From: Michael Lorrey (retroman@turbont.net)
Date: Thu Apr 01 1999 - 21:03:16 MST
Michael M. Butler wrote:
> >Of course, today there is a real question as to whether an armed citizenry
> >is really a significant barrier to oppression, but that's a different
> >argument.
>
> Gee, usually the armed citizenry is doing real well. Look at any warlord.
>
> Maybe the Kosovo situation would help us find out--someday--if someone
> armed and trained the Armenian Kosovars and they got their tactical act
> together. Nah, who'm I kidding?
>
> Besides, the Armenian Kosovars are in the majority; why don't they simply
> _vote_ peace into existence?
Their autonomy got stripped by Milosevic back in 1989. The Kosovar Liberation
Army was trying to defend their declaration of secession, but they have been
hamstrung by the one sided arms embargo that the Russians only pay lip service
to.
>
>
> </sarcasm_off>
>
> >Of course, today there is a real question as to whether an armed citizenry
> >is really a significant barrier to oppression, but that's a different
> >argument.
>
> Part of the answer appears to be, "it depends." A _sufficiently_ armed
> citizenry would be. The problem is, few people around here trust their
> neighbors to handle the sufficient arms, but they do trust people they''ve
> never met. So it's self-fulfilling; or is that self-deluding? And maybe
> they're right; or maybe the only thing that keeps the machine from flying
> apart is the 5 Weight Oil of Good Times--complacency.
While many make at least a half hearted attempt to be prepared, most are
insufficiently prepared, and are relying on their own self delusion.
>
>
> Another part of the answer appears to be "--Barrier? I see no barrier!" A
> deterrent is only a deterrent if it's credible--_vide_ Dr. Strangelove's
> interrogation of the Soviet Ambassador. Capability _and_ intent. And a
> certain amount of imperfect information.
Depends on the intensity of the level of conflict. I have recently come the the
conclusion that somewhere between 20%-40% of all firearms privately owned in the
US are usable as infantry weapons. Most of the rest are for personal defense
use. Only 10 percent are exclusively usable for hunting. 60% of households own
at least one firearm here, compared to less than 5-10% in large cities. The
disparity in the crime stats I think is indicative of the deterrent effect.
>
>
> MMB, remembering the Scout motto even if it isn't popular when the Dow is
> at 10k
Ha, yeah. I'm stocking up for my End o' the World Party at my camp in January.
Bunks are available...
--
TANSTAAFL!!!
Michael Lorrey, President
Lorrey Systems
------------------------------------------------------------
mailto:mike@lorrey.com
------------------------------------------------------------
"A society which trades freedom for some measure of security
shall wind up with neither." -----Benjamin Franklin
"The tree of Liberty should be watered from time to time
with the blood of tyrants and patriots."
-----Thomas Jefferson
"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security
of a Free State, the Right of the People to keep and bear
arms shall not be infringed." -----US Constitution,
2nd Amendment
"You can have my gun when you pry it out of my cold, dead
hands..." -----Anonymous
"Once we got their guns away from them, taking their
money was REAL easy." -----Unknown North Korean
Commissar
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