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Just curious, but why bother fighting a privacy act if you think that the government could not be overthrown in revolution? If the government wants it, they wi
by lmickh 14y ago
Just curious, but why bother fighting a privacy act if you think that the government could not be overthrown in revolution? If the government wants it, they will take it since nothing can stop them.
- mistercow 14y agoThis is the idea behind checks and balances. The government isn't usually a unified force. The FBI might want to do something like read your email, but Congress can stop them with legislation. If they do it anyway, the courts will decide what's what. A well functioning government is a framework that fills what would otherwise be a political void with powerful entities pitted against each other so that most of their power is canceled out, allowing the majority to nudge the remainder in whatever direction it sees fit. But if you try to overthrow the government, suddenly all of that power will be united against you, and you will not stand a chance.
- hga 14y ago"But if you try to overthrow the government, suddenly all of that power will be united against you, and you will not stand a chance." What makes you think many parts of this very un-unified government (you didn't even get into federalism including state and local divisions of labor) won't also be on the side of those wishing to overthrow it?
- mistercow 14y agoIn that case, I don't see how private gun ownership preceding the revolution would be particularly relevant anyway.
- hga 14y agoThen your imagination is seriously limited. Let's just look at my home town of Joplin, Missouri, in solidly Red State America. Only a few hundred police for 50K residents; as a hypothetical, what do you think would be the difference between their revolting alone, vs. with thousands of just as well armed civilians? Who's RKBA they strongly support, in words and deeds, I might add.