The ever popular armed citizenry question, and occasional oil

Michael M. Butler (butler@comp-lib.org)
Thu, 01 Apr 1999 19:24:21 -0800

>Of course, today there is a real question as to whether an armed citizenry
>is really a significant barrier to oppression, but that's a different
>argument.

Gee, usually the armed citizenry is doing real well. Look at any warlord.

Maybe the Kosovo situation would help us find out--someday--if someone armed and trained the Armenian Kosovars and they got their tactical act together. Nah, who'm I kidding?

Besides, the Armenian Kosovars are in the majority; why don't they simply _vote_ peace into existence?

</sarcasm_off>

>Of course, today there is a real question as to whether an armed citizenry
>is really a significant barrier to oppression, but that's a different
>argument.

Part of the answer appears to be, "it depends." A _sufficiently_ armed citizenry would be. The problem is, few people around here trust their neighbors to handle the sufficient arms, but they do trust people they''ve never met. So it's self-fulfilling; or is that self-deluding? And maybe they're right; or maybe the only thing that keeps the machine from flying apart is the 5 Weight Oil of Good Times--complacency.

Another part of the answer appears to be "--Barrier? I see no barrier!" A deterrent is only a deterrent if it's credible--_vide_ Dr. Strangelove's interrogation of the Soviet Ambassador. Capability _and_ intent. And a certain amount of imperfect information.

MMB, remembering the Scout motto even if it isn't popular when the Dow is at 10k