I await with interest your explanation as to how and why private gun ownership “caused and supported” the current unlawful government, considering that the government is perfectly capable of obtaining its own guns and supplying them to its goons without our input or intervention. And has been doing so for a little over two centuries. Furthermore, gun laws are deliberately structured such that the police and various government forces throughout the country enjoy considerably less restriction (or even none) on the type, number, and nature of guns that they’re allowed to own and use. Even if the individuals in question are retired or no longer on active duty.
I await with interest your explanation as to how and why private gun ownership “caused and supported” the current unlawful government
Dollars to Donuts half those badgeless, masked vigilantes kidnapping people from immigration courts are members of the NRA.
Furthermore, gun laws are deliberately structured such that the police and various government forces throughout the country enjoy considerably less restriction (or even none) on the type, number, and nature of guns that they’re allowed to own and use.
Mulford Act, etc. Sure. The disarming of the public is always at the expense of the working class progressive. It never seems to come for the right-wing reactionaries, the domestic terrorists, or the conservative-aligned militia movements.
But that’s where things get sticky, because “Gun Rights” has become synonymous with “Fascist Politics” as a result. Guns are regularly touted as the tools to overthrow liberal politicians. And as a result liberal politicians champion gun control out of a sense of self-preservation. Meanwhile conservative politicians champion more money spent on the security state, because it allows them to arm and organize far-right police, private security, and paramilitary groups.
What becomes extra frustrating is when liberal politicians give conservative paramilitary groups the weapons and funds they need to organize, on the grounds that these conservative paramilitaries will protect the liberals from the Lone Wolf / Rogue Agent. Rather than guarding them, these police agencies effectively take the liberal political class hostage.
The 2A crowd brought us fascism by voting for literally anyone who told them they could keep their AR’s. Now we have fascism-lite with our government disappearing people unlawfully with plain-clothed goon squads, and the 2A crowd is on the side of the fascists. In other words, they were the ones screaming about the importance of the people being able to protect themselves from the government, for decades, and now that we’re in a situation were people actually need to do that, they’re on the sidelines cheering on the authoritarian government. A lot of people like me aren’t surprised at all.
I have a strong suspicion this crowd would have voted for their fascist candidates regardless of whether or not Americans had gun rights at the time. Fascism (not to mention other broadly similar strains of right wing authoritarianism) has managed to rise in several places throughout history and all over the world, without the specific assistance of our deep south gun nuts.
Tons of liberal supporters are also in favor of gun rights. It’s just that nobody’s catering to them, because they’re less lucrative of a voting bloc than racist rednecks.
Those are two great points, and I completely agree with both of em. The 2A thing, in the US, is just one of many tools the billionaire class has used in their propaganda machine to push the Overton window the way they have around the world.
This is a good analysis and a great point re: the wedge issues they use to divide us. God, Guns, and Gays. Things that actually impact a relatively small number of people, but that are central to a persons identity and so can be used to turn people (who might otherwise have a lot in common) against each other.
I await with interest your explanation as to how and why private gun ownership “caused and supported” the current unlawful government, considering that the government is perfectly capable of obtaining its own guns and supplying them to its goons without our input or intervention. And has been doing so for a little over two centuries. Furthermore, gun laws are deliberately structured such that the police and various government forces throughout the country enjoy considerably less restriction (or even none) on the type, number, and nature of guns that they’re allowed to own and use. Even if the individuals in question are retired or no longer on active duty.
Dollars to Donuts half those badgeless, masked vigilantes kidnapping people from immigration courts are members of the NRA.
Mulford Act, etc. Sure. The disarming of the public is always at the expense of the working class progressive. It never seems to come for the right-wing reactionaries, the domestic terrorists, or the conservative-aligned militia movements.
But that’s where things get sticky, because “Gun Rights” has become synonymous with “Fascist Politics” as a result. Guns are regularly touted as the tools to overthrow liberal politicians. And as a result liberal politicians champion gun control out of a sense of self-preservation. Meanwhile conservative politicians champion more money spent on the security state, because it allows them to arm and organize far-right police, private security, and paramilitary groups.
What becomes extra frustrating is when liberal politicians give conservative paramilitary groups the weapons and funds they need to organize, on the grounds that these conservative paramilitaries will protect the liberals from the Lone Wolf / Rogue Agent. Rather than guarding them, these police agencies effectively take the liberal political class hostage.
The 2A crowd brought us fascism by voting for literally anyone who told them they could keep their AR’s. Now we have fascism-lite with our government disappearing people unlawfully with plain-clothed goon squads, and the 2A crowd is on the side of the fascists. In other words, they were the ones screaming about the importance of the people being able to protect themselves from the government, for decades, and now that we’re in a situation were people actually need to do that, they’re on the sidelines cheering on the authoritarian government. A lot of people like me aren’t surprised at all.
I have a strong suspicion this crowd would have voted for their fascist candidates regardless of whether or not Americans had gun rights at the time. Fascism (not to mention other broadly similar strains of right wing authoritarianism) has managed to rise in several places throughout history and all over the world, without the specific assistance of our deep south gun nuts.
Tons of liberal supporters are also in favor of gun rights. It’s just that nobody’s catering to them, because they’re less lucrative of a voting bloc than racist rednecks.
Those are two great points, and I completely agree with both of em. The 2A thing, in the US, is just one of many tools the billionaire class has used in their propaganda machine to push the Overton window the way they have around the world.
This is a good analysis and a great point re: the wedge issues they use to divide us. God, Guns, and Gays. Things that actually impact a relatively small number of people, but that are central to a persons identity and so can be used to turn people (who might otherwise have a lot in common) against each other.