tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526498499129692237.post3916470171308659106..comments2024-03-22T05:17:53.112-04:00Comments on Big Bad Bald Bastard: Heartland HorrorshowBig Bad Bald Bastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01983025559556548658noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526498499129692237.post-67533926345096347372012-07-21T22:27:49.704-04:002012-07-21T22:27:49.704-04:00When being admitted to lock down after suffering a...When being admitted to lock down after suffering an hour long night terror about the impending destruction of life on earth, I told the staff that I liked "peace". Had to laugh when I read the records and saw that they had heard "I like peas." as if I really had been "visualizing whirled peas."wileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10234314999465951053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526498499129692237.post-56212803395562102822012-07-21T21:09:21.422-04:002012-07-21T21:09:21.422-04:00we've spent billions if not trillions on threa...<i>we've spent billions if not trillions on threatening the world with total global annihilation and have called it "security".</i><br /><br />I made a dessert and called it 'peas'. No-one was fooled.Smut Clydehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09409476490132867809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526498499129692237.post-77923402161709397582012-07-21T20:47:23.506-04:002012-07-21T20:47:23.506-04:00That's kind of what I'm saying guys. Buckl...That's kind of what I'm saying guys. Buckley field is in the business of nuclear war (I worked there). This impulse is very definitely in our culture. MAD is the ultimate expression of the glorification of mass murderousnous. <br /><br />Though it seems forgotten now, we've spent billions if not trillions on threatening the world with total global annihilation and have called it "security". <br /><br />Psychopathology can be expressed on any number of scales and involve any number of people to carry it out; but I'm convinced, that for the most part, almost all of it is the same psychopathology no matter how it's spun. The U.S. is not the only country suffering from the sickness, but it does a bang-up job of marketing it. <br /><br />It seems the public is trained to go into an uproar about the individuals who open fire against the public and condemn it without question; but how did that work for torture and murder in Abu Graib and Guantanamo? Suddenly it was an "issue" to be debated. <br /><br />The most insidious mass murders and threats of mass murder are too often justified. Shit, the U.S. started supporting Pol Pot in 1979. That's some evil shit that is cynical beyond all decency.wileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10234314999465951053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526498499129692237.post-38142862699856359642012-07-21T20:05:27.823-04:002012-07-21T20:05:27.823-04:00Wow, mikey beat me to the mark about the culture o...Wow, mikey beat me to the mark about the culture of violence by a few minutes.Big Bad Bald Bastardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01983025559556548658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526498499129692237.post-50568160038836757862012-07-21T20:04:00.893-04:002012-07-21T20:04:00.893-04:00I don't think Thread Bear has ever made a stin...<i>I don't think Thread Bear has ever made a stinker of a comment, and this is no exception. </i><br /><br />T.B.'s a smart cookie, to be sure.<br /><br /><i>Of course, New York also has a set of state and local restrictions that are, at least in comparison to much of the rest of the country, pretty good. And a mayor who's not afraid to tell the truth about the stupidity and destructiveness of unfettered 2nd amendment worship.</i><br /><br />We also don't have a gun culture... our particular brand of machismo is unique in the States.<br /><br /><i>Don't think of mentally ill people committing mass murder, because that's the least likely cause. Think of mass murder on a continuum that stretches from killing ones family to opening fire in public, to genocide, to omnicide. It's all the same hateful, narcissistic, homicidal, nihilistic, grandiose impulse to be a destroyer.</i><br /><br />I think the problem is a violent culture, our entertainment, our mythology, our foreign and domestic policy all glorify strength and a disregard for the common good.Big Bad Bald Bastardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01983025559556548658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526498499129692237.post-82861211451524032932012-07-21T19:58:59.594-04:002012-07-21T19:58:59.594-04:00Wiley, don't kid yourself. It's not regio...Wiley, don't kid yourself. It's not regional, it's not this arms producer and this defense contractor and that aerospace company. America is built on weapons and violence. That's why we live in such a hothouse of murder and don't do a goddam thing about it.<br /><br />Americans are raised on the righteousness and goodness of warrior, killing in the name of god and country, our great industrial might dedicated to producing fabulous weapons that kill more efficiently.<br /><br />Sure, the world is a violent place. There is nothing about Congo or Columbia or Thailand that is based on American culture - you can talk about American influence in those places, but people seem to LIKE killing each other, and will happily accept any assistance offered in so doing.<br /><br />But Americans are uniquely predsiposed to violent conflict resolution, and are unusually indoctrinated in the basic goodness of violent action. You need look no farther than our cinematic exports to grasp how lethal our worldview is and how short our fuse burns. We don't condone negotiation, we don't have truck with appeasement, we kill the people with whom we disagree, and if there was ever a single central organizing principle around who and what we are, it is the gun...mikeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13057701313718589322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526498499129692237.post-23028858406111107912012-07-21T17:53:38.506-04:002012-07-21T17:53:38.506-04:00I don't think there is a direct link by any st...I don't think there is a direct link by any stretch, but it's interesting that just like Columbine had an arms making industry, Buckley AFB in Aurora is the eye of the biggest mass murder that could possibly be committed. <br /><br />Don't think of mentally ill people committing mass murder, because that's the least likely cause. Think of mass murder on a continuum that stretches from killing ones family to opening fire in public, to genocide, to omnicide. It's all the same hateful, narcissistic, homicidal, nihilistic, grandiose impulse to be a destroyer.<br /><br />Some destroyers are respected,if not loved and celebrated during their rule. Others will have to settle for a heavy news cycle, notoriety, and morbid fascination.wileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10234314999465951053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526498499129692237.post-39918721999924624142012-07-21T13:51:08.231-04:002012-07-21T13:51:08.231-04:00Of course, New York also has a set of state and lo...Of course, New York also has a set of state and local restrictions that are, at least in comparison to much of the rest of the country, pretty good. And a mayor who's not afraid to tell the truth about the stupidity and destructiveness of unfettered 2nd amendment worship.<br /><br />Oh. And Stop and Frisk. An extreme and somewhat offensive response, but when you put a community in the position where it can't govern the presence of deadly weaponry on its streets any other way, you have to expect the community to take whatever action remains available...mikeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13057701313718589322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526498499129692237.post-8468366497354754452012-07-21T13:22:38.277-04:002012-07-21T13:22:38.277-04:00I don't think Thread Bear has ever made a stin...I don't think Thread Bear has ever made a stinker of a comment, and this is no exception. <br /><br />This whole thing is just so sad and so infuriating.Dr.KennethNoisewaterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07756205027083077404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526498499129692237.post-33731342878627278142012-07-21T13:11:54.841-04:002012-07-21T13:11:54.841-04:00It occurs to me to be grateful it wasn't a mur...<i>It occurs to me to be grateful it wasn't a murder-suicide or that the cops didn't take him out - perhaps we can learn more about what makes people do things like this. Or maybe, even, maybe, this young man will someday feel remorse and help us learn how to prevent things like this.</i><br /><br />I had the same exact thought- I hope they gain some insight into how this sort of thing happens. Usually, these guys shoot themselves, or go down in a hail of police bullets... this is a unique opportunity for learning something useful.<br /><br /><i>we live in a country that can't move beyond third world status on how we treat our poor, that is ranked 37th on health care results, that can't meet Jimmy Freaking Carter's standards for election transparency, and that can barely keep our infrastructure functioning, let alone try to keep up with other countries.</i><br /><br />Depressing, isn't it?<br /><br /><i>The tactics to prevent these things are obvious and proven; unfortunately, we have the Republican party.</i><br /><br />I'm sick of the pieties and platitudes, we need policy, damnit!<br /><br /><i>Tom Tomorrow</i><br /><br />Pretty much says it all. Pity he can drag it out every year, and it's just as relevant.<br /><br /><i>Well, for better or worse the approach of "interpreting away" the second amendment - well, that ship has sailed. But it doesn't matter - we already have gun regulations that technically run afoul of the second amendment and yet pass constitutional muster. The amendment does NOT say "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed unless they are mentally ill or convicted felons" and yet we do that. It also does not say "...shall not be infringed except in the case of a list of specific weapons and features listed in the NFA"</i><br /><br />It does say "well regulated militia", which can be the basis of all sorts of... uh... regulation. Of course, with our stupid society, it will never happen.<br /><br /><i>In the meantime, recognize the realities of the world we live in, pay attention to the people around you, get in the habit of noting exit routes and cover, and try to be mentally prepared to act. Because this sort of thing is going to happen again and again in America.</i><br /><br />It's funny, because that's pretty much how most New Yorkers live anyway- when you move in huge crowds, you need to know how to exit a subway car or bus or skyscraper. Oddly enough, though, we don't have mass shootings in this neck of the woods. Perhaps it's because there are so many people, it's hard for someone to sneak around with copious firepower. Perhaps it's because we've been forced to learn how to live with other people.Big Bad Bald Bastardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01983025559556548658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526498499129692237.post-88313490731989950262012-07-21T10:56:33.002-04:002012-07-21T10:56:33.002-04:00Well, for better or worse the approach of "in...Well, for better or worse the approach of "interpreting away" the second amendment - well, that ship has sailed. But it doesn't matter - we already have gun regulations that technically run afoul of the second amendment and yet pass constitutional muster. The amendment does NOT say "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed unless they are mentally ill or convicted felons" and yet we do that. It also does not say "...shall not be infringed except in the case of a list of specific weapons and features listed in the NFA"<br /><br />So we CAN have legal restrictions. We COULD regulate the manufacturers under the Commerce Clause. Our states and counties could pass all sorts of laws, as long as they don't outright challenge the premise of the 2nd amendment. Unlike much of the country, you can't carry a gun in California, and you pretty much can't get a permit. <br /><br />So, like everything else, it's a matter of political will. And we live in a nation where the right wing is ascendant, and policies that can generally be described as "liberal" or more generally "humane" or "compassionate" or even in many cases "common sense" are just political non-starters. We'll get gun control the moment the corporations decide that the guns are somehow costing them profits, or whenever there is a groundswell of popular demand for them. <br /><br />In the meantime, recognize the realities of the world we live in, pay attention to the people around you, get in the habit of noting exit routes and cover, and try to be mentally prepared to act. Because this sort of thing is going to happen again and again in America...mikeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13057701313718589322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526498499129692237.post-88368657913154762252012-07-21T09:18:30.696-04:002012-07-21T09:18:30.696-04:00Tom Tomorrow
~<a href="http://thismodernworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/TMW2011-01-12acolorlowres-copy-2.jpg" rel="nofollow">Tom Tomorrow</a><br />~ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®©https://www.blogger.com/profile/06252371815131259831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526498499129692237.post-16356027522160065182012-07-21T02:24:53.709-04:002012-07-21T02:24:53.709-04:00The tactics to prevent these things are obvious an...The tactics to prevent these things are obvious and proven; unfortunately, we have the Republican party.<br /><br />Again, sorry.zombie rotten mcdonaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10601960953323752278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526498499129692237.post-54993857170591283802012-07-21T02:23:34.001-04:002012-07-21T02:23:34.001-04:00sorry, Aunt Snow. America will never learn how to...sorry, Aunt Snow. America will never learn how to prevent these things in what remains of yours and my life.zombie rotten mcdonaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10601960953323752278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526498499129692237.post-79933882239265900772012-07-21T02:22:22.846-04:002012-07-21T02:22:22.846-04:00we live in a country that can't move beyond th...we live in a country that can't move beyond third world status on how we treat our poor, that is ranked 37th on health care results, that can't meet Jimmy Freaking Carter's standards for election transparency, and that can barely keep our infrastructure functioning, let alone try to keep up with other countries.<br /><br />shyeah, right. like we are going to learn anything about proper civilized world regulation of instruments of violence from this.<br /><br />I go back to that George Carlin bit, where he admitted that he long ago gave up any hope for humanity: "I am just enjoying the swirling as we all just go down the drain..."<br /><br />If I wasn't a zombie, I would feel bad for you breathers.zombie rotten mcdonaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10601960953323752278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8526498499129692237.post-46630886413342487042012-07-21T00:59:20.226-04:002012-07-21T00:59:20.226-04:00Horrific. We'll learn more about this young ma...Horrific. We'll learn more about this young man and his motivations as time goes on. I am assuming he is mentally ill, rather than "evil" but who knows. I pity his family - how awful it would be to know the child you raised could do such a thing.<br /><br />It occurs to me to be grateful it wasn't a murder-suicide or that the cops didn't take him out - perhaps we can learn more about what makes people do things like this. Or maybe, even, maybe, this young man will someday feel remorse and help us learn how to prevent things like this.Glennishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03681336164718681936noreply@blogger.com