stanc Wrote:I'll rephrase. Which societies are you talking about? Which societies no longer exist because they chose not to defend themselves?
Don't cite reference sources that I must wade through to search for the information. I have neither the time nor the inclination.
Stan, your attitude is almost child like. So I will explain it to you like one. Most Governments are put into power by people who later on regret it. People make up a society and if they are killed off by the millions they no longer exist. Millions of Gypsies, German, Russian, Chinese, Cambodian, Cuban, Armenian, Etc, etc, etc no longer exist because they were willingly or forced to be deprived of the fundamental right to have the means to defend themselves. These governments were not put into power and given the ability to disarm their subjects with out the support of the very same people who put them into power. Through ignorance or intention they put all the power into the hands of the few believing it would make for a safer and more harmonious society. The adage of power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely was forgotten or ignored by these gullible people. This is why the founding fathers of the American revolution believed in division of power. As a last result, they gave the citizens of their nation the Bill of Rights and the 2nd Amend to prevent such concentration of power. But even today there are Americans who have forgotten the lessons of history and believe in disarming the citizens like the subjects in England and Australia. It will never happen here they cried because we are a much more advanced,educated, cultured people they wailed. Fortunately there were more American citizens who never swallowed the kool aid and took Benjamin Franklin's advice:Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. They new what is today could be different tomorrow.