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Subject: 
Re: guns, guns, guns (was: demographics (was: My Gun Control Rant))
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Sun, 14 Jan 2001 13:43:58 GMT
Viewed: 
1055 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Dave Low writes:
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Christopher L. Weeks writes:
My guns are owned in part so that I can assist the revolution if I should
decide that that is the right course of action.

Are guns necessary for a revolution? Perhaps non-violent movements can more
effectively create social change: Gandhi and post-colonial India, South
Africa in the past decade. Interestingly both these countries have examples that
show how a culture of violence can become the norm, with no "gains" to anyone
involved (India's conflict with Pakistan over Kashmir; tribal/gang/poverty
related crime in SA).

Very true. I’d like to add to the list much of the eastern European states
which have “come in from the cold”. It is a gross generalisation, and I hope
I do not offend anyone, but much of these popular uprising have been against
oppressive / unrepresentative / exploitative governments which did not have
any history of listening to the greater populous – but instead followed
their own ideology. These revolutions were about a popular majority making
their view know to an unhearing, but powerful, minority.

A direct contradiction of this situation is, what I expect will be, what
Chris meant by revolution. He worries that the majority will remove some of
the choices he can now make – or perhaps give him extra ones which he does
not want. That will be when some in the USA will revolt.


Even if guns are necessary for a revolution, are they sufficient?
1. Chris points out his right to choose to join the revolution or not. The USA
is much more culturally diverse now than it was at independence. Would the armed
population be united against an illegitimate government? Would the Klan and the
Nation of Islam find enough common ground that they would forget to hate each
other? And even if they did:
2. Would the world's most powerful military force be deployed against its own
citizens?

This can only happen when the army, and their families, have extra rights
over normal citizens which it fears the masses will remove from them.
Otherwise, how could they be motivated?


Could this actually happen? And what would happen if it did?

Most modern Armies are trained in urban clearance - it is a key part of
modern warfare. Personally, I fail to see how a bunch of out to shape middle
aged men can put up any sort of credible resistance, with small arms,
against a well trained military. To me, the notion that a man with pistol
can put up anything more than a token resistance is absurd. Has anyone seen
“Dad’s Army”?

Naturally, all that assumes that the military would not divide. If it did
divide, the gun owning populous would be even more ineffectual.



Scott A



Message has 3 Replies:
  Re: guns, guns, guns (was: demographics (was: My Gun Control Rant))
 
(...) I think you underestimate what someone who REALLY believes they are right, and are REALLY willing to die for their cause is capable of doing. Governments have been doing this for over 200 years (that underestimation is what lost the American (...) (24 years ago, 14-Jan-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
  Re: guns, guns, guns (was: demographics (was: My Gun Control Rant))
 
(...) Is it your assertion then, that the changes in government in states such as the DDR, Poland, Czechoslovokia, Hungary, etc. had nothing whatever to do with guns, that is, that they were completely non violent, and no guns or weapons anywhere in (...) (24 years ago, 15-Jan-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
  Re: guns, guns, guns (was: demographics (was: My Gun Control Rant))
 
(...) Who is it that you think is out of shape and middle aged? Similarly, who is it that you think only has pistols? In the US, it is easy to acquire military ordnance that "fell of a truck." While I have never engaged in such transactions, of (...) (24 years ago, 15-Jan-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: guns, guns, guns (was: demographics (was: My Gun Control Rant))
 
(...) Are guns necessary for a revolution? Perhaps non-violent movements can more effectively create social change: Gandhi and post-colonial India, South Africa in the past decade. Interestingly both these countries have examples that show how a (...) (24 years ago, 14-Jan-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

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