... even when telling you their god is about to destroy the world...

Used car salesmen smile a lot, especially the shady ones...  run away!!!

Schmarmy Lawyers on TV ads are always smiling.... they are usually the ambulance chaser types



And the rest are all perpetually in Lotus Land

[Amaterasu]

I don't trust people that smile all the time  Experience has shown me they usually have something to hide..

Religious zealots smile all the time... even when telling you their god is about to destroy the world...

Used car salesmen smile a lot, especially the shady ones...  run away!!!

Schmarmy Lawyers on TV ads are always smiling.... they are usually the ambulance chaser types



And the rest are all perpetually in Lotus Land

Thinkin' Ya wouldn't like Me in person then...

[petrus4]

Thinkin' Ya wouldn't like Me in person then...

You and me, on the other hand... *wink*

[Amaterasu]

You and me, on the other hand... *wink*

[hugs] [smile]

[petrus4]

Well, I guess there's only one option, then: people should raise their children as knowledgeable as possible about everything and train them to have a critical mind and then having them following a military career and trying to reach relatively high status inside the military, then trying to change it from the inside.

But I suppose that's just a dream.

Amaterasu is right when she says that adequate information will free us.  Your own perspective, Armap, and that of Pimander, is based on the assumption that the government's claims about these shootings are correct; namely, that they are committed by a mentally disturbed young adult, who randomly, and without other explanation, "goes off."

I would invite you to speculate, if only hypothetically, about how different your perspective might be, if you believed as I do, that these incidents are staged by the government.  Your entire internal narrative about these events, and the cause behind them, would change radically.

That is one example of having different information.

[zorgon]

if you believed as I do, that these incidents are staged by the government. 

But you haven't been able to show to what end they would stage something like that...

Its not accomplishing anything  so what reason would they have..?

[Amaterasu]

But you haven't been able to show to what end they would stage something like that...

Its not accomplishing anything  so what reason would they have..?

Yeah it has.  Gun-grabbing efforts are under way.  Many more People are THINKING about it and a number are even saying it would be a good idea.  Jefferson is rolling in His grave.  And Old Bennie's words ring clear:

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.