I wonder what the home invasion rates are like in Switzerland, Sweden, and Israel? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

I knew a kid who tried to use a gun on a group of dudes who stole some shit from him. They charged him, one took two slugs, while the others wrestled the gun from his hand and killed him.

The one he shot lived with no complications and none of them were charged since they killed the kid in self-defense. Turned out they were the wrong people anyway...

So, yeah. Last resort of the incompetent.

Would be interesting, but I'm not sure what there would be to learn from them. Two are fairly small with a largely homogenous population, and Israel is such a wacky mess... From what I hear jews in Israel are VERY well armed, but not so much on anyone else.

They all have compulsory military service. Although there's ways out of it in Israel and it isn't universal, from what I understand.

I had a friend of the family that had to run back to Sweden to do his military service despite living in Canada.

Nice fable, you tell that to kids to teach them to roll over and not fight back?

I didn't know that about Sweden. I've heard that weekends in Switzerland look like they are going to war because of all the people boarding buses going to the range with their rifles. Hopefully people keep that up.

There's better ways to fight back than escalation. Escalation versus submission is how a monkey thinks.

There's better ways to fight back than escalation. Escalation versus submission is how a monkey thinks.

They've been doing it forever and a year, so I don't think they'll stop doing it anytime soon. It's why a lot of Army Surplus you can get in Canada is actually Swiss in origin.

Also, the Swiss, when not in the military, are in the Militia (That is, an actual Militia, not a bunch of Anti-Government nutbars like they're called in the US), and are required, by law, to have their weapon at the ready and a stockpile of ammunition ready at all times. Makes home invasion a bad idea, eh?

Personally, I'd like to see something similar in Canada, but that won't be happening anytime soon with the cultural concept of the Military here. frown.gif

In the worst cities in the US where violence is a problem gun control has done nothing to help stop violence, either the kids have guns or they don't, when they don't 2x4s are used for the same effect. The gun IS society. It makes a 300lb man the equal of a 100 lb woman. Without the gun if he wishes to rape her she has no chance with a gun she can fight back at least as an equal(assuming he has one too). If I was having trouble with 10 people beating me up, I would have a gun, either they would stop or at least one of them would die. Most bullies and predators stop with those sort of odds (in fact I don't know of any pack animals that will regularly accept 10% losses to the pack each hunt). If we are both armed we must talk or face unfavorable odds of survival, without guns I can just beat you to a pulp if you are smaller. Without talking there is no society; thus guns are society.

The difference guns makes is interesting in the difference in crime in US and UK I think. I've read some studies that show in the UK home breakins are done without regard to the homeowner being at home. In the US areas with plenty of guns criminals avoid homeowners. Firearms owned by law abiding citizens makes on the job stress and threats go up too high for criminals. Muggins are only heard of in places where the general public is unarmed.

I like the gun in a vending machine idea. gave a good chuckle.

I find your "The gun is society" assertions laughable. If you need a gun to hold polite conversation with people or order a coffee, you must be a very sad person indeed. You are also sadly misinformed about home invasions in the UK, your assertion is most definitely not the case. And if armed robbers WERE to invade your home waving guns about, unless you are watching TV with a loaded gun on your lap the outcome would be exactly the same for folks with a gun in the gun cupboard/basement/wherever as for unarmed households.

So, how long it would take for a person to unstaple said clip?
I mean, I completely understand that soldiers on patrol can be quite trigger-happy, but come on. If hell does indeed break loose he will be shot before removing the first staple, won't he?

That is bizarre, I know American and Israeli militaries like to carry in condition 3, but I didn't realize some European military/paramilitarys use California carry.

I dunno about elsewhere, but home invasions tend to happen in the middle of the night when there's less people about to witness.


-k

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On a larger scale, it's about people not trusting the powers that be to protect them. It's a very American attitude, really, but that's not surprising considering the country was founded by folks who intensely distrusted government.
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I find interesting how in Brazil when I was a kid you'd never hear of cases of bullying. It just became common now with so many american movies showing school kids being bullyed and we all know kids learn by example...
Anyway, trying to steer the thread back on topic.

The urban areas of the Sixth World are now crowded because A LOT of land was returned back to the wild (either because of Magic, NAN, whatever) and these wild lands also have Awakened critters living there, so yes, I expect every small village/town in the middle of nowhere to have its citizens armed with some REALLY heavy shotguns and hunting rifles (have you seen the Juggernaut? Just imagine one of those beasts walking towards your home).

Also, you must take into account the situation of the law enforcement. It's no longer a public service, it's a private business, which means that the "police" won't arrest someone unless it's good for business, so I believe a lot of people would be armed either to prevent crimes of opportunities as well as to inflict them.

Just my two (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) anyway.

I find your "The gun is society" assertions laughable. If you need a gun to hold polite conversation with people or order a coffee, you must be a very sad person indeed. You are also sadly misinformed about home invasions in the UK, your assertion is most definitely not the case. And if armed robbers WERE to invade your home waving guns about, unless you are watching TV with a loaded gun on your lap the outcome would be exactly the same for folks with a gun in the gun cupboard/basement/wherever as for unarmed households.

So, how long it would take for a person to unstaple said clip?
I mean, I completely understand that soldiers on patrol can be quite trigger-happy, but come on. If hell does indeed break loose he will be shot before removing the first staple, won't he?