News Stories

[JMvS]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

The above comes after a recent report about Chinese attempting to profit from fake eggs.

China has fake wine, tofu and now... eggs

I recall watching about a year ago a French documentary on the counterfeiting industry in China, and they already showed the fake egg trick...

Now grapes and pig intestines...

[Kaijo]

China is simply practicing unrestrained capitalism. In a lot of ways, it's just like the US in it's industrial revolution. We didn't care about pollution, or labor, or stealing ideas, or substituting cheaper and more deadly compounds to make a buck.

In short, privatize profits while socializing costs.

Eventually, our people got so upset that we got regulations put in place, but China doesn't have this yet. They are rapidly poisoning their rivers and environment, though, so it's a matter of time before they destroy their natural resources and mass poisoning and starvation takes place. It may be awhile, though.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

I LOVE the Koreans. News about them often make me laugh harder than those of the ME.

Hackers celebrate North Korea heir's birthday

I assume you've watched North Korean state tv news. I love these newscasters -- I don't believe its possible to parody them as they are so over-the-top. What concerns me about "the new sun god heir" is that he seems to be a sodden blob with no personality. Basically he seems a pawn of those two guardians in the shadows...

And in the unrelated news of IRONY 101 (slashdot, ymmv):

"The US government's 11-page document on how to get various US government agencies to prevent future leaks has been leaked. It doesn't get any more ironic than that. After the various leaks made by WikiLeaks, the US government understandably wants to limit the number of potential leaks, but their strategy apparently isn't implemented yet. It's clear that the Obama administration is telling federal agencies to take aggressive steps to prevent further leaks. According to the document, these steps include figuring out which employees might be most inclined to leak classified documents, by using psychiatrists and sociologists to assess their trustworthiness. The memo also suggests that agencies require all their employees to report any contacts with members of the news media they may have."

[GundamFan0083]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

... Not really. You just said "deter crime". How do you know if it deters crime or not?

I'm referring to the promises made by hoplophobic groups such as the Brady Campaign.
Their mantra is always "you need to give up your rights a little to save lives."
However, there is no credible evidence to suggest that gun bans do anything to deter crime or save lives in the US.
It may work in other countries like say Australia, where the standard of living is higher than in the US, but in countries with a lower standard of living (like Mexico) its useless.
The more I read the statistics on gun crime the more I learn that the majority of it takes place in impoverished areas of cities and in destitute countries.
If we want to stop the majority of gun crime we're going to have to address the actual social and economic issues and not get caught up in the emotional knee-jerk reaction to just "ban guns."
It's like banning abortion to stop woman who can't afford to have a child from getting one, she will just get one illegally; or banning gay marriage to try and stop homosexuals from being in love, they're going to be together no matter what.
Bans are stupid, can be dangerous, and clearly do not work.

I'll give you Mexico (which I never claimed to be peaceful). Possibly China and Russia, since they're not on the list. Though I have my doubts. In fact, the articles you linked spoke of rising violence in China... from a previously almost non-existing position. And in Russia... well, the Chechen situation is peculiar.

But Europe? Northern Ireland, ok, that has almost as many gun homicides as the US. The rest of it doesn't compare.


It's because there are factors other than gun-control laws. Obviously. Does that mean that gun laws have no effect? You say it's not measurable. I agree. It's not like we can bottle two cities identical save for their gun laws to compare the result. It doesn't mean it has no effect. It just means it's hard to tell. Maybe it would be worse without them. Or maybe, due to the sheer number of firearms already present in the US, it's too late to try and control them.

France needs to be added into that list:
Source: http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=6727

France Passes U.S. In Crime Rate
Seemingly protected by some of the stiffest gun restrictions in the world, Europeans have discovered recently they are not immune from mass killings in which guns are employed. No longer are such incidents confined to supposedly gun-toting America.

Recent mass killings -- often with politicians as the targets -- have left at least 46 dead in Germany, France, Switzerland and Hungary. In addition, assassinations in the Netherlands and Italy left two politicians dead.

Although overall crime has risen very slightly in the last decade in western Europe, criminals have become more aggressive.
Last year, in two surveys using different criteria, France surpassed the U.S. in crimes per capita.
In homicides, however, France's per capita rate is still one-eighth that of the U.S., experts report.
For 1997 through 1999, Sweden had the highest per capita homicide rate in Europe, at 1.94 per 100,000 population, and Germany had the lowest, at 1.28 -- compared to the U.S., at 6.26.
Stricter French gun laws have slashed legal sales to 100,000 now from 300,000 a decade ago.

Switzerland has the loosest gun laws -- requiring a permit to buy a gun from a shop, or a simple written contract for a private sale. Britain outlawed pistols in 1997

That article essentially illustrates my point.
Switzerland has a high standard of living and very little gun crime yet its citizens are required to own actual military assault rifles.
While France has banned everything except hunting rifles and shotguns for only qualified persons and yet their gun crime is higher than Switzerland.
Why?
Clearly guns have nothing to do with it.
Australia is another good example.
Gun crime has fallen (if you want to call it that) since their ban, but knife crime has skyrocketed.
source: http://www.aic.gov.au/statistics/homicide/weapon.aspx



Although gun crime in Australia was down from 1992 to 2007, it rose by 9% in 07, and has now gone back down.
The problem with using Australia as a source is that they have only had between 200-300 murders per year since 1993.



Thus the trend before and after Australia's strict gun-control laws has remained pretty much the same. That trend has been a steady downward arch since 1915.



The point being that a decline in homicide rates by firearms was going to happen with or without stricter gun control laws as evident by the trend already taking shape from 1915.

The overall worldwide trend in 1st world countries has been a decline in violent crimes.
However, the United States still has a very high level of violent crime compared to other countries with loose gun laws like Switzerland and Finnland.

One of the prime factors in the United States for this trend in gun related violence is the exitence of drug gangs.
Gang use of firearms for homicide comprises the bulk of the use of guns in violent crime in the United States as this Dept of Justice chart clearly shows:



If we as a society wanted to be truthful about the problem with gun violence in the US.
We'd start going after gangs by depriving them of their primary source of income and legalizing drugs.
Clearly drug cartels and gangs will get guns from whatever source required since they have vast sums of money at their disposal.
The war on drugs in the US has created greater problems than it was meant to solve.

[Ithekro]

Basically the third world-like culture (or perhaps more accurately living conditions) living within the first world country would be seen as the main cause of violence in the United States of America.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by GundamFan0083

I'm referring to the promises made by hoplophobic groups such as the Brady Campaign.

Promises which I've carefully not made. Speaking of staw men...

Their mantra is always "you need to give up your rights a little to save lives."
However, there is no credible evidence to suggest that gun bans do anything to deter crime or save lives in the US.
It may work in other countries like say Australia, where the standard of living is higher than in the US, but in countries with a lower standard of living (like Mexico) its useless.
The more I read the statistics on gun crime the more I learn that the majority of it takes place in impoverished areas of cities and in destitute countries.

That's true for any kind of violent crime.

If we want to stop the majority of gun crime we're going to have to address the actual social and economic issues and not get caught up in the emotion knee-jerk reaction to just "ban guns."

Which isn't the same as saying gun control's useless. It's no panacea - but neither is unrestricted gun ownership.

It's like banning abortion to stop woman who can't afford to have a child from getting one illegally, or banning gay marriage to try and stop homosexuals from being in love.
It's stupid, can be dangerous, and clearly doesn't work.

You could say the same about any law. Including the murder bans.

France needs to be added into that list:
Source: http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=6727



That article essentially illustrates my point.
Switzerland has a high standard of living and very little gun crime yet its citizens are required to own actual military assault rifles.
While France has banned everything except hunting rifles and shotguns for only qualified persons and yet their gun crime is higher than Switzerland.
Why?
Clearly guns have nothing to do with it.

I have no idea what you're trying to prove. Especially when we take this gem from your link:

in homicides, however, France's per capita rate is still one-eighth that of the U.S., experts report.

Yes, violent crime's on the rise. I don't see how making it easier for delinquents and would-be delinquents to get their hands on guns would make things better.

[Kaijo]

Might I politely suggest moving the gun discussion to the appropriate thread?

Originally Posted by Vexx

I assume you've watched North Korean state tv news. I love these newscasters -- I don't believe its possible to parody them as they are so over-the-top. What concerns me about "the new sun god heir" is that he seems to be a sodden blob with no personality. Basically he seems a pawn of those two guardians in the shadows...

And in the unrelated news of IRONY 101 (slashdot, ymmv):

A bit ironic, but the actual document is marked "Unclassified" so it's not quite the coup you may be expecting. In fact, if we want more openness from our government, then having them make this document legally accessible to us is a step in the right direction.

Now if only they could stop doing all the secret illegal shit that goes against the notions of freedom and equality for all. Ya know, the crazy shit our country was founded on.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

Moving on, an exciting discovery on the scientific front:

HK scientists store complex data in bacteria

More importantly, "bacteria can't be hacked", pointed out Mr Allen Yu, another student instructor. He added: "All kinds of computers are vulnerable to electrical failures or data theft. But bacteria are immune to cyber attacks. You can safeguard the information."

Those two lines are pretty wild and big claims. Bacteria are living organisms and they can mutate, resulting in data corruption.

Sounds like the Korean cloning case a number of years back. I am pretty skeptical until they release an outline of the methodology they use to encode the data into the bacteria.

The above comes after a recent report about Chinese attempting to profit from fake eggs.

China has fake wine, tofu and now... eggs

This fake-egg stuff has been around since I started high school (around 5-6 years ago). I can't believe they resorted to doing that again : in a country where they have a sustainable agriculture and poultry industry, it is surprising that they are still attempting to produce fake foods.

What's next, soylent green?

[flying ^]

Originally Posted by Frenchie

I had no idea Arizona allowed pretty much anyone to walk out of a gun store locked and loaded. I have no words for how stupid that is.

for a foreigner this will blow your mind

PHOENIX, April 17 (UPI) -- Arizona's governor says a new law allowing U.S. citizens to carry a concealed firearm in the state without a permit restores constitutional rights.

The law applies to U.S. citizens 21 and older.

The new law goes into effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns, which could happen in the next couple of weeks, The Arizona Republic reports. It is already legal to carry a firearm openly in Arizona.

Arizona joined Alaska and Vermont in permitting concealed weapons without a permit.

"I believe strongly in the individual rights and responsibilities of a free society, and as governor I have pledged a solemn and important oath to protect and defend the Constitution," Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican said in a written statement. "I believe this legislation not only protects the Second Amendment rights of Arizona citizens, but restores those rights as well."

Former Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano vetoed a dozen weapons bills, but resigned in January 2009 to become U.S. homeland security secretary. GOP Secretary of State Brewer then became governor.

Brewer, during her first year in office, signed a bills allowing loaded guns in bars and restaurants and prohibiting property owners from banning guns in parking areas, so long as the firearms are locked in vehicles, the Republic reported.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/...9051271519441/

[Kamui4356]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

What's next, soylent green?

Is there a market for it? If so, then capitalism, ho!

[Ithekro]

If I recall, most that are in that market prefer to make it themselves...so there is no money in it.

[Tiberium Wolf]

Seriously... why ppl focus so much in guns instead of what actually generates crime. So you ban guns so what? There are so many ways to kill without guns. Also if guns are banned then it can smuggled.

[Kaijo]

I'll let a simple saying sum it up: "If you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns."

Decide for yourselves if that is a state of affairs you are comfortable with.

[flying ^]

check this out

this group wants their share of 15-minutes after 1-08-11 incident

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_806319.html

[Ithekro]

Either someone has a sick sense of humor, or someone is spun a little too tight.

In other news: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40989648...ideastn_africa
"71 dead, 35 survive as IranAir jet crashes on landing "

At least they didn't blame this on the West or Israel. Though as noted sactions have made it more difficult to maintain 30 year old American built airliners. One wonders if they aren't learning from the difficulty, or are just stubbon.

[GundamFan0083]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

That's true for any kind of violent crime.

Then those are the issues that need to be addressed, without violating the rights of citizens of the united states.

Which isn't the same as saying gun control's useless. It's no panacea - but neither is unrestricted gun ownership.

JAMA did a study on the effectiveness of the Brady Law a few years back.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/284/5/585.full

They determined that the only positive effect was that men 55 years or older were less likely to use a firearm for suicide.
The general decline in homicide rate had already begun prior to 1985 and were downtrending without any new gun control laws.
Thus the effect of the Brady law on crime was nil.
Therefore, why do we as US citizens still have to go through the Brady background check if its effect on preventing criminals from acquiring guns is nil?
The study also factored in secondary sales by non-FFL holders, which only adds to the fact that all gun control laws are useless due to the sheer number of firearms in private hands.
In Colorado, and other states, laws have been enacted that require all private sales to go through a licensed gun-dealer.
Do people obey these laws?

You could say the same about any law. Including the murder bans.

No you can't.
That kind of slippery slope argument is illogical because murder requires an action against another person and you should know better than to compare owning a gun to committing murder.
Stop with the logical fallacies already.

I have no idea what you're trying to prove. Especially when we take this gem from your link:

The point was that France actually exceeded the US in overall crime per capita in 2002, even though it has only 1/8th the homicides of the US.
But then again, France doesn't exactly have the gang culture of the United States either.
My point is simple, gun control doesn't deter violent crime, nor does it prevent murder.
Therefore, in a country with a protected right to bear arms, how can any gun control law be justified?
It's not like it even helps stop violent crime, it simply has no effect.

Yes, violent crime's on the rise. I don't see how making it easier for delinquents and would-be delinquents to get their hands on guns would make things better.

No actually violent crime is in decline overall.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/12/20/...ics/index.html

No new gun laws have passed, in fact the 1994 assault weapon ban ended in 2004 and homicides still dropped.
Delinquents will acquire guns any way they can if they're determined to do so.
No amount of gun control is going to stop that and the claim that gun control laws makes it more difficult for them to acquire them is fallacious.
What delinquents need is a good ass whipping to get them in line. Maybe we should start having Spoiled-Brat-Control laws instead of gun control.


In news related to this weekend of wackjobs:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110107/...tabbing_attack

Chavez pisses off farmers:

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=105&sid=2228334

[Ithekro]

One wonder how many "wackjobs" and the like (or extremist in general) are influenced by the thought that "the world will end soon", either as a finalistic point of view or a religious point of view?

They need to seriously stop hyping 2012...even the Incan decendents call it bunk.

[GundamFan0083]

I know what you mean Ithekro.
It seems like some people want this 2012 nonsense to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

More about the AZ shooting situation, or rather the fallout that may come from it.
Oh boy, here we go.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011...e-free-speech/

This is why I wish this wouldn't be political.

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/val...ed_shooter.php

In other news:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6316eb4a-1...#axzz1AaWWD4KY

[MrTerrorist]

Fury over doctor's book on sex education for Muslims

[ZephyrLeanne]

Originally Posted by GundamFan0083

I know what you mean Ithekro.
It seems like some people want this 2012 nonsense to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

More about the AZ shooting situation, or rather the fallout that may come from it.
Oh boy, here we go.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011...e-free-speech/

This is why I wish this wouldn't be political.

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/val...ed_shooter.php

In other news:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6316eb4a-1...#axzz1AaWWD4KY

Sharron Angle needs to be arrested on this one.

Meanwhile, from the Fox article:

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., who appeared with Clyburn, said she is not aware that alleged shooter Jared Lee Loughner is tied to a political movement or engaged in a politically motivated act.
"You know, his favorite books are 'the Communist Manifesto' and 'Mein Kampf.' I think it's important that we recognize that this is an individual that had -- that has mental challenges, and we need to act appropriately in dealing with him and making sure that justice prevails here," she said.

Communist Manifesto is in itself an ~okay book, given that we know the Soviets got lost in translation while trying to be communists.
But MEIN KAMPF!? WTF!? I thought it should have been banned!