I think it's illegal for most "civilians" to own AKs in the UK so the first shouldn't be a problem. However, a truck full of guys with knives or bats might be a problem. But not to worry, once they get this device in all vehicles and have downloaded a software update to disable the "disable" switch (since it turns out people can't be trusted with such power anyway), the truck that is following you can't go any faster than you - just keep a brick in the car and when this situation arises, put it on the accel
I think it's illegal for most "civilians" to own AKs in the UK so the first shouldn't be a problem.
you're making the assumption that the guys chasing you in the truck are following the firearms laws, and haven't just had a batch smuggled in from Eastern Europe. It would probably be easier to buy a full-auto AK-47 in England right now on the black market than it would be to do the paperwork for one in Texas. And machine guns are legal in Texas. (but heavily regulated.)
God, you're an idiot. You really think that the finding an illegal machine gun in Britain is easier than filling in some paperwork in Texas? Really? In that case, where do all these illegal machine guns go and what are they used for? From the evidence, it's certainly not gun crime.
We have about as many gun deaths in Britain every year than you have in the US every day*. Read that last sentence again, because I'm sure it's news to you. The US, which has roughly five times Britain's population, has roughly 365 times as many gun deaths per year. And the number of non-fatal incidents is similarly disproportionate.
Of the UK fatalities, almost all involved handguns and shotguns (most of them illegally owned; there are a few, heavily-regulated, legitimate reasons, such as farming use, why someone might be permitted to a gun licence and gun ownership in the UK). Gun incidents in the UK involving machine guns are all but unheard of: on the rare occasions that they do occur, the tabloid press isn't slow to sensationalise that element of the crime, so when it does happen we do hear about it. The lack of machine gun usage in the few gun crimes that do occur is a good indicator that the country isn't awash with them and that they aren't as easy to come by as you think.
You paint this picture that getting an AK-47 in Britain isn't much more difficult than buying a beer. Your picture couldn't be further from the reality. I suggest you check the facts first before making such pithy throw-away comments about something as serious as guns and gun crime.
(*US gun deaths for 2001, the latest year for which I could find statistics: 29,573, or an average of 567 a week, or 81 a day. UK gun deaths for July 2003 to June 2004, the latest records available: 81.)
Really, are you suggesting that British beers are, in general, inferior to their American counterparts? That American beer is good and British beer is bad?
I would agree with that, when it comes to craft/micro beer. There are good British beers but there are far more, far better beers in the USA. Anymore, the USA is better than even Belgium and Germany.
Really, are you suggesting that British beers are, in general, inferior to their American counterparts? That American beer is good and British beer is bad?
I know that you're German, I found that out from reading one of the comments in your comments history, which is why I didn't accuse you of being biased because of your nationality...
Getting your Class III license (permit to own automatic weapons) in the US is a fairly involved process. You have to justify why you want to own a machine gun in the first place, submit to an extremely extensive to 8 month background check on par with one done for a Secret clearance, fill out a truckload of forms, and get your friendly local police chief to personally sign off on your application, stating that s/he believes you don't pose a threat to the community.
It's completely impossible for any private citizen to legally own an automatic weapon in the UK. This seems like a very good thing to me
Why the hell would anyone want an assault rifle in their house? If you accept that it's a good idea to have a gun to defend oneself from burglars (I don't), a pistol has to be a more practical option. And defending yourself from "The government" is a pretty stupid idea. Shooting at "The government" is actually shooting at civil servants. You can't shoot at "the government"
"The government" is just a bunch of civil servents? What about the "military" that the government employs. What if that "government" were to become oppressive and tyranical, and started using its "military" and "guns" against its civilians. What then? Would a completely unarmed country be able to protect itself like it did on this day so many years ago?
America was founded on this principle. This is why we were given the right to bear arms, not to protect us from robbers, but to protect us from the powers t
America was founded on this principle. This is why we were given the right to bear arms, not to protect us from robbers, but to protect us from the powers that sometimes becomes too corrupt to merely fix...sometimes you need to abolish them
If I remember right (and I'm not a US citizen so my memory of the facts is somewhat hazy) the US Constitution allows for the bearing of arms purposely to let the citizens oppose the government, but it does so specifically within the context of a well-organized mili
If that day ever comes then I don't think that your machine gun or whatever small legal arsenal that you have is going to help you defeat what's the most well-equipped army in the world. Try taking out an Abrams MBT with whatever you've got stashed away: there's going to one definite winner and it's not going to be you.
Anyone who's living in the real world realises that in the scenario that you're talking about it's going to be Government 1, Militia 0, every single time, so the argument that someone needs
The idea is that over time a greater and greater percentage of the population becomes dissatisfied with the establised government (read: tyranical, opressive). Eventually a revolt occurs and if the segment that revolts is large enough and well equipped enough they succeed. This, of course, includes those people driving the Abrams. It's hard to shoot at the "rebels" when they may contain family. Therefore a percentage of the military would probably rebel also. This is how civil wars (read: revolution th
To look at how "dissident vs tanks" works look no further than Tiananmen Square.
Once a population reaches a large enough size taking action against a marginal minority group becomes a lot easier, especially if the majority are constantly told that it's being done for their safety.
Look at the FBI vs David Koresh, or, more recently, look at the treatment of many innocent Muslims in the US in the aftermath of September 11th. Immediately after the attacks, hundreds of Muslims living and working in the US were
God, you're an idiot. You really think that the finding an illegal machine gun in Britain is easier than filling in some paperwork in Texas?
God, you don't get out of your parents' cellar much do you? All it takes to get a gun in Britain is a
case of Irish [google.com]
It's pretty obvious that you no idea of US gun laws at all, That you are unaware that no new machine guns are available for the civilian market, and that the cost of the legally available used machine guns (pre ban) available on the civilan market ha
Uh, IRA weapons are being decommissioned ("put beyond use" is their preferred parlance), albeit not as publicly as most would like. It's certainly not the case that weapons used by Northern Irish paramilitary groups are ending up on the streets being used in ordinary crime by ordinary criminals, although it is true that the IRA has recently been involved in some large, well-organised and well-coordinated heists, but even those involved no shots being fired, if I remember correctly.
Don't try to educate me a
"Who alone has reason to *lie himself out* of actuality? He who *suffers*
from it."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
Doesn't slower speed increase congestion? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Doesn't slower speed increase congestion? (Score:1)
Re:Doesn't slower speed increase congestion? (Score:1)
Re:Doesn't slower speed increase congestion? (Score:3)
you're making the assumption that the guys chasing you in the truck are following the firearms laws, and haven't just had a batch smuggled in from Eastern Europe. It would probably be easier to buy a full-auto AK-47 in England right now on the black market than it would be to do the paperwork for one in Texas. And machine guns are legal in Texas. (but heavily regulated.)
Re:Doesn't slower speed increase congestion? (Score:5, Insightful)
We have about as many gun deaths in Britain every year than you have in the US every day*. Read that last sentence again, because I'm sure it's news to you. The US, which has roughly five times Britain's population, has roughly 365 times as many gun deaths per year. And the number of non-fatal incidents is similarly disproportionate.
Of the UK fatalities, almost all involved handguns and shotguns (most of them illegally owned; there are a few, heavily-regulated, legitimate reasons, such as farming use, why someone might be permitted to a gun licence and gun ownership in the UK). Gun incidents in the UK involving machine guns are all but unheard of: on the rare occasions that they do occur, the tabloid press isn't slow to sensationalise that element of the crime, so when it does happen we do hear about it. The lack of machine gun usage in the few gun crimes that do occur is a good indicator that the country isn't awash with them and that they aren't as easy to come by as you think.
You paint this picture that getting an AK-47 in Britain isn't much more difficult than buying a beer. Your picture couldn't be further from the reality. I suggest you check the facts first before making such pithy throw-away comments about something as serious as guns and gun crime.
(*US gun deaths for 2001, the latest year for which I could find statistics: 29,573, or an average of 567 a week, or 81 a day. UK gun deaths for July 2003 to June 2004, the latest records available: 81.)
Re:Doesn't slower speed increase congestion? (Score:2)
Seriously, you are right, there are thankfully few automatic weapons incidents in the UK but they are increasing.
Re:Doesn't slower speed increase congestion? (Score:1)
Re:Doesn't slower speed increase congestion? (Score:2)
Re:Doesn't slower speed increase congestion? (Score:2)
Re:Doesn't slower speed increase congestion? (Score:1)
Re:Doesn't slower speed increase congestion? (Score:2)
There is a higher quantity and variety of above average and top quality in the USA than any other country in the world.
You won't catch me knocking on the very best that Germany and Belgium have to offer!
Re:Doesn't slower speed increase congestion? (Score:1)
Re:Doesn't slower speed increase congestion? (Score:2)
Re:Doesn't slower speed increase congestion? (Score:1)
Re:Doesn't slower speed increase congestion? (Score:1)
Re:Doesn't slower speed increase congestion? (Score:2)
It's not just :"filling in some paperwork" (Score:2)
I'm not saying it would be easier to obta
Re:It's not just :"filling in some paperwork" (Score:1)
Why the hell would anyone want an assault rifle in their house? If you accept that it's a good idea to have a gun to defend oneself from burglars (I don't), a pistol has to be a more practical option. And defending yourself from "The government" is a pretty stupid idea. Shooting at "The government" is actually shooting at civil servants. You can't shoot at "the government"
Re:It's not just :"filling in some paperwork" (Score:2)
America was founded on this principle. This is why we were given the right to bear arms, not to protect us from robbers, but to protect us from the powers t
Re:It's not just :"filling in some paperwork" (Score:2)
Re:It's not just :"filling in some paperwork" (Score:2)
If I remember right (and I'm not a US citizen so my memory of the facts is somewhat hazy) the US Constitution allows for the bearing of arms purposely to let the citizens oppose the government, but it does so specifically within the context of a well-organized mili
Re:It's not just :"filling in some paperwork" (Score:2)
Anyone who's living in the real world realises that in the scenario that you're talking about it's going to be Government 1, Militia 0, every single time, so the argument that someone needs
Re:It's not just :"filling in some paperwork" (Score:1)
Re:It's not just :"filling in some paperwork" (Score:2)
The Americans were almost completely militia as well.
Re:It's not just :"filling in some paperwork" (Score:2)
Once a population reaches a large enough size taking action against a marginal minority group becomes a lot easier, especially if the majority are constantly told that it's being done for their safety.
Look at the FBI vs David Koresh, or, more recently, look at the treatment of many innocent Muslims in the US in the aftermath of September 11th. Immediately after the attacks, hundreds of Muslims living and working in the US were
Re:Doesn't slower speed increase congestion? (Score:2)
God, you don't get out of your parents' cellar much do you? All it takes to get a gun in Britain is a case of Irish [google.com]
It's pretty obvious that you no idea of US gun laws at all, That you are unaware that no new machine guns are available for the civilian market, and that the cost of the legally available used machine guns (pre ban) available on the civilan market ha
Re:Doesn't slower speed increase congestion? (Score:2)
Don't try to educate me a