Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[THE_WIZARD_]

Greatest duo for all of youse is either STFU and shaddup....or THE_WIZARD_ and THE_PROPHET_...

[crashcourse]

there was never a future for THE_PROPHET_.

[THE_WIZARD_]

He was the best...until The Accident...

[Dr. Strangelove]

Look, no one said owning the libs would be CHEAP or EASY!! We’re at WAR! Do you want the sexy M&M back or not?!

[Jeff Buchanan]

Moved ......

DSL, when I saw the Moldovan president had resigned I thought for sure the Russians were behind it. The word is that she was exasperated over her inability to shape a eurocentric political system that could at some point join the EU. Something that Zelenski is trying to do in Ukraine and a few of eastern flank of NATO nations

My impressions from 10K is that former soviet satellite states have a really hard time ridding their governments and judicial systems of corruption - that's what the west calls it. Slavic nations that existed under Russian domination for decades as satellite states of the Soviet Union will tell you, that's the way we do all things here. There is no political process, just gangsters making what they want to happen, happen. Having money and then gaining political positions to influence favorable outcomes for themselves and those that hitch on to their bandwagon. Few programs paid for with taxes and run by these governments are for society. Its the norm and that norm is deeply entrenched.

Politicians in these former Soviet states that have as a platform corruption busting and transitioning to a more democratic nation find it nearly impossible to uproot these guys. There really is no counterpart in the west to the scope and scale of corruption in the former satellite states of the USSR. So, it's hard for us to understand its pervasiveness and impact on the society that's dealing with it/and/or trying to escape from it's destructive nature on the well being of the governed citizensenry.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Bad stuff happening at MSU tonight. Shootings reported at multiple locations. Believed to be same suspect. Berkey Hall and IM East gym. At least one dead.

[lineygoblue]

One person dead, shooter still at large. Everyone is being told to lock down in place.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/02/13/msu-reports-shots-fired-on-campus-east-lansing/69901198007/

[Dr. Strangelove]

Going to bed but doesn’t like they’ve got him yet. Could be multiple dead. Lots of bad info floating around. MSU has basically shut down campus for the next two days at least.

[lineygoblue]

Three confirmed dead, five seriously injured as of midnight. Shooter still at large, as of midnight but they have pictures of him.

[foxhopper]

Looks like the suspect took his own life.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Looks like the suspect took his own life.

Shooter was a black dude, early 40's. No known connection to MSU. Was just publicly identified as Anthony McRae. He somehow made it all the way west, on foot, into Lansing. Killed himself when approached by cops. Everyone shot was a student, no employees or faculty. No known motive. But info going around suggests an relative asked police to do a welfare check on him just last week.

[Dr. Strangelove]

People who got on his Facebook before it was removed say he posted lots of stuff related to exorcism and demonic possession.

[iam416]

The important thing here is to make sure guns are to blame and not the 40-year old nutjob.

[Dr. Strangelove]

The important thing here is to make sure guns are to blame and not the 40-year old nutjob.

If guns don't commit crime (people do!) then it stands to reason that NRA style rhetoric like "guns save lives" is bullshit as well.

[iam416]

I'm quite happy removing guns entirely from the equation, eliminating all policy decisions as if they were determinative and adhering to the law of the land.

But, that's just me. I'm ok calling bullshit on weak sauce arguments on "my" side.

So, if you agree to stop blaming guns then I'll fully concede the NRA's point is bullshit. And we'll base policy decisions on that detente.