Subject: Re: US as No. 1) 
Distribution: world
Organization: Kells Consultancy
Reply-To: geoffl@kells.demon.co.uk
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Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 01:39:08 +0000

In article <C1JAoK.3Gr@news.cso.uiuc.edu> irvine@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu writes:

>For a few, however when one is FREE, one is FREE to take on the
>"responsibilities" or not.  For example with "Freedom of Speech"
>one may say what one wants.  Some misanthropes cluck their tongues
>at those who take advantage of their rights by saying what they want.
>They claim that they did not take proper "responsibility."  What
>they are really yearning for, these misanthropes, is the removal of
>that same freedom ["If there is no law against it, you must not take
>advantage of that right"].

Absolute nonsense.  If one were to find a functioning society that had
no actual law against murder, this could would only be possible if the
people could be trusted to use this freedom in a responcible manner.
When the govt grants 'Freedom of *' this is a statement that they
consider their population to be mature enough to take responcibilty
for their own actions, just as when your parents granted you the freedom
to cross the road without supervision.


>Yeah, and that is why so many foreign students flock to US colleges.
>[even Europeans!]Come on, man!

Yeah, like Clinton ;-) .


>Americans have never fully trusted their government, so the constitution
>has allowed private weapon ownership (as a check vs. gov't power, and
>for personal protection).

I'm afraid that the govt power that private weapon ownership checked,
at the time, was that of the british; it's now obsolete.


>By the way, not all guin owners are "nutcases" (IN fact I would say
>most aren't, unless you are willing to condemn 100,000,000 people!)

No, but you've managed to get your entire population into an arms race!


>>>Add to the above the military might of the country, and you have
>>>a citizenry who feel they are powerful as a country and powerful
>>>as individuals. They can own as many guns as they like, they can
>>
>>       There's a chilling thought...
>
>Why?  Are you in the habit of attacking law-abiding citizens who own
>guns?  Whay are you chilled?

Do they ever get drunk?  violent?  How many deaths do you get every
year from handguns that are accidental?
  -  I'd be chilled!


>>>drive an automobile with no instruction after passing the most
>>>absurdly minimal of tests,
>
>OOOOOooooh!  Gads, if you look at statistics, there are less accidents
>per mile travelled in the US than in nearly every other nation.  I
>would venture to say that Americans are BETTER drivers than most
>others, simply because cars are more accesable and people get more
>experience.

I'd be facinated to see the statistics you've seen.  A friend of mine
moved from the UK to the US, he's a good driver but due to inexperience
with your roads swerved into traffic, jumped a light, and nearly caused
an accident - on his driving test!  And he passed...

>
>Or about the Queen in England (Its in the Law Books anyway)

A bit pathetic, that one.

-- 
      Geoff Landergan                         geoffl@kells.demon.co.uk
      Mitcham, Surrey, UK
      +44 81 646 2605

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