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VMI77 wrote: That's the way it looks now....it won't necessarily look that way after a US economic collapse. I've been all over the world and like plenty of other countries...I'm not xenophobic. When it happens it will effect the entire world. I'm not retired and I can't afford to leave the country now. Also, in a collapse, those retirement checks are going to stop. And most all of those countries deny you the means to defend yourself, and in a post-collapse scenario Americans may not be very well liked and could well become scapegoats or just objects of great envy if they remain relatively OK while the natives are struggling to survive. I'm also not willing to leave my kids behind and I can't afford to take them.

All good points.. If it happens to the entire world, might as well be a native. Especially in Texas.

VMI77 wrote: Also, no offense, I know you mean well, but I really don't care much for the thank you for your service stuff --it makes me uncomfortable. I wanted to go into the military. It was my desire from about 12 years old. I wasn't drafted, I volunteered. It was a choice I made of my own free will; I didn't do it for accolades and I don't need to be thanked. Maybe it's more appropriate to thank those who didn't have a choice.

Noted for next time. I've got several good friends - it's a 24/7/365 job and respect the nature of what they do, even if they signed up for professional reasons.
And you're right.. I should thank those who didn't have a choice because that wasn't an issue that I've ever had to face.

I think I'd need to watch the movie to understand the reference.

IF you were the military, thank you for your service.

There are lots of places to go.... Lots of expatriates and communities of expatriates that are almost exclusively military retirees overseas. Many of those places you'll extend your standard of living substantially.
I'm suggesting that you leave, I know that I'd probably get the heck out if I thought there was some impending disaster on the scale of South Africa.

VMI77 wrote: At this point the system can't be fixed by the ballot box; the ballot box is what broke it in the first place. The Founders knew Democracies don't last and that's why they created a Republic. One man one vote is a prescription for failure....two wolves and a lamb, as they say, voting on what's for dinner. The takers find their payouts at the ballot box and we're already at the point where the takers out number the makers. It's only a matter of time now until the "Democracy" erodes what remains of the Republic, and the pace has greatly accelerated under The One. Economic collapse is now inevitable, it also is just a matter of time. It may take five years or twenty years, I have no idea, but our system is unsustainable in its current form and there is no will to fix it. And that lack of will may actually make a kind of sick sense, because what's needed to fix it may well produce results that are as bad or worse than letting it run its course.

If that's true, and it may well be, what's got you sticking around? I'm not revolutionary - and I'm smart enough that if I was a revolutionary, I wouldn't be talking about it on the open internet knowing our federal government's habits for consuming data. I've seen various people prescribe to the coming revoltion/war/dooms-day, but we've had those people for as long as we've had documentation...

I can see us going broke as a country, but we'll be the last in a long line of economic collapse... Or maybe the first that triggers the rest of the world.

Maybe I should go build that bunker? For now, we'll just call it a tornado shelter so I'm not appropriately labelled.

VMI77 wrote: I wasn't ranking them, but if I did, I'd rank the media as the biggest influence, schools next, and liberal politicians last. I'm not sure what you mean by liberal either. Twenty years ago I would have considered myself liberal. Now those calling themselves "liberals" or "progressives" are really just authoritarians. I also don't understand what exclusionism means in the context you're using it. I certainly don't see even a hint of inclusiveness with today's liberals.

I know you used to consider yourself a liberal. I see lots of "Obama" and "liberal" thrown about on this forum like they're hanging level offenses. Everyone has a different meaning, but I think that for most people here it means that they identify with Republican conservative policy and a "liberal" is someone who doesn't agree with them and must be branded as such.

I should have stated "liberal politician" like you did, if that makes it more clear.

Exclusionism - Republicans have alienated Mexican Amercians, homosexuals, women on specific issues, and if you go back even father somehow African Americans switched sides. I say this in general, not that there aren't exceptions within more centralist Republicans. Those are just a few off the top of my head. The Mexican American thing is a big problem in Texas, if you want it to continue to be a red state... As the demographics are shifting that way - that's going to be the majority base. Regardless of what you think about those groups or issues, it's hasn't been a very good play for political survivability.. And it's worse because of the demographics in Texas.

VMI77 wrote: The reason they freak out is because the schools, liberal politicians, and the MSM pound the meme that guns are scary dangerous instruments of evil that can just "go off" at any time, and it fits the prejudices of some people to believe it.

Blame the "liberals" - that's a one answer.
I think the media is more to blame than liberals. Conservatives should remember that exclusionism is part of why they've done so badly in recent elections and should at least get smarter about how you accomplish a conservative agenda. The public is keenly aware of gun violence because the media highlights it. It's like the media highlights private plane crashes, even though there are 100x more traffic fatalities every single day.

This is of some level of interest to me as I've allowed an OWB holster on my belt w/o a firearm (under a shirt). I'm a little less concerned as I wouldn't do that at any sort of school or transportation to a school, which is where this story took place. Yea, I know I'll take heat for not carrying 100% of the time if I'm able to.