The Nazi Mind-set in America
Chuck Hawks - The .444 Marlin - I went to B&J Guns last night to look at their used rifle selection. One rifle in particular got my attention. It was a single-shot that split in the middle on a hinge like an over/under shotgun. The hole in the barrel made me think it was a .410 shotgun, but it had rifling. The tag said it was a .44 Marlin. I looked it up in my Lee reloading book this morning. The .444 Marlin cartridge has a straight case. With about as much powder as a typical 165 grain .30/06 load, it propels 200 grains of lead to 2400 fps. A quick web search reveals that factory loads are expensive, but this is one powerful cartridge for medium range (less than 150 yards). Enough power for bear and moose. In the single shot, I could probably use a pointed bullet, though I don't think anyone makes one, since the Marlin lever action for which this cartridge was designed has a tube magazine. Mr. Hawks' Guns & Shooting Online page has a wealth of information about pistols, shotguns, and rifles. Added to my links page in the "RKBA" column. His All Around Rifle Cartridges article is a good one. Conclusion: .270 Win., .30-06 Spfd., .308 Win.
Jacob G. Hornberger at The Future of Freedom Foundation - The Nazi Mind-set in America: Part I and Part II - a classic from way back in 1994. Still right on target today. Free Republic copy and discussion here. My mirror here with the FFF's permission. [freerepublic]
The truth is that Hayek's warning was ignored. Having defeated the Nazis in battle, Americans became ardent supporters and advocates of Nazi economic policies.
Why? Part of the answer lies in another feature that was central to the Nazi way of life: public schooling...
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Even though the average American enthusiastically supports the Nazi economic philosophy, he recoils at having his beliefs labeled as "Nazi." Why? Because, he argues, the Nazi government, unlike the U.S. government, killed six million people in concentration camps, and this mass murder of millions of people, rather than economic philosophy, captures the true essence of the Nazi label.
What Americans fail (or refuse) to recognize is that the concentration camps were simply the logical extension of the Nazi mind-set! It does not matter whether there were six million killed -- or six hundred -- or six -- or even one. The evil -- the terrible, black evil -- is the belief that a government should have the power to sacrifice even one individual for the good of the nation. Once this basic philosophical premise and political power are conceded, innocent people, beginning with a few and inevitably ending in multitudes, will be killed, because "the good of the nation" always ends up requiring it.
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But the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment -- the right to speak, to write, to disseminate ideas -- are not sufficient. The ultimate safeguard against the ultimate tyranny lies instead with the right to bear arms guaranteed by the Second Amendment. If this Amendment is destroyed or severely constricted, the rest of the Constitution becomes worthless. Because in a crisis in which their power base is threatened, and in which there are no means of forcible resistance, government officials will squash the things they view as "technicalities" -- free speech, habeas corpus, trial by jury, and the other rights guaranteed in the Constitution.
Combine a crisis with a disarmed, discontented citizenry, and the concentration camp for hundreds of thousands becomes a real possibility. But when the citizenry, together with various patriotic sheriffs, police, and members of the armed forces, has the means to inflict severe casualties on their potential oppressors, tyrants think twice before they try to oppress their own citizens too heavily.
That is why every single effort to restrict or control or manage the ownership of guns must be resisted. The ultimate barrier to the ultimate tyranny lies not with the ballot box. It lies not with the soapbox. It lies not with the jury box. The ultimate barrier to the tyranny of one's own government lies with the cartridge box.
Contrary to everything our rulers tell us, and everything that our schoolteachers are teaching the children of this nation, the biggest threat to the lives and well-being of the American people lies not with some foreign government. The biggest threat to the American people today lies with the United States government. And while gun ownership stands as a barrier to potential, Nazi-like behavior, the long-term solution is to dismantle, not reform, the iron fist of the welfare state and the controlled economy. This includes the end (not the reform) of the IRS, the DEA, the SEC, the FDA, the Departments of HUD, HHS, Labor, Agriculture, Energy, and every other agency that takes money from some and gives it to others or interferes with peaceful behavior. It entails the repeal of all laws that permit such conduct. And it means the privatization of most of the bureaucrats who work for the U.S. government.
End Authority: Vote From the Roof Tops is Robert Vroman's web site. He maintains an Ultimate Collection of Libertarian Links. You can also get to him via endauthority.com, but that gets you a frame with an advertisement. Added to my links page in the "Liberty" column of the "Freedom" section. Mr. Vroman is a participant in the Free State Project and has published multiple essays at anti-state.com.
Just so you can organize your thoughts for that hate letter, here's a brief run down of my various perversions. I am a ruthless capitalist, casual drug user, merciless social Darwinist, confirmed atheist, multiple gun owner, and vicious anti-statist. The worst of all possible worlds? Damn straight.
Mary Lou Seymour and Claire Wolfe - Welcome to The Gulch - In 1998, Ms. Seymour and Ms. Wolfe started writing a book, The Gulchers Guide, "intended as a how-to manual for community builders". They decided they weren't likely to finish it any time soon, so they put what they've got on-line.
SharpShooter at Gulchers Guide - Comments on Handguns - A good review of Jeff Cooper's rules of firearms safety and some advice on handguns.
Pistols are pretty puny. They poke little holes in things. Most people shot with pistols live. All pistols will malfunction if shot enough (some more than others). The only useful thing about them is that they're carryable (is that a word?) You can have a pistol with you when you go to the garden, the store, the bank etc. You should ALWAYS have your pistol with you.
I've come to believe that there are only two classes of pistols, pocket and holster. I think pocket pistols are guns you can slip into your pocket and are basically invisible. NAA mini 22's are the only ones truly meeting the criteria. Seecamp .32's and the old baby Browning .25's are close. Anything larger is a holster gun. You should always have a pocket gun with you. Although they're not much, sometimes just the presence of a gun is enough to discourage naughty behavior. If not, stick it in their eye socket, ear or throat and let 'er rip. One advantage is you can have it in your hand if you suspect trouble and no one's the wiser.
AP via ABC News - Ban on Rave Accessories Thrown Out - A federal judge has ruled as unconsitutional an agreement between rave organizers and federal prosecuters banning glow sticks and pacifiers from future raves. KABA asks, "So when is this judge going to rule that the government can't ban legal guns from places 'because of illegal activities they associate with them.'?" [kaba]
"The government cannot keep legal items out of places because of illegal activities they associate with them."
John-Erik Moseler at Silent Planet - John-Erik's Airborne Adventure - the story of a trip from central Florida to Wisconsin to pick up a car. The trip back in the car was faster than the trip there in the airplane thanks to airport "security". [safeskies]
Forty-five minutes into the flight, practically within spitting distance of Memphis (as disgusting as that sounds), the weary pilot addressed the crowd: "Sorry folks, but we have to turn around and go back to Orlando." It was now that the passengers understood why all the sharp objects were removed from their persons: so they wouldn't cut their own throats right there in the aisle.
It turns out that when the plane was off-loaded because they failed to search Mr. Moseler, one poor anxiety-stricken woman who had had quite enough of flying for awhile, decided to leave the holding area and go home to rest her frayed nerves. After the flight was well on its way, she emerged from the concourse bathroom where she had been having a nervous breakdown and informed the ground personnel that she had left her checked bag on the plane, and could they send it to her later? SECURITY BREACH! Of course this violated the Prime Directive--no luggage without a corresponding passenger--so the bird was instructed to return to roost to remove the woman's bag of unmentionables. The passengers' collective sigh of glum resignation nearly depressurized the cabin.
Charley Reese at Enterprise-Journal - American problems best in world - America has problems, but we're still a lot better off than most of the rest of the world. Agreed. The American government provides good bread and circuses for its slaves. [lew]
A friend of mine, who was a mercenary, flew guns during the Angola civil war. One day he asked his boss, a German, this question: "OK, so I land in some field out in the jungle, and some black people come out of the bush. How do I know if they are the good guys or the bad guys?"
"Doesn't matter," his boss said. "If they have guns, give 'em the cargo. We just get paid to fly it in. I don't give a damn which side gets it."
That war lasted 30 years. For all I know, it might still be going on.
American Liberty Foundation - Gun ads ... time to reload! - Harry Browne's group aired their yard sign ad last Saturday on CNN. They got lots of feedback and are asking for money to fund another two ads and a direct mailing.
Not all of the responses to the ad were warm and friendly, of course. We also got a couple of scolding messages. One person called the phone number provided in the ad and said, "I just wanted you to know I think you're disgusting." I can't say for sure, but it sounded a lot like Senator Chuck Schumer.
Paul Eng at ABC News - The Explosive Power of Silicon - silicon mixed with gadolinium nitrate is explosive. It may eventually be used to make chips that can self destruct. [kaba]
