Never forget Pournelle’s iron law of bureaucracy.
In any bureaucracy, the people devoted to the benefit of the bureaucracy itself always get in control and those dedicated to the goals that the bureaucracy is supposed to accomplish have less and less influence, and sometimes are eliminated entirely.
One becomes a general by spending their adult life serving in the military and obeying commands.
The modern military is a bureaucracy. Anyone who is promoted to the top level is someone who will do everything to protect the bureaucracy.
The advertised job of defending this country and the Constitution has been entirely eliminated.
As the former Commanding General of the Infantry Center at Fort Benning and Chief of Infantry, I know a bit about weapons. Let me state unequivocally — For all intents and purposes, the AR-15 and rifles like it are weapons of war. A thread:
— Major General (ret) Paul Eaton (@PaulDEaton52) June 2, 2022
Those opposed to assault weapon bans continue to play games with AR-15 semantics, pretending there’s some meaningful differences between it and the M4 carbine that the military carries. There really aren’t. 2/
— Major General (ret) Paul Eaton (@PaulDEaton52) June 2, 2022
The military began a transition from the M16 to the M4, an improved M16, some years ago. The AR-15 is essentially the civilian version of the M16. The M4 is really close to the M16, and the AR-15. 3/
— Major General (ret) Paul Eaton (@PaulDEaton52) June 2, 2022
So what’s the difference between the military’s M4 and the original AR-15? Barrel length and the ability to shoot three round bursts. M4s can shoot in three round bursts. AR-15s can only shoot single shot. 4/
— Major General (ret) Paul Eaton (@PaulDEaton52) June 2, 2022
But even now, you can buy AR-15s in variable barrel lengths with Weaver or Picatinny rails for better sights and aiming assists like lasers. Like the military, but w/o the bayonet. 5/
— Major General (ret) Paul Eaton (@PaulDEaton52) June 2, 2022
But our troops usually use single shot, not burst fire. You’re able to fire a much more accurate (deadly) shot, that way. Note: you can buy our Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight on Amazon. So troops usually select the same fire option available on AR-15. 6/
— Major General (ret) Paul Eaton (@PaulDEaton52) June 2, 2022
That is why the AR-15 is ACCURATELY CALLED a ‘weapon of war.’ It is a very deadly weapon with the same basic functionality that our troops use to kill the enemy. Don’t take the bait when anti-gun-safety folks argue about it. They know it’s true. Now you do too. 7/7
— Major General (ret) Paul Eaton (@PaulDEaton52) June 2, 2022
The general here has absolutely no desire to defend your Second Amendment Constitutional rights.
His desire is to defend his bureaucracy, especially from your Second Amendment Constitutional rights.
There is not one right you have that we wouldn’t sacrifice with alacrity to protect his budget and his fancy wood paneled office.
The carrier commissioned bureaucrat is just another statist bureaucrat and you are just a peon to be squeezed for your tax dollars to pay for his funding and crushed if you got in his way.
Understand that and never forget it.
The Post Headline is Spot on.
Another observation in my life anyway…
I dont know what it is about SEALs but I have met too damn many that have the same Progressive Elitist Attitude and Mentality.
I have worked with all branches of SOF, but by far and Large, the Damn SEALs are the worst.
I don’t know if it’s the salt water, the indoctrination, the thai whores or what, but damn those guys ain’t our friends.
At least in my travels and training.
Well, there quite a few of the ‘Quiet Professionals’ (the ones who wear a Green Beret) who are anything BUT pro gun control.
They wrote an open letter in 2013
Here’s my copy
https://milesfortis.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Protecting-the-Second-Amendment.pdf
A Team Sergeant avers:
We have a list of all their names and unlike any MSM outlets we can confirm that over 1100 Green Berets did sign. The list includes Special Forces Major Generals & Special Forces Command Sergeants Major down to the lowest ranking “Green Beret”. It stands for itself. Read it and send it everywhere.
My response to the general if I wasn’t Twitter banned…. So what? The 2nd amendment protects arms. In the revolutionary war days you could own a cannon, notwithstanding what the pResident of the White House says….
Indeed, and SCOTUS reminded us of that in the Miller decision. That’s the one that permitted the short barrel ban under the NFA, because due to malpractice of the defendant’s attorney the court did not see any evidence that these have military value. But they said specifically that it was that absence of (demonstrated) military value that made the restriction permissible. In other words, SCOTUS precedent is that military style personal weapons are particularly protected by the 2nd Amendment.
Now admittedly a competent reading of the text of the Amendment by anyone with basic English skills would tell us that it isn’t limited that way. But still, it’s a nice decision to use to flog the “weapons of war” nutcases and traitors.
Every time I’m told that my guns are “military grade,” I think I would hope not; I think they’re better than that. “Military grade” is a fairly low bar when it comes to rifles.
Is it a “weapon of war?” Of course it is. And that’s the point. Citizens in the US have historically always had access to the same small arms technology as the Army – or better. When the Army was fielding Springfield trapdoors, the civilians of the era had Winchester or Henry lever guns. Generally, the best civilian rifles were equal or better than the usual military issue rifle. The only real difference between a civilian AR and the military’s rifle is the fun switch. The ammo is all but identical (I can’t find M855A1, but M855 is widely available). The velocities are the same. I guarantee my barrel is better than most military barrels.
And again, that’s the point. The entire point of the 2nd amendment was to make sure citizens had the means to defend individual rights from those who would infringe upon them, including their own government. The senile idiot in the white house doesn’t get that, but remember: this is the same guy who tells you to just let off a couple of shotgun blasts if you feel threatened. Who tries to tell you that cannon were not available to citizens at the time of adoption (of course, cannon were legal then and legal to own today. You can even own a tank if you want to bad enough – and shoot it). Who tells you that 9mm “blows the lung out” of the body. He’s an idiot. He’s always been an idiot. And now he’s a senile idiot.
My AR15 a weapon of war? Damn right it is. And the Garand beside it too, with a history to go with it. Pray you don’t have to find out just how effective they can be.
Winner. Right there.
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It says arms, not guns, not muskets, not pointy sticks for a reason. Even during the Founders lifetimes, weapons technology was advancing at a fast rate. They were smart enough to use the most general word for weapons.
You only find that Officers like this speak such anti-Constitutional crap after they’ve retired, as it’s policy to not recall officers to active duty to answer to Court Martial charges, – more’s the pity – which would be likely as this is seditious behavior against the Constitution which includes the Bill of Rights and the Supreme Court, which amendments and rulings about the amendments this jackass has foresworn his oath to defend.
Using his reasoning, every single firearm ever invented is in fact….a weapon of war. Therefore using his reasoning, we should also ban all blades, slingshots, and striking weaponry, because soldiers of all nations in human history used them in wars. Also by his logic, the USA should not exist, because it was weapons of war in the hands of civilians, which laid the foundation for the building of a new nation. Is there a single nation down through human history which did not come into existence ‘without’ the use of weapons of war being used to birth the nation?
Libturds Utopia will be the first. After they kill everyone that disagree with them, of course. And after killing their useful idiots.
He’s right. Every weapon can be a weapon of war. My AR’s just got a seal of approval that they didnt need from some dumbass. Certainly my Remmy 500 could make do in a war (although its barrel is a bit old and rounds go subsonic at about 950 yrds). The truth will set you free — and note the right to bear arms were to bear military grade arms. Same data set, different conclusions.
As for the happy switch — was it Cooper who said he would prefer someone shooting at hi in full auto over select fire if he had a choice??
It is a “weapon of war” because it… looks like one? Is that all?
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Oh… no… it must be this:
“But our troops usually use single shot, not burst fire. You’re able to fire a much more accurate (deadly) shot, that way.”
That is some advanced level pretzel logic there. The civilian version of the M4 is OBVIOUSLY a weapon of war because it is much more accurate in single shot. That is why the troops use single shot more often than three burst/full auto.
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Wait…what? The military deliberately chooses to avoid using a feature of a “weapon of war”, instead restricting themselves to the capability available to the public, and that proves the civilian AR-15 is a weapon of war?
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I am going to have to ask for something a bit more damning that that before I give in. But… thanks for playing.