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  1. #11
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    Stella
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    Default Re: Ukraine: Valuable lessons for SA

    The next question would be how to implement or safeguard a sensible set of rules?

  2. #12

    Default Re: Ukraine: Valuable lessons for SA

    Possible lessons not only for SA but for the world and Europe in particular. All to do with gun control and how the Ukraine war might affect it.

    I picked up two stories that might give a clue. This very evening CNN reported that Israel's prime minister has called on all firearm licence holders to carry at all times. On Monday Christiane Amanpour interviewed a Ukrainian woman MP about her militia duties. She had posted a tweet with a pic of her AK47 saying how important it is to practice. When Amanpour asked if she was carrying a pistol she took it out to show her. It was a Makarov. She carried it 24/7 she said. When Amanpour asked if she was comfortable being armed 24/7 she replied that she was "very anti-gun" but circumstances made it necessary. So here we have a "very anti-gun" MP carrying 24/7. Amazing, isn't it, what necessity can do? Unfortunately, it is considered necessary for war but not for defense against criminals.

    But let's look at the big picture. We are seeing how Ukraine defense is depending largely on civilian militia, but how much more effective would it have been if they had all been trained and armed to start with instead of hurriedly issuing rifles to people who had never fired one in the first 24 hours of the invasion. I have just read an article (The Times) about Finland defense policy and plans. I was surprised by the extent and thoroughness of it. Finland has said that it pursued a policy of neutrality as part of a policy of cordiality with Russia, but that is now well and truly out of the window. All the countries of Europe will have to increase defense spending at the cost of other things like social spending just when most economies are struggling in the wake of covid lockdowns. The only practical way to do that is with civilian militia. Which of course flies in the face of keeping a small professional military and everyone else disarmed and clueless. Jack Straw, a recent British foreign secretary, said that there should be no knowledge of or about firearms in the population. Well, that sure as hell won't fly, will it? A useful militia isn't about a handful of people being in a reserve of the sort we normally think of; it will need lots of civilians being taught how to fire things like anti-tank missiles without necessarily being in an official reserve force. It means an entire population being familiar with various weapons so that they'll be good to go at short notice with no more than a quick refresher. It will be the opposite of the disarmament that we now see.

    It will be particularly interesting to see how the British handle it. Forty years ago at the height of the cold war, a team of three officers led by Admiral Hill-Norton, recommended that rifle shooting should be encouraged as the best defense against spetsnaz attacks on vital installations especially in remote areas. It was squashed entirely because the police objected.

    It is going to get very interesting, and may result in a wholesale reversal of prohibitive legislation.

  3. #13
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    Default Re: Ukraine: Valuable lessons for SA

    Meanwhile, in Florida…

    A special session of the Florida legislature ordered by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis this week could give lawmakers a shot at passing permitless concealed carry.


  4. #14
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    Default Re: Ukraine: Valuable lessons for SA

    Thanks for that 'Valuable lesson for SA'.

  5. #15
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    Default Re: Ukraine: Valuable lessons for SA

    I suppose a nonviolent political solution is out of the question? If you have no political solution to rectify the problem of arming law-abiding citizens for the purpose of defense of SA, it seems to me the only choices left are passively disregarding the authoritarian gun laws you’re subjected to, or actively disregarding them.
    From an individual perspective, you have a right to self-defense, which certainly carries over to collective defense of persons and private property, which are under constant assault from our own government. Shouldn’t that problem be solved first, before you can even address national security?

  6. #16
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    Default Re: Ukraine: Valuable lessons for SA

    Use it, don't use it:


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