As we take today to celebrate the freedoms our nation’s Founders gave us, I can’t think of any more relevant reading than this article. Follow my friend David Yamane’s blog: he is an absolute oracle of logic on gun owners’ civil rights and their history in our country.
Happy Independence Day, Mas.
Happy Independence Day and thank you for this endorsement. There is none higher. It also reminds me that it has been too long since I’ve seen you.
I followed the links and read the article on Gun Culture 2.0. It seems to be a reasonably accurate description of how our current “Gun Culture” evolved. However, I could make some additional points:
1) Left-Wing Ideology is aggressively controlling. Leftists are, by their very nature and Worldview, “Control Freaks”. They have a compulsive “need” to control society and to shape it to match their ideology. They are much more inclined toward “hive behavior” and, like the Borg in Star Trek, tend toward the development of a “hive mind”. Thus, they are particularly effective with their aggression since they are very good at group organization and collective action to achieve their goals.
2) Right-Wing Ideology is individualistic. It is about maximizing individual freedom. Therefore, right-wing individuals are much less effective in organizing collective action. Generally, such collective action only arises as a response to left-wing aggression. In other words, right-wing individuals only lay aside their individual Worldview when the leftists become so aggressive that the Right feels it must organize in simple self-defense. Thus, right-wing movements tend to be “reactive” in nature and to be triggered by left-wing overreach and oppression.
3) The article notes the shift from “Gun Culture 1.0”, based upon sport hunting and target shooting, to “Gun Culture 2.0” which is based upon self-defense concerns. However, the author does not see the left-right dynamic in this shift. Gun Culture 1.0 was the natural state of the Right when left alone to live out their individual search for independence and freedom. Then, the American Left really began to “ramp up” their cultural oppression starting in the 1960’s (although they had been working behind the scenes for decades to subvert the U.S, Government). The oppression of the Left has become more and more intolerable over the last 60 years. Thus, the shift from 1.0 to 2.0 was, in effect, the Right going from peaceful individualism to beginning to organize for counter-revolution action against the overreach of the Left.
The overreach of the American Left has only grown stronger. As the left feels their power, they are becoming even more oppressive and tyrannical. The “hive mind” of the Left has taken charge.
The ultimate outcome of the Left’s overreach is easy to see. It is like stoking up the fires under a pressure boiler without opening any valves to let the steam out and lower the pressure. The pressure builds until their is an explosion.
The same thing happens in the Left-Right political dynamic. The Leftists become obsessed with getting complete control. They ramp up the pressure until the Right organizes in self-defense. The left then becomes enraged at this resistance (they truly hate counter-revolution!) and tighten their grip even more. The fires under the boiler get stoked hotter and hotter. Eventually, the boiler explodes with the usual result being a revolution or a civil war.
I hope that people, especially those on the Left, come to their senses and cool the fires and let some of the pressure off. However, the “Control Freak” nature of the Left does not leave me much room to hope. Nor does the past record of these kinds of events in human history. We are at a dark place in American History.
Sorry to be “Debbie Downer” again but that is my view of where we stand. We are at a point-in-time where many Leftist would gladly drop Independence Day (since they hate American anyway and consider that the Nation was founded on racism) as a holiday and replace it with something else. Perhaps with January 6th (Insurrection Day). That is a day the Leftists would like to celebrate!
Interesting fact: Abbie Hoffman’s book “Steal this Book” has a section on guns, and it’s pro-gun. The American Left, circa 1970, was not anti-gun. At least Hoffman wasn’t.
SLH,
Also, Ron Kuby admits to being a Communist, yet he is a gun owner and is Pro-Second Amendment.
“The American Left, circa 1970, was not anti-gun.”
I disagree. While it is certainly possible for certain individuals to be both (a) left-wing in their general Worldview, and (b) pro-2A in their stance on firearms, that is the exception rather than the rule.
Leftists are, by their nature, Statists. By this, I mean that they embrace a Worldview that places the Rights of the State above the Rights of the Individual. You see this dynamic in all left-wing governments. With classic left-wing style governments (Communists, Socialists, etc.), it is very clear that the power of the State is supreme over the individual. You also see it in non-classical left-wing governments.
For example, many people (especially on the Left), will tell you that fascist governments (Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, ect.) are Right-Wing. However, by looking at the Power Ratio between the State and the Individual, one soon sees that this is a false narrative. These fascist governments also made individuals subservient to the power of the State. Someone who challenged the State in Nazi Germany (The members of the White Rose, for example) soon found themselves in the grip of the Gestapo. See this link for reference:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Rose
This tells us that the Nazi (National Socialist Workers Party) Government was a non-classical variant of left-wing ideology. It was clearly not Right-Wing.
In general, all Statist ideologies are left-wing ideologies whereas ideologies based upon individual citizen control of the government (for example, the American Constitutional Republic Model) allocate power to the individual and are, inherently, Right-Wing in nature.
By definition, a Statist ideology concentrates power in the State. The State is assumed to be the only entity that may exercise force to control society. Therefore, also by definition, Statist ideologies MUST seek to disarm individual citizens so that ONLY the State has arms and the ability to exercise force.
Therefore, given that (a) all left-wing ideologies are Statist and, (b) Statist ideologies must seek to disarm the citizens so that the State has a monopoly on the use of force, then it is clear that the American Left is anti-gun and (ideologically) has always been so.
If you look at the history of anti-gun laws, in the U.S., this is clear. For example:
(a) It was the Democrat Party (always left-wing) that passed “Jim Crow” era laws to disarm blacks.
(b) It was the Democrat Party, in New York, that passed the 1911 “Sullivan Law” to disarm blacks and poor white immigrants.
(c) It was the Left-Wing administration of FDR that passed the National Firearms Act of 1934 and expanded this law (again) in 1968.
(d) And it is the ultra-left-wing Democrat Party, of Today, that is so eager to push anti-gun laws to disarm American Citizens now.
Sorry, any statement to the effect that the American Left is not anti-gun, or was not anti-gun in the past, simply does not pass the “Smell Test”. By their very Statist nature, left-wing ideologies (of any stripe or flavor) must (ultimately) try to disarm their citizens so as to give the State a monopoly on the use of force. Therefore, we can say that all left-wing ideologies (by their nature) are inherently anti-gun and opposed to the idea expressed in the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
One minor correction to my comment, above. I noted that:
“It was the Left-Wing administration of FDR that passed the National Firearms Act of 1934 and expanded this law (again) in 1968.”
FDR sign the original 1934 bill into law. This bill was push through congress by the Democrat Party. The 1968 bill was also pushed through congress by the Democrat Party although I will admit that (sadly) this bill had bipartisan support with many Republican also voting for it. It was signed into law by LBJ.
Even in 1968, the “Uni-Party” existed in Washington, D.C.!
“The American Left, circa 1970, was not anti-gun.”
For a lot of 70s Liberals, though, it was an evolution. An example was Don Kates, who authored “Restricting Hndguns; The Liberal Skeptics Speak Out.” (1979)
In the intro he says he attributed the difficulty passing reasonable gun control laws to the lack of research proving that gun control works. So he did the research. Then he had to admit that gun control didn’t work, and came over to the light, becoming one of the most effective pro-gun advocates of the era, even though he never really liked guns.
@ larryarnold – “For a lot of 70s Liberals, though, it was an evolution.”
I admit that there was a time when the Democrat Party, as a whole, was not as “Hard Left-Wing” as it is today. There was a period during the turbulent 1960’s and going into the 1970’s when a wing of the Democrat Party was truly liberal in the sense of being libertarian. The “Flower Children” types, from the 60’s, rejected to old-style Conservatism of the 1950’s. They rejected the Conservatism of their parents.
They wanted to maximize individual liberty. Thus, on the scale going from Right-Wing individualism to Left-Wing Statism, they were more in the right-wing camp even though they rejected old-style Conservatism.
These people where neither standard conservatives nor part of the American Left. The American Left co-opted them and grabbed the title of “Liberal” for themselves but, you must understand, this was just camouflage for the Left.
The American Left has always hid their true totalitarian face from the public because their “True Face” is exceedingly ugly. Thus, they always pretend to be something else. Here are some examples:
1) When they fought for slavery, created the KKK, and then invented “Jim Crow”, they did not admit that it was about racism and control. Rather, it was about “State’s Rights”.
2) When they created the Welfare State and co-opted the Civil Right’s Movement, it was not about racism and control, rather, it was about “Civil Rights” and being a friend to minorities.
3) When they co-opted the labor unions and turned their machinery to work for the Democrat Party, it was not about political control. Rather, it was about supporting the labor movement and being a “friend” to the “American Worker”.
4) Today, when they open the Southern Border and let people and drugs flood the country, it is not about racism and control. Rather, it is about being a “friend” to immigrants.
It is all camouflage, camouflage. and more camouflage. Nothing that the American Left “says” can be taken at “Face Value”. It is ALL a MASK to hide their totalitarian face from the public. And so often, the camouflage works!
Even now, they have about half of the American Public (and about 90% of the African-American Population) believing that they have a “Friend” in the Democrat Party. The only “True Friends” of the Democrat Party are the Washington and Global Elites. The Elites ARE the PARTY. Everybody else is a dupe who is being USED.
So, don’t make the mistake of thinking that the 1970’s “liberals” were ever truly part of the American Left. They were merely another set of dupes who where used by the Left, for a while, and then discarded when they no longer were useful.
TN_MAN, some of the “flower children” may have been libertarian, but I never met many. I did have a lot of them tell me to my face that I couldn’t be “doing my own thing” by being a Boy Scout, earning my Eagle, making good grades, respecting my parents, etc. In their world doing your own thing ONLY consisted of tuning in, turning on, and dropping out.
They didn’t grow into statism, they started that way. They just wanted THEIR kind of politics.
The Marxists have never been true liberals. True liberals are not Marxists. The American Left has long since shed the title of “Liberal”. We need to update our thinking and shed the outmoded “Liberal” buzzword too.
The 1970’s style liberal is (largely) an extinct species. Once they dominated groups like the ACLU. Nowadays, the ACLU is dominated by the hard, Marxist, American/Global Left.
If you are still geared up to fight the “Liberals in Washington” then you are truly like the outmoded general who is still “Fighting the Last War”.
Here, read this article. It will give you a hint as to where the current “Front Line” can be found:
https://thenewamerican.com/print/un-agenda-2030-a-recipe-for-global-socialism/
Even this article is out-of-date to some extent. The Marxist/Socialist Global Movement is Marching on. They dominate many Governments (including our own). They dominate the UN.
The entire population of the World is being controlled by fear (climate change, Covid-19, etc.) and herded toward the kind of dark, socialist, one-party State envisioned by George Orwell.
The Left flexes their power to build the “Left-Wing Utopia”. However, the only thing that they will build will be “Dystopia”.
Can you hear their Music in the Wind? If not, just listen here and and you can hear it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbCH5lnZ6sA
TN_MAN,
The time we are living in reminds me of the late 1800s. Many saw war coming to Europe. Here is a quote from the Wikipedia article on Hiram Maxim, the inventor of the machine gun;
Maxim was reported to have said: “In 1882 I was in Vienna, where I met an American whom I had known in the States. He said: ‘Hang your chemistry and electricity! If you want to make a pile of money, invent something that will enable these Europeans to cut each others’ throats with greater facility.'”[11]
In 1885, he invented the Maxim machine gun, and then sold it to European armies.
If America is headed for Civil War II, then the period we are in could be compared to the 1850s.
The article on America’s gun culture was lengthy, but I enjoyed reading it. It held my attention. I imagine it must be interesting for foreigners to read about America’s almost unique gun culture. I think the Swiss have a gun culture similar to ours, but they don’t carry pistols for self-defense. I suppose Canada, Australia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and maybe even France and a few other countries have civilian, law-abiding gun cultures. Japan does not. I suppose the UK could be said to have a shotgun culture. But the bottom line is, the freedom American civilians enjoy to own and use guns for law-abiding purposes, is rare on this planet.
TN_MAN,
Just to add another way of looking at the Left versus Right, Community versus Individual, divide, which you inform us of so well.
Some people want big government, which does a lot of things, and involves itself in much of the citizens’ lives, requiring high taxes and lots of laws. And, some people want small government, which does a minimum of things, leaving choices up to local governments and individuals, and only requires low taxes, and fewer laws.
Obviously, Leftists like big government, and Rightists, or Patriots, like small government. Smaller governments are favored by those who prize freedom, or liberty under law. I learned this from several people, but most notably from Mark Levin.
Conservatives, whether Republican, Democrat, or Other, are free to organize politically, and had darned well better make some effort. Chaos and crime are simply stupid, and need to brought under control. The resurgence of a Conservative House is a great step forward. Recent action by the Supreme Court is a bonus. Each State needs to vote intelligently and honestly, choosing the smartest candidate with the most honorable character, rather than decide for the kind of foolish political criminals that we have had in positions of authority lately. Studying the history of the U.S. Constitution and classic formulators like Alexander Hamilton is quite inspiring. Before anyone thinks of altering the Constitution, every “new thinker” should look at how alternatives have already been reviewed and rejected with good reason..
Strategic Steve,
You write that we need to make some efforts to organize. I agree, but first we need to get used to the idea that there is no more privacy. We will be watched. The Michigan Militia knows they are being infiltrated by government watchers, and they invite such scrutiny. They know they are doing nothing wrong, breaking no rules, so they have nothing to hide. I think this is healthy, but it takes some getting used to. Maybe the wisest thing to do would be to continue the migration of conservatives to red states, and “liberals” to blue states, and then organize when we are surrounded by friends.
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