And people say Americans are violent..

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
Anyone can defend themselves, if physically able. Anyone can make some kind of an attempt. That's not "can't", what you describe. It's not that they can't do it, they're just not doing it.

Not everyone can defend themselves. Some have never been taught. Others don't have the physical strength or size, and still others do not have the mentality. Maybe in your world, where everyone takes care of themselves, everyone is born a ninja with a warrior spirit. In the real world people have fears, other people are intimidated into inaction and then there are the people who the just got attacked from behind.

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri

That's EXACTLY right. As long as I take care of myself and those that matter to me, everything is fine. Why should I do things any other way? Coz it's 'right'? To who?

-AC

And that's why this world will always suck. I question if your motivations are for self preservation or just a general apathy for others.

Originally posted by Deano
no one is saying that other countrys apart from america are perfect..every country has street violence..and everyone knows this

its just that most people just think that there is MORE violence in america
which is not true

Bit late but studies (in Belgium) have shown that the general public does indeed feels as if crime in the US is way higher than it is in real life. I think the media (movies and TV shows) are a big part of the cause of this.

Originally posted by Fire
Bit late but studies (in Belgium) have shown that the general public does indeed feels as if crime in the US is way higher than it is in real life. I think the media (movies and TV shows) are a big part of the cause of this.

I wonder if they've done similar survey on UK. I think I'll look into that.

United States HAS a high gun crime...its higher than anywhere in Europe.

Originally posted by PVS
your statement- 'If they do it to someone and get stopped, they'll just keep picking on weaker and weaker people. At the moment they're not exactly doing it to people who can't defend themselves.'

my reply- '...so you say let them do it so that they wont pick on weaker people!?!?!?...'

wtf is the problem? answer the question

First off. Look at my statement, then your question derived from the statement. Where did I imply that we should LET them do it just so they don't pick on weaker people? Short and fast answer: I didn't. I merely said that if they do it and get stopped, they'll pick on weaker people, coz they will. Point being that it's gonna happen as long as idiots are around to do it. You're not gonna scare a street thug into stopping a crime by calling the police because half the time these are thugs that get IN riots with the police.

Originally posted by KharmaDog
Not everyone can defend themselves. Some have never been taught. Others don't have the physical strength or size, and still others do not have the mentality. Maybe in your world, where everyone takes care of themselves, everyone is born a ninja with a warrior spirit. In the real world people have fears, other people are intimidated into inaction and then there are the people who the just got attacked from behind.

Taught? You don't need to be taught how to fight.

Oh is this the part where you try to make my rationale seem the opposite by going way over the top? Oh, apparantly so. Not everyone DOES defend themselves, a good majority of those attacked, have the ability to fight back. They don't use it. You don't need a black belt to floor a man.

I'm not suggesting that everyone should defend themselves without fail, I'm saying everyone has the ability to mount an offensive/defensive unless. You're saying they can't.

Originally posted by KharmaDog
And that's why this world will always suck. I question if your motivations are for self preservation or just a general apathy for others.

That's not why the world will always suck. If anything the world will always suck because false, sanctimonius, human nature forces people to concentrate on everybody elses lives as much as their own, regardless of how irrelevant they are. If more people worked on keeping their own shit in order, we'd at least have a more peaceful world.

The point is, I take care of me and those closest to me, those I care about. Nobody else matters. Why should they? Because they're humans? Means jack to me. If I don't know you, you might as well not exist. If I hadn't heard you shouting when you were getting "slapped", I wouldn't have known you even existed. Why, just because our paths have crossed do I now have an obligation to help you? (I don't).

Question all you want, I know why I do what I do. You obviously have major trouble coming to terms with that. Not my problem.

-AC

the trouble is in your pride in that outlook.
and please dont bullshit me, its pride. you present that selfish rant as
if thats the smart way to live, and anyone who would disagree is a tool.

i dont know AC, you seem really comfortable with being part of a greater problem. maybe thats what people find troubling, not your outlook in itself.

Hahahaha.

A common pattern when I debate with you. I say something you literally cannot accept or comprehend and you pass it off as something that you'd like it to be.

Please don't bullshit you? You mean by telling you what it actually is rather than what you want it to be? Haha.

I'm not being part of any problem. I'm keeping myself to myself in life. Keeping those closest to me close, and living my life without interfering with anyone. If you believe you have some deep rooted moral and upstanding obligation to contribute to a cause that you needn't contribute to, then rock and roll. I choose not to and in no way is my choice causing greater problems.

-AC

the problem can be explained in this little pros:

In Germany they came first for the Communists and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me--and by that time no one was left to speak up. --Martin Niemöller

evil thrives in an atmoshphere of apathy and selfishness.
if you do not care, then you DO contribute to the problem.

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
I'm not being part of any problem. I'm keeping myself to myself in life. Keeping those closest to me close, and living my life without interfering with anyone. If you believe you have some deep rooted moral and upstanding obligation to contribute to a cause that you needn't contribute to, then rock and roll. I choose not to and in no way is my choice causing greater problems.

-AC

Apathy is a problem in the world, and whether you choose to acknowledge it or not , you are part of the problem.

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
Taught? You don't need to be taught how to fight.

I'm not suggesting that everyone should defend themselves without fail, I'm saying everyone has the ability to mount an offensive/defensive unless. You're saying they can't.-AC [/B]

And I disagree, not everyone is able to mount a defensive or offensive physical attack.

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
That's not why the world will always suck. If anything the world will always suck because false, sanctimonius, human nature forces people to concentrate on everybody elses lives as much as their own, regardless of how irrelevant they are. If more people worked on keeping their own shit in order, we'd at least have a more peaceful world.

The point is, I take care of me and those closest to me, those I care about. Nobody else matters. Why should they? Because they're humans? Means jack to me. If I don't know you, you might as well not exist. If I hadn't heard you shouting when you were getting "slapped", I wouldn't have known you even existed. Why, just because our paths have crossed do I now have an obligation to help you? (I don't).

Question all you want, I know why I do what I do. You obviously have major trouble coming to terms with that. Not my problem.

-AC[/B]

Talk about sanctimonius, you take the cake my friend. And no, I don't have a problem coming to terms with your pontificating and posturing so that you can try to impress people how you are so above the human condition. I just think it's funny that such a young kid thinks that he has all the answers in the world and tries to reinforce his beliefs by argueing his case constantly whenever possible.

I note no-one is actually trying to give AC a good reason to do what you say. If you are just going to complain about AC's opinion I don't see any point in posting at all- that is AC's opinion, let AC have it.

I also note that this disturbing trend of equating not running in and helping physically with automatically thinking 'not my problem' is continuing. If you think this sort of thing is going to be sorted out by have-a-go heroes, you are way wroong.

There are other ways to be socially conscious than direct intervention.

Originally posted by Ushgarak
I note no-one is actually trying to give AC a good reason to do what you say.

Stopping someone from being physically assaulted should be reason enough. At least it is for many people.

Originally posted by Ushgarak
If you think this sort of thing is going to be sorted out by have-a-go heroes, you are way wroong.

There are other ways to be socially conscious than direct intervention. [/B]

And with that I totally agree. I don't want to come off as believing that retalitory violence is the only way. Attempting any action that disrupts this behaviour any way is what's needed. But turning your back is just contributing to the problem.

Perhaps if more people became involved things like this wouldn't happen. A sense of community is no longer prevalent in many of today's societies. Apathy is beginning to reign supreme.

I say that if the victim is a little girl or an elderly person (or they maybe disabled) and you can defend them and you choose to then that is equally "Ok" as choosing not to though.. just my opinion....

Originally posted by Ushgarak
I note no-one is actually trying to give AC a good reason to do what you say. If you are just going to complain about AC's opinion I don't see any point in posting at all- that is AC's opinion, let AC have it.

I also note that this disturbing trend of equating not running in and helping physically with automatically thinking 'not my problem' is continuing. If you think this sort of thing is going to be sorted out by have-a-go heroes, you are way wroong.

There are other ways to be socially conscious than direct intervention.

i can sum it up like this:

you see someone getting beat down by thugs. you are afraid of the risk to yourself, so you can:

a-intervene in whatever way you can. either by jumping in, or shouting for help and drawing attention to the crime, and/or study the attackers so that you may give an identification to police when they show up because you hopefully called them...things of this nature

or

b-say "f*** em"

nobody is saying that you have to be a hero and put yourself in harms way, but ffs if you can help then help in whatever way you can.
nothing in what AC is saying tells me he wouldnt opt for 'b' 😬

Mr. Incredible got fired because his boss didn't let him go save the day when a guy was getting mugged. 😐

When your ass is on the line just think....what would Mr. Incredible do?

Originally posted by lil bitchiness
I wonder if they've done similar survey on UK. I think I'll look into that.

United States HAS a high gun crime...its higher than anywhere in Europe.

i saw this pic on a website

thats why i think they shud ban guns completely

Originally posted by Deano
i saw this pic on a website

thats why i think they shud ban guns completely

Yeah, I think they should, too.

Italy has a TON of gun-related murders, too.

Originally posted by Deano
no one is saying that other countrys apart from america are perfect..every country has street violence..and everyone knows this

its just that most people just think that there is MORE violence in america
which is not true

It is true 😐

Plus America's media encourage it, at least the Rap genre does.

Westside Vs Eastside
Tupac vs Biggie
Marshall Vs Rule

Holy hell! Lets go spray some people with my uz, gat, glock or whatever!

hmm it seems stupidity is reproducing fast....if that was me i'll tazer their ass and then pepper spray their got damn eyes out!!! 😈

I'm actually proud of these morons on film. If they're going to go out of their way to be violent idiots....atleast they only used their hands.

Anyone read about that dumbass football player for Arizona State University who shot his own teammate in a fit of rage because he was talking to a girl the guy wanted to hook up with...

Seriously now people. To shoot someone over something so trivial... I could understand if he got out of his car and beat the crap out of the guy...that's something us neaderthal men would do. But to kill someone for talking to a girl...that isn't your wife or girlfriend. That's just some crazy American bullshit right there.

True True i agree with you Link, but in my opinion it's both bullshit. Both have no point, killing someone and slapping someone for stupid shit...it's just........a bunch of b.s. to me.

Originally posted by The Inkeeper
It is true 😐

Plus America's media encourage it, at least the Rap genre does.

Westside Vs Eastside
Tupac vs Biggie
Marshall Vs Rule

Holy hell! Lets go spray some people with my uz, gat, glock or whatever!

How exactly is this true? How does the media encourage violence? What they are doing is "reporting" the cases. And what's with this "the Rap genre does"?

Blame music for crime? Is this a joke? Mind you I don't like rap or hip-hop or whatever but I would never held them responsible for crime in streets. That's just plain silly.