Trump:
  So what is wrong with that?
  Absolutely. Let me ask you this, what was the obama response to Fast and Furious? That was a gun walking program, if you don't know. What did obama and his attorney general do about those guns? Seems that guns are dangerous only in certain circumstances, such as when we can pander to the media frenzy when a news even occurs.

You should read the June 2013 White House report on guns, commissioned by the current POTUS. ;-) I'll bet you won't see a reference by obama to it though, because the results do not reflect his current narrative.

The currecnt laws need to be enforced is what needs to happen, and there needs to be a vehicle to report mental health issues to prevent those same people from owning a gun. That can't happen now. Without enforcing currenyt laws, what is the sense of making new ones?

Just so you know, the "Gun Show Loop Hole" is a specious argument for more gun laws. The Loop Hole assumes that there are unlicensed gun sales going on at gun shows, yet this is rarely ever the case. Illegal guns are sold and obtained by illegals possessing illegal guns, or are obtained by people who are legally allowed to obtain guns who give access or use to people who shouldn't have them.

One cannot purchase guns over the internet without going through a FFL dealer, who must perform a background check. Contrary to what obama says, guns are not "easier to purchase than groceries"; last time I purchased a pistol, it took me about a half an hour to select one, and it took the PIC System at least 15 minutes or more to analyse and approve my purchase.

The last time I purchased groceries, I walked in, selected all that I wanted with no one's having told me I can't - and proceeded to the checkout terminal and left. No one checked to see if I was allowed to buy the groceries I selected, nobody questioned any of my purchases whatsoever.

So if obama could let automatic weapons walk in to Mexico and whoever knows where else - without regard as to where they could really end up - why is he so worried about it now? He even ran interference for Eric Holder to protect the program and actions. So tell me that makes sense.

By the way, all in America should be required to have ID. I am required to have it at all times, as should any person in America. We should have to present ID in order to vote as well, just as one must do in order to collect a cheque at the Social Security Office. ;-)


 

So how is that any different to the Empty Suit currently occupying the White House? He's had eight years almost, so when will he do something positive, other than normalising relations with Cuba, something with which I actually agree?

> So what is wrong with that?

Is it wrong to judge the whole of the US by the 0.062% that voted for your asshat Jim Kenney?

Trump wants to ban one fifth of the world's population from entering the US, in response to the actions of somewhere between 0.006% and 0.024%

That's between 99.976% and 99.994% of a group of people that are being misrepresented, prejudged and excluded - but they're Muslim so it's ok? ¬_¬

Yes. But it isn't wrong to judge the percentage of Philadelphians who voted for Kenney (and Democrats in general), since it was only a Philadelphia election. The Democrats have a 7-1 advantage over Republicans in voter registration, so it is highly unlikely that a Republican can ever become mayor again. The Democratic voter base keeps electing the same dopes who pacify them, the tax and spend cycle continues, and the city deteriorates even deeper into debt and blight. It is inevitable when government tries to do all for people who won't do for themselves, so they can sit home and collect their welfare dollars and watch their big screen TVs all day.

The Democrats are pretty much ruining every big city in the U.S. they control, and the 10 poorest cities in America are run by Democrats.
 

That's not necessarily a permanent ban, he wants to get something in place to identify people who may be prone to commit acts of terror. I see nothing wrong with this. Tashfeen Malik entered the U.S. with false papers. Syed Rizwan Farook was born in Chicago and met Malik in 2013 on line. He met her in person during the Haji pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia and apparently became interested in jihad sometime during that relationship. They both identified themselves as Muslim, albeit radicalised.

If you are going to reduce things to percentages, then the 14 people they murdered don't matter, since they only represent a small percentage compared to the 330M+ American population still alive. But since All Lives Matter - yes, we can and should restrict immigration of anyone who we suspect could do people in our nation harm. If it bothers you, you can open English borders wide open and welcome anyone you want with associated risk.

Perhaps I am an equal opportunity excluder, because I'd say the same thing about Italians, Greeks, Methodists, Scotsman, Poles, Russians, Germans, Ukranians, Mexicans, Canadians and anyone else if they showed a propensity or tendency to want to kill Americans. I recently drove a young man from the UAE to a big box store so he could buy some housewares to take home that he can't get in the UAE. He was Muslim, and upon hearing the news report that was playing over the radio, he was quick to denounce the Radical Muslims as he called them, and said "those people do not speak for Islam". He said they are using religion as an excuse, only. He supported the U.S. not letting radicals in the U.S. I found him to be a rather engaging, intelligent young man who was very unhappy with the fact that certain radical people are causing acts of terror in the name of Muslims/Islam.

>>>He supported the U.S. not letting radicals in the U.S.

I think everyone can support that. You and Trump support not letting in Muslims. Very different.

It's probably worth focusing more on your domestic terrorism. What about those militia folks in Oregon, how is that not terrorism?

> since it was only a Philadelphia election

Right, and neither ISIS nor al-Qaeda are the result of an Islam-wide election, so anything that uses the actions of those groups as an excuse is as wrong as blaming the entire US for the actions of Philadelphia.

> I'd say the same thing about [anyone] if they showed a propensity or tendency to want to kill Americans

Muslims do not want to kill Americans.

"not letting radicals in the U.S. "

Too late. Most of the Republican Party and all of the NRA are gun-waving radicals and seditionists.

Don't forget the KKK. They're some sick bastards and institutionalised.

What would you know of it? Drink your tea.

Yeah, right. But no.  (fail)

Quote: 

Radical Muslims do. Until we know the difference, none shall pass. Ni!

I'd consider school shootings as a form of terrorism, plenty of that going on.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/a-trigger-warning-i-can-support-the-one-involving-middle-aged-white-guys/article28077650/

I am always amazed at how interested people from other countries are in US elections - and with really strong opinions about it.  Here, we really don't pay any attention to who is running for office in other countries, and there is a reason for it:
- The relationship between the US and Other Countries is much deeper than the relatively short time a politician is in office. 

To our friends in the UK, don't get excited about who is the US President today, or tomorrow.  There is only so much that any of them can do before their bank masters tell them what they should be doing.  Elections are just a way to help people vent and feel like they have a useful opinion in how their government actually works.

 

BTW, the US is not an official two party system, there are many smaller parties.  Most of these suffer under the heavy hands of the two larger parties though, as there are many laws which make it very difficult to run for office in a third party.  Where I live in CA, the "ranked choice" primary system has completely wiped out the third parties, and nearly wiped out the republican party in some regions.

Bernie Sanders, who is a contender in the Dem party, was one of the few Independents in office, and that was really a very special situation.  As you have seen, he realized that he had no chance to become President as an Independent, so he is running as a Dem.

Similar to Trump, Sander's popularity is in part because he was not the candidate that the main party wanted.  Prior to Trump entering the race, Bush was assumed to be the likely Rep nominee, and even strong Rep voters were cringing at the idea of another Bush in office.

Also similar to Trump, Sanders at least talks to the idea of rights of the individual vs most of the others.  The only other candidate that does this is Rand Paul (my preferred option) but Trumps marketing is stronger.

Perhaps you don't understand the impact that your foreign (and domestic, the US military is used to both subsidise US firms and rig world market prices for certain goods/resources) policy decisions have on the rest of the world, then.

Yes, I am well aware of the impact, its just that exactly who is President will not change it all that much.

As a practical matter, the UK bank system has more influence on the world than who is the US President.

If it were me, I would be more concerned with who is PM of Isreal, as they are the tail wagging the dog.

Just to be clear, the US is fundamentally capable of operating in near isolation.  While it is not operated this way, it is feasible.  There are two approaches that could be taken, and it is a point of internal discussions all of the time:
- Stop importing goods and let the rest of the world just have fun on their own - yes this is a real concept in the US
- Try to help out counties that have less opportunity, by purchasing goods from them, even to our own detriment.  This is what we are doing today.

I realize that very wealthy and powerful people push their ideas out to the world and really force some things on others, and Americans have really mixed opinions about this.

As a practical matter, the average American has zero influence on this, nor benefits from it.  If anything, our foreign policy and trade (really just purchases of goods from others ) costs us a lot of money and good will.

Every crime is not terrorism.  Classifying it as such just weakens its real impact and how to correctly deal with it.


 

I'm fairly sure those kids and teachers who come face to face with an armed nutter feel something approaching fucking terrified.

So what do you consider to be the difference?

Most every victim of a crime feels terrified.  Imagine if your wife, daughter, sister or friend were raped - that is a pretty terrifying experience.  If you have ever been the first person that a woman stumbles to after that experience, I can tell you first hand they have been through a lot.

Is it a really bad crime - yes.
Does your mind wander into revenge mode - yes
Is it terrorism - no
Is it a so called "hate crime" - no

For the most part, the very few school shootings that have occurred have been crimes of revenge against bullying.  No one wants to say that out loud, but it is true.  Unfortunately, there were innocent victims involved as well, which speaks to the larger reason that bullying needs to be controlled much more closely in middle and high schools.

Were these killings a really bad crime - yes
Is it terrorism - no

Terrorism is part of a larger war effort between two groups, typically governments or some type of at least semi-defined organization.  An attack is meant to cause not only the immediate damage, but longer term damage to the economy.

In some ways, you could label things as:
- If the "good guys" bomb someone, that is called "helping to bring peace, freedom, and democracy to a region
- If the "bad buys - whoever was bombed by the good guys" bomb someone, especially in a first world city, that is called terrorism.

Prosecutors and newspapers are always looking for a slick label to slap on people and events.  I am not condoning any of this behavior, I am just saying that if people start thinking that being robbed is equivalent to a war, then we end up putting a hair trigger on calling out the military.  It is a big step to call in a military solution, as their job is to not mess around.