←back to thread

Protester shot in chest by live police round during Hong Kong protests

(www.reddit.com)
628 points nodea2345 | 1 comments | 01 Oct 19 11:19 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
Show context
nvahalik ◴[01 Oct 19 13:30 UTC] No.21125093[source]▶
> Imagine if the US suddenly had a dictator

This is why we have the second amendment. And the constitution as the thing to which office-holders swear allegiance to rather than to "the party" or "the president".

replies(26): >>21125127 #>>21125139 #>>21125892 #>>21126027 #>>21126073 #>>21126084 #>>21126204 #>>21126397 #>>21126398 #>>21126638 #>>21126890 #>>21126892 #>>21127286 #>>21127513 #>>21127874 #>>21127880 #>>21128227 #>>21128793 #>>21129412 #>>21129418 #>>21129526 #>>21129658 #>>21130063 #>>21130220 #>>21131181 #>>21131653 #
Fezzik ◴[01 Oct 19 15:03 UTC] No.21126073[source]▶
I always find this sentiment a little silly - if the US President went in to full dictator mode and had the support of the military, do you really think a militia of armed citizens would be anything but gnats against the windshield of the United States Armed Forces? And if s/he did not have the support of the Armed Forces, it would not be a very effective dictatorship and you would not even need guns for a rebellion. I truly do not get it.
replies(45): >>21126088 #>>21126117 #>>21126119 #>>21126144 #>>21126159 #>>21126160 #>>21126165 #>>21126171 #>>21126173 #>>21126175 #>>21126182 #>>21126186 #>>21126219 #>>21126220 #>>21126294 #>>21126330 #>>21126331 #>>21126370 #>>21126377 #>>21126378 #>>21126426 #>>21126440 #>>21126450 #>>21126487 #>>21126517 #>>21126799 #>>21126947 #>>21127039 #>>21127190 #>>21127208 #>>21127264 #>>21127378 #>>21127491 #>>21127495 #>>21127510 #>>21127657 #>>21127816 #>>21128112 #>>21128474 #>>21129036 #>>21129097 #>>21129146 #>>21129149 #>>21129991 #>>21131323 #
bhupy ◴[01 Oct 19 15:04 UTC] No.21126088[source]▶
The US (with its support of the military) has been at war in the Middle East for nearly 2 decades now with insurgents.

The argument is not that a rebellious citizenry will necessarily win a war, it's that it will draw out a bloody civil war so long and so expensive as to be a form of mutually assured destruction, the risk of which acts as a check in and of itself.

replies(8): >>21126327 #>>21126458 #>>21126479 #>>21126676 #>>21127250 #>>21127355 #>>21129224 #>>21129536 #
josephdviviano ◴[01 Oct 19 15:21 UTC] No.21126327[source]▶
The fact is that the dictator would still win. The rebellious citizenry would live a life of absolute misery, just as those in the middle east do.

The 2nd amendment made a lot of sense when weaponry consisted of horses and rifles, not computer-guided missiles. If there was ever a true US dictator, the 2nd amendment would mostly be used by the oppressed to rob, attack, and oppress one another.

replies(19): >>21126423 #>>21126473 #>>21126626 #>>21126634 #>>21126639 #>>21126827 #>>21126856 #>>21127066 #>>21127138 #>>21127307 #>>21127532 #>>21127651 #>>21127792 #>>21128127 #>>21128569 #>>21128715 #>>21129560 #>>21129613 #>>21129886 #
PhasmaFelis ◴[01 Oct 19 15:31 UTC] No.21126473[source]▶
There's an interesting sci-fi dystopia in there, maybe. Everything up to light machine guns are available with no restrictions to anyone who wants to buy them. The government constantly talks up the sanctity of the right to bear arms, and the importance of being prepared at all times to defend innocents against <insert scapegoat group here>. The dystopian military enforcers wear bulletproof powered armor, and private ownership of any weapon that can pierce that armor is a "grievous threat to public order," punishable by summary execution.
replies(3): >>21126642 #>>21127571 #>>21128439 #
1. yonaguska ◴[01 Oct 19 15:42 UTC] No.21126642{3}[source]▶
That's not far off from reality. It's illegal to sell armor piercing ammo, but not illegal to buy it or possess it. And certain municipalities(my own local one) are looking at regulating the sale and possession of body armor. Which to me is more egregious, as body armor is inherently not a weapon. Nor is it a force multiplier against law enforcement, as fully automatic weapons could be construed as. And it has practical uses in the sporting world. I know more than a few people that choose to wear body armor at public ranges as extra insurance against the potential stupidity of those around them.