Re: [Gnu-arch-users] [OT] facism gaining ground in US

[Pierce T . Wetter III]

Here's a whole website for you on MES  in the US if you're
interested:


http://www.ivorytowers.org/pages/832317/index.htm


> That may be so, but there are plenty of experts in the
> US who are perfectly qualified in your sense of the
> word. It might be good riddance not to ask the people
> you rightfully despise, but there are more than enough
> who spent a number of years in various capacities in
> the ME and they would be more than happy to comply.

 Sure. Let me see if I can find the weblog of that guy
who's really interesting...

 Ah:

http://www.livejournal.com/users/collounsbury/




> > moved to
> > Arizona from California.
>
> As a California-loving person, can I ask you why? My
> knowledge of Arizona is minimal.

  Well, I grew up in California. The California I remember was much
more rugged-individualist. The California of today seems to be hell
bent on protecting people from themselves, not realizing that they
are giving up their freedoms in a subtle way in the process.

 For instance, both AZ and CA have seat-belt laws. In CA, the cops
will pull you over for not doing so. In AZ, they won't bother, and if
they do pull you over, they don't bother to ticket you for it.

 In general, it just seems like I can breathe easier in AZ, that my
interaction with bureaucracy is less etc.

 For instance, to get a concealed weapons permit in AZ, you have to take
a class, but that's about it. Its part of state law that they're easy
to get. Now I don't have one, but I somehow like the idea that I could
have one. That probably scares Europeans "Ack, the cowboys are running
around shooting things".

 Carrying a gun on your hip is legal most places, though you may get 
funny
looks. Mostly you see that in small towns in AZ, where people actually 
might
need to carry a gun to shoot things (snakes, coyotes, etc.).

 Arizonans are much friendlier then Californians, a part of Western 
culture
that California has lost. (as in Western US)

 While there is racism, like everywhere else in America, I've found in
Flagstaff it to be much more muted, people are too mellow. Most of us 
kind
of think its cool that there are so many Native Americans around, and 
black
people are rare enough that they seem exotic. My wife had a long talk 
with
one of the black guys at my martial arts doja, because he was having to
decompress a lot of anger he'd built up from the years of living in 
South
Central LA. People were reacting negatively to him in Flagstaff not 
because
he was black, but because he was angry all the time.

 That's about as well as I can put it into words.

> > world now. That's pretty cool. On the other hand, it
> > would really suck
> > to live in Iran right now.
>
> Ouch. Iran is not quite what you think.


 I read the Iranian weblogs mostly, and I'm constantly struck
by "oh, went partying last night, got beat up by the religious police,
no so bad this time, my dad came and got me, teased me about it".

 Iran seems very surreal. In some ways, they have lots of freedom. In
others, they get beatings for no reason.

 Pierce