Derek 2.0

How many other States have ~1.5-1.8 million of their population there illegally? What would economically impaired Ontario look like with 1.5 million additional people using public services well contributing little to no tax revenue?

Furthermore, the manufactures of most of the US military (Colt, Beretta USA, Mossberg and BAE systems) small arms and munitions are in Texas.....with even more guns and ammo makers relocating to Texas (and several other US Southern States) from Northern States.........to say nothing of other military hardware makers, from the F-35 and V-22 Osprey, to military communications and computers, to missile systems to MRAPs....all made in the Lonestar State...... Which makes the entire notion of the Obama administration invading Texas rather laughable.......and most Texans know this.

Somewhere between ~20-25% when you include the USAF, USN, US Army, USMC, reserves of all four branches, the Texas Guard units and the Coast Guard........Then if you include onto that Federal Law Enforcement and the Intelligence agencies, you're pushing upwards of ~35% or 1/3rd of Texans making up the "armed service" of the United States Government........ Lots.....aside from strategic weapons (ICBMs and the B-1 bomber force in Dyess) and tactical low yield weapons at several other bases, the entire nuclear arsenal of the United States is assembled (and dismantled) and serviced just outside of Amarillo.......

No, his bio lists him as the resident Englishmen....... And to be even clearer, I provided you the links to the largest tv, radio and print outlets serving Bastrop county....and not a mention in today's headlines of the impending invasion..... My narrative? You provided a poll conducted across the United States as an indictment against residents of Texas......Ooops.

High standards from you I see.......in my mind being tied for second, only behind Iowa, isn't an example of a bad education system...

Perhaps you need to redo your look-up.....per the US Department of Education Sure the energy sector is huge in Texas, likewise aerospace, electronics, Telcom, food wholesale/ranching/farming etc The State Government that spends ~12 billion a year on the health and welfare of illegal immigrants? Or the State that has over 1.6 million citizens receiving healthcare subsidies? I wonder what Ontario's healthcare system would look like with an additional 1.5 million people not paying income tax.....

Actually no, its Friendship or Tejas (and no, its not named after a ZZ Top album)...... Perhaps the rest of the United States should get dumber then......since Texas is continuing to outpace the national average in economic growth, lowest in unemployment (for the last 100 months), one of the higher rated public education systems within the United States and the second highest rate in completion of high-school.....Likewise, Big Oil Texas leads the United States in the production of renewable (wind) energy........... It clearly annoys Liberals/progressives, not just within the States so it seems, that their own causes that they claim to champion are actually finding better results when put into the hands of Jesus loving, gun packing, Dallas Cowboys worshiping folks........ Outright anarchists that you claim pressured their State Government to observe the Federal Government's military exercises within their State Hardly Communists...........Texas, like other border States, faces pressures on its public healthcare providers/services from illegal immigrants that cross the border the Obama administration refuses to close......Obamacare, even if it worked as intended for Americans, wouldn't address such problems.

A three week old news article, a political editorial from earlier this month by this guy: (screams Texas) and the reporting of a National poll that found: furthermore: So, according to this poll, most Americans favor US military exercises in their State, 45% have reservations of Government and most Conservative Republicans have concerns with the Democratic Obama administration......I'm shocked!! Knocked that one out of the park........

Texas and 13 States didn't implement it........the 36 that did will likely see it come crashing down by the end of June. Texans aren't talking about it........one would think if they were, the impending invasion would be mentioned in local media........odd that it isn't don't you think?

No, it is not clear........what is clear, is that people propagate an unfounded stigma on the State, fueled namely by ignorance, political bias and depictions from Hollywood. Though my personal experience, having both lived and (continue) to work there is close to what you describe, the implication that Texans as a whole are unlearned trailer dwellers with tin hats is ridiculous, and would be so to anyone that has actually been there........if public levels of education is the litmus, the Texas public school system achieves better results than New York, California, Washington, Oregon and other American centers of self proclaimed progressive enlightenment.... I will say this, in recent conversation with family friends there, the sentiment of a Texas invasion by Obama would be welcome, as then Texans would become belligerents entitled under the Geneva Convention to a level of healthcare greater then what is currently offered by Obamacare..........but alas, the prospect of the Obama administration successfully invading Texas, well outgunned ~20-1, with Federal forces comprised of nearly 25% Texan, is probably close to nil.......

So what you're saying, gun violence isn't directly predicated on laws within a given jurisdiction.......... I never suggested everyone should be able to though.........I'm quite alright with licencing, both initial lawful ownership and concealed carry permits........ Well no, it doesn't.....as I already highlighted various European countries that allow both the lawful ownership of handguns and the lawful carrying of them for self defense.......that you failed to address this, shows the weakness of your argument...

Right, a poll put on by a Democratic think tank........The same firm that also found the 28% of Americans feel the World is ruled by a group of secretive elites and that the medical industry invent new diseases to make money, likewise the US Government was behind 9/11..... I think a liberal polling firm that finds their political opponents to be kooks, then spread the results by left leaning blogs, is not exactly passing the smell test.......take your repeating of the Chinese invasion angle.......only problem, the Chinese were not mentioned in the poll........A sample size of 685 self identified Republicans, some without phones, so the polling firm conducts interviews online.........

A de facto two party system has been the plan for over 20 years.......I've no doubt this will result in two differing parties, both with a then solid ~40% base, vying for the ~20% undecided middle. In turn, we'll have two parties, slightly left of center and slightly right of center, but with differing key principles that will force the undecided to choose, well further marginalizing the fringes of each party......... Of course, pre 1967, this was what we largely had with the then Progressive Conservatives and Liberals, but the Liberal party let itself to be put on the path of self destruction with the leadership of PET, creating a party with but no principles expect governance. Thats not to say I'd welcome an NDP government as is, I find them both kooky and dangerous, but I do believe they feel what they propagate is in the best interests of Canada, hence principles. With that though, once the Tories regain a majority this Fall (much like how the NDP came to Government in Alberta ), the political left will be forced to merge with the remainder of the Liberals, and with that (as mentioned), center/center-right "classic liberals" will move to the Tories, resulting in the Tories moving slightly to the political center (Here is where I expect the religious right and social conservatives to be further marginalized).......... So yeah, the eventual new NDP will form Government one day, but I'd rather these principled kooks than the Liberals........

But the Americans have laws written in books against gun violence........are you suggesting, unlike current Canadian and European laws, both the Americans and Mexicans have trouble enforcing their various firearms laws? So it's an enforcement problem......so in a sense, if they can't enforce their current laws "written in a book", why add further laws that they won't be able to enforce?

Without a doubt, and I'm not the least surprised with these numbers, and would expect the NDP to continue gain at the Liberals (and now Greens) expense, which will entail further flight of Red Tories to the CPC......as I said back in 2013: I find great solace in the fact that a Trudeau will be the final nail in the coffin of the Liberal Party of Canada.

No, handguns are available because Americans have a 2nd Amendment right.........a right for all Americans regardless if a small portion are used in crimes by a minority of Americans. Explain Mexico......Mexico has 4-5 times the rate of gun homicides then the United States, yet far more stringent rules encompassing legal gun ownership, more stringent then Canada or most European countries. No it doesn't........the lawful ownership of firearms in Mexico is far more stringent then the United States, yet Mexico has 4-5 times the rate of gun crimes........inversely, in numerous European countries (Italy, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Germany etc) they allow their legal gun owners to carry concealed firearms for self protection, funny enough, each of the above nations is world renowned in the manufacture of handguns, but have crime rates equal to or less than Canada....... So no, you do not have a point........ That is absurd......I lawfully own and transport handguns (lots of them), yet my (like most owners) attitude towards them wouldn't be swayed to violence if I was lawfully aloud to carry one on my hip versus a case beside me......inversely, as already proven to you, in the United States, despite "situations that escalate" and being able to rapidly obtainable and deploy a firearm, CCW holders are not the ones committing crimes when contrasted with the general public..... Like I said, you don't have a point, fore if you did, the above European countries would share rates of gun crimes with that of the United States, and Mexico with strict gun laws, would have less gun crime than the United States, and perhaps even Canada............ Why doesn't your opinion align with the factual world?

Nah, 300 WSM is too expensive....a couple of cases, of that steel core ammo with berden primers, from some East Bloc nation that no longer needs them.......gonna have us a time

Agreed, but I suppose some can find offense in anything.........

As much as I disagree with most of WCR posts, in some examples taking offense, in this instance, I agree, she's been run roughshod over a very inoffensive topic........

No need, that's what all the private holdings of gold, silver and case loaded brass are for

No, the various County seats, using mechanisms through both State and Federal law, that only learned of the exercise several months ago through the nut-bar media. So you said....

I can't believe I missed that

Who's "they"? The handful of nutters in Bastrop, that during the Town Hall with the US Army, continued the tin-hat crap.....and in turn, were splashed across the media and late night as typical of those concerned or opposed to the exercise.........but of course, the MSM wouldn't have reported the more (sane) mundane questions asked by the locals, like: "will the Feds repair any damage to county roads and property??" "Why is the money being spent on this exercise, the same time the Texas Guard is facing budget cuts and losing resources for operations along the Southern Border"? "Will the exercises result in road closures or other effects on local day to day business"? "Is the Pentagon going to replace the Blackhawks and Chinook helicopters that its withdrawn for the Texas Guard units that support the Texas A&M Forest Service in fighting wildfires locally?" "Will there be live fire exercise in the county and what is the military doing to mitigate wildfires caused by them?" etc.....etc... All questions asked in the 2 hour Town Hall meeting (and can be heard in the video) and were reported on by local (Austin) media....... As to your inane suggestion of racial overtones (coming from you no doubt), you realize this is the same conservative, christian Texas that has elected an openly gay mayor of Houston and a Hispanic female Sheriff in Dallas county? To say nothing of countless minority mayors, State and Federal representatives.......oh and the President that signed the US Civil Rights Act.......a Texan.....Likewise, which President had the most racially diverse administration throughout the history of the United States? The guy before Obama.......also a Texan. The allegations of a bigoted Texas is getting old, they banned the Klan before most of the progressive midwest States (like Indiana etc) and the Rangers shot hooded members on site...........FFS, the Yellow Rose of Texas is about a black slave girl and Bob Willis and his Texas Playboys performed with black artists when Bing Crosby was still dressing in blackface...........and Emmitt Smith is loved like a second black Jesus. Texans have many reasons to dislike Obama, and his skin color is far down the list.... -------- A better question, why doesn't the US Government conduct military exercises in communities like West Baltimore? Chicago? Oakland and Detroit? South Central?....or better yet, along the US/Mexican border?

I never said there weren't nutbars, the nutbars are whats drawing media attention.......Likewise, the media reporting of Gov. Abbotts issuance of the State Guard, which most confuse with the Texas National Guard, which paints a picture of the Governor deploying a military force to meet the Federal Government...........which the State Guard isn't, with the State Guard being the Texan equivalent to EMBC, which coordinates Federal and Provincial responses and exercises in British Columbia.....the State Guard does the like in Texas between the State and US Government. You can role your eyes all you want, but the subject of the OP, Bastrop county, bore the brunt of the '11 fires which saw the destruction of over 1600 homes within the county........I can sympathize with those locals concerned with military exercises being conducted within their community during the driest months of the Summer.........pyrotechnics, steel core ammo, tracers, hot exhaust from vehicles etc don't go well with dry shrub land....

What is the difference, in your mind, between "liaison" and "monitor"? Likewise, as Governor, its his responsibility to uphold his constituents rights, rights of not only the tin-foil hat types, but namely ranchers and land owners in the various counties (namely Bastrop county), that were both insulted by the lack of consultation in the months prior and still have concerns (and in some cases pending litigation) over the piss poor Federal response to the 2011 Texas forest fires (the largest in recorded State history)......... And citizens have a right to be concerned and angered over the lack of consultation over a large exercise, to be conducted at the height of forest fire season in Texas, in communities devastated several years ago by forest fires......... The US Government has afforded, since the mid 1970s, the various counties in the Tidewater region of North Carolina/Virginia consultation and direct paid involvement with annual exercises. Likewise, the US Government had no issue with community involvement in West Germany for annual NATO exercises, so much so, Uncle Sam paid German farmers above the market rate for destroyed crops.......US Forces in Japan don't even blink without the locals blessings........ So yeah, probably not an invasion by the One World Government, but inconsiderate to the locals to say the least........one thing is for sure, within the exercise, the parts conducted in Texas were to simulate hostile interaction with locals overseas.........they've nailed that.