Why do governments want to outlaw our guns?

[MatthewM]

Back in 1950 there were few gun laws and the tax rates were pennies compared to today. Yet, Ayn Rand knew what evil forces drives government to confiscate our arms.

Where did she learn that? Her earlier life in Russia, or Hitler? She saw it happening here as well. How insightful.

Ayn on "money is the root of all good", p413, Atlas Shrugged:
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"Then you will see the rise of the men of the double standard---the men who live by force, yet count on those who live by trade to create the value of their looted money---the men who are the hitchhikers of virtue. In a moral society, these are the criminals, and the statutes are written to protect you against them. But when a society establishes criminals-by-right and looters-by-law---men who use force to seize the wealth of disarmed victims---then money becomes its creators' avenger. Such looters believe it safe to rob defenseless men, once they've passed a law to disarm them. But their loot becomes the magnet for other looters, who get it from them as they got it. Then the race goes, not to the ablest at production, but to those most ruthless at brutality. When force is the standard, the murderer wins over the pickpocket. And then that society vanishes, in a spread of ruins and slaughter.
___________________________

I'm scanning in about 50 pages of the best for constant re-reading. Couldn't help post here in re firearms....

 

[David Scott]

IMHO, folks who assume some sort of conspiracy to disarm Americans so that they may be dominated are missing a point. I think it's much more likely that anti-gun laws get passed because legislators want to look "tough on crime" before the next election. Banning guns is a lot quicker and easier and less expensive than actually addressing and fixing the root problems of society -- the problems that cause crime, like underfunded, overadministrated schools that bleed dropouts into the streets with no chance of getting a job that anyone can live on.

 

[Scott Conklin]

It seems obvious to me where she learned it. All of human history. Just look back through time and show me an example of any government(that lasted long enough without being outright conquered)that didn't rot from the inside out, expanding along the way from the bloating pressure of the gasbags running it.

Disarmament(as well as land grabs/asset forfeiture, manipulation of transportation, etc)is just a function of achieving One World Government. A NWO is nothing conspiratorial, just a function of human greed and power hunger, which is visible in all human history. It's the ultimate rotten government expansion and exists solely because there are, and have always been, people in the world who want nothing but power for the sake of power.

It seems easy to see, to me, so long as you don't see everything through a conspiracy haze, either negative or positive. It's just human nature unchecked.

 

[Waitone]

Governments want to outlaw / ban guns for two simple reasons

1>Human nature ensures government will seek to control that which it can control. Crime by definition can not be controlled, so when governments seeks to do something about crime, it will seek control over some controllable element of crime.

The phenomenon is best described by a bar room joke. A guy walks out of a bar late at night. Right in front of bar in the gutter is a guy on his hands and knees obviously looking for something. The guy who just left the bar ask, "Hey bub, whatcha looking for?" Guy in the gutter says, "lost me keys over across the street." Says the guy who just left the bar, "If you lost your keys across the street, whey are looking over here?" Says the guy in the gutter, "The light is better over here."

2>Governments historically are uncomfortable with citizens owning firearms. Seems there is an unwritten assumption that the gov't should have a monopoly on force. Citizens owning firearms shows there is no monopoly. Firearms in the hands of citizens is also a vivid demonstration to gov't that there is a finite limit on their power; something omnipotent will not want to recognize.

Those dead, European white guys who created this country had it dead right. All governments tend to eventually do bad things. Rather than assume the US will not go that direction, they assumed the US government is just like every other government in history: it will do bad things. Given that, how were they to minimize its effect? Simple! See to it that Myra Mortgage and Joe Sixpack have access to firearms.

In the final analysis citizens with firearms serves as a deterent to a frisky government.

 

[LawDog]

The United States Government is composed, for the most part, of people that we -- the people of the United States-- put there.

We have an anti-gun-gov't because, and solely because, the People of the United States couldn't be bothered to vote for worthwhile candidates for office. Or they voted for candidates who would give them what The People wanted, and damn the Constitution.

Ted Kennedy didn't just magically appear in office one day -- peopel had to vote to put him there, and vote to keep him there.

The same goes for Clinton, and Schumer, and Clinton, and Feinstein and all the rest.

You want a conspiracy? The only conspiracy here is the conspiracy of a lazy, gutless, self-serving population who, when they can actually bestir themselves to vote, vote for the government teat.

The conspiracy of a population who votes: "Me, me, me!"

"It isn't worth voting."

"I can't vote today, I've got a hair appointment this afternoon."

"I vote for people who give me the most free goodies."

"My candidate is somewhere to the left of Chairman Mao, but, hey -- his hair looks good."

"My candidate wouldn't know the Constitution if it bit him on the butt, but he's gonna give us money if he wins."

Conspiracy? We don't need no stinkin' conspiracy, we got the American (non)Voting Public.

80 million gun owners, or 40 million, or hell -- 20 million gun-owners would have bulldozed the gungrabbers into the dirt in 1994. 20 million gun owners should have been able to spank Congress in 1996, 1998 and 2000.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, if each and every American who gripes, griped and will gripe about the United States Government would bestir themselves to vote in each election, we'd have a decent government.

The American People are truly blessed with the Government that they have earned and one that they by God deserve.

LawDog

 

[grampster]

Lawdog, are you my long lost twin?
grampster

 

[Ralf]

triplets

 

[jimpeel]

There are two things in play here.

1. The government must disarm everyone so they may do as they please with property, taxation, and freedom. Their primary recruits in this effort are our children and their endoctrination camps are the public schools.

2. These same children are also being indoctrinated to accept the things above by the encouragement of the government that they participate in "volunteerism" programs. What better way to indoctrinate these kids into working for nothing than through "volunteerism".

Disarm the future taxpayer so they can't rebel and then take everything they earn. What a perfect system.

 

[C.R.Sam]

Political corruption, enslavement of the populace, armed citizenry etc were covered in Blackstone's Commentaries. Way before Ayn Rand was a glitter on the family tree.

Sam

 

[Dave R]

LawDog spoke the truth.

 

[MatthewM]

Yes, and others here as well. Also, each item also mentioned in Atlas Shrugged.

Conspiracy? Where was that one mentioned?

As to conspiracies, they certainly do exist. However, what we usually see, which looks like a conspiracy are many like minded people acting the same, but not in concert. They must be working togeather for there to be a conspiracy.

 

[pax]

But Lawdog, what do you really think?

Don't hold back, tell us how you really feel.

pax

The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue. --- Oscar Levant

 

[LonWilson]

If a revolt were to happen this year (don't put words in my mouth, I'm not saying that I'm starting one), the first thing they need to do is to shut down public schooling (or at least get rid of the compulsory attendence laws).

You have kids nowadays who would rather splatter their peer's brains all over the wall and then kill themselves, or sit in jail the rest of their lives, than go to school ONE MORE DAY.

Have we really thought about why?

I already know the answer:

Public schooling is the future prison system. Comply or face punishment. Assimilate into our political beliefs or die. Accept bullying by other kids. You can't defend yourself against violent attack.

Public school kills. I went through it recently, and I wouldn't wish it on my own worst enemy.

That is why I'm saving up, making sure I get a good job, and making sure that my children will NEVER set foot in a public school ever in their lifetimes.