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Notes -
Something I want to call attention to here is the extent to which degrees and gradations matter. You say that if a government is "truly dedicated", an armed populace isn't going to stop them, and I am forced to agree that this is probably true. I have seen parallel argument to this with regard to various slights and oppressions that are tolerated by armed Americans and I likewise have to concede that this is an accurate and important point. Nonetheless, I am inclined to think that the choices made by leaders are to some extent shaped by the possibility of armed resistance against those choices. While defeating a modern government in open revolt seems vanishingly unlikely, I find it entirely possible that a resistance could cause a great deal of trouble for people in power through escalating acts of terrorism targeted at infrastructure and individuals in leadership positions. The eventual military defeat of a rebellion would be cold comfort to a politician that had family members gruesomely tortured by that resistance.
To be a really fine point on this, what happens in the real world when there is an armed resistance against a government that lacks maximal willingness and ability to kill 'em all and let God (or Allah, as it were) sort 'em out? The most salient example in a first-world nation seems like the Irish Republican Army and their experience is not at all consistent with the idea that armed resistance doesn't do anything. The reality is that most governments simply aren't maximally committed to killing all of their own citizens that are in opposition and even governments that are maximally committed still have to respond to the realities of an enemy that has a capacity to inflict violence on their leaders.
Amen.
Also, I would look at the low (single digit percent) compliance rate with the "assault weapons" bans in Connecticut and New York. They knew (from sales records) who had the guns, so why didn't they go door to door and confiscate them? Because their owners had already demonstrated that they were willing to become felons on a matter of principle, so some of them just might be willing to shoot it out with the cops. And if even one, let alone three or five, of those incidents happened, where the gun owner was killed by the police in the raid along with possibly one or more cops, it would spark a backlash that would be very bad for the politicians who ordered the raid. Hence, those laws are not being enforced.
Also, if you are from NY or CT and are one of the patriots who didn't register your "assault weapon", then you are a friend of mine -- and if we ever meet dinner is on me.
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