Patriotism

being born in the US definitely makes me a better human than 99% of the world.

 

Good question. No, it's not about what is mine. It's about I'm not some nutcase that is going to shoot up some place over some bullshit legislation. I take these things very seriously and while I'm not happy with much of modern politics, or politics in general, I don't condone taking up arms.

I encourage the democratic process starting at the local level, because everything that bothers all of us thinking humans is definitely reversible at this point.

I also know plenty of military, ex and active.. and everyone of them I know would never take up arms against their fellow citizens. This is where I disagree with people like Rat, and think they are so hyperfocused on the DC chess game that lose sight of the actual reality.

The day I see terror in the eyes of my neighbors, I see people in my local community being ripped out of their homes and off their property screaming in protest.. that day I will take up arms. And honestly, I believe a full out invasion is more likely than our own government pulling some stunt like that. Because, for example, Rat is in NY. In a scientific study that is a completely bad sample. Much of the US is chock full of regular people who are armed to the teeth and intend to hurt nobody. They are simply exercising their God given rights secured to us by our founders.

My family fought in the Revolution, they fought in the Civil War for the Union Army. They fought in both world wars. I'm not even going to say my family motto on here, although it's in Latin a quick google search would reveal my last name. But I'll just say that everything about my bloodline is characterized as 'protector'.

And that is how I feel about that, and that is what I will take to the grave.

I respect the people who were born into this privilege yet curse it. Because that is what my family died for, that freedom.

 

I don't consider myself a patriot. And I think that the only way there will ever be any sort of true armed rebellion that stands a chance of succeeding is if high ranking military officers defect and can manage to take everything they are in charge of with them. The rebels would need significant military and intelligence assets to have a chance at overcoming what they would be up against. And I say that only knowing about what the gov't does have...not what they have and we don't even know about.

So defending yourself and your property is all good and fine but full armed rebellion? Probably not very likely and by the time people are pissed enough for it to happen they will be way over-matched, under-gunned and with almost no means of organization and communication that is anything close to technologically modern. If the gov't wanted to...right now....they could read this thread...track your IPs...link you to various profiles, track you with gps, facial recognition, financial transactions, and all sorts of other methods. No...any rebellion will have to use civil war era communications and damn near civil war weapons in comparison to what the other team has.

 

^^^the "rebels" might still have home field advantage though.

that's a good point about the military.

you mean invasion by another country's military?

what does Rat in NY have to do with anything? it's not the NY that you are thinking of, i can tell you that. where i come from, we have just as many people armed to the teeth, exercising that "god given" right. what the hell does god have to do with it though? nothing i think.


thanks for taking the time to reply.

 

How am I "hyperfocused on the DC chess game," Deviate? I think I have made it abundantly clear that I pay no attention to politics and have no political affiliations.

 

Also, Deviate, while I agree that many or even most US military people would not take up arms against their fellow citizens, that doesn't mean foreign/NATO troops wouldn't, because we know that the US has worked with foreign troops on US soil.

 

Actually no they couldn't. I'm posting from an encrypted server in a foreign country right now, for example.

That's just because I value my privacy and disagree with institutions like the NSA.

If it came to civil war the first thing to go would be communications. So just believe me that there are plenty of people out there who would die defending our way of life, if it came to that. Every gov't knows that. And which I honestly think it won't ever come to that.. Nobody wants that.

God I hate discussions like this. How many of you have any experience with weapons?

 

ahem

 

Yes, or a joint force of foreign militaries.

And I've spent most of my time in NY in the city, but I spent plenty of time upstate snowboarding. I never walked into an average citizens '2nd amendment room' with hundreds of firearms and thousands of rounds. That's pretty common down here. To a lot of guys down here my little collection isn't shit. Let's put it this way - I know where to go if shit hits the fan.

I saw more guns in the city than I did in upstate, and nothing against NY but your legislative body fights tooth and nail to disarm your population. In a lot of the US the local and state legislatures all but encourage armament.

 

You think that's going to stop the NSA from tracking you?? LOL!!!!

 

I feel lucky I was born in the Netherlands, it gave me many opportunities that I wouldn't have had when I was born in most other places.
Other than that I don't give a shit about the arbitrary lines that form my country. I will most definately not defend it, fight for it or give my life for it.

 

I take what measures I can to protect my privacy. If that's breached, so be it. I just don't live in fear and I don't promote fear. Caution and smarts, sure.

 

Fair enough but most people aren't using encrypted servers. But just to play the devils advocate...how can you be so sure they don't already have a way around that? But I agree...communications would be the first to go and nobody really wants to see a situation like that go down to begin with.

And...I'm fairly experienced with fire arms.

 

I'm not so sure, but I am sure that they have actual threats to deal with if they are utilizing this kind of technology.

I'm also sure that if I suddenly disappear or get thrown into some unmarked van there will be severe outrage because hundreds, possibly thousands, of people know me and know that I help people and don't hurt them.

If the gov't had some kind of sinister agenda they wouldn't be that stupid. If anything they would stage an accidental death. But I honestly don't sit around fretting about it, I have enough shit to worry about.

I got 99 problems and the gov't ain't one. Fuck em.

 

i agree that ny has restrictions on firearms. but mostly on handguns, and now maximum size of a magazine.

but you can still have AR-15s, and in general, all the rifles and shotguns you want. and really, all you "need" is one gun per person. i've killed some shit with a shotgun, but not TWO shotguns.

my parents' house was more intimidating with a doberman and a rottweiler outside. they're both dead now

 

It's more about the culture.

For example you are more likely to find someone with a garden and lbs of cured buds in san francisco than in arkansas.

I've never killed anything with a gun, don't want to. But can I and will I with great efficiency if it's required to survive? Yes.

 

Yeah...I don't really worry about it anymore either. Nothing is going to really change in any major way until a whole lot more people get pissed. That isn't going to happen any time soon because people are too wrapped up in the latest gadget, newest tv series, what's on sale here or there, etc, etc, etc. So...pretty much...the system is working perfectly. And even if it does happen, the most effective way won't be an armed rebellion. It will be huge masses of people from all walks of life simply rejecting and refusing to participant in the system until it collapses on itself. The establishment knows this very well. Listen to the propaganda, advertising and how issues are framed. If everyone just refused to play along anymore...the whole house of cards crumbles. I can back this up with specific examples but I won't for now unless someone wants me to provide them.

 

Very well stated!!

 

yeah you might be able to do as much damage with your dollar...but the average citizen has such a minute fraction of the dollars

they have more guns

 

LOL, i read it wrong at first. patriotism.

...

oooooooooooooooooooh

edit:
wtf, this post is a fail. meant to respond to orison.

i'm done