Step in the right direction.

[DirtDawg]

Most European gun laws are from the time between the Worldwars. The legislation is probably due to the fact that extremist groups in many European countries were fighting each other openly in the streets, like in Germany or Ireland.

That makes no sense, although, you are probably right, still/again. So, just as they were in dire need of issuing weapons and training some civilians in the use of weaponry, the bright idea to take legal guns away from law abiding citizens was the foremost article in their solution. That sounds just crazy enough to work, right?.

(We really should try to get to the bottom of this.)

[Litigious]

That makes no sense, although, you are probably right, still/again. So, just as they were in dire need of issuing weapons and training some civilians in the use of weaponry, the bright idea to take legal guns away from law abiding citizens was the foremost article in their solution. That sounds just crazy enough to work, right?.

Yes. That's the way they still handle gun issues in Europe. Criminals from the former Communist countries in eastern Europe are immigrating to countries in western and northern Europe, especially Sweden, since it's known to be the most naïve country in Europe. Not one of them has a gun legally. They steal them or smuggle them into the country. Every time there is a crime with guns involved, the politicians tighten up the law, or at least try to tighten it up. For law abiding people. And the legal gun owners accept this! As for one hand guns, you can still have a license for them legally, but the authorities are trying to find any excuse to deny an applicant a license. A license needs to be renewed every fifth year, and if you don't, you might be charged for gun crime. And the license is at most a license to keep the gun in your home, in a very heavy gun lock. And the cops may visit your home at any time to check that you keep your gun properly. There is no right to carry whatsoever. And even if you use your licensed gun to defend yourself in your own home, where you have the right to have it, you might end up in jail for "excessive self-defense"....

(We really should try to get to the bottom of this.)

I know. But I think most Europeans are brainwashed beyond rescue, not by dictators but by "democratic" politicians, who oppose the citizens' right to defend themselves like free men.

[Pyraxis]

I know very little about other countries, but, the reason this is so in the US military is that, it is quite a straightforward process to identify a man, who you think is unfit for promotion into a position of higher authority, and eliminate him from contention and never have worry if you will be challenged to support your assessment. (...) The climate of thinking in the military brass, against the public perceiveing any lack of support for female officers, especially, has made the possibility of an unqualified female officer, "manning" a post, much more likely than it would have been if all officers, of either gender, were truly treated equally.

Fascinating. I know that it's standard for movements that integrate a previously marginalized group to go overboard and swing too far in the opposite direction. But I hadn't realized that the USA military was currently at that stage. Among civilians (in Indiana, which is, granted, a pretty conservative chunk of the USA) I've still heard a lot of guys doubting women's basic fitness for combat and leadership. Am I correct in thinking that the extreme measures of paperwork and bureaucratic ass-covering are still necessary to protect women's rights, or is the military hitting the point where it's safe to ease up without slipping backwards?

[Scrapheap]

I've still heard a lot of guys doubting women's basic fitness for combat and leadership.

Many women ARE unfit for combat. I've been out in the field with them. The only thing deadly about many women soldiers is how bad they stink after 5 days without a shower.

[Pyraxis]

Many women ARE unfit for combat. I've been out in the field with them. The only thing deadly about many women soldiers is how bad they stink after 5 days without a shower.

What was it about them that was unfit for combat? What you said makes it sound like they were reluctant to cause hurt?

[Scrapheap]

Many women ARE unfit for combat. I've been out in the field with them. The only thing deadly about many women soldiers is how bad they stink after 5 days without a shower.

What was it about them that was unfit for combat? What you said makes it sound like they were reluctant to cause hurt?

It varies on a case-by-case basis. More of the women only seemed to be there just to collect a paycheck and get free healthcare.

[Litigious]

There are some women who volunteer for the Swedish army. They're actually serious about it, since healthcare is relatively cheap and in some cases even free here for every citizen, and they could earn much more money elsewhere. But those women to me seem like really mean and dominating bitches with a very great ego and greed for power.

[McGiver]

my sister in law married a marine for his prescription drug benefits.

the marriage lasted about 2 months.

[Litigious]

my sister in law married a marine for his prescription drug benefits.

the marriage lasted about 2 months.

Tell her to marry a Swede, if she wants cheap prescription drugs. After we've paid about $250, we get free prescription drugs for a year, counted from the first prescription.

[Callaway]

my sister in law married a marine for his prescription drug benefits.

the marriage lasted about 2 months.

Tell her to marry a Swede, if she wants cheap prescription drugs. After we've paid about $250, we get free prescription drugs for a year, counted from the first prescription.

Wow.  We have really good medical insurance and we pay over $100 per month for copays for our daughter's prescriptions.  The actual cost of her medication without insurance would be a lot more, though.

[McGiver]

each prescription refill costs me exactly $1.



you read that right, just one dollar.

[Litigious]

my sister in law married a marine for his prescription drug benefits.

the marriage lasted about 2 months.

Tell her to marry a Swede, if she wants cheap prescription drugs. After we've paid about $250, we get free prescription drugs for a year, counted from the first prescription.

Wow.  We have really good medical insurance and we pay over $100 per month for copays for our daughter's prescriptions.  The actual cost of her medication without insurance would be a lot more, though.

The health care system is one of the reasons that I haven't tried to migrate from Sweden. Dental care is totally free for everyone below the age of 20. Specialist medical care costs about 40$, and when you've paid about $120, it's free for a year from the first visit, like the precsription drugs. X-rays and STDs are totally free, since they're considered a matter of "national health".

[Litigious]

each prescription refill costs me exactly $1.



you read that right, just one dollar.

But you have some kind of insurance for that, don't you?

[McGiver]

each prescription refill costs me exactly $1.



you read that right, just one dollar.

But you have some kind of insurance for that, don't you?

my health and welfare is negotiated by my union every six years.

also, my medical benefits include $10 million dollar cap, per person covered.  which means myself and my four family members can each spend up to $10 million dollars and visit the best specialists, should the need arise.

two years i had a bowel obstruction.  surgery and hospital cost a quarter million dollars.  we have no co-pay, and my out of pocket expense was nada.

live better, work union.

[Litigious]

You don't have to pay for necessary operations here, just for the time you spend in hospital, which is relatively cheap. Ambulance transports are also free or cost a symbolic sum.

But I agree that that's a very good system for you and your family. That's the kind of thing about the US that they rarely mention on the news here. They usually rant about your engagement in Iraq or what gun freaks you are and things like that.