[ExI] More deaths from COVID-19 than Afghanistan and Iraq wars combined

[Stathis Papaioannou]

On Sat, 18 Apr 2020 at 08:07, spike jones via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

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> *From:* extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org> *On Behalf
> Of *Stathis Papaioannou via extropy-chat
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> In the USA, there are already millions of people running around with
> guns…Those millions of people running around with guns are why the US
> government hasn’t already seized more power than the Constitution allows.
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> >…So you say, but is there any evidence of large numbers of Government
> officials who dream of increasing their power but haven’t done so due to a
> fear of citizens with guns? Some sort of survey, or even a series of
> anecdotes?
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> The office we really need to watch is POTUS.  That one attracts
> power-grabbers.  The classic example is worrying a POTUS will refuse to
> leave office if he loses re-election or terms out.  The CONUS was set up to
> deal with that: the Supreme Court is in charge of swearing in whoever they
> judge won the election.  Then the military takes orders from whoever is
> sworn in.
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> Stathis, the US system works extremely well.  It has remained stable all
> this time, even through a civil war, a crushing extended depression, a
> disputed election in 2000, all these things, the system has demonstrated
> itself to be robust.
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> If you wish to argue that the shooting gallery which is Chicago and a few
> other hot spots would be safer, a stabbing gallery instead if not for the
> second amendment, eh, I consider that mess a reasonable price to pay for
> keeping government in check.  The obvious solution is to stay out of those
> areas where people shoot each other.  It is pretty easy to avoid them:
> outsiders have no business in there.
>

The commander in chief, generals and soldiers are reluctant to give or obey
an illegal order because they think it is the wrong thing to do and,
failing that, they are afraid of the reactions of others in the chain of
command. If fear of citizens with guns were a deterrent then the US would
never have been able to invade well-armed states such as Iraq.

> --
Stathis Papaioannou
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