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Australia has announced national gun amnesty, allowing people to hand in illegal or unregistered firearms to authorities. The move is aimed at curbing growing numbers of illegal weapons and comes amid an increased terrorist threat.
[...] The program starts on July 1 and within three months – until September 30 – anyone who possesses an unwanted or unregistered firearm, or a firearm-related item such as ammunition, can legally dispose of or register their firearm at "approved drop-off points in each State and Territory", without fear of being prosecuted, Justice Minister said.
Outside the amnesty period, however, those who are caught with illegal guns could face a fine of up to AU$280,000 (US$212,000), up to 14 years in prison and a criminal record.
“My expectation is it will probably not be the case that we will have hardened criminals who have made a big effort to get a hold on illegal guns would necessarily hand them in. The purpose is to reduce the number of unregistered and illicit firearms in the community,” Keenan said, as cited by AAP.
[...] Earlier this month, the authorities announced plans to build its first prison solely for militants with extreme views to prevent the radicalization of other inmates.
Source: RT
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Monday June 19 2017, @06:51AM (14 children)
Once again, the tired old argument. "The army will defeat you!"
In a civil war, it isn't a matter of the people rising up against the army, to be flattened. Instead, you start off with an information and propaganda war. Each individual soldier, sailor, and airman is exposed to all the propaganda, from both sides. Each individual considers all the bullshit, and makes his own decisions. Pretty much all servicemen will work to keep the peace, but when the shit hits the fan - well, sometimes the movies get it half-right. Everyone will make his own decision, for his own reasons, which side he supports. That goes for high ranking officers, and the private grunt in the trenches. Tank commanders, and wing commanders alike will make their own personal decisions.
It can't be your belief that everyone in the service, on any given day/month/year has complete faith in the government? That all of them have been brainwashed to believe one ideology, or another?
Put yourself in their places. People in your own hometown are squawking, bitching, and working themselves up to open rebellion. Your company commander tells you that you are going into your hometown, to put down the rebellion. Are you willing to shoot at your own kinfolk? The people you went to school with? Maybe your own teachers? The cop who gave you a break when he caught you doing something stupid?
Maybe you need to read up on the Civil War, and how it tore families apart.
https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdf-files/CNGR_General-Flag-Officer-Authorizations.pdf [loc.gov]
Current General/Flag Officer Authorizations: Number Ceilings In prescribing the DOD-wide ceilings for G/FOs for both the active and reserve components, Title 10 gives the basic total of senior officers that each component is not to exceed, plus certain exemptions that do not count against the authorized officer end strength for that component. As described below, these exemptions from end strength counts mainly involve, in the active components, joint-duty positions and, in the reserve components, positions that entail responsibilities prescribed under Title 32 of the U.S. Code. The current basic authorization for active-duty G/FOs, minus exemptions, is 877 (10 U.S.C. 526(a)). This number was first established when the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 slightly raised the DOD-wide ceiling by incorporating the 1996 authorization of 12 additional G/FO positions for the Marine Corps.11 The current authorization for reserve component G/FOs is 422
It is possible that you actually believe that congress is a united body of people, with no differences in opinions and political views. I don't know HOW you could have such a belief, but I guess some people could be that naive. Every issue that comes before congress has it's proponents and opponents, within congress. Given that fact, how could you believe that among about 1200 flag officers in the active and reserve military, all of them would be in agreement over a major rift in American politics? Roughly 1200 flag officers, all in lockstep, and willing to turn their forces against the civilian populaiton? Really? What is it that makes you believe such a thing is possible?
Stepping down a step from flag officers, what makes you believe that every officer from Navy Captain or Army Colonel on down will support firing on lightly armed civilians?
Now, just fuck all the officers - let's consider the enlisted men and women. Officers don't get shit done - they are only there to tell the troops what needs to be done. Do you believe that every single gnarly assed old Gunnery Sergeant will blindly follow illegal orders to fire on his fellow Americans? Or, do you suppose that Gunny might turn his troops on the half-wit lieutenant who gave those orders?
Julian, if the shit hits the fan, you are in for a lot of very big surprises. And, few of them are likely to be pleasant.
Now, finally, consider that the US Military often allies itself with, and makes use of, all sorts of armed groups of people in it's overseas campaigns. If there were little or no value in armed civilians and militias, why would the army even take notice of them overseas? At the same time, our military often sees actian against armed civlians and militias. Again, if they had little or no value, why would the military even take notice of them?
Maybe you've heard of these people? https://www.oathkeepers.org/ [oathkeepers.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 19 2017, @07:26AM (4 children)
We have these things call planes now. You can deploy troops quite aways from their hometowns.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday June 19 2017, @08:10AM (2 children)
And, you're holding out some bit of technology, hoping that it will trump people's loyalties? Maybe you'll rely on yet another bit of technology - maybe an algorithm that prevents any individual from ever being assigned a duty station within their home state/county/city?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 19 2017, @01:01PM
The Sheeple in the US are already brainwashed idiots. It's not hard to get a bunch of soldiers riled up and point them in the right direction.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday June 19 2017, @01:24PM
How easy is to sort this things out. You know where they were born, you know where their next of kin lives. Order them to fill in a form with the 5 states most of their relatives are in. Transfer them in states where they don't know anyone.
It worked under the former communist regimes in Eastern Europe (and most probably in USSR), in times when army service was compulsory.
One was never assigned to serve in the army close to home. Took generalized uprising for the army to refuse to intervene - many small uprisings you never heard of were smothered by secret police and the army.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Tuesday June 20 2017, @02:56AM
Yes. And the internet. And those phones have video recorders. And so when some Ohio kid stationed in Wyoming sees he's his compatriots blowing up Ohio, he might think about things.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 19 2017, @08:13AM (2 children)
You forget that robot armies are on their way. Not many will need to be convinced to fire on some armed militia. Orders will be given to clear an area, and the robot armies will do it effectively. No conscience to worry about.
It is quite easy to see actually, when you connect the dots. David Icke tells about this all the time ... Oops ... I forgot that you don't like Icke any longer. But the truth he tells still matters.
(Score: 2) by Kell on Monday June 19 2017, @08:37AM
+1 depressing truth
Scientists ask questions. Engineers solve problems.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday June 19 2017, @12:12PM
Unfortunately, there's a lot of truth in your post. Robot armies are coming, drones are here already. Robot soldiers will change things, but none of us can say exactly how things will change. But, it's worth keeping in mind that much of the government does a pretty crappy job of security. The rebel side may very well turn the robots on their owners. Or, they may run amok, and kill both sides. The most likely scenario is, the flag officers will be divided, as well as junior officers. Some will have command of some of the robots, others will have command of the rest, and the robots will be battling each other.
So, even with robots, the government's victory isn't assured.
(Score: 2) by Wootery on Monday June 19 2017, @04:16PM (4 children)
It's not impossible that things could slowly worsen to the point that the military really would be willing to kill their own civilians though, right? North Korea happened, after all.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday June 19 2017, @05:31PM (1 child)
If we get to that point - then we deserve whatever. We've had generations of forefathers who warned us to safeguard our liberties. If we permit the government to bring us to the point you describe, then we simply deserve what they dish out to us.
(Score: 2) by Wootery on Tuesday June 20 2017, @08:37AM
Maybe so, but it's not really the point. Americans already voted in a man who lies constantly (with all the skill of a toddler) who idolises Putin. It's been a pretty poor show recently, on the eternal vigilance front.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by PinkyGigglebrain on Monday June 19 2017, @10:39PM (1 child)
Your right, it is not impossible, and anyone who thinks it is needs to remember that Kent State [wikipedia.org] already happened. And as you point out it is just a matter of time before it happens again.
We need to keep in mind that theo soldiers at Kent State where National Guard, aka "Weekend Warriors", and they still carried out the order to fire. Army and other career military personal will be even more likely to follow an order to open fire on peaceful, unarmed civilians due to the constant exposure and adherence to the ridged command structure of the military services. That same ridged structure is what has ensured It just hasn't happened yet, but that doesn't mean it won't.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 2) by Wootery on Tuesday June 20 2017, @08:29AM
Except that in the Kent State shootings, there was likely no order to fire, [wikipedia.org] it was just poorly disciplined National Guard troops.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by aristarchus on Monday June 19 2017, @05:22PM
Oh, those> people! Here is one of them, explaining why he won't be home for Christmas, because he needs to go join a bunch of Jolly Ranchers with a plethora of sex toys:
"Daddy took an Oath!" [youtube.com]
Started quite the meme outbreak.
Even Jesse Ventura [youtube.com] thinks they may be a bit too, um, extreme.
And, End Scene [youtube.com]
Nothing like fomenting treason under the cover of patriotism! The South will Lose Again.