2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
#392
Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
Not been to California then ? (Or taken a class in English Grammar, but that is purely being a pedant).
What do you mean by "not traditionally associated with the western world ?"
The draconian and overly onerous immigration laws that America has put in place make it almost impossible to come here from the "western world." Also, standards of living outside the US in the west are considerably higher - people in Western Europe don't want to come here any more.
If I look at my own workplace (in Silicon Valley), we are now at 73% Asian, of which a slight majority are on H1 Visas from India. The rest are USC - the proportion coming from anything like the West is tiny and decreasing by the day.
Take the immigrants out of the US, and the country would cease to function.
Of course, if that's what you want to do, then I suggest that you divert some of the huge excess of tax income that currently is wasted on propping up a vastly inflated military, and put it into public education and social services to improve the skills and support for your target "local" population.
But, in the meantime, what would the country survive on ? That would take 20+ years to trickle through.
The vast majority of "murdering lunitics" (sic) are in fact USCs.
For the two years we've been here, EVERY night another murder is reported on our local news. EVERY night.
I know of no-other country in the world save maybe North Korea, where a death toll and failure of society on that scale would be tolerated, let alone excused by glib and meaningless statements such as "we're the greatest - it's the foreigners."
Physician, heal thyself.
What do you mean by "not traditionally associated with the western world ?"
The draconian and overly onerous immigration laws that America has put in place make it almost impossible to come here from the "western world." Also, standards of living outside the US in the west are considerably higher - people in Western Europe don't want to come here any more.
If I look at my own workplace (in Silicon Valley), we are now at 73% Asian, of which a slight majority are on H1 Visas from India. The rest are USC - the proportion coming from anything like the West is tiny and decreasing by the day.
Take the immigrants out of the US, and the country would cease to function.
Of course, if that's what you want to do, then I suggest that you divert some of the huge excess of tax income that currently is wasted on propping up a vastly inflated military, and put it into public education and social services to improve the skills and support for your target "local" population.
But, in the meantime, what would the country survive on ? That would take 20+ years to trickle through.
The vast majority of "murdering lunitics" (sic) are in fact USCs.
For the two years we've been here, EVERY night another murder is reported on our local news. EVERY night.
I know of no-other country in the world save maybe North Korea, where a death toll and failure of society on that scale would be tolerated, let alone excused by glib and meaningless statements such as "we're the greatest - it's the foreigners."
Physician, heal thyself.
Well put.
#394
Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
Who "indangers" [sic] people the most do you think, in terms of numbers?
#395
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
From a programme I was watching recently, the Amish are pretty bad drivers.
#397
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
If I follow the thinking here, it's that 2 people born overseas caused this tragedy. Ergo, stop people coming from overseas and you will stop all future tragedies.
It is an understandable train of thought, but a logical fallacy.
#398
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
Among men ages 18 to 40, the group most likely to commit crimes, native-born Americans were 10 times more likely than immigrants to be incarcerated for crimes in California prisons and jails.
No details on methodology etc, but given that immigrants are to some extent screened, I can well believe that they may have lower rates of committing crime.
Last edited by Giantaxe; Apr 20th 2013 at 9:37 pm.
#399
Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
It's the national level of fear I don't understand. I lived in London when the IRA bombings were happening, and then there were the July bombings a few years ago. There was no suggestion of a "lockdown" in London, shutting down all public transport or closing the airspace.
#400
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
It's the national level of fear I don't understand. I lived in London when the IRA bombings were happening, and then there were the July bombings a few years ago. There was no suggestion of a "lockdown" in London, shutting down all public transport or closing the airspace.
#401
Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
This is for California only, but quite interesting:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/us...ml?ref=us&_r=0
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/us...ml?ref=us&_r=0
"Although the undocumented immigrant population doubled to about 12 million from 1994 to 2005, the violent crime rate in the United States declined by 34.2% and the property crime rate fell by 26.4%. This decline in crime rates was not just national, it also occurred in border cities and other cities with large immigrant populations—such as San Diego, El Paso, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Miami."
http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/jus...immigrants-are
#403
Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
Yes, I saw that. It was not a sporting event and that flag-waving and chanting seemed very out of place to me. There are dead and injured people - cheering and doing the "we're number 1" thing doesn't seem to fit.
#404
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: West Sussex - did 3 years in the US...
Posts: 577
Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
Actually, this is a serious, but off-topic observation, and one that I am struggling with at work.
There seems to be something in the American pschye that stops people from questioning authority or perceived truisms. I'm finding that my biggest workplace challenge - especially as my team is tasked with thinking the unthinkable, questioning our past and future actions. It's called Long Term Strategy, and it appears to be missing in spades.
It was NEVER so much of a drag to extract any number of "I'll tell you what's broken 'ere mate" out of people in the UK or Europe in general. Here, if you even so much dare to say "well, maybe that's just incorrect" or "is there a better way to do ...." I find people clam up, fail to grasp the moment, get all worried about saying the wrong thing, etc. Stunning insecurity.
I thought Americans were legion for criticising, demanding, questioning, etc. Instead, just as with this topic, they seem very quick to tell me how well THEY are doing, and that all the ills are caused by those without their immediate group....
It seems to me that this lack of detached, critical thinking is a major issue in this country.
There seems to be something in the American pschye that stops people from questioning authority or perceived truisms. I'm finding that my biggest workplace challenge - especially as my team is tasked with thinking the unthinkable, questioning our past and future actions. It's called Long Term Strategy, and it appears to be missing in spades.
It was NEVER so much of a drag to extract any number of "I'll tell you what's broken 'ere mate" out of people in the UK or Europe in general. Here, if you even so much dare to say "well, maybe that's just incorrect" or "is there a better way to do ...." I find people clam up, fail to grasp the moment, get all worried about saying the wrong thing, etc. Stunning insecurity.
I thought Americans were legion for criticising, demanding, questioning, etc. Instead, just as with this topic, they seem very quick to tell me how well THEY are doing, and that all the ills are caused by those without their immediate group....
It seems to me that this lack of detached, critical thinking is a major issue in this country.
#405
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: 2 large explosions at Boston Marathon
Actually, this is a serious, but off-topic observation, and one that I am struggling with at work.
There seems to be something in the American pschye that stops people from questioning authority or perceived truisms. I'm finding that my biggest workplace challenge - especially as my team is tasked with thinking the unthinkable, questioning our past and future actions. It's called Long Term Strategy, and it appears to be missing in spades.
It was NEVER so much of a drag to extract any number of "I'll tell you what's broken 'ere mate" out of people in the UK or Europe in general. Here, if you even so much dare to say "well, maybe that's just incorrect" or "is there a better way to do ...." I find people clam up, fail to grasp the moment, get all worried about saying the wrong thing, etc. Stunning insecurity.
I thought Americans were legion for criticising, demanding, questioning, etc. Instead, just as with this topic, they seem very quick to tell me how well THEY are doing, and that all the ills are caused by those without their immediate group....
It seems to me that this lack of detached, critical thinking is a major issue in this country.
There seems to be something in the American pschye that stops people from questioning authority or perceived truisms. I'm finding that my biggest workplace challenge - especially as my team is tasked with thinking the unthinkable, questioning our past and future actions. It's called Long Term Strategy, and it appears to be missing in spades.
It was NEVER so much of a drag to extract any number of "I'll tell you what's broken 'ere mate" out of people in the UK or Europe in general. Here, if you even so much dare to say "well, maybe that's just incorrect" or "is there a better way to do ...." I find people clam up, fail to grasp the moment, get all worried about saying the wrong thing, etc. Stunning insecurity.
I thought Americans were legion for criticising, demanding, questioning, etc. Instead, just as with this topic, they seem very quick to tell me how well THEY are doing, and that all the ills are caused by those without their immediate group....
It seems to me that this lack of detached, critical thinking is a major issue in this country.