Real lightsaber hits UK stores

[Agayek]

Cars are a need.
Tools are a need.
Kitchen Untensils are a need.
The last 3 is are just stupid examples on your part....I mean seriously like?!

This laser is not a need, it is pointless and is dangerous.
Why manufacture something like this when the FAR WEAKER versions work just fine.

Why not manufacture it, aside from the fact that it can be used as a weapon? There are definitely legitimate uses for such a product, though I will admit such uses are relatively rare.

I just don't understand why it must be banned just because it can potentially be used to hurt someone. The same is true of every physical object in existence, yet nobody ever advocates banning everything.

-snip-

I seriously doubt even the majority of people who use this thing would use it in a safe and responsible manner. I'm just fundamentally against banning anything because it might conceivably be dangerous.

Like I said before, any and every thing can be dangerous. That's no reason to ban it. If people abuse it, they should be punished, harshly, and then we can all get about our day. Removing all access to something you, personally, disagree with because it has the potential to be used to hurt someone is the first step down a road that has always ended poorly.

 

[halfeclipse]

Here's the thing though, the armed forces > Untrained civilians with weapons.

Active members of the Irish military forces: ~10000 (Ten Thousand)
Population of Ireland: ~4500000 (Four Million, Five Hundred Thousand)
Ratio: 450:1

Let me know how well that works out will yea.

I am just stating my ideology.
I never stated I was going to try and implyment it.

However if I managed to get the armed forces very high-tech before I try to achieve other goals then I'm sure that ratio will become meaningless.

In theory yea. In reality you now have a stupidly high-tech military. Your military's senior officers better be damned loyal otherwise it won't be very long till one of them decides to move up in the world. You could weaken the military capabilities but then your back to square one. You could neuter the officers power and influence, but that only works until you need your army. At which point they'll need said power back and damned well wont give it up willingly once they've got it. Executing people you think are likely to fuck with you is also not viable thanks to the small size of the military, a popular general can hold a comparability larger sway with the troops. Shoot him and you could have half your army in revolt.

Here's the thing though, the armed forces > Untrained civilians with weapons.

Active members of the Irish military forces: ~10000 (Ten Thousand)
Population of Ireland: ~4500000 (Four Million, Five Hundred Thousand)
Ratio: 450:1

Let me know how well that works out will yea.

That is of course assuming that the entire population of Ireland would all attempt to fight the government/military.

Quite a mighty assumption you've got there.

If only 2 percent of the population doesn't like it, that's still outnumbered nearly 10 to 1, and that's assuming everyone in the military goes along with it. 1 solider says fuck off, thats 10 less people needed to achieve the same ratio.

 

[Lim3]

I hereby declare all the people saying its a bad idea to be sticks in the mud.

Logical and wise sticks, but nevertheless sticks.

Man Snipers with lasers (obviously make the beam beyond the visible light spectrum), imagine that. No noise just the target on fire.

I remember reading a while ago about the US strapping weapons grade lasers to their gunships as anti-missile devices, but if this is the grade of laser available to the public then what other weapons do they have stockpiled? And to those who say "there are no laser weapons used in Afghanistan" i say "do you think the US is going to show their hand over a war in some backwater country?"

 

[Dapsen]

Fuckin' A. Thats too dangerous and awesome to be held by human hands!

 

[Jark212]

Do Want. But I'm kinda turned off by the price, I'm just too cheap...

Too cheap for deathrays? What kind of nerd are you?

The cheap kind...

Or I could just build my own...

 

[SlyderEST]

This is unbelievably stupid, for so many reasons.

Firstly however, I will say that I don't want lasers banned, or high powered lasers made unavailable for civilians or hobbyists... the problem with this is not that it is an extremely powerful laser, but in the way it is marketed and designed.

It looks like a laser pointer. Most laser pointers that people are familiar with simply project a rather pathetic red dot with about ~5mw of power. Even though these pointers have all the same 'avoid eye exposure' warnings on them, they are pratically harmless. A short direct eye exposure will not cause any damage. I've even read of a study where they directed such a laser at a person's eye for several minutes (they eye had to be removed because of cancer anyway), and studied the effects it had. None were found from the red pointer, and a low powered green pointer only produced minor damage after significant exposure. Not somthing that will in any way cause any damage by accident.

This thing however... it's more dangerous than any knife, gun, air rifle or firework I've ever seen. Due to it's association with regular lasers, it is unlikely to be treated with the respect it so desperately needs. It isn't like a gun or a knife, which people know are dangerous and are (relatively) unlikely hurt others with by accident. You can wave this thing around when it's on, and the beam is impossible to react to. It's not like, say, a bb gun, where you can see it being pointed in an unsafe direction and then take action before it is fired. This thing puts out a constant beam, so is a constant danger when activated. It also has ludicrous range and accuracy... just wave it in the general direction of whomever you want to go blind. Unexpected reflections can also cause instant eye damage to anyone unlucky enough to be looking in the wrong direction.

Normally I'm annoyed with the import laws in Australia, which confiscate any laser over 1mw, and generally make the less powerful lasers out to be much more dangerous than they really are, but for once I'm glad to know that anyone caught trying to import this thing will lose their laser.

I don't see your point. I mean, it's just dangerous to be on. If your using it indoors, then something will be on fire. And if your using it outdoors then probably something will catch fire (trees, grass etc).

And you Australians always have something up your sleeve, dont you?

 

[crimson5pheonix]

I can't see something like this able to fit in your hand. Or arm. Or car. Somehow, I think this is a hoax.
I was reading the hype by people here, "it sets fire to trees, man!"

This thing is nothing more than a laser pointer on steroids. Very high grade steroids. Which is why they require you to give them a copy of your I.D. so if any planes go down near where you live, they know who to find first.

 

[Orhid]

Get it fast before it gets banned.

 

[Idlemessiah]

I couldn't be arsed to read all 11 pages of this BUT

I'm pretty sure I read that you need a fairly high class of hazardous laser handling license to be able to buy this thing.

 

[Carboncrown]

This is horrible.

Instant fucking blindness?!

So many things that can and will go wrong.

 

[Tarakos]

So if it causes cancer, then it's not really a lightsaber, is it? You never heard of a Jedi being felled by....cancer. Not a Sith. Cancer. Why in the blue hell would someone sell this to the public? Do they know how many morons are out there? Though, seeing it originated in China, I'm not surprised. First, lead toys. Now, cancer-causing Lightsabers.

 

[Projo]

These aren't new, go look up wickedlasers

 

[Orhid]

Oh and just to say.
Yes army posseses laser based weapons
Funnily enough laser based weapons are banned to use in warfare by Geneva Convention.

 

[CZS PublicEnemy]

I don't think buying one of these for myself would be a very good idea. The whole thing sounds cool and i am a die hart Star Wars fan but honestly, i don't want to go blind or burst into flames.

 

[SNIPERFOX ft. Harry P.Ness]

nerdgasm to every nerd in existance in 3....2....1...

 

[spacecowboy86]

Do they come in double bladed?

your a genius! now i just need 400$ and some duct tape...

 

[Zersy]

Remember Kids. If it gets banned it must be seriously awesome !

 

[Bocaj2000]

EDIT: Why are people talking about totalitarianism? Even more frighteningly, why are people supporting fascist government styles? Did WWII teach anyone a lesson about absolute power? Also, this post is about lightsabers... wtf...

Because I am proud of my ideology and will debate in it's name when I can.

Why does fascism usually lead to genocide?

"Whales are mammals but not all mammals are whales"
In other words:
While Nazism was fascist and did attempt a genocide that does not mean that all fascist states will.

I'm not talking about Hitler. I'm talking about Stalin, Mao, Than Shwe, Hu Jintao, and every single dictator in Africa. Hey have killed thousands to get and maintain power. Most of which their own people. In fact, name one dictator whiten the past 100 years that hasn't.

 

[SirDerick]

We are seriously concerned about the sale of these products which should only be for industrial use.

Thanks you party pooper!