Debate For All

Not to start any nationalistic flame wars, but none of those nations had quite the same psyche as America.

We have a lot of guns.
There are a gazillion prior military, which means at least partially trained.
We have 'rednecks'
We have a lot of non-rednecks who like to hunt, or even just shoot, both of which skills would come in handy in a guerilla war.

There's also a streak of belligerence deep down. If someone manages to mine it, then all hell's capable of breaking loose. Would a popular uprising against the government work in this country? I don't know. It would be a helluva fight, though!

Red Dawn does NOT count as a reference!

 

You also forgot to mention that the USA has a 30% obesity rate

Do obese people make good soldiers? :kill:

 

Only if I'm behind them!!!

(5'11", 165lbs.... You do the math!)

 

Like almost everyone in my country I have trouble with pounds (lb's)

It's ~3.3 pounds to a kilogram isnt' it?


Sometimes I wonder whether the 'weight issue' is really as bad as TIME draws it out to be... If in WWII, the west was as fat as we are now, no-one would've been able to fight... Or we'd have to all go to fat-camp as well as boot-camp...

China, Africa, 2nd world countries, however... All have a large population of wiry young men who spend all day working in manual labour jobs, mines, factories, e.t.c. Pity they can't afford to train their military that well... However, as long as we're putting our bets on 'civilian armies' I think that it is the 2nd world 3rd world countries, who have a large, strong working class who would be most effective...
Perhaps that contributes to why coups only seem to succeed (or occur) in those countries... They are strong, fit and disgruntled with their government (who maintain sub-standard militaries), whereas we in the west are kept fat and content by a government who actually has strong, effective law enforcement :smok:

 

2.2 pounds per kilo (rule of thumb -- double the kgs)

 

Aye, it comes out to about 360kg. Don't even ask me how many stone that is!

I can take cover behind lots of things!

 

How to they judge obesity anyways ? Like I'm 18, 5'11 1/2 and 215 pounds, but I can run 4-5km in 12 minutes.

 

Erm no, it comes out dead on 75 kg, 330 kg would be about 726 lbs or over 51 stone!

CSP your classification is in the UK largely dependant on the Body Mass Index calculation which takes into account height and weight. BMI is not popular in some circles as it is not entirely fair (And one reference to it said it should only be used for "normal" people not athletes since the weight of their muscle upsets the BMI calculator, many professional athletes especially heavy weight boxers or weight lifters would be regarded as Obese under BMI), however it is what many institutions such as the RAF and Army use so largely we're stuck with it.

Here's a pretty standard BMI calculator:

http://nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

Tom (hope you don't mind mate) comes in at BMI 23, right in the middle of normal weight.

BMI Categories:
Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
Overweight = 25-29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

Just so it doesn't seem like I'm picking on Tom, I come in at 29, at the high end of overweight, so I've still got a way to go. From memory to be in the Normal category I need to get to about 175lbs, I'm shifting weight at the moment and have about 17 lbs to go.

 

The fight against the communists started in December 1944.There was a small pause but it started again until 1949, when they were ultimately defeated.
Moreover,although the British helped indeed to push the guerrillas out of Athens in 1944/45, they never crushed a revolt here.
There was neither US military helping the Greek army. Only US military supplies (rifles,planes etc) as well as there were British supplies--mostly at the start. From 1946 to the end of the civil war(1949) the Greek military fought on its own.

 

Except that quite a few of those nations had had a lot of recent experience in fighting geurilla wars, having been under German or Japanese occupation. And if you ever think that Greeks can't be passionate and very stubborn, you've obviously never worked with one...

McRis - thanks for the clarification re: Greece. And no offence was meant by my comments above.

 

That's what I get for doing complex calculations after working a double! Geez, what a dope!

No, not at all! If I'm gonna be a dummy, might as well be a training dummy, so there's some use to it! :roll:
Besides, that's one of the few times anyone can call me normal, or average!

 

i have only two stones and i have no idea how many kg they weigh but im pretty sure they have caused me to take some rash and not well thought out actions both in love and war...

 

Just what US schools need, MORE guns.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7003028.stm

 

Well, as the article said, Ebar, there are those who argue that responsible armed adults on campuses might actually prevent mass killings like Columbine, or at least cut down on the casualties. And they do have some evidence in their favor. In the Pearl, Mississippi school shooting case, the killer was stopped from completing his rampage because the assistant principal went out to his car and got his gun, then held the killer at bay until the police arrived. And there have been other such incidents. It can, and has been, argued that the no guns allowed rules just ensure that these people have large numbers of unarmed, helpless targets to choose from. Even some Virginia Tech students are saying that if guns were allowed on campus, with proper permits, then Cho would have been stopped sooner, saving many lives. It's a complex question, and the answers will not be easy to come by, especially given how emotional an issue it is. My take is that having guns on a campus or workplace might not be a bad idea, if the gun owners are properly registered and trained adults. Letting just anyone carry one is a recipe for disaster.

 

BTW, Ebar, schools shootings in this country are actually quite rare. They are magnified by the horror of the fact that young children or teens have been killed, plus the usual media feeding frenzy. Large numbers of dead add fuel to the fire.

 

The problem isn't guns, well here anyways. Most guns used in gun crime here are obtained illegally. What we need is psychological profiles(nothing complex) to be able to get a gun. It wouldnt hurt. You couldnt even suspect some people of it, you know. Some people just lose it. Allthough, in many cases it could have been prevented, like with Virginia Tech. They knew the guy was a wacko. Allthough, they could just obtain them illegally, I suppose. Well, I'll leave that to debate. A big difference can be made in the inner cities to cut the underlying social problems that lead to gun violence, such as poverty, broken homes, lack of hope. To ban hand guns and the such is only looking the problem in the face. If you make stricter laws then that dosent make any difference, because as I said before most are obtained illegally. Also, the reason their at each others throats still exists. if guns hypothetically never existed then they duse another form of weapon, such as knives or home made bombs, which there are instruction manuls to at your friendly local library

 

I must disagree with u. In Serbia,not so long a go,goverment prohibited that non military/police person can carry weapon on the street,and get enormly high taxex on firearms (except hunting weapons,with proper licence).

Epilog is that number of firearm killings droped for 500%,and total kilings 300%. Ppl r impulsive,and in many stupid situation,if they hawe firearm they can use it,if u dont hawe firearm,u got time to cool it. My myself ,if i had a sidegun il probably kill some mofos when i had fight with 5 guys ( dont think that i was a winner there ) . After fight,i gone home to take gun and shoot the fuckers,and i was determent to do it. In the time i get home,i was half cooled,and when i thinked betther,i did not want to waste my life for few idiots....
Epilog: I gatthered my crew and we spank them good

But if i had a gun? I woud use it for shure....

 

Well, it's a different here Sinissa. The fire arms used are mostly illegal, so making new laws dosen't do anything.

 

I know what you mean, I am fat too.

 

Is that 4 km, 4.5 km or 5 km?