[tedsim]

Re: Burns:: Friday Fanaticism

I really dont understand the point of posting an article about right wing anti-capitalist veiwpoints regarding national energy consumption, foreign policy, or a hatred of large vehicles. It does not seem to have any relevance on a website for motorcycling. I mean, is this really a appropriate forum? This is about motorcyles; furthering knowlege on the joys of motoring and current events in the racing world, not debating religion and government.

If you were intoxicated enough at a event to warrant being fired for 'inappropriate and unprofessional behavior' I think an employer is justified in terminating you. What exactly was the behavior? While I realize Las Vegas is a rowdy town, it would seem to me that you were being a rude gluttonous American, eating up as many resources as you could.

Think about it.. you worked for Motorcyclist, and you were writing columns about religion and foreign policy and anti-American sentiment. How could you think that a motorcycle publication would have any interest in printing something like that. And then you get drunk while on a assignment? And you were fired? Wow, I am shocked too.

 

[tedsim]

Re: Burns:: Friday Fanaticism

Your sick of dirty looks when you ride your single occupancy vehicle in the HOV? then stop doing it and obey the driving laws

 

[Rsduce]

Re: Burns:: Friday Fanaticism

Hey Burns, I got one for ya. IF THEY CAN CLONE A SHEEP, WHY CANT WE MAKE OUR OWN GAS? Now im all for keeping slow traffic out of the fast lane but why be excessive? Because we EARNED IT! We saved the French, English, heck the whole damn world from nazi domination! But did these ungrateful bastards pay us back for the money we lent them to rebuild after WWII, NO. We saved the middle east from Iraqi domination, and still we get no thanks. You would think that we would figure out that history repeats itself. If you dont learn from your mistakes you are damned to repeat them. I say Nuke em till they glow and shoot em in the dark. Mad Max here we come!

 

[glf5810]

Re: Burns:: Friday Fanaticism

Amen Brother!

 

[intruderman]

Re: Burns:: Friday Fanaticism

First off, I'm a conservative republican, most people would probably call me a fundamentalist. However i agree completely with Burns' editorial.

-Yes, editorials do have a place at MO

-criticizing people who buy SUV's to be a stupid fashion accessory is a reasonable thing to do, and no, it doesn't mean he's calling for a ban on SUVs (read the article again, people).

-Understanding why the third world hates us, doesn't mean you have to agree with them. But understanding their motives is a good thing in figuring out how to respond to them. Duh!

-Those of you who accuse Burns of "being in over his head", I think you are the ones who are in over your heads.

-Burns rocks. I hope those of you who reacted so negatively WILL let your subscriptions lapse so the rest of us won't have to listen to your pathetic whining.

-Now, let's all have a group hug. Yeah.

 

[kman45]

Re: Burns:: Friday Fanaticism

Gotta agree wholeheartedly here. In the same vein of "their toys and our toys"... I recently heard some guys blaming the death of a friend on those "crotch rocket-type bikes", "death machines" and other terms like that. What was funny was that we were at a practical pistol shooting match and these are the same guys that get irate when the press and public blame gun violence on the guns themselves. So when someone is picking on their chosen hobby they get defensive, but when picking on somebody elses hobby/decision what to drive, etc. they felt perfectly justified in blaming the inanimate object.

 

[glf5810]

Re: Burns:: Friday Fanaticism

Good stuff folks, there are some really smart people out there (in my opinion) and I agree that JB's writing is off the mark a bit, since freedom should not exclude SUVs. (Driving slow in the fast lane is more of a driver education problem since lots of people in every kind of car do this) Sorry I don't like SUVs but if it floats your boat then good for ya. That is what our country is all about and we help others a lot, a lot. What the word I think we are looking for is tolerance. I know for some strange reason folks don't like it when I take off hard at a light and the front wheel pops up a bit. I dig it but by the looks of others (if) they ever catch up, they think I'm putting them in danger some how or just plain don't think it's proper. I feel the same about distracted drivers. Anyhow, getting upset and cancelling a subscription is not very tolerant, neither is saying death to SUVs. It's a good rant JB, maybe a bit one-sided but a good one all the same. I especially like the part about dropping some 50cc bikes for the kids. That was a great line and I couldn't agree more. Tolerance for others is something that is neglected in most of the world, especially the third world. I think America is an excepting place hence the reason people from all over the world come here to live and to stay. We are the land of opportunity, whether that comes in 385lbs and 160hp or 4885lbs and 240hp diesel. Just don't start thinking that your freedoms and hobbies are more important that others. That said, I like the rants, keep them coming, just image how boring things would be if we all agreed all the time, wouldn't be much to talk about and we would all be riding the same motorcycle and passing the same SUV. Wow, that's a scary thought folks.

 

[hawkrider]

Re: You drive an SUV, You're an idiot.

On this we can agree!!

 

[blademan]

Re: Burns:: Friday Fanaticism

I agree with your sentiments. I'm tired of the gluttonous utility vehicles. We been using "gluttonous" to describe the suburbanite Opra Winfrey cracker wifes that drive these things. Less than 5% of them ever see the dirt or any offroad yet everyone has to have one. People think they are safe in one, wrong, it's built on a truck platform, my Acura is safer and so are most cars in a crash. Why do Americans need these behometh, gluttony vehicles, but they want it and they think they need it. I often wonder about our country myself. WE are some gluttoness Sons o' *****es. Our car we bought 2 years ago is suddenly not good enough, we need a new one because last years model is *outdated*. Our house is now 5 years old, time to get a new one, etc. Gluttony reigns supreme in America. If we did away with these things or taxed the chit out of them, maybe they would start to go away. After all, they are a big contributor to why we are even involved in the middle east. How about instead of these fookin flags that everyone loves so much to put on their cars, let's make a bumper sticker that says *conserve fuel so we don't need the middle east, ride a motorcycle instead or drive an economy car*. LOL! The suburbanite cracker wives would have a field day. Malcolm X had a good quote years ago about all of this when JFK was shot, he said that the chickens had come home to roost. 9/11 was on the same philosophy. Our country tries to police the world constantly which isn't right. HOw would you feel if Russia, or Korea, or South Africa were always coming to our country sticking their beak in and telling us how to run our country? You wouldn't like it all and that is how these countries feel, they are pissed. I love our country but I wish we kill our gluttony and quit meddling in everyone's affairs. My $.02 Burns.

 

[longride]

Re: Burns:: Friday Fanaticism

You win the MO Chapstick award for the largest amount of butt-kissing in one post. You will need something to soothe those blistered lips after that one.

 

[seruzawa]

Re: Burns:: Friday Fanaticism

Well, Burnsie. So far since you've been on MO you've managed to alienate all the cruiser owners (looks like MO is going to be just another crotchrocket oriented site), and anyone except a wacko lefty, and managed to spew Sierra Club propaganda into the mix. So maybe you are going to start on the MX crowd too.Were you hired for the purpose of destroying MO?

You're doing a good job of it so far. This is probably the REAL reason you were fired from MO. I know it's hard for you lefties to believe this, but you are not automatically smarter than everyone else. In fact, it's the opposite.

 

[danch]

Re: Burns:: Friday Fanaticism

Good article, JB. Well thought and well said. As someone whose political thought oscilates between libertarian and socialist (I do argue with myself a bit!) I have to agree with your point on gluttony. However, as other posters have pointed out, our self-rightous habit of exporting our beliefs, and our cold war policy of supporting fascist dictators just because they weren't communists, has earned us a lot of hate abroad. Glutonny is just the icing on the cake.

 

[BBD_Racing]

Re: Burns:: Friday Fanaticism

Item 1: "longride" above is right. Don't ***** about gluttony whilst wheelying your literbike. If you really hate gluttony, then buy a scooter.

Item 2: "But my bike makes good mileage." And cooks tires every 3000 miles. Every wonder where tires come from? Oil. add to that the energy cost of making the tire. Lets not forget that your supersport with the pipe and jet makes more pollution than the guy in the MDX. Lots more.

Item 3: "Scarce resources." Puhleeze. Ever take a window seat? The Earth is pretty freaking big. So what if we run out of oil? We'll learn to use something else. Have some faith in the creativity of capitalism.

Item 4: "America uses x percent of y resource and that's bad." So? America also made virtually 100% of the world's freedom. We still make far more than our share of opportunity worldwide for people to crawl out of squalor. Yes, we import many raw materials, but we export freedom. I'd take that deal any day.

 

[kdkd]

Re: Burns:: Friday Fanaticism

JB

1. You do know how to provoke thought and create a wave of interest and feedback there bro

2. I agree with many of your comments and so do many others - but do any of us really wish to make a BIG change and for whose benefit

3. Never try to figure out any Muslims - I've spent enough time overseas to know. You have missed one very important point though

That is that the Muslims want to be us - the USA that is - in the power and leader mode and without the particular various lifestyles. These guys and religions were MUCH more important in the world scheme of things like money and power, say about 500 years ago - before say 1492 and other subsequent explorations and developments. Don't kid yourself - they want to be the leader and force feed YOU and I some Muslim faith - and if you don't take both - well as they say off with your head you heathen.

Don't believe my world power story as a left winger - Go check your history from about the Romans forward - In the last two centuries just think about old mama Britian - The sun never set on the empire and all the "colonies" wanted to overturn the power of big #1. One just happened to be bigger and further away and full of ex- Euros and once it freed up all the other little hubs did so too - jsut took a while. In that vaccuum who ascended - the old USA - the heathens again!!

Of course these guys want to fight - just like we did 200 years ago

3. Leave the guns alone - we'd all be bowing to George, Hitler, or Allah - and probably not riding anything except a shovel without them.

4. As for the SUVS - like everything else - it's the operator. I don't care for any self centered pompous asses - but I recognize freedom. But don't need is a stretch - those Arabs figure YOU and I don't need a lot of things - Jesus, money, guns, gals, motorcycles, ................... That way it leaves more for them - HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Bluestring]

Re: Burns:: Friday Fanaticism

Burns - Maybe if you took out those earplugs while riding, you wouldn't think so much about solving the world's problems in 20 minutes. Actually, I think you are on the right track about this fuel thing. I can't beleive that the Bush administration wants to drill every crack in the US (including ANWR) rather than declare "war" on energy use. The Europeans hold the answer. Its higher gasoline prices through taxes. I don't want to pay higher taxes than anyone else but our government is not going to legislate higher CAFE standards or encourage alternative energy production. Nor should it. If people want to drive SUVs, let them have at it. However, if gasoline prices were to double, how many of those SUVs would be in the used car lot. Even scooters might look more attractive!

Keep writing these rants. We definitely a more free exchange of views in this country without being branded as unpatriotic.

 

[Jay_Mack]

Re: Burns:: Friday Fanaticism

Very nicely put. I especialy like the way you agreed that Americans are good people. Everyone's a nice guy! The problem is that the American government, this country, is not the same as the people, however much the American people do not understand this. Now, I, personally, do not care for this American Government.

The reason is that "quality of life" of the people means nothing to the government. All that does mean anything is the economic interests of contributors to politicians campaign funds, i.e. corporations and fat cats.

It's not a Democracy! At best its a Republic. Capitalism is not Democracy.

What all this means is that road construction and gravel (and strip mining and over fishing and clear-cut logging and sprawl and semitractor trailer trucks, etc.) will continue to displace the beauty and quality of life that this country was blessed. It benefits the material service and trucking industries and oil companies and auto mfgrs.

Politicians seeking self justification chant "God Bless America" as they actively conspire to destroy the blessings that the country and the world were, in fact, endowed with. They will privitize all rescources to corporate benefit, impoverishing the rest of humanity while taunting it with the platitudes about how they should adopt a "more Democratic" form of government (as if that was what we had here).

Burns, you are rapidly closing in on Fidel Castro's number three spot on my list of most admired persons.

 

[Poggi]

Re: Burns:: Friday Fanaticism

Jeez,

I thought I paid for a motorcycle matters site. If you wanna' preach, go to the seminary and finish. You'll have sparsely-packed audiences every Sunday. Keep up this crap and you'll have one less in this audience! Can't wait for the rants about smoking and cell phones?

 

[DucButt]

Re: Burns:: Friday Fanaticism

tedsim -

A) I'm not sure if it's federal law, but I do know that in CA and HI it's legal for a motorcyclist to ride in HOV lanes.

B) Most motorcycles are not single occupancy.

C) Don't be so quick to judge.

 

[TravisB]

Re: Burns:: Friday Fanaticism

...will also need some lotion for the chafed knees. Group hug? You must be kidding.

 

[BBD_Racing]

Re: Burns:: Friday Fanaticism

Well put.