The Rude Pundit is correct once again.

[volstork]

A great read: http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2018/02/lets-call-extremist-gun-owners-what.html


"Essentially, we have a large, sick segment of the population that is divorced from reality and heavily-armed. They are being exploited by craven politicians, the greedy gun lobby, and the conflict-hungry media, which makes them think that their delusional thinking has merit instead of being a symptom of damage done to them and to the public in general."

[malaise]

1. Which is why GEM$NBComcast can carry that

detestable gun toting creep live from CPAC

[ladjf]

2. I am not a geneticist but I feel that we might have created some kind of genetic disorder

among our people that is causing us to behave in a manner that is normal for healthy animals. If not genetic, perhaps an environmental
damage unknown to us. There has got to be some real reason the America is producing an abnormal number of sociopaths.

[tblue37]

3. Overpopulation studies done with rats in the 1970s & 1980s showed that once

their colonies reached a certain level of overpopulation, the stresses led to behaviors that threatened their long term survival. They fought viciously and killed each other and brutalized and killed their young. Some engaged in self-harming behavior, and some became depressed and lethargic, even refraining from eating.

Our social and economic experience is full of stresses, and like the rats trapped in the overpopulated colonies they couldn't escape, some turn to behaviors that harm themselves and others, and that bode ill for the long term survival of our society. This effect is also seen in other parts of the world, of course, but for a long time our country's size, isolation, wealth, and abundant resources protected our population from some of the worst stresses.

[ladjf]

4. I am familiar with some of the mouse experiments as well as other species.

A pair of angel fish will tend to and raise their spawn unless the living area is too small. If the living area is too small, they will consume all of the eggs.

I'm not convinced that the human race has reached that level of desperation. But, a few more years under Trump might take us that brink.

[OhNo-Really]

17. Let's be honest

The original caucasion America invaders killed off and stole the land from the natives.

Then these and their children imported and traded Africans to do the heavy lifting required to clear the land and amass small fortunes.

Wave after wave of displaced nationalities were allowed to migrate here to do the heavy industrialization lifting so more people could amass fortunes off of their labor.

We are a country owned and captured by greedy, heartless, murderous, self-proclaimed God fearing monsters who won't think twice about killing us off if their weath and/or power feel threatened.

Me? Canadian roots tyvm. The French married and co-mingled with the natives.

[ladjf]

18. Grim but true. nt

[Mr. Ected]

5. We live in the USA; we are blessed with an abundance

These folks have nothing to do so they complain. Waa, waa, waa. The media stokes the flames and their political party makes them feel themselves the victim.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

16. I agree, and believe it's overall environmental-stress related.

Over population does not necessarily make sense because there's far more right-wingers and gun nuts out in the country, whereas cities not so much. There's also far more fear.

We've allowed the corporate world and rampant consumerism control our thinking and dialog far too long. The general public's enchantment with the stock market is just one example, along with the loss of most all of our locally-owned stores.

I knew we were heading for trouble when I dabbled in the market for a while and noticed the demand for higher and higher productivity with fewer and fewer people - and that demand never ends. That proved to me that the market and those controlling it do not care about human beings (other than themselves).

That also means the psychological stress on our populace has slowly increased over time. Knowledge that our safety net is slowly being destroyed does not help, either.

The overall pattern of how corporatism has shaped our thinking is toward complete individualism, which will eventually destroy any successful society.

...................

[smirkymonkey]

6. I think that so far, we have really been afraid to challenge gun owners and the NRA in the way they

deserve to be challenged. What makes them think that they are the only group in the nation that should have absolutely NO restrictions on their "drug" of choice? Nobody NEEDS a gun to live. Why have they gotten a pass so far when allowing them to do so has been such a menace to the public at large? A lot of these people aren't right in the head - and that doesn't mean all gun owners - but there is a huge contingent of them who value their guns more than anything else in the world, including human life, and that is SICK!

As the RP says "I believe, sincerely and with no malice, there is a widespread mass hysteria, if not outright mental illness, connected to a certain paranoid strain of gun owner." Unfortunately, these are the people who stockpile weapons and ammunition and are the greatest danger to society.

[Maggiemayhem]

10. I have always thought that Fox And RW radio use psych ops and brainwashing

[smirkymonkey]

12. I do too. So far, I think they have made us feel wrong and guilty for challenging gunners when

we ABSOLUTELY should be challenging them at every turn. It is bullshit what they are getting away with and they have way too much power over our government.

[treestar]

19. An interesting experiment if we could get them to do it

Get a group of Fox / RW radio people to stop listening/watching for a period of say, a month. Then find out what they think then.

[marieo1]

7. minngal

I applaud you for posting this. It is so true. Thanks.

[Old Enough 2]

8. Citizens United the 600 Pound Gorilla

The Supreme Courts insane decision ( Citizens United v. FEC ) to give corporations the same First Amendment Rights as people is the backbone of the NRA's right to buy our political system. If Corporations are people, try giving the NRA a rectal exam or a DNA test. Corporations exist to make money, huge amounts of money for their stock holders and CEO's at the expense of American Citizens and their needs and desires for responsible government.

Citizens United is an evil that must be ruled unconstitutional, until then the will of the people will be overlooked by corporate greed; think NRA.

Great video on Citizens United.....

[unitedwethrive]

9. Exactly!

We need to look at the many roots of the problems we currently face.

[Maggiemayhem]

11. You are so right. It needs to be overturned.

[Maggiemayhem]

14. You are so right. It needs to be overturned.

[calimary]

13. WOW! What a great piece!

Thanks for posting about it here, volstork.

Sounds like a MUST-Read to me.

[byronius]

15. That's a well-reasoned essay.