Monte Carlo

^ He's talking about the elections in the UK, brainiac.

Calax, you are a modern, 21st Century guy. You wouldn't be expected to pay for the chick's dinner and drinks, right? (Now i'm going to roll around on the floor shooting coffee through my nose with bitterly ironic laughter).

Legitimate law enforcement is anything that is... legal. Look at the emergency powers statutes of most countries. Most of these concern measures that I'm sure most law enforcement and / or military personnel would prefer not to enact. But most of them would, even if it were with long teeth.

Indeed. The US military has an excellent record of obeying orders. It is disciplined and with an aggressive, warrior ethos. It will do as it is ordered by it's CiC. My counter-factual has some real world precedent. The US government had no problems using it's military to quell civil unrest in New Orleans post Katrina. Furthermore, when that wasn't enough, your pioneering PMCs provided extra muscle too. I'm sure plenty of 'security contractors' hail from the 'Flyover' states.

Hmmm I'm warming to my dystopic sci-fi theme which is part JG Ballard and part Mad Max. Eventually, the coastal liberal elites of the USA grow tired of the conservative fly-over states, who have responded to the high-handed way they are governed by turning to the gun, fundamentalist Christianity and the militias. A new Confederacy growls. The Coast Elites turn on the Centre. Forward military bases support civil aid units who attempt to turn the militias away from their supposedly primitive beliefs using hearts-and-minds tactics by day and special forces assassination by night. Militiamen in pickups fight skirmishes with the Government forces, ever watchful of drones. Does this sound familiar?

Nonsense, student budgeting 101: Price of beer (figure it out by the gallon, it's easier) Price of Convenience Food of Choice (let's face it, this means pizza, right?) Price of satellite TV subscription Price of very cheap car (you are in America after all) Honestly, manage everything else with a massive overdraft facility at your bank. It really concentrates your mind on getting a good job when you graduate, it worked for me Oh, and I spent five years in the army reserves on tax-free pay as an undergraduate student, of course this was in the late 80's and there were no wars.

^ With respect, you are missing my point. The 'people' to whom you refer are in my scenario militia-men. Your federal law enforcement agencies followed orders and assaulted the Branch Davidian compound, killing civilians in the process. I make no judgement on the validity of the operation, in fact my sympathies probably lie with the ATF agents in the field on that day if I'm honest. Nonetheless, the US Government conducted lethal executive action on it's own people that day. The state can and will respond to threats, both external and domestic. In my scenario a process of radicalisation allows the armed citizenry to become a de facto insurgent threat, easily presented as a legitimate threat to the armed forces. I'm not suggesting that the US army would be deployed like a blunt instrument, after all even in Iraq there were flashes of finesse. But an aid-to-the-civil-power operation with the army supporting law enforcement against a clearly delienated domestic foe? That operation creeping into something else, like a cycle of low-level insurgent violence, domestic terrorism and the like? I hope not, this is sci-fi stuff, but I;m trying to build some cause and effect into the idea that an armed citizenry is some sort of rose-tinted pressure valve against tyranny.

To get back on topic, although I'm not sure that an armed citizenry prevents tyranny, I'm bloody convinced that an armed citizenry could cause one. Albeit by accident. How, I hear you ask? My source material here is, variously, Waco, the Militia movement in the USA, Iraqi insurgents and the cause-and-effect response of liberal democracies to crises. A US militia group, fired up by what they perceive to be a clear and present threat to their civil liberties by the current government (my personal view is that they are misguided, but that's not important right now) gets involved in a minor conflagration with local law enforcement. We can then easily imagine a Branch Davidian / Waco scenario developing, with ham-fisted attempts to resolve the situation. With tanks. Imagine a heavily armed, militant America with lots and lots of these militias. In acts of defiance that aren't unlike Middle Eastern insurgent tactics they react. This brings in of itself a counter-reaction by the Federal Government whereby innocents are hurt, albeit by accident (collateral damage probably looks a bit different if it happens on your own street). Those who were sympathetic to the aims of the militias but who would never lift a finger against the state are galvanised. That is to say, Radicalised. The government enacts emergency legislation. The Media weighs in. An escalating cycle of violence by the aggrieved leads to the mobilization of military units and the further suspension of civil liberties. Whack-jobs like Timothy McVeigh wanted this outcome. Happily, it is unlikely to happen. But my point is that the assertion that a heavily armed populace prevents tyranny is nonsense, the state will always have the monopoly on the tanks and helis and hardware. But it could provoke it. Several thousand insurgents armed with small arms locked down most of Iraq from 2003 to the Surge, the Surge being a massive, well trained military putting a serious smackdown on them. Firearms ownership as a civil liberty? Sure. Firearms ownership to support a wider principle of self-defence from an aggressor. Absolutely. But today isn't the 1700s and the Redcoats this time will be flying helicopter gunships. The 2nd amendment is pretty much bunk as constituted today.

Favourite bumper sticker, seen in Texas in the early 90's. "An armed society is a polite society" For the benefit of Americans here, the Europeans aren't all 'unarmed' by their governments. Firearms ownership is legal in most European countries, the UK being a notable exception. The UK has the strictest firearms legislation in the world, with replica guns now even under scrutiny. The UK still has firearms crime, which supports the contention that (like all commodities) prohibition doesn't necessarily eliminate demand and supply. However, a lack of ammunition does hamper firearms crime in the UK. Criminals can point unloaded guns at each other all day. The main reasons why folks in my country are fascinated by Americans and their Second Amendment is that; 1. Difference: we don't see guns here often 2. The liberal media has has created a meme where an interest in firearms = sinister 3. We aren't bothered by guns and gun ownership, Americans are. We find that fault line interesting. Personally I think the Second Amendment is your business and, FWIW, pretty appropriate for your country. I drove from The Gulf of Mexico to El Paso once and twice wished I were armed, can Avis do you a decent self-loading pistol and a mossberg pumpgun nowadays? It's not a biggie for me. It certainly makes me careful in America - I think some of you are trigger-happy, and that a tiny minority of Americans would love to shoot me for no other reason than they like shooting things and trespass is a groovy excuse. As for the Second Amendment and the sanctitiy thereof. I saw a dude on Fox news (I actually like Fox news) arguing that Muslims need to see parts of the Koran in a 21st Century context and that too many Middle Eastern folks were stuck in the 7th. It's not a bad argument, actually, to discuss theology of any organised religion. I'd turn that around and view the Second Amendment the same way. What did the Founsing Fathers envisage? What has America achieved since then? Does your Second Amendment now mitigate for more gun control, or less? Just an honest POV from a critical friend of the US.

As Gun-person above rightly suggests, the correlation between strict firearms ownership and incidences of firearms crime isn't consistent. You can have strict firearms laws yet a fair bit of firearm-enabled crime. Conversely, everybody in the country can have an assault rifle and almost no firearm-enabled crime (q.v. Switzerland). But this thread is about the notion of a load of firearms-toting citizens staving off oppression. I'm undecided. Here in the UK, if everybody is hacked off with something there is a 200-year old tradition of the Mob descending on central London for a ruck with the forces of law and order. No guns allowed, Queensbury rules (truncheons, bricks, etc). After that everybody harrumphs for a bit in Parliament and the law gets changed (Poll Tax, for example). It's not perfect, but it's better than armed insurrection I suppose.

^ Calm down, most people on this thread have been exceedingly open-minded about firearms ownership. I was just suggesting that perhaps we should draw the line at anti-aircraft guns or .50 cal machineguns. Or does that make me some sort of Volvo-driving hippy?

Hey, it's the Codex.

Virumor wins already with that astonishing piece of esoteric CRPG knowledge!

That wacky Tim Cain! What a sense of humour Here's the RPG Codex list of RPGs of the last ten years to choose from - so who's played the most of 'em? 2000 * 2000-02-29 - Might & Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer * 2000-06-22 - Deus Ex * 2000-06-29 - Diablo 2 * 2000-06-30 - Icewind Dale * 2000-09-24 - Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn * 2000-09-27 - Wizards & Warriors * 2000-10-16 - Nethack: Falcon's Eye * 2000-10-26 - Summoner 2001 * 2001-03-15 - Gothic * 2001-03-23 - Avernum 2 * 2001-06-27 - Anachronox * 2001-08-21 - Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura * 2001-09-27 - Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor * 2001-11-05 - Wizardry 8 * 2001-11-12 - Geneforge * 2001-12-04 - Gorasul: The Legacy of the Dragon 2002 * 2002-04-05 - Dungeon Siege * 2002-05-01 - Morrowind * 2002-06-18 - Neverwinter Nights * 2002-08-02 - Divine Divinity * 2002-08-19 - Prince of Qin * 2002-08-26 - Icewind Dale 2 * 2002-09-19 - Avernum 3 * 2002-11-15 - Prelude to Darkness * 2002-12-22 - I of the Dragon 2003 * 2003-03-07 - Mistmare * 2003-03-29 - Might & Magic IX * 2003-06-28 - Arx Fatalis * 2003-08-13 - Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader * 2003-09-16 - Temple of Elemental Evil * 2003-10-08 - Paradise Cracked * 2003-10-15 - Geneforge 2 * 2003-10-28 - Gothic 2 * 2003-11-07 - Silent Storm * 2003-11-19 - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic * 2003-12-01 - Devil Whiskey * 2003-12-02 - Deus Ex: Invisible War 2004 * 2004-01-25 - Omega Syndrome * 2004-02-27 - Sacred * 2004-03-03 - Knights of the Temple: Infernal Crusade * 2004-04-27 - Dawn of Magic * 2004-04-28 - Beyond Divinity * 2004-10-15 - Space Hack * 2004-11-16 - Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines * 2004-11-18 - Seal of Evil 2005 * 2005-02-15 - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords * 2005-12-05 - Hammer & Sickle * 2005-12-05 - Mourning's Wrath * 2005-04-12 - Kult: Heretic Kingdoms * 2005-04-12 - Jade Empire * 2005-05-05 - Dungeon Lords * 2005-05-18 - Fate * 2005-05-27 - Restricted Area * 2005-05-30 - Geneforge 3 * 2005-08-02 - Metalheart: Replicants Rampage * 2005-08-16 - Dungeon Siege II * 2005-11-24 - Knights of the Temple 2 2006 * 2006-19-01 - Aveyond * 2006-02-11 - Day Watch * 2006-03-02 - Avernum 4 * 2006-03-17 - Fable: The Lost Chapters * 2006-03-20 - Oblivion * 2006-04-07 - GODS: Lands of Infinity * 2006-06-26 - Titan Quest * 2006-06-26 - Night Watch * 2006-07-12 - The Fall: Last Days of Gaia * 2006-09-26 - Mage Knight: Apocalypse * 2006-10-17 - Brigade E5 * 2006-11-20 - Gothic 3 * 2006-12-08 - Neverwinter Nights 2 2007 * 2007-02-05 - Geneforge 4 * 2007-03-09 - Silverfall * 2007-04-06 - Loki: Heores of Mythology * 2007-05-09 - Two Worlds * 2007-05-21 - Nethergate: Resurrection * 2007-09-05 - Depths of Peril * 2007-09-28 - Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer * 2001-10-01 - The Chosen: Well of Souls * 2007-10-30 - The Witcher * 2007-11-19 - Eschalon: Book I * 2007-11-20 - Mass Effect * 2007-12-27 - Aveyond 2 2008 * 2008-02-17 - Avernum 5 * 2008-07-30 - The Spirit Engine 2 * 2008-10-02 - Sacred 2: Fallen Angel * 2008-10-28 - Fallout 3 * 2008-11-03 - Kivi's Underworld * 2008-11-18 - Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir 2009 * 2009-02-20 - Geneforge 5 * 2009-02-24 - Drakensang: The Dark Eye * 2009-05-05 - 7.62 * 2009-07-24 - Divinity II: Ego Draconis * 2009-08-09 - Knights of the Chalice * 2009-10-02 - Risen * 2009-11-03 - Dragon Age * 2009-10-27 - Torchlight * 2009-10-30 - A Farewell to Dragons Hat tip: RPG Codex

Do you mean the Anglosphere too? Aussie and Kiwi papers are OK, Canadian news sources are a bit stuffy but can diverge agreeably from dry-as-an-attic US journalism. I tried to read Indian newspapers, it's not their English that's the issue for me (they are well-written) but the staggeringly complicated politics, religion and society. A world where I had enough time to immerse myself in it would be great, but alas...

Both Slate (US) and The First Post (UK) have pretty good, unbiased, reporting on politics and current affairs. The Grauniad is an evil rag read by kool-aid drinking astro-turfers, supported solely by government recruitment ads for non-jobs.

I agree, but draw the distinction between guns and Guns (i.e. small arms versus fully auto military hardware)

You're already there, Wals, the BBC's spin on most matters is identikit to the Grauniad and Al-Jazeera. Hippy.

Saturday night, came back from a BBQ, switch on the box and something called Knowing with Nic Cage is on Sky Movies. Nic Cage is the hardest working man in Hollywood, but bejaysus he seems to be attracted to crap scripts. Because, movie fans, Knowing is one of the worst films I've ever seen. I know that's a big thing to say but it's true. It's not even so-bad-it's-good. It's a mish-mash of The Sixth Sense, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and a really bottom of the barrel episode of The X Files. and, (this is the killer) the first 45 minutes is interesting, in a just got back from a BBQ on Saturday night and want to watch a movie kinda way. Then, after you've invested that 45 minutes that your'e never getting back, the film degenerates into a complete farce. I actually laughed out loud at the end. I actually said to my wife "can you imagine having to pitch this movie to a studio... and they said yes." But she was already asleep. Honestly, this film inhabits it's own completely ludicrous circle of hell where the wheels fall off once you turn the ignition on. Avoid. Cheers MC

I don't want to open up another Pandora's box with online gaming - FFS Company of Heroes ate about 6 months of my life. I fear for my sanity if I got into WoW.

I haven't seen the new Sherlock Holmes movie yet, but the idea of Sherlock reincarnated as a Victorian Indiana Jones meets James Bond sounds like fun to me.

Dragon Age: Awakenings, am about 50% of the way through. It's ok, but the story doesn't feel like an XP. I'm saying that in a good way, I prefer some of the Awakenings NPCs (well, Justice and Sigrun) to the originals. As for WoW, never played it and never will but I loved the Mr T advertising campaign.

Deraldin hits the nail on the head repeatedly --- the USP of X-com being the game mechanics is crucial. For chrissakes, you go to major world cities to fight battles and they all look the same. Seriously, X-COM barely has a setting. The mechanics are completely meshed into what X-COM is. It's like making spaghetti bolognese with a strange fruity sauce and rice and insisting it's still spaghetti bolognese because that's what you wrote on the packet.

I like the + / - thing.

So you are offered the little red pill. Take it, and you can change all of your existing real-life skills, qualifications, strengths, weaknesses and other attributes. Of course, you can only change skills you actually have, but enhance them at the expense of others. I'd happily trade some of my professional qualifications for, say, a foreign language. How about you? Do a real-life re-spec...