The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Politics & RKBA => Topic started by: 2HOW on December 05, 2008, 01:47:05 PM
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Mutual Assured Destruction
The power is in the threat, not the execution
By Jeff Knox
(October 29, 2008) There are some who are fond of repeating Jefferson’s comment about the tree of liberty needing to be “refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants,” though they often skip the part about patriots and choose to only include the tyrants. The problem is that in actual practice you couldn’t leave out, “the blood of patriots,” because when the blood of tyrants is spilt, the blood of patriots must also be spilt. There is simply no way around it.
The same guys are often fond of bumper sticker slogans like, “…from my cold dead fingers,” and the more erudite, “MOLON LAVE,” and while I can appreciate the sentiment, I also know that in 99.995% of cases it’s simply not true. The fact is that only those who have nothing to lose (and nothing to live for) are willing to give up everything – including their lives – in a symbolic gesture of defiance. The rest of us, those with families – kids, grand-kids, vulnerable parents – and homes, jobs, and lives, are not interested in ditching the house, refrigerator, and HD-TV in exchange for a prison cell or a mountain cave.
Sure, if the Russian paratroopers start landing in “Red Dawn” fashion, many of us will grab our guns and go join the “Wolverines,” but that’s only when everything is gone anyway. Don’t expect average Americans to rise up in revolution because the government is playing fast and loose with the Bill of Rights or because taxes get too high. That’s not the way modern Americans think, nor is it the way the world works today. Armed revolt in America would not lead to a renaissance of Jeffersonian liberalism; it would lead to the destruction of our nation and the guarantee that whatever replaced it would be worse than what it replaced.
Like nuclear deterrence, it is the threat that saves the world, not the execution. If all of the 60 to 80 million gunowners in this nation were to rise up as one to ward off invasion or reject tyranny, they would be an unstoppable force. Nay-sayers like to dismiss this idea because of the technological advantages enjoyed by the modern military, but there are 90 guns for every 100 people in the US and many, if not most, of the 2 million members of the military and the 1 million sworn law enforcement officers are strong supporters of the Second Amendment and the principles of liberty. There is simply no doubt that the citizens’ militia does have the capacity and potential to defeat just about any military force in the world. Only serious application of nuclear and/or biological weapons – wiping out a substantial portion of the population – would be able to turn the tide.
While this is all accurate and works well on paper, just like Marxism and Amway networks, the whole thing falls apart in practice because people never do what you want them to do or what they ought to do – even when doing so is clearly in their own best interests. During the Revolutionary war, a full 40 to 45% of Americans actively supported the revolt. Today, less than 6% of gunowners are even minimally active in political activism. Gunowners turn out for elections at about the same rate as the non-gun owning public.
If gunowners and supporters of liberty can’t even agree on a presidential candidate, what makes any of them think that they will be able to agree on a revolution? The threat of armed revolt must be maintained, but like the mutual assured destruction of nuclear war, its implementation must be avoided at all costs. If we have the numbers and the commitment to win a revolution then we should easily be able to win an election. The solution lies in the ballot box rather than the ammo box because the reality of a new revolution is that it is an all or worse than nothing proposition. When people who should know better talk about revolution being the answer, impressionable idiots and misfits like Timothy McVeigh or the morons caught plotting to assassinate Barack Obama, believe that they are leading the revolution when in reality they are just giving the government an excuse to tighten the screws and pushing the public to accept the screw-tightening as necessary.
The whole idea behind mutual assured destruction is that it forces the parties to find better ways to settle their differences. Our founders put the mechanisms in place and it’s up to us to use those mechanisms to restore liberty and save the republic.
Permission to reprint or post this article in its entirety for non-commercial purposes is hereby granted provided this credit is included. Text is available at www.FirearmsCoalition.org. To receive The Firearms Coalition’s bi-monthly newsletter, The Hard Corps Report, write to PO Box 3313, Manassas, VA 20108
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Yes, very painfully true.
What many (if not most) people say they are willing to do and what they are willing to do are two different things.
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That doesn't mean we can't kick them in the a$$ to fight the battles of the soap box. If we win THAT ONE we don't have to even think of REAL battles.
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So true it hurts to the core. As much as I love this country as it was envisioned by the founders, I too have kids, employees, extended families and friends. We must do this at the ballot box and other ways political. I see no other way. After all, the safety and protection of my family is what this is all about.
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One thing is for sure, in all presidential races the Democratic and the Republican candidates are both puppets, puppet A and puppet B, all of the political activism in the world will have the effect of a petulant 5 year old stomping her feet because she didn't get that pink unicorn for Christmas, ( I mean that vague unnamed holiday).
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One thing is for sure, in all presidential races the Democratic and the Republican candidates are both puppets, puppet A and puppet B, all of the political activism in the world will have the effect of a petulant 5 year old stomping her feet because she didn't get that pink unicorn for Christmas, ( I mean that vague unnamed holiday).
I'm sick of you painting both parties with the same brush. You cynicism shows such ignorance as to be laughable.
Republicans have corrupt members. Corruption is organizational policy for the democrats, from Boss Tweed of Tammany Hall through Capone's Chicago to Obama's ACORN.
Republican economic policies work, every time the Business profits tax is lowered there is an increase in revenues collected by IRS, unemployment and inflation are lowered and the stock market rallies. Democratic economic policies do not work, taxing "The Rich" takes money away from them that would otherwise be used to create jobs, thereby lowering revenues collected by IRS, while they distribute cash pay offs to lazy deadbeats who contribute nothing to Society in a despicable effort to by votes. An example of failed economic policy that ties in with the above notes on corruption, Lyndon Johnson STOLE your social security money out of The trust fund it was intended to be kept in, and used it to fund his "Great Society" welfare programs intended to fight poverty, We have had more and more people going on "the dole" every year ever since. We have people now who are second and third generation "welfare leeches". The current Housing crises is directly attributable to the democrats forcing the lending agencies to loosen restrictions, Maxine Waters, said that verifying income discriminated against low income people by preventing them from buying homes, THEY COULD NOT PAY FOR THEM, Barney Frank was literally in bed with the director of one of the lending agencies, hence we have our economy in the trash can now.
Republicans support our Armed Forces, democrats have NEVER supported the heroes who keep them safe, since before the Mexican war of 1846 democrats have opposed every war the US has been involved in, they did not even support FDR's preparations for WWII until the USSR was invaded.On the other hand it is interesting to note that the only 20th century REPUBLICAN President to actually get us INTO a war was George H.W. Bush (41).
Democrats have a history of hypocrisy that goes back to the pre Civil War days. The Confederacy was founded by DEMOCRATS who chose to dissolve the Union rather than give up their slaves, this at a time when manual field work was being rendered economically unfeasible by the advent of machinery. This was also a time when national industrial strength was being strangled by the lack of labor. The KKK was founded by Nathan Bedford Forest, a former Confederate general and DEMOCRAT. Racism in northern America got its start in Chicago when DEMOCRAT labor organizers stirred up trouble between the newly freed southern Blacks who were voting for the party of Lincoln so that they could give the jobs to the European immigrants who could be convinced to vote dem. Desegregation was fought into the 70's by democrats who claim to be the party of the oppressed.
you comment on political activism is asinine, 30 years ago being gay was a crime, because of political activism it has become socially "acceptable", you may not approve but your damned careful where you say so. Same goes for women's suffrage, and racial equality.
I think that you are either to lazy or scared to engage in political activism, either that or you are one of those people who would rather b!tch than act.
Merry fu#@ing CHRISTMAS
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I'm sick of you painting both parties with the same brush. You cynicism shows such ignorance as to be laughable.
Republicans have corrupt members. Corruption is organizational policy for the democrats, from Boss Tweed of Tammany Hall through Capone's Chicago to Obama's ACORN.
......
Merry fu#@ing CHRISTMAS
KAAAAA BOOOOOOM :)
Tom you should get a job with Tony Robbins as a motivational speaker ....
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Aren't we a tempest in a teapot today Tom, be sick of me painting the two major political parties with the same brush. The reason I do that is that the two parties are both at war against the American people. Your beloved president Jorge Arbusto has allowed tens of millions of illegal aliens to flood over our southern border. One wonders how many good innocent Americans have been raped, tortured and murdered by people who came over our border on George's watch, no effective border fence, and of course under George's watch border agents Compean, and Ramos are serving 12 and 11 year sentences respectively, for enforcing our border against a Mexican nation on our soil delivering hundreds of pounds of marijuana.
The American people are overwhelmingly against all of these socialistic rich people bailout plans, yet George has both championed these travesties, and has signed such legislation into law. The result will be that you and me and our children and grand children will be paying off the bill for all of these socialistic programs that help the few the rich and harm all others. This tremendous infusion of fiat money being pumped into the economy ( I have read estimates as high as 8 trillion plus) will as it makes it's way through the economy cause inflation like we have never seen before in our history. What is going to happen in the near future is high unemployment, stagnate or decreasing wages, destroyed retirement plans, and sharply higher costs for goods and services.
So I can only thank George Bush, the members of congress from both parties, and their supporters for this coming crisis.
Two parties, one purpose, socialism.
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I have to agree that I have seen no difference in party's lately. Bush is a disgrace as well as his inner circle and I voted for the jackass. He has done more to hurt the country than anyone in my lifetime. I'm disgusted.
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Exactly why BoHo is Prez. elect. >:( >:( >:( >:(
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Aren't we a tempest in a teapot today Tom, be sick of me painting the two major political parties with the same brush. The reason I do that is that the two parties are both at war against the American people. Your beloved president Jorge Arbusto has allowed tens of millions of illegal aliens to flood over our southern border. One wonders how many good innocent Americans have been raped, tortured and murdered by people who came over our border on George's watch, no effective border fence, and of course under George's watch border agents Compean, and Ramos are serving 12 and 11 year sentences respectively, for enforcing our border against a Mexican nation on our soil delivering hundreds of pounds of marijuana.
The American people are overwhelmingly against all of these socialistic rich people bailout plans, yet George has both championed these travesties, and has signed such legislation into law. The result will be that you and me and our children and grand children will be paying off the bill for all of these socialistic programs that help the few the rich and harm all others. This tremendous infusion of fiat money being pumped into the economy ( I have read estimates as high as 8 trillion plus) will as it makes it's way through the economy cause inflation like we have never seen before in our history. What is going to happen in the near future is high unemployment, stagnate or decreasing wages, destroyed retirement plans, and sharply higher costs for goods and services.
So I can only thank George Bush, the members of congress from both parties, and their supporters for this coming crisis.
Two parties, one purpose, socialism.
Not to toot my own horn, honest, but I made a point in another thread some months ago about the fix being in, that it really doesn't matter who the president is, that Kennedy's assassination was a clear and obvious signal to anyone who sits in the White House that we can get you, you can't stop us, and we will get away with it. So do what we tell you, and be quiet about it.
If you want to know who that is, well, most of them are faceless to common people like us. But you could start with the Council on Foreign Relations and take it from there.
This country was sold out starting in the 30's, The League of Nations was a failed first attempt, refined after WWII into the UN, and especially in the late 40's and 50's - to the one worlders. Why do you think Eisenhower warned us of the military industrial complex as he called it. He was no dummy, he told us that on his way out of the Presidency mind you.
Everything else is window dressing, or designed to chip away at the strengths of this country - gay rights, illegal immigrants, these bailouts, the War on <fill in the blanks> as a way to distract us or weaken us in some way. The bailouts in particular are just one way to devastate the economy for decades to come, indenture our descendants to the Feds to bail them out.
It will take a collapse the likes of what is portrayed in Patriots to actually allow us to take back what used to be the greatest country in the world. And we were sold out by our own elected officials - and our neighbors who voted for them.
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Pathfinder, +1
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So what are you DOING about it ? Besides bitching.