Not really. 35%, on average, achieve the same income quintile as they were born into. Given that if it were determined purely by random chance, we'd still get a 20% repetition between generations, it's pretty clear that the "class you were born in is the class you die in" is...kind of an over generalization.

So, if they don't want the handouts...stop them? They're happy because of....something, and you're happy because you have more dollars in your pocket. Win/win?

Yes please. It would save us a pile of tax money, and Civil War 2 would provide us with good television. I say we go for it.

The boom of the fifties was for a much different, and simpler set of reasons. First, you had an economy adapted to wartime that suddenly got all it's men back from the war. Second, you had a sudden lifting of long-in-place rationing. Thirdly, the war took place on other people's land. That sucked for them, but made us shine in comparison. So, you've suddenly got an influx of workers, a spike in demand, and a lack of overseas competition(and spikes in their demand). That's a great economical mix.

Nah, all of the Jovian moons have an induced magnetic field. No particular reason you couldn't have the same elsewhere.

I own a cubify printer. It lacks DRM. I can and have gleefully printed out all manner of self-created items, as well as other things downloaded elsewhere. You can, in fact, buy items from their store. You pay per item if you have them print the item and send it to you(which is fair). You can also buy the model file if the author has chosen to offer it for sale(as I do).

cubify.com offers for sale multiple kinds of 3d printed shoes. One of the types does in fact come with the printer, and can be printed yourself. Crocs are pretty obviously created out of only one material. And, on top of all of this, 3d printers that do multiple materials are already being made. It isn't AS easy, but it's certainly possible. Last, but not least, it's entirely possible to do single print jobs of a single material, then assemble the final thing into a composite item. I've done this.

I was certainly consider McCain until his vp selection, yes. As soon as I researched Palin, though, I knew I couldn't vote for him. Not merely because Palin would be bad if she got into power....but because such a remarkably poor choice called into question Cain's judgement. Presidents have to appoint rather a lot of people. If he's doing that badly for veep, how bad a job is he gonna do on all of them?

Trust not based on past actions is folly, though.

The issue is, it's a lot easier to do that directly with the gun than with the printer. Making a reprap requires some fairly accurate stepper motors, access to a RL friend with one to print out bits for you, and a pretty decent, and fairly specific shopping list from the hardware store. A simple firearm basically requires some pipe and a nail. I'm fairly technically grounded, but I opted to get a pre-made 3d printer myself for the same reason that I didn't make my own AR...it's bloody time consuming to do them right. Now, I've explored the overlap of these fields...and it IS interesting, but it's interesting in the same way as replicating a calculator in minecraft.

Operating a purpose built loader mostly involves refilling tubes and pulling a lever a lot. Printing still requires a pretty decent degree of skill. I popped on to thingverse, and downloaded the AR mag everyone was talking 'bout a while back. When I printed it, the pieces didn't actually fit. It didn't include a spring. The shell didn't fit into my magwell. So yeah, I crafted up a plastic spring(no biggie), and made some size adjustments, and I'm sure I can get it printing...but in the end, that's a lot of work for a plastic five round mag when I can grab a 30 round mag in most places for $7. It's not really an issue. Ammunition printing is vastly more pie-in-the-sky, since arbitrarily mixing together materials is a ways off from home 3d printing at the moment.

No such printer exists yet, and there are notable obstacles to such a thing ever existing. Reprap, etc can print a substantial fraction of their pieces, which is great for availability and cost, but at least a trip to a well stocked hardware store will be in order. And frankly, you can just build a gun with a trip to a well stocked hardware store.