| Author | Message | ||
     Rick_a |
Any solid object of suitable length can be fashioned as weapons. Toothbrushes and sporks end up as deadly shanks. No amount of legislation stops bad people from doing bad things. Anyone that believes that is plain stupid. It's pointless to keep honest folks defenseless for "the greater good." | ||
| Blake |
I strongly second what Patrick said! >>> Actually Rocket, such a mocking attitude on the nanny state and the flawed concept of the perfectibility of man... is welcome anytime. See our views on Obamacare for instance. | ||
| Gregtonn |
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Most people don't think about the fact that Arms does not just mean guns. Swords, knives, spears, bows, crossbows, clubs and on and on are all arms, and were used to secure our freedom. For some reason many seem to be willing to give up the right to bear these Arms without protest or revolt. Why is that? G | ||
| Rick_a |
Because they've been lead to believe otherwise for generations. I can understand some people just not having a care for such things, but that doesn't give anyone the right to infringe on others' rights. It's like deciding that nobody needs liter sized race replica motorcycles, so they should all be banned as they are dangerous in the wrong hands and unnecessarily powerful. Anyone willing to replace all those rear tires and pay the insurance premium should be able to ride what they please. | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
Actually Rocket, such a mocking attitude on the nanny state and the flawed concept of the perfectibility of man... is welcome anytime. Yeah right. Until it's me mocking the stupidity of America, at which point Britain will always be countered here as being the more stupid, and ludicrously so, the most dangerous because British citizens do not have the right to arm themselves for protection. Not even with a baseball bat. Tell me gentlemen, is there anything we Brit's do better than our American cousins? If so we could list them right now and skip a lot of arguments. Oh I do not mock sir. At least not at the expense of America and all which is holy and great that she stands for. To do so would be a fools paradise around here. Rocket in England | ||
| Aesquire |
Fish and chips. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Fish and chips? We do it better. | ||
| Aesquire |
Most of the rest of "English" food is horrid. Don't get me going on "Irish" food. Scandahoovian food is white or grey. Color is allowed for Christmas. They put colored sugar crystals on Kringla. ( a sweet soft pretzel ) so all beef is overcooked to grey sauces are white and spicy means you put some pepper on it. ( there is a REASON the Vikings raided France) ..... The less said about Lutefisk the better. I'm told by my sister Squire that England has excellent curry. (Message edited by aesquire on October 05, 2014) | ||
| Aesquire |
Mock stupid. Yes the Yanks are a religious people. Every one on Earth and invented some just to irritate others. The church of the FSM comes to mind. Too many lately have adopted neomarxist secular holier than thou "faiths" ......all involve rejecting the silly notion of gods and worshipping the Holy State. No, they don't see the irony in thinking Obama a god while they mock everyone else's. Our President is quite religious. Trouble is that his combination of childhood Saudi sponsored Wahabist and adolescent communism gives him 2 different faiths that support him lying to the infidel. Which for Obama is everyone else. These religious nuts have taken over the school systems and that explains U.S. student test scores and their slope on a chart grade vs. Time. I'm not talking rejecting organized church hierarchy. ... I mean those with no belief will believe anything. | ||
| Aesquire |
Picking on the Brits or Yanks because they let these politicians screw us is unfair. We just want to be left alone to tend our gardens, ride our bikes, party to our bands, do our jobs, have our hobbies and get laid. Not a lot of time left to notice the people WE hire and PAY to fix the roads, run the police and defend our freedom now try and tell us how to run our lives....... the hired hands think they are the Aristocrats and we their subjects. That misapprehension deserves mockery. | ||
| Aesquire |
Nobody needs thousand cc bikes........... Or kitchen knives. Or cars. Or to be allowed to destroy the planet by eating beef......cow farts have methane.... a deadly greenhouse gas. Give these folk an inch and they take miles. | ||
| Blake |
Greg, Our children are now being brainwashed by the state. How many cases have we seen of young school children being publicly shamed by school authorities concerning firearms? One boy was shamed and punished after chewing his Pop Tart into the shape of a gun! This instills in our youth a strong aversion to firearms. The brainwashing has begun, and not just in D.C. http://youtu.be/gYyqBxD-3xw | ||
| Blake |
>>> is there anything we Brit's do better than our American cousins? Endure and excuse tyranny? James Bond? Tabloids? Drive on the wrong side of the road? Royalty? Massive undersea oil well blowouts? Traffic circles! Hah! For sure that's one! Wait, Scotch Whiskey! There's two! | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Spell.  | ||
| Bob_thompson |
Back to the point. Pun intended. When doing my CC training 25 years ago, yes that long, before all the political correctness took place my instructor and I were talking about "other" weapons and I posed a hypothetical question. I asked if a ball point pen could be considered a "lethal" weapon and if threatened with that should I shoot or not shoot. He replied: what would happen if he got close enough to jam it into your eye socket. Pretty much made up my mind as to "other" weapons question. Naturally the threat has to be real & immediate as defined by most state statutes. Now the real question probably needs to be that of defending yourself against ALL threats with which our AMERICAN 2nd Amendment guarantees US. Great Britain has not made the best choices recently in that very subject. Forget them and all the other liberal countries. Reap what you sow. NOW: Sunday morning, 65 degrees and the canyons are calling. Catch you in the wind.......somewhere. Another great FREEDOM! (Message edited by Bob_thompson on October 05, 2014) | ||
| Sifo |
Spell.  | ||
| Rick_a |
There are school books in circulation teaching children to avoid gun owners as they are afraid, unpredictable, and dangerous. | ||
| Blake |
Do they still have your photo in there too? | ||
| Rick_a |
I'll have to ask my boy... | ||
| Kenm123t |
Well I prefer JCB Telehandlers to Cats Oh whine and Bitch about nothing better than Americans that's two Oh and Merlin engines correction 3 things | ||
| Reepicheep |
The new Mini Cooper S is a nice bit of kit... (Now that the Germans are building English cars, the English cars are pretty nice  )  | ||
| Kenm123t |
Well British Royalty is German too lol  | ||
| Aesquire |
Bob have you read "The Loo Sanction" by the author of "The Eiger Sanction" ( made into a great movie with Clint Eastwood and George Kennedy )?? There's a scene where the protagonist flattens an unarmed combat instructor with a magazine. Or the best scene in "The Presidio" where Sean Connery devastates a big man with a thumb. His left thumb since the right would be too powerful. | ||
| Aesquire |
England is the source of our beliefs that the individual has rights. Separate from the whims of a king. The Magna Carta. The parliamentary system. The language now spoken by air traffic control worldwide. Also gave us boiled beef. No one's perfect. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I will say London mass transit is head and shoulders above anything I've experienced anywhere. Not cheap, but very good. | ||
| Aesquire |
Blake. Do you know why the Brits drive on the left? We drive on the other side for 2 reasons. One is to annoy the Brits. | ||
| Hootowl |
"above anything I've experienced anywhere" Have you been to Singapore? | ||
| Kenm123t |
LOL reep So they do Habitrails very well. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Here we go. this is cut & paste from Wikipedia & explains the whole driving side thing better than I ever could. History[edit] In 1998, archaeologists found a well-preserved track leading to a Roman quarry near Swindon, England. The grooves in the road on the left side (viewed facing down the track away from the quarry) were much deeper than those on the right side. These grooves suggest that the Romans drove on the left, at least in this location, since carts would exit the quarry heavily loaded, and enter it empty.[4] Some historians, such as C. Northcote Parkinson, believed that ancient travellers on horseback generally rode on the left side of the road. As more people are right-handed, a horseman would thus be able to hold the reins with his left hand and keep his right hand free—to offer in friendship to passing riders or to defend himself with a sword, if necessary.[41] Traditionally one leads a horse or a horse and cart from the right. This allows the person leading the horse to hold the harness with his/her left and console the horse with the right. It also allows the man to walk on the better drained and less muddy crown of the road. If a wagonner is seated on a wagon and uses a whip, he will hold the whip in the right hand. Driving on the left allows the whip to swing freely and not get snagged in the hedges etc. bordering a road. The history of the keep-left rule can be tracked back to ancient Greece, Egypt and Rome, and was more widely practised than right-side traffic. Ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Romans adhered to the left side while marching their troops. If two men riding on horseback were to start a fight, each would edge toward the left. Thus, they would be able to draw swords from their right and uphold a defensive position. Eventually, this turned into custom, and later, a law.[42] The keep-left rule was doubtless well-established in ancient Rome because of congestion in the city. In the city of Rome, rules banned wagons and chariots during the day; in other parts of the Empire wheeled traffic was banned during the night, so as not to disturb citizens from sleep.[43] Pilgrims who wished to visit the city were instructed to keep to the left side of the road. By the time the Pope ordered instructions to keep left of the road, this rule was already widely used.[43] The regulation has been practised by some countries ever since. There is a popular story that Napoleon changed the rule of the road in the European countries he conquered from keep-left to keep-right. Some justifications are symbolic, such as that Napoleon himself was left- (or right-) handed, or that Britain, Napoleon's enemy, kept left. Alternatively, troops passing on the left may have been tempted to raise their right fists against each other. Forcing them to pass on the right reduced conflict. Hence, island nations such as Britain and Japan (using ships to move troops around and having less need to move them overland) continued to drive on the left.[44] In the late 18th century, the shift from left to right that took place in countries such as the United States was based on teamsters’ use of large freight wagons pulled by several pairs of horses. The wagons had no driver's seat, so a postilion sat on the left rear horse and held his whip in his right hand. Seated on the left, the driver preferred that other wagons pass him on the left so that he could be sure to keep clear of the wheels of oncoming wagons.[45] He did that by driving on the right side of the road.[41] Decisions by countries to drive on the right typically centre on regional uniformity. There are historical exceptions, such as postilion riders in France, but such historical advantages do not apply to modern road vehicles. Change to right-hand traffic[edit] This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2009) Europe[edit] In England, keeping to the left was an ancient custom. The first legal reference in Britain to an order for traffic to keep to the left was in 1756 with regard to London Bridge.[43] The General Highways Act of 1773 contained a recommendation that horse traffic should keep to the left[46] and this was incorporated in the Highway Act 1835.[47][48] The making of a rule was due to the increase in horse traffic by the end of the 18th century. By 1771, the number of coaches rose from 300 in 1639 to 1000.[43] Countries that became part of the British Empire adopted the British keep-left rule; some have since changed. In Russia, in 1709, the Danish envoy under Peter I noted the widespread custom for traffic in Russia to pass on the right. On 5 February 1752, Empress Elizabeth issued an edict for traffic to keep to the right in Russian cities.[26] In Continental Europe, driving on the right is associated with France and Napoleon Bonaparte. During the French Revolution, a decree of 1792 created a uniform traffic law, requiring traffic to keep to the "common" right. A little later, Napoleon consolidated this position by ordering the military to stay on the right side, even when out of the country, so that everyone who met the French army had to concede the way. In the early 19th century, those countries occupied by or allied to Napoleon – the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain – adopted right-hand traffic. Britain, Sweden, Austria-Hungary and Portugal continued or adopted left-hand traffic. In Denmark, the keep-right rule was adopted in Copenhagen in 1758, and the rule was adopted for the rest of Denmark in 1793. In Belgium, before 1899 there was no uniform system, with some places driving on the left and others on the right. On 1 August 1899, Belgium changed to right-hand traffic throughout the country.[49] There was a movement in the 20th century towards harmonisation of laws in Europe and there has been a gradual shift from driving on the left to the right. Portugal changed to right-hand traffic in 1928, though the change did not apply to all its overseas territories. Those parts of Italy not already driving on the right changed over in the 1920s after Benito Mussolini came to power. In Spain, there was no uniform national rule until the 1930s. Before then, some parts had driving on the right (e.g., Barcelona) while in others it was on the left (e.g., Madrid). On 1 October 1924, Madrid changed to driving on the right. The Austro-Hungarian Empire drove on the left. Successor countries switched to the right separately. Austria did it in stages, beginning from the west: Vorarlberg in 1919, Tirol and western half of Salzburg in 1930, Carinthia and East Tirol in 1935, Upper Austria, Styria, eastern half of Salzburg in 1 June 1938, and Lower Austria in 19 September 1938. Poland's Galicia switched to the right around 1924. Czechoslovakia planned to start driving on the right on 1 May 1939, but the change in Bohemia and Moravia took place under German occupation: Bohemia: 17 March 1939, Prague: 26 March. (See switch to right-hand traffic in Czechoslovakia for details.) Hungary also acted later than planned: the government planned for a change in June 1939, but postponed it and finally introduced it on 6 July 1941 (outside Budapest), and on 9 November 1941 in Budapest. Sweden changed in 1967 and Iceland did the same in 1968. In Europe only four countries still drive on the left: the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta, and Cyprus, as well as the British Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man. Western Hemisphere[edit] All the formerly British, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese colonies in the Americas originally kept to the left, and French colonies kept to the right. The first keep-right law in the United States was passed in 1792 and applied to the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike. New York formalised right-hand traffic in 1804, New Jersey in 1813 and Massachusetts in 1821.[50] By the time the United States annexed French, Spanish, Russian and Hawaiian territories, the keep-right rule already applied there. Today, all US states and territories except the US Virgin Islands drive on the right. The Virgin Islands drove on the left when the United States purchased the former Danish West Indies from Denmark in 1917. Although Denmark drove and still drives on the right, the Danish West Indies drove on the left. Those parts of Canada that were still driving on the left changed over by 1924. Ontario and Québec drove on the right since before their takeover from the French, and were allowed to retain the custom. The central provinces also drove on the right. The eastern and western provinces changed to the right in stages: British Columbia on 1 January 1922, New Brunswick on 1 December 1922, Nova Scotia on 15 April 1923,[51] and Prince Edward Island on 1 May 1924. Newfoundland changed to driving on the right on January 2, 1947 before becoming part of Canada in 1949.[52] Brazil changed to right-hand traffic in 1928, at the same time as Portugal.[53] Before then, Brazil had no uniform rule.[54] During the planning of the Pan American Highway from Alaska to Cape Horn in the 1930s, it was decided that the road should use right-hand driving on its entire length. Panama changed to right-hand traffic in 1943[55] and Argentina,[56] Paraguay[57] and Uruguay[58] did the same in 1945. British Honduras (now Belize) changed to right-hand traffic on 1 October 1961.[59] Guyana and Suriname as well as most English-speaking Caribbean countries are the only countries in the Americas that drive on the left. Both Guyana and Suriname are separated from their neighbours by large rivers, with the first bridge crossing one of these waterways (the Takutu Bridge between Guyana and Brazil) having opened in 2009.[60] Asia and Africa[edit] The French introduced right-hand traffic in all of its overseas territories, including those of Africa, Indo-China and Oceania. East Timor had traffic on the left until 1928, when it changed to the right at the same time as its colonial power, Portugal. During Japanese occupation during World War II driving on the left was imposed, and when the Portuguese returned it changed back to the right. Under Indonesian rule, East Timor changed back to driving on the left in 1976, and has continued the practice under UN administration from 1999 and since independence in 2002. The Philippines kept to the left (if such rules were enforced at all) during the Spanish colonial period and changed to the right during the United States period. Where Japanese occupation reached, driving would be on the left and in liberated areas reverted to right-hand traffic by 1945. China adopted a uniform right-hand traffic law in 1946. Taiwan drove on the left under Japanese rule, and changed to driving on the right in 1946 at the same time as the Chinese mainland. Hong Kong and Macau, which remain special administrative territories of China, still drive on the left. Former Japanese colony Korea changed to driving on the right at the end of World War II, when Soviet-backed forces occupied North Korea and American forces arrived in South Korea. Driving on the right was implemented in both territories because military vehicles were now either American-made or Russian-built LHD models.[61] The Japanese prefecture of Okinawa drove on the right under US control after World War II, since 24 June 1945. In 1972 Okinawa was returned to Japanese sovereignty, and on 30 July 1978 reverted to left-hand traffic. Burma changed to driving on the right in 1970, allegedly on the advice of a wizard.[62] [63] In Africa, colonial administrators usually determined on which side of the road traffic would drive. British and Portuguese territories kept to the left, while French and German territories kept to the right. After independence some countries kept the previous rules, and others changed. The most common reason for countries to switch to right-hand traffic is to harmonise with neighbours, to improve road safety and commerce. Several former British colonies changed to driving on the right, because they all have extensive borders with former French colonies which drive on the right: the Gambia (changed on 1 October 1965), Sierra Leone (1 March 1971), Nigeria (2 April 1972) and Ghana (4 August 1974). Ethiopia changed to right-hand traffic in 1964, and Sudan changed in August 1973 to accord with most other countries of the Arab world. South Yemen, formerly the British colony of Aden, changed to driving on the right on 1 January 1977; North Yemen already drove on the right. All the countries south and east of Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi, and south of Southern Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia, drive on the left. These form the only mainland contiguous bloc of nations (12 of them) which all drive on the left and within which some left-driving countries are entirely surrounded by other left-driving countries. It is the only part of the world where it is possible to drive through more than two national boundaries without switching sides and without revisiting a previous country, whilst driving on the left. Change to left-hand traffic[edit] The former Portuguese colony of Mozambique continues to drive on the left, which is a legacy of its Portuguese past, even though Portugal itself changed over in the 1920s. Mozambique continues to drive on the left because all its bordering countries, which were in the British Empire, do. Namibia was a German colony from 1884 until the First World War, and kept to the right. After its occupation by South Africa in 1918, it changed to the left. When it obtained independence in 1990, it maintained left-side traffic as do its neighbours South Africa and Botswana. Samoa changed to left-hand traffic in September 2009.[64][65][66] The government brought about the change to bring Samoa into line with other South Pacific nations, and also sought to encourage the roughly 170,000 Samoan expatriates in Australia and New Zealand to ship their used cars back to Samoa.[32] Rwanda, a former Belgian colony in central Africa, drives on the right. The government is considering changing to driving on the left, to bring the country in line with other members of the East African Community (EAC).[67] Burundi, the only other EAC member that currently drives on the right, is also considering switching to left-hand traffic.[21] Foreign occupation and annexation[edit] Many countries have temporarily or permanently changed their rule of the road as a result of foreign occupation or annexation. Though Austria, Czechoslovakia and Hungary had plans to change to driving on the right, the change took place under German occupation in the 1930s and 1940s: Austria at the Anschluss and see switch to right-hand traffic in Czechoslovakia for details. In the Faroe Islands left-hand driving was in force on the island of Vágar during the British occupation in World War II. The Channel Islands changed to driving on the right under German occupation, but changed back after liberation in 1945. The Falkland Islands had right-hand driving under the brief Argentine control during the 1982 Falklands War, although many islanders continued to drive on the left as an act of defiance. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Almost went to Singapore a year ago. I'd love to visit it, but hate to travel there and back. I don't fit in modern airplane seats, and can't bring myself to throw away $1000 to $5000 of the companies money on first class (even when the company would pay it). So I just end up sitting in economy, pissed at beancounters. |
