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Comment by lesingerouge | Hacker News Reader

I don't really understand how buying your own gun/rifle/whatever would be of any help in surviving a war. The last couple of recent wars (think Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, etc) were fought mostly with "big tech" (airplanes, bombs, tanks, etc) which is pretty deadly to low level mosquitoes like civilians and foot soldiers. And while talking about inequality, I am quite uncertain about how a gun/rifle would help you. You would shoot the guy going through your trash? Or the guy stealing your bike? I am quite skeptical that a proliferation of this kind of thing would help you much with your "problems".

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> "The last couple of recent wars (think Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, etc) were fought mostly with "big tech" (airplanes, bombs, tanks, etc) which is pretty deadly to low level mosquitoes like civilians and foot soldiers."

In those wars, was it both parties using airplanes, bombs, and tanks? Or was it one side using those things, and the other side holding out without them for over a decade? The opposing tanks in Iraq were shredded in hours, it was the guys with rifles and improvised weapons that held out.

In Berlin there is a Soviet war memorial that is known by some locals as "The Tomb of the Unknown Rapist". You can imagine why. When you are in a warzone, you cannot depend on anyone but yourself to keep you safe from the soldiers of the conquering army. Having a gun will not put you on equal footing with them, but at least it will give you the opportunity to attempt to defend yourself.

> "You would shoot the guy going through your trash? Or the guy stealing your bike?"

Where the hell did those suppositions come from?

> > "You would shoot the guy going through your trash? Or the guy stealing your bike?" > Where the hell did those suppositions come from?

Actually, he is not far from what I'd do. I'd just keep the bastard at gunpoint until the cops come. Not the first time I had to resort to this with my gas revolver.

Lesson learned (for the two fools): never go to a shooting with a knife (the fact that one had a knife actually yielded him a bigger sentence for the attempted theft; it's called "Diebstahl mit einer Waffe").

With a thief that might be reasonable, but I think that'd be a bit overboard with somebody that was just going through your trash. I definitely wouldn't confront a thief with no gun though.

> The last couple of recent wars (think Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, etc) were fought mostly with "big tech" (airplanes, bombs, tanks, etc) which is pretty deadly to low level mosquitoes like civilians and foot soldiers.

EU vs Russia may not be fought on German territory any soon, but civil wars inside the EU are not that far away (hell, they're hunting down jews and black people already)...

Also, I'm not really a supporter of big-caliber shotguns in private hands - but we're not even allowed to own handguns! Fine, not being allowed to carry in public is something I accept and deem necessary, but not even being allowed to possess them is just ridiculous given the huge number of illegal guns.

> they're hunting down jews and black people already

What are you talking about?

Anti-Israel protests escalating in Hitler greets, synagogues being attacked by mobs. Right now. In Germany, in France, probably even more all over Europe.

As for the blacks, there have been multiple attacks of right extremists where they have beaten black people near to death in Germany.

And I don't even want to talk about the anti-Roma sentiments ALL over Europe, beginning from France with the rise of Front National and ending in Hungary with Viktor Orban and his cronies doing NOTHING at all to stop mobs from even killing Roma.

We have in our midst a civil war brewing.

And hey, I'd like to have a gun when the left+right wing extremists are all armed to the teeth with illegal guns, pipe bombs and stuff. Add in motorcycle gangs and the various Mafia clans, and you have a shitload of guys with big guns and no respect for anyone but their own safety and cash.

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