Ask Lemmy

It really is amazing, all the insights, the discoveries, the knowledge, the artistry, the technology that the human race has acquired. Historically, every time we thought we knew the limits of our potential, we have gone far beyond those limits. Except that we still haven't figured out how not to hand over control of everything to the absolute worst of us. Like literally put our most deluded narcissistic psychopathic pedophiles in charge of the entire fucking world.

I'm in Australia and it still shits me to tears that I can't mathematically communicate with Americans. We just changed one day and it was done.

That said, the Australian mainland is running 5 different timezones right now. Some zones are only 30 minutes apart. We also have a little island just off the coast of Sydney where the DST shift is 30 minutes. The entire planet does an hour. We've introduced this edge case for the sake of 400 people and some stick insects.

Anyone tangentially studying anything scientific with real life measurements in the US is versed in metric. Imperial really is for the dum dums and their precious feel feels.

Here's the deal, if I could snap my fingers and remove all semi-automatic firearms across the US I'd do it in a second. The problem is, the cat's already out of the bag. Some back of the napkin math here, but there are about 20 million AR style rifles in the US. Let's say we do a buyback program that gets rid of a full quarter of those (that's a crazy high number, but makes math easy) for $250 a pop. Just on payouts alone, nevermind the logistical overhead, that's 1.25 billion dollars to make sure that if someone previously had access to 4 rifles on average, now they have access to 3. Not to mention all the other types of semi-auto firearms available like pistols, different rifles, etc.

What we need to do is improve the material conditions for people in their daily lives. It's a whole hell of a lot harder to radicalize someone when they're happy, healthy, and have a bright future ahead of them. Nationalized healthcare, an improved housing market, and sane tax laws in this country will go a hell of a lot farther to reduce gun violence than just making them illegal ever could.

I wish this was an issue we could just legislate a fix for, I really do, but it's a symptom rather than a disease. That's not to say laws can't touch the issue. Sane and fair gun laws can and should be implemented, but on their own they will just drive the issues underground.

I'll take a shot at a spicy reply: they aren't wrong, at least not completely. Having a lot of guns won't stop the government from taking your rights, but it does limit their options. That's why American conservatives have to bend over backwards to make sure you know: if you're an American who identifies with gun culture, they are unequivocally on your side *. The current administration would love to restrict gun ownership, but they're still afraid of losing the support of that bloc. And I think it's at least partially because they have guns.

*^provided you follow the law and support the troops and all the police as well and also aren't openly queer or melanated^

A spicy reply in favor of your post: guns are obsolete. They’re completely useless and unnecessary in modern society. The only thing guns provide is the illusion of “safety”, which is only necessary because guns are allowed to exist. It’s a simple fact that getting rid of guns entirely would have the death rate plummet, especially for kids. Thousands and thousands of lives are sacrificed every year to enrich a powerful lobby and make people with smol pp energy feel a false sense of security.

I blame Santa.

If that guy would stop being so jolly and load the naughties up with the coal they deserve, supply would plummet, prices would skyrocket, and it wouldn't be a viable energy source why longer.

Grey's Anatomy

As someone who still watches let me assure you we all want it to come to an end. There was even a moment a few seasons ago where Meredith left and it seemed like we were set up for a perfect send off.

But it just kept going. Meredith is weirdly sometimes back despite living in Boston. But next season is probably the last season, and I've watched it all at this point, so what's a little more. Right?

(It's also still fine as background TV, so that's probably why I still keep up.)

I'm sorry, but you practically said you were living in a bubble for 40 years.

Not only expanding, but accelerating in expansion.