'Murica

[pauld]

Senator Cruz going to Cancun whilst Texas doesn't have electricity is a terrible look

I mean Senator Cruz continuing to defend insurrectionists who tried to lynch his colleagues wasn't a great look either. Not sure he's really that bothered is he as long as he can keep feeding "the base"?

[Flashheart]

A lot of them are blaming the new green deal - which hasn't even been enacted yet.

Many are blaming renewable energy - which is just a lie. The wind turbines are mostly fine except for a few that have had difficulty, and apparently, solar power is even more efficient in cold weather. (Unless covered by snow).

It's actually the fossil fuel reactors that are causing the problem.

[Abrahammer]

I mean Senator Cruz continuing to defend insurrectionists who tried to lynch his colleagues wasn't a great look either. Not sure he's really that bothered is he as long as he can keep feeding "the base"?

Although despite all his rhetoric defending Trump’s actions in all of this, deep down he will have been devastated that Trump didn’t get convicted by the Senate, his path to the 2024 Republican nomination would have been easier if it that had of happened

[pauld]

Although despite all his rhetoric defending Trump’s actions in all of this, deep down he will have been devastated that Trump didn’t get convicted by the Senate, his path to the 2024 Republican nomination would have been easier if it that had of happened

Quite. Both he and Josh Hawes are a bit pointless if Trump runs whereas if he's disbarred (and he may yet be by criminal convictions) Cruz can pose as the continuity fascist candidate and Hawes can do continuity to the base and his "a fascism you can trust" schtick to the trad Republicans and business.

[RobertT]

A lot of them are blaming the new green deal - which hasn't even been enacted yet.

Many are blaming renewable energy - which is just a lie. The wind turbines are mostly fine except for a few that have had difficulty, and apparently, solar power is even more efficient in cold weather. (Unless covered by snow).

It's actually the fossil fuel reactors that are causing the problem.

Yep.  Made worse by the fact the wind turbines would be just fine if someone has simply done the equivalent of popping the anti-freeze on them a few days ahead of time and the fact Texas decided to separate itself from the National Grid in an attempt to reduce regulations.  That now means they have no way of importing energy to cover their production shortfall.

It's all the coal, gas and even Nuclear power plants that are struggling because they all need water as a coolant.  How ironic, it's too cold to cool them!

Plenty of people have been reminding Texans that wind turbines work pretty well in the Nordics - great timing given GM have just started an Ad campaign to push electric cars with a tongue in cheek advert starting Will Ferrell having a fight with Norway.

[pauld]

Congratulations to the NRA, celebrating getting a ban on assault rifles in Colorado overturned by the courts, just 10 days before the latest mass shooting in Colorado carried out by a mentally unstable man armed with an assault rifle he bought 6 days ago.

[4D]

Why would anyone need an assault rifle? Crazy.

[Flashheart]

Congratulations to the NRA, celebrating getting a ban on assault rifles in Colorado overturned by the courts, just 10 days before the latest mass shooting in Colorado carried out by a mentally unstable man armed with an assault rifle he bought 6 days ago.

This would not have happened if everybody had a gun...

[pauld]

Why would anyone need an assault rifle? Crazy.

Quite. Yet Ted Cruz stood up in the Senate *after* the latest massacre, angrily denouncing calls for controls on assault rifles, saying "every time there's a mass shooting" the Democrats call for gun controls. I think the fact you can use the phrase "every time there's a mass shooting" gives a clue that you might have a problem there, Ted.

[Bob's Orange]

I was also reading that the nuts in America are vehemenently against having guns registered as they think this means they are going to be taken away from them.

I just can't understand why yanks see the 'need' for guns so much. I keep hearing the second amendment being mentioned and the need to overthrow government etc but that was from a bygone era. They just don't seem to be able to move with the times.

[Flashheart]

I keep hearing the second amendment being mentioned and the need to overthrow government etc but that was from a bygone era.

As though civilians with assault rifles can really take on a large, well equipped, and trained army.

I once pointed this out to a gun nut and his reply was that civilians should be allowed heavy weaponry as well...

[Batch]

I guess its always been part of the culture, and so difficult for any government to remove. Especially as pissing off the NRA isn't a vote winner.

I know, I know - but regardless of how blatantly good it would be to crack down, enough of 'Murica isn't in agreement.

[4D]

They are probably always going to have guns, but heavy weaponry for civilians is ludicrous.

[Flashheart]

enough of 'Murica isn't in agreement.

But they are - the majority want controls.

It's just that the NRA are so powerful that they lobby the government and get their way. Obama was once saying that they can't even perform research into it - the NRA go all litigious as soon as anybody tries.

[Bob's Orange]

They are probably always going to have guns, but heavy weaponry for civilians is ludicrous.

Yeah I think this is the case. So intwined in their culture that guns will always be around. But quite why people see the need to own an Uzi or whatever is the automatic weapon of choice (AR-15) is beyond me.