Kosovo = Pro-Gun Argument

[Rob Pincus]

I have taken the opportunity several times in the last week to point out that there may not be so many people helplessly fleeing their hoimes, possessions and family members if there had been a few firearms and a decent supply of ammo in each home.

Twice I've stunned people into silence.

A Got a couple of "that's the truth!"'s (but considering the company I keep, that is too be exepected...)

I got one person that said something like "oh, yeah.. right.. just what they need to start a fight with [the serbians]." I honestly was stunned into silence themselves.. I recovered and made some simple sarcastic dismissal of them and left it be.

 

[HS]

I posted a similar idea on the U.N message board (don't go there any more...).

One of the reasons Australia wasn't invaded by the Japs in WWII was because of the number of Firearms possed by the average Aussie and they knew how to use them !

Now all you have to own to invade us would be a coupla slingshots & some harsh words....

------------------
"The Gun from Down Under !"

 

[Dennis]

Rob,
VERY good point!
Switzerland is often considered the ultimate "neutral" country for many reasons. One big reason is the armed and trained (ie. "well-regulated") populace. Taking Switzerland would be a bloody mess.

Hmmm. Another reason not to invade Switzerland is its moutainous terrain. Atomic weapons are impractical in such terrain. Force movement and maneuvering would be "deadly" difficult - similar to the former Yugoslavia.

 

[Grayfox]

I remember reading once that back in the cold war days the soviets never considered an invasion of the US not because they feared our military, but because they knew they would have to fight the entire population.

Given the current state of RKBA in this country, all I can say is Thank God the Soviet Union collapsed!

 

[4V50 Gary]

An accurate rifle is only the start. You'll need other things (antitank, antiaircraft) to hold your own. To paraphrase the Desert Fox, "Get it from your enemy."

 

[Destructo6]

I certainly think that it is a good pro-gun argument. The KLA, prior to NATO interference, was well-equipped (small arms/uniforms/food), determined, and doing rather well. The Yugoslav government, on the other hand, seemed to believe that if they showed some restraint by not throwing their whole military might against the KLA, their sovereignty would be respected. Since that's now a moot point, they have little to lose. If NATO had just left bad enough alone, the civil war would probably have continued to be a squad on squad affair with small arms.

We all have to remember that this conflict dates, at least, back to the period of Islamic expansion around the end of the last millennia. This region was the front lines of the Islamic vs. Christian struggle where people such as Prince Vlaad the Impaler (of Muslims), a.k.a. Dracula, battled tooth and nail against the invading Muslims. This area has the unfortunate status of being the border between the Islamic and Christian worlds and the conflict will continue until one wins.

The only reasonable way these people can be free and self-determined is to be armed and vigilant.

 

[Paul B.]

The reason the japanese didn't invade Australia was because the people were armd. I'll buy that. The reason the Russians never invaded us is because we, as a people were well armed. I'll buy that too. So Slick Willie spend time in Russia. Hmmm. Slick is using up all our strategic weapons in stupid little brushfire wars. Hmmm He's in bed with the Red Chinese. Hmmm. He wants to disarm the American people. WHY? He has given the Chinese a West Coast port to repair and refuel their warships. More Hmmmm. I wonder what his agenda is? King Willie the First, with Red China's help? I heard on the news last night that Russia now has seven ships patroling off Kosovo. They said they would not interfere in what was going on in Kosovo. It was also brought out that we now have less than 100 cruise missiles in our inventory. Does anyone besides myself find these thoughts disturbing?

 

[cornered rat]

Grayfox,

Having seen the inside of USSR, I do not think they could have lounched a major invasion without logistic help from the USA (As in WW2)...they were just too poorly organized.

However, they could and did do in Afghanistan and Chechnia and Eastern Europe, the last two with US resources. No wonder some East European countries are reviewing RKBA rules (Czechs?). Poland, as per recent email, is still under 1961 rules on ifrearms, with the legal rats, physicians, "LEO"s and most politicos dead set against it. Seems some do not learn from experience...

 

[Destructo6]

Paul, I find it disturbing. I'm not sure if I would chalk those things up to a grand conspiracy or simple, bungling, incompetence. Either way, however, the outcome has the potential to be disastrous.

I don't believe that the former NAVSTA Long Beach was leased to COSCO. I'm pretty sure that no Chinese warships are refueled or repaired there. COSCO ships do port and offload containers there, which does give them a decent vantage point to watch the Naval Weapons Station, Seal Beach that is just across the bay. I think this last point, above the protests of Willie and local Democrats, was the nail in the coffin of the lease plan.