[Outcast_Searcher]

Yeah, surprisingly no votes for "Pass the ammo" tho reports say AmmoRus sales are up biggly.

I also read in some credible source that gun sales are up meaningfully and people are concerned about escalating violence if things get out of hand (re things like getting enough food, I presume).

[Newfie]

My kid tells me background checks, normally 15 min, are running 2 days.

[Cog]

Ammo prices for 9mm and 5.56 have doubled, if you can find it.

The NIC system is overloaded right now. I really should sell some guns while the panic is ongoing.

[evilgenius]

Well, you can't solve math with jiu jitsu.

[Shaved Monkey]

They banned the sales of guns and limited alcohol sales in Western Australia

[jedrider]

Ammo prices for 9mm and 5.56 have doubled, if you can find it.

The NIC system is overloaded right now. I really should sell some guns while the panic is ongoing.

You're going to need a lot of bullets against a virus.

Do you think you are protecting your hoard of toilet paper?

They are closing the parks around here, so can't even go on a nature walk.

I get a lot more exposure buying groceries or checking the mail, actually.

But, we do try to behave and give the proper appearance.

Distributing ammo at depots is not exactly an ESSENTIAL service.

It's not like we are stealing land from the original occupants.

[Cog]

Pot stores have been found to be an essential service in all states with recreational pot. So gun stores should qualify as well on that standard.

[SeaGypsy]

Hey Cog, this one's for you- (still owe you that beer)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lNNhtC ... pp=desktop

[evilgenius]

Pot stores have been found to be an essential service in all states with recreational pot. So gun stores should qualify as well on that standard.

Because you use so many bullets a day? They aren't the same. Booze and weed aren't things you can look at and take satisfaction from, knowing that you have them for the time when you may need them. Well, you can. There is some of that implied in hoarding. I think of them like Carlo Rossi, though, "I like to make it, but I'd rather drink it."

[Newfie]

How this plays out will be very interesting given the political divide and back biting.

Consider this;
NYC, Philly, Baltimore get hit really bad by the virus. Disproportionate death rate in these urban areas. Maybe 25% to 40% over national average. Some prisons are hit especially hard in these areas.

Then the meme, conspiracy theory starts that the R’s are behind this and they are trying to decrease the D voter roles. They are attacking Biden’s base, letting the virus run. That kind of thing could be incendiary in more than one sense.

It may be my prejudice but I see these inner city populations as being a very high risk group with a lot of medical issues. Obviously diabetes, COPD, obesity, smokers, drug addictions, alcohol abuse, vaping. But also the population density, paucity of parks and food stores, and high church attendance. Lack of trust in government and consequently a lack of regard for social distancing directives. All of these things will make it worse in some areas.

All the while the police, fire, first responder ranks are getting thinned. Making the disadvantaged population feel even more isolated from their governments.

I’m not saying that this will happen. I’m saying that the politicians need to not let it happen. Which means the Mayors of these fine towns.

[asg70]

We're a sick country in general, certainly Trump's senior-citizen base. Old sickly trailer trash in flyover country are just as vulnerable as the inner-city.

[Newfie]

Here’s an article on planning to use NG and Federal troops.

https://www.newsweek.com/inside-us-mili ... ey-1493485

[Cog]

Pot stores have been found to be an essential service in all states with recreational pot. So gun stores should qualify as well on that standard.

Because you use so many bullets a day? They aren't the same. Booze and weed aren't things you can look at and take satisfaction from, knowing that you have them for the time when you may need them. Well, you can. There is some of that implied in hoarding. I think of them like Carlo Rossi, though, "I like to make it, but I'd rather drink it."

Red states like Texas have declared gun stores essential. Blue states don't really want you to buy guns at any time. Says something about how they value their citizens. Good luck with 911.

[Cog]

We're a sick country in general, certainly Trump's senior-citizen base. Old sickly trailer trash in flyover country are just as vulnerable as the inner-city.

Yes Hillary's Deplorable comment sure won her the election didn't it?

What cities are getting massively hit with virus right now? Blue

[rockdoc123]

What cities are getting massively hit with virus right now? Blue

exactly and the communities that people like onlooker look down on as somehow being "trailer trash" have seen lower infection rates and almost zero deaths.

So high death rates in CA and NY and probably FL upcoming. That won't do wonders for the Democrat numbers come October.

[Newfie]

Are there ANY red cities?

Be careful of this, it could unfold in some very nasty ways.

[Cog]

Are there ANY red cities?

Be careful of this, it could unfold in some very nasty ways.

It can unfold in many ways. But epidemics are typically energetic in high population densities. Those just hapoen to be mostly in Democrat controlled cities. Which begs the question. Why is that when population densities reach a certain value, does the population generally vote Democrat? I'm sure liberals would say because they are more intelligent and caring but I have not seen this to be true.

[rockdoc123]

Why is that when population densities reach a certain value, does the population generally vote Democrat? I'm sure liberals would say because they are more intelligent and caring but I have not seen this to be true.

Groupthink

is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome.

[Outcast_Searcher]

Are there ANY red cities?

Why is that when population densities reach a certain value, does the population generally vote Democrat? I'm sure liberals would say because they are more intelligent and caring but I have not seen this to be true.

I think much of the difference is psychological make-up.

Most folks who live out in the boonies have to take care of themselves, at least to a certain extent. Even if they get government checks, they're more spread out, they have to drive more, they have to take care of more things re lack of convenient close services, etc. -- on average, of course.

Also, when polled, liberals tend to be more about sharing ideas.

This isn't just intuition. I have friends who argue about politics all the time, and one of them reads a lot of books where studies, surveys, etc. are done. And he values objectivity over partisanship, so he's not (only) reading extremist books for such data.

So while there could well be many overall reasons, surveys/studies say that relative level of independence in thinking is a strong differentiator between GOP and Dem thinking.

And it's not that big a stretch to imagine that some of that bleeds into where people decide to live, re more convenience or more independence (at a cost of more isolation).

...

Note that I'm saying nothing about right or wrong, or good or bad -- just different, and I find myself sandwiched right in the middle, based on overall ideology, and where I prefer to live (small city or large town), based on my personality, experience, etc.

...

I was trying to think of some likely red US city examples, but wanted data, not conjecture. (I thought of Salt Lake City and Austin Texas as perhaps, decent reddish city candidates, off the top). And my guesses certainly didn't make the top 10, per the list below.

Forbes has a slideshow, supposedly reflecting a list from "The Economist" (a publication I respect and keep meaning to re-subscribe to, and then am reminded of the price).

They list from most red as:

1. Mesa, AZ
2. Oklahoma City, OK
3. Virginia Beach, VA
4. Colorado Springs, CO
5. Jacksonville, FL
6. Arlington, TX
7. Anaheim, CA (This blows me away, re my preconceptions)
8. Omaha, NE
9. Tulsa, OK
10. Aurora, CO

And 90% of the most liberal list was the usual suspects, FWIW.

https://www.forbes.com/pictures/gfii45i ... 7cd0e8792a

Edits:

The Economist piece I find for this is dated 2014, since I didn't see a date given in the Forbes summary, but now I see a fine print notation on the chart saying the data is 2011 or later.

Ah, you can see the chart at that link. (I had assumed it would be hidden behind a paywall, my bad).

https://www.economist.com/graphic-detai ... ideologies

[Newfie]

1. Mesa, AZ. 500,000
2. Oklahoma City, OK. 643,000
3. Virginia Beach, VA. 443,000
4. Colorado Springs, CO. 464,000
5. Jacksonville, FL. 892,000
6. Arlington, TX. 396,000
7. Anaheim, CA (This blows me away, re my preconceptions)
352,000
8. Omaha, NE. 467,000
9. Tulsa, OK. 402,000
10. Aurora, CO 367,000

1 NYC 8.4
2 LA 4.0
3 Chicago 2.7
4 Huston 2.3
5 Phonix 1.7
6 Philadelphia 1.5
7 San Antonio 1.5
8 San Diego 1.4
9 Dallas 1.3
10 San Jose. 1.0

The don’t know about other cities but Philadelphia is about 90% D. I suspect NYC, LA, Frisco, Chicago, Baltimore, Boston are the same.