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2024 is starting to feel a lot like 1968. I hope the Democratic convention in Chicago doesn't demonstrate history rhyming. Sometimes violence is necessary, bu

2024 is starting to feel a lot like 1968. I hope the Democratic convention in Chicago doesn't demonstrate history rhyming. Sometimes violence is necessary, but it should be the last resort. As Larry Correia (an SF/fantasy author and blogger) wrote six years ago (https://monsterhunternation.com/2018/11/19/the-2nd-amendment-is-obsolete-says-congressman-who-wants-to-nuke-omaha/ https://monsterhunternation.com/2018/11/19/the-2nd-amendment...): "A friend of mine who is a political activist said something interesting the other day, and that was for most people on the left political violence is a knob, and they can turn the heat up and down, with things like protests, and riots, all the way up to destruction of property, and sometimes murder… But for the vast majority of folks on the right, it’s an off and on switch." I'd argue that the idea of violence being a knob isn't limited to the left, but strongly agree that it is in reality an off-on switch that one should think very hard about before flipping.

fullshark 2y ago
I don't think leftist anger over Israel (or whatever causes protests in a few months) comes close to leftist anger over the war in Vietnam, where a random selection of 18+ year olds were selected and sent halfway around the world to die. Democrats will hold their noses over the cavalcade of issues they have on their side and rally around Biden cause they are so terrified of Trump winning.
ZeroGravitas 2y ago
Why is he talking about 1% of gun owners waging a no holds barred terrorist campaign against the US as if it's a good thing that somehow proves gun control supporting Democrats wrong? And claiming that the real number would be closer to one third or half of all gun owners? And that most of them will be cops and soldiers? > Usually if they’re talking about soldiers, it’s about how they’re evil baby killers, or time bombs of PTSD rage, or poor deluded fools who joined the military because they couldn’t get a real job…. And cops, it’s about how they’re just a bunch of trigger happy racists just itching for an excuse to execute everybody who looks different than they do. Why is he upset at this description when he's just finished claming that if you pass a law on gun control these very people will start murdering people en masse?
threatofrain 2y ago
The collection of issues which define the left and right in the US will be ephemeral. Maybe guns will become irrelevant in the future of drone vs drone warfare, and the concept of owning arms will transform in a way we can't imagine. But insofar as some political groups believe in some rights as absolute, then the primary policy knob available will be the punishments which occur for the abuse of such rights, which must be a line drawn far away from any ambiguity. So you should be able to own as many guns as you want up to the point of murder, after which we punish you very hard. Things like background checks, licensing, and fees are than seen as morally hazardous slippery slopes. Legal leniency during sentencing will be seen as corruption and abetting crime.

fullshark 2y ago

I don't think leftist anger over Israel (or whatever causes protests in a few months) comes close to leftist anger over the war in Vietnam, where a random selection of 18+ year olds were selected and sent halfway around the world to die. Democrats will hold their noses over the cavalcade of issues they have on their side and rally around Biden cause they are so terrified of Trump winning.

ZeroGravitas 2y ago

Why is he talking about 1% of gun owners waging a no holds barred terrorist campaign against the US as if it's a good thing that somehow proves gun control supporting Democrats wrong? And claiming that the real number would be closer to one third or half of all gun owners? And that most of them will be cops and soldiers? > Usually if they’re talking about soldiers, it’s about how they’re evil baby killers, or time bombs of PTSD rage, or poor deluded fools who joined the military because they couldn’t get a real job…. And cops, it’s about how they’re just a bunch of trigger happy racists just itching for an excuse to execute everybody who looks different than they do. Why is he upset at this description when he's just finished claming that if you pass a law on gun control these very people will start murdering people en masse?

threatofrain 2y ago

The collection of issues which define the left and right in the US will be ephemeral. Maybe guns will become irrelevant in the future of drone vs drone warfare, and the concept of owning arms will transform in a way we can't imagine. But insofar as some political groups believe in some rights as absolute, then the primary policy knob available will be the punishments which occur for the abuse of such rights, which must be a line drawn far away from any ambiguity. So you should be able to own as many guns as you want up to the point of murder, after which we punish you very hard. Things like background checks, licensing, and fees are than seen as morally hazardous slippery slopes. Legal leniency during sentencing will be seen as corruption and abetting crime.