"In the need to develop a capacity to know what potential enemies are
doing, the United States government has perfected a technological
capability that enables us to monitor the messages that go through the
air. (...) Now, that is necessary and important to the United States as
we look abroad at enemies or potential enemies. We must know, at the
same time, that capability at any time could be turned around on the
American people, and no American would have any privacy left: such is
the capability to monitor everything—telephone conversations, telegrams,
it doesn't matter. There would be no place to hide.
If this government ever became a tyranny, if a dictator ever took
charge in this country, the technological capacity that the intelligence
community has given the government could enable it to impose total
tyranny, and there would be no way to fight back because the most
careful effort to combine together in resistance to the government, no
matter how privately it was done, is within the reach of the government
to know. Such is the capability of this technology. (...)
I don't want to see this country ever go across the bridge. I know
the capacity that is there to make tyranny total in America, and we must
see to it that this agency and all agencies that possess this
technology operate within the law and under proper supervision so that
we never cross over that abyss. That is the abyss from which there is no
return"...
On August 17, 1975 Senator Frank Church on NBC's Meet the Press.
Now we see that the FBI and Justice Department both apparently knowingly provided false information to the FISA court, a court that was apparently setup to protect Americans...
Friday, February 2, 2018
Friday, December 15, 2017
Pistol Magazine Compatability
I have often seen comments from people talking about magazine compatibility for firearms. Then in another conversation today I heard it again. I dislike arguing by text message and wanted to put my thoughts down on paper. My position is that unless you are carrying a backup weapon like a policeman, I'm not so sure that magazine interchangeability is such a big deal.
If you were a policeman the ability to use a Glock 17 mag from your duty belt in your Glock 26 ankle gun is probably a good thing. Going a little off path, if you are in a rifle squad, then the ability to take ammo from those out of service or load level is likely a good thing.
For the record, and in my opinion, any weapon and most things are a series of compromises. Easier to control vs easier to conceal; Caliber vs capacity; size vs capacity.
For John Q though, I think that it becomes less of an issue. I do like buying Glock 17 mags for my 34, and then using them in my 19. It's nice to buy way too many mags and take them all to the range loaded and ready to roll (I hate paying for range time and using it to thumb 9mm into magazines).
When I walk out the door I want a pistol optimized for conceal-ability and a moderate mag capacity. I do take a spare mag with me most days, and that is about it.
The comment from today was basically, If SHTF, it would be nice to be able to pull one set of mags and roll. I guess I get that from my 34/19 comment above, but to me the 43 is a deep carry pistol. I don't commonly carry two handguns on me at a time. I do think if the SHTF I would rather still have the ability to carry something very compact and small, plus a larger pistol. The smaller pistol provides a New York reload.
In those cases commonality of platform and ease of concealment trumps (heh) the commonality of magazines.
If you were a policeman the ability to use a Glock 17 mag from your duty belt in your Glock 26 ankle gun is probably a good thing. Going a little off path, if you are in a rifle squad, then the ability to take ammo from those out of service or load level is likely a good thing.
For the record, and in my opinion, any weapon and most things are a series of compromises. Easier to control vs easier to conceal; Caliber vs capacity; size vs capacity.
For John Q though, I think that it becomes less of an issue. I do like buying Glock 17 mags for my 34, and then using them in my 19. It's nice to buy way too many mags and take them all to the range loaded and ready to roll (I hate paying for range time and using it to thumb 9mm into magazines).
When I walk out the door I want a pistol optimized for conceal-ability and a moderate mag capacity. I do take a spare mag with me most days, and that is about it.
The comment from today was basically, If SHTF, it would be nice to be able to pull one set of mags and roll. I guess I get that from my 34/19 comment above, but to me the 43 is a deep carry pistol. I don't commonly carry two handguns on me at a time. I do think if the SHTF I would rather still have the ability to carry something very compact and small, plus a larger pistol. The smaller pistol provides a New York reload.
In those cases commonality of platform and ease of concealment trumps (heh) the commonality of magazines.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
The Purpose of Government
I like the article about the purpose of government, but I would like to take exception to the comment that "...The purpose of government is to protect the Individual rights of its citizens." While that is a pleasant concept in America of old, I don't think that is the purpose of a government.
When the family and I went to Colonial Williamsburg, one of the best parts was a speech from member of the park where he asked purpose of government, and he didn't like the answer I blurted out from the seats.
I think most of us could accept the argument the purpose of government is primarily to keep itself in power. A government is the controlling authority of an area. Note the definition of a Government. The more governments seek to control and manage the daily activities of their own people, they require more overwhelming power to prolong that control. Since the decline of Monarchy what authoritative government has lasted more than 100 years?
90 years?
80 years?
70 years?
The USSR lasted 69 years. 69 years of food shortages, self inflicted starvation, mass repression and the systematic murder of millions of people.
Today and for the last hundred years, I am not sure that our government has really had the understanding of what the founders intended to be governments purpose, but instead have slid more to the controlling of behavior view.
What I said in the Governors mansion was that I believe that government's functional role is to allocate resources. Think about it, what is wealth redistribution? Taxation for defense? Space exploration? Roads and Schools and Bridges? Taking (by force or threat of force) money (resources) from people to pool it together to do something larger than a group of individuals would seek to do for themselves.
Those on the right, think the people should keep the bulk of their resources under their own control and use them as desired. Those on the left see the population as a open checkbook for designing the world they would like to see. An outcome regardless of the cost or effectiveness of those policies.
Lets think about this quote. The best government is one that governs least.
When the family and I went to Colonial Williamsburg, one of the best parts was a speech from member of the park where he asked purpose of government, and he didn't like the answer I blurted out from the seats.
I think most of us could accept the argument the purpose of government is primarily to keep itself in power. A government is the controlling authority of an area. Note the definition of a Government. The more governments seek to control and manage the daily activities of their own people, they require more overwhelming power to prolong that control. Since the decline of Monarchy what authoritative government has lasted more than 100 years?
90 years?
80 years?
70 years?
The USSR lasted 69 years. 69 years of food shortages, self inflicted starvation, mass repression and the systematic murder of millions of people.
Today and for the last hundred years, I am not sure that our government has really had the understanding of what the founders intended to be governments purpose, but instead have slid more to the controlling of behavior view.
What I said in the Governors mansion was that I believe that government's functional role is to allocate resources. Think about it, what is wealth redistribution? Taxation for defense? Space exploration? Roads and Schools and Bridges? Taking (by force or threat of force) money (resources) from people to pool it together to do something larger than a group of individuals would seek to do for themselves.
Those on the right, think the people should keep the bulk of their resources under their own control and use them as desired. Those on the left see the population as a open checkbook for designing the world they would like to see. An outcome regardless of the cost or effectiveness of those policies.
Lets think about this quote. The best government is one that governs least.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Sen Warren and Playing the game...
I keep seeing stories about how brave Senator Warren is for standing up and being a brave woman. "Sit down, shut up, and calm down... probably the worst things you can say to a strong willed woman."
Lets be clear, she broke the rules and got punished for doing so. That is part of equal rights, you know equal under the law....
I understand why the left is so dead set on destroying this countries institutions and legal system, it's the only way they prevail in the end, but it is so sad seeing people that I normally respect show how woefully ignorant they really are...
Would a man who was a Senator be treated in the same way? History shows that rule 19 is used very sparingly, and it seems Warren was used as an object lesson...
Lets be clear, she broke the rules and got punished for doing so. That is part of equal rights, you know equal under the law....
I understand why the left is so dead set on destroying this countries institutions and legal system, it's the only way they prevail in the end, but it is so sad seeing people that I normally respect show how woefully ignorant they really are...
Would a man who was a Senator be treated in the same way? History shows that rule 19 is used very sparingly, and it seems Warren was used as an object lesson...
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
"Sometimes we forget that our great nation was founded not by the weak, or politically correct, but instead it was founded by those who were willing to fight for freedom. All men were expected to be able to put food on the table, all were able to use a weapon.
Raising children strong doesn't mean they will be bullies, it means they won't be victims."
Stickman
Raising children strong doesn't mean they will be bullies, it means they won't be victims."
Stickman
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