Are we screwed?

[labgrade]

I owe Golgo-13 a public appology merely from my assumption that he hasn't seen some things - my reference to his "tower."

My bad, & after my latest PM, hopefully, he'll forgive my assumptions & so my public reply.

One thing though regards this "are we screwed" theme.

I guess it would depend on how one looks at it.

Years past, we could fly with firearms & ammo - carry-on, we weren't scrutenized to such an extent as now, we didn't have the feds using software sifting to monitor phone calls/e-mails/thread-postings, etc.

Those were much more safer days - in every regard - from the perps, & those who purport to serve us for our safety.

Given the difference between the two, I'd choose to risk my safety against the perps - they were never really that good, but the federales are so very much better.

I feel much safer dealing with the criminal element than the feds. The criminal element only wants a brief & cursory check to take their cut right now, while the feds (or locals) want it all - forever.

Dealing with the criminal element, I can either accept or deny, with lethal force, or not. With the "controllers," you face the full force of the government & all that entails.

 

[fjolnirsson]

I'm pretty sure CA is screwed. The rest of the country still has a chance.

 

[Joe Demko]

Re: labgrade' s apology

I won't accept his apology because no apology was necessary. No harm, no foul.

 

[labgrade]

Golgo-13's last:

You'd better, Sir, 'cause it was offered in the spirit intended.

I "slammed" you wihout knowing your own background - my assumption that you had no idea. I publically offended you, to my unknowing disregard. Had I known your service, I would never have done such.

Turns out you do, to "my bad." &my hat's off to what you do'have done - to the service of us all, Sir.

Public humility is nothing to be ashamed of, & I'm fully willing to accept that.

I screwed up, & appologies are in order, no matter what Golgo-13 thinks.

I do.

Regardless though, I still think we're screwed.

Further restrictions/monitoring on what we do, what we think, what we post, how we communicate - through e-stuff, phones, or any other media, we are involved with the most "investigative properties" ever know.

My initial post, my personal appologies to Golgo-13 (in our PM), & this, are likely very much available to The Feds - a matter of "National Security."

I have no doubt whatsoever that everything posted here, whatever we engage in PMs, or whatever we do in e-mails, are subject to sifting from The Feds'

That "they" even have the desire to monitor us to such an extent is very troubling, not to mention illegal.

We ARE screwed, just from the mention that we are.

That they would monitor our communications is enough to prove that point.

 

[Joe Demko]

Well, you got me. I apologize for not accepting your apology. It was ungentlemanly of me.

We aren't completely screwed. We're screwed on some things, to be sure, notably the gun thing. There's been real and valuable progress made on other things.
I am beginning to think that there is something we should call The Screw Factor. It is a descriptor of how screwed society is. I also believe that it is a constant. For every area where progress is made, civil rights for minorities for example, we have to get screwed somewhere else, like on gun rights. The overall effect is that we are never either more nor less screwed, we only get screwed on different things at different times.

 

[MicroBalrog]

Golgo-13: Please visit Israel.

 

[labgrade]

Perhaps an astute enough assessmnet, Joe, & sorry I missed your phone call. Tomorrow, huh? This "fix" somehow seems worse than the initial problem.

No, not completely screwed. Many, many things to be thankful for & yup, we're living in the best place to be - other than a couple others. & hoo-boy, do we have it good compared to most of the world.

I tend to focus on the negatives - a problem from my failure analysis days, I'd guess.