What Life Was Like in 1776 (from WSJ)

[chadbag]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303561504577496620544901322.html?mod=googlenews_wsj



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[SteyrAUG]

"Americans had the highest per capita income in the civilized world, paid the lowest taxes—and were determined to keep it that way."

And we started a war over less bullshit than we put up with today.

[QuietShootr]

Yes, but other than a select few, most people are giant gaping vaginas compared to the average person in 1776.

[Army Chief]

GGV?

Dude, a little decorum, if you please.

AC

[QuietShootr]

GGV?

Dude, a little decorum, if you please.

AC

Aiiight.

[SteyrAUG]

Yes, but other than a select few, most people are giant gaping vaginas compared to the average person in 1776.

Well there is that.

I shudder to think what could happen if ever the citizens of this country were called upon to step up. Certainly the vast majority of our military does an exceptional job, especially with the retarded ROE and operational objectives they are often saddled with, but if we ever fought anything more than a "limited war" I worry that we simply won't have enough "good men" and we will lose them all and be left with the dirt balls.

Course we aren't likely to fight anything more than a limited war so I guess that keeps saving us.

[RogerinTPA]

Agreed. I seriously have my doubts but there may be only a few who'd be willing to step up. Not including war vets of course, and anyone else who made there way in this world the hard way...Working for it. You can thank all those youngins who are adults now, who got trophies for simply showing up at a game, never been spanked, and think entitlement is a birth right, for that. I call them Generation Candy Ass. All of their parents should be collectively slapped, three stooges style, for doing them, and this country, a grave disservice.


Well there is that.

I shudder to think what could happen if ever the citizens of this country were called upon to step up. Certainly the vast majority of our military does an exceptional job, especially with the retarded ROE and operational objectives they are often saddled with, but if we ever fought anything more than a "limited war" I worry that we simply won't have enough "good men" and we will lose them all and be left with the dirt balls.

Course we aren't likely to fight anything more than a limited war so I guess that keeps saving us.

[QuietShootr]

Agreed. I seriously have my doubts but there may be only a few who'd be willing to step up. Not including war vets of course, and anyone else who made there way in this world the hard way...Working for it. You can thank all those youngins who are adults now, who got trophies for simply showing up at a game, never been spanked, and think entitlement is a birth right, for that. I call them Generation Candy Ass. All of their parents should be collectively slapped, three stooges style, for doing them, and this country, a grave disservice.

Yup. If the figure I keep seeing is to be believed, 0.45% of Americans have served in the military in the last 10 years. I'm proud to be a member of that group, though I'm older than the chilluns we're talking about here - and there are a bunch of us...so if you subtract the over 30s out of that 0.45% that have served I bet you'd be left with something like 0.05%. Guys like Dakota Meyer or Chris Kyle are a statistical anomaly in their age group - sort of like finding a white buffalo. The vast majority are useless, dumber than ****, and coddled beyond belief.

Do you know I actually had a job applicant's PARENT call me to check on the status of their recently-graduated-from-college kid's job application? At a ****ing Fortune 100 company??? I thought I was on Candid ****ing Camera at first, and I'm afraid I laughed out loud a little bit.

Stick a fork in it, we're done.

[SMETNA]

And we started a war over less bullshit than we put up with today.

I believe they started the war, by marching to Lexington to confiscate arms and arrest Samuel Adams

[Redmanfms]

"Americans had the highest per capita income in the civilized world, paid the lowest taxes—and were determined to keep it that way."

And we started a war over less bullshit than we put up with today.

Easier to start a war with what had effectively become a foreign interloper than it is your neighbor down the street who works for the TSA/USDA/FBI/BATFE/FAA/ABCDEFG who is a "good guy" except when he puts on his jack boots to go to work in the morning.

[CarlosDJackal]

As confusing as their website and reports are, these are the numbers that I was able to identify from the Census Bureau (2010). These are of course, approximates.

- US Persons: 305,782,000
- Serving in the Armed Forces (All): 1,225,000 or 0.40% of the population
- Veterans in the US: 25,000,000 or 8.18%

So basically around 8.5% of our country has ever served in the military. I don't know about you guys, but I find this very disconcerting. I realize that not everyone can wear a uniform even if they wanted to. But I also realize that is not 91.5% of our population.

Back before the Revolutionary War, in a Colonial Village of 100 residents, the only ones who would not pick up a rifle in defense of that village against marauding hordes of Mongols or Huns are those who were either too old & decrepit, the sick and dying, children who were too young to hold up a Musket, and women who were too pregnant. Even those who had religious convictions that did not allow them to use a musket would be assisting in the fight via spiritual, material, and morale means.

If you had 30 families of various sized in that village, chances are you could muster at least 50 or maybe even more in defense of your community. Everyone else would assist in the fighting one way or another.

I wonder what if China, Russia, and the Mexican Cartels were to invade North America right now; how many we could muster to meet their advances? My estimate is we could probably only muster about 1.5 million uniformed Soldiers and LEOs. Maybe another 10% of the population, or about 30-million armed citizens would also join in but would initially probably get in the way instead.

I wonder how many of the rest of the population would pursue for peace or side with the aggressors? That's a sobering thought. :(

[RogerinTPA]

If you include the typical Fudd/hunter/outdoorsman, the bubba crowd, militia and hate groups who have never served, we may increase the percentage significantly. :rolleyes:

[Lnxgeek]

Do you know I actually had a job applicant's PARENT call me to check on the status of their recently-graduated-from-college kid's job application? At a ****ing Fortune 100 company??? I thought I was on Candid ****ing Camera at first, and I'm afraid I laughed out loud a little bit.

Stick a fork in it, we're done.

I've read about stuff like this:
http://www.npr.org/2012/02/06/146464665/helicopter-parents-hover-in-the-workplace

[chadbag]

Back before the Revolutionary War, in a Colonial Village of 100 residents, the only ones who would not pick up a rifle in defense of that village against marauding hordes of Mongols or Huns


Minor nit: 0% of the colonial village picked up their rifle in defense against marauding hordes of Mongols or Huns... The Mongols and Huns never got to North America.

But I appreciate the sentiment. I look at people today and wonder the same thing. Would they be willing to become "Wolverines" and fight against intruders or would they just roll over and take it?

My son (9 years old) has been bringing home lots of WW2 based books form the public library and we have been reading them together. Several of the books dealt with (or had major sections that dealt with) resistance movements. It is interesting to see which countries had more active resistance movements and what people were willing to do and to sacrifice...


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[QuietShootr]

I've read about stuff like this:
http://www.npr.org/2012/02/06/146464665/helicopter-parents-hover-in-the-workplace

Holy ****.

[jhs1969]

I had been telling close friends and family for the last 4-5 years that we are under more control now than when the colonies first started to rebel. There was an article in SWAT mag in the past few months that basically said the same thing. Some thoughts that come up;

First, I was finally right about something, now I have some "I told you so" credit:sarcastic:

Second, and more seriously, I wonder where it will stop and what we will be like when it's over. Will we regain our liberties or will we become the "new Soviet Union"?

Some really uncertain times ahead.

[SeriousStudent]

.....

Do you know I actually had a job applicant's PARENT call me to check on the status of their recently-graduated-from-college kid's job application? At a ****ing Fortune 100 company??? I thought I was on Candid ****ing Camera at first, and I'm afraid I laughed out loud a little bit.

......

Wow, I thought that was just me. I tend to sit in on a lot of the final technical interviews at work. This kid's daddy managed to track me down and call me. I was stunned as well.

And no, Wesley J. Smitherington 2.0 did not get the job. I usually hire people that put on their big boy pants, and drive themselves to work every day.

[Belmont31R]

Minor nit: 0% of the colonial village picked up their rifle in defense against marauding hordes of Mongols or Huns... The Mongols and Huns never got to North America.

But I appreciate the sentiment. I look at people today and wonder the same thing. Would they be willing to become "Wolverines" and fight against intruders or would they just roll over and take it?

My son (9 years old) has been bringing home lots of WW2 based books form the public library and we have been reading them together. Several of the books dealt with (or had major sections that dealt with) resistance movements. It is interesting to see which countries had more active resistance movements and what people were willing to do and to sacrifice...


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There are tons of MAM's out there who never joined the military but could or would be pressed into service. When we start talking about WW2 levels of mobilization or forbid mainland invasion suddenly that childhood asthma goes out the window...;)

[SMETNA]

I'm a military-age male, but was denied entry into the armed forces due to my asthma. But if shit got crazy I'd fight as an irregular, however that would work.

For kin, constitution, and country

[ffhounddog]

I believe they started the war, by marching to Lexington to confiscate arms and arrest Samuel Adams

Had to Defend the Beer you know. Can't have American beer taste like crappy Canadian Beer. It just Sucks...

[Belmont31R]

Had to Defend the Beer you know. Can't have American beer taste like crappy Canadian Beer. It just Sucks...



Theres really no such thing as American beer. Even our main stay Coors, Bud, and Michelob are based off European recopies.