Weakest State/Country to defeat a rogue Marine Regiment

[Sharpandpointies]

Where I live, we can go one further: neither guns nor ammo are readily available.

In Canada, there are...some. Large sporting stores will carry hunting weapons and ammunition -- but high capacity rifles are rare to non-existent -- and I count three stores in Ottawa that actually sell handguns and other, less 'hunting' firearms (and one of those stores, I know, is shut down, as I have driven past it recently). That's it, that's all.

Nobody is mounting a Red Dawn resistance with this amount of firearms, and no regiment is resupplying. Basically, they have little to no impact on the thread.

[Beadle]

Where I live, as I said, every reasonable type of ammo is on the shelves - just wait for a sale before you try to take over the town. There's even a rebate on 9 mm running now.

I would ask what you might consider to be a ‘reasonable’ type of small, fast-moving death-pellet, but it’s probably a question for a different place.

Where I live, we can go one further: neither guns nor ammo are readily available.

Ditto.

[Totoro Man]

yes, living in the US obviously skews my perception. which is also why I'm not betting a lot on the Marines winning at the end of the scenario. the average age range for these rogue marines is probably 18-24 with just a high-school diploma. then there's the fact that USMC officers have been shown a steady decline on test scores for intelligence over the last 30 years. so... they might still be the best at their game... but they're not the brightest, not anymore.

most nations and places these guys will take over will still eventually produce a justifiable military reaction from the local government or even neighboring nations-states.

as for Beadle's question to Captain Smith: I would suggest that 'reasonable' depends on a lot of factors: WHY do you own a gun? how often do you use it? what is the activity for which it is being used? do you follow proper handling and safety procedures? are you putting other people at risk?

it's also easy, if you've never owned a gun, to decide that no reasonable person should be allowed to own one.

case in point: I have never owned a car. I've gotten along reasonably well without one so... I could argue a truly reasonable person would never wish to own a car. therefore, I could take it further and argue that owning and driving a car should NOT be a right. for that matter NOBODY should be allowed to own a car unless there is a compelling and legitimate economic, professional, or legal need to do so.

based on my personal experience I've lost more friends and family because of automobiles than because of guns. I've seen more people crippled for life by cars than by guns.

I'm pretty sure the number of people killed by drivers is exponentially larger than people killed by guns. moreover, the large majority of people who die because of guns are people who kill themselves. yes, gun deaths are spectacular and frightening... but nearly getting run over, although less frightening, happens far more often.

if ALL we're trying to do is argue that guns "should be outlawed to save lives"... well, then I would much rather see cars outlawed first.

outlawing personal ownership of cars would dramatically reduce vehicular deaths. it would also severely reduce the climate change and ecological damage brought about by their dependency on fossil fuels. the only people that would be able to drive vehicles would be delivery drivers, bus drivers, or other people with an economic or professional need to do so. if people have a desperate need, on account of their large family, or some such thing, needed to drive they could go through the same rigorous program that commercial drivers would have to go through. they'd have to take a two month course just to qualify - and then take a 1 week refresher course every year for the rest of their driving life.

because, hey, if I've gotten by without owning a car for over twenty years anybody and everybody else should be able to do the same, right? ;-)

now that I'm done playing Devil's Advocate: I do think car and gun ownership should both remain legal for the time being. it's probably because I'm just another American.

[big_adventure]

Hey, I'm American even though I don't live there. I've owned a gun and fired many.

I'm not against gun ownership per se, but your example right there should be all it takes:

In the US, you can go buy a completely untraceable weapon if you are 18 years old. Period. No license, a completely broken verification system (it fails open, and has a WICKEDLY understaffed office handling the requests, plus it doesn't even apply to gun shows), nothing to stop it. And in most cases, those weapons are ONLY useful for taking human life, or sport. For 99.99% of gun purchases there is either no other possible use case, or they are never put to the only other valid, possible use cases. There is no verification, there is no validation, there is no information at all linking most owners to most weapons, and no way to trace most weapons to most fired shots. Ammo is freely available and not traced at all. There is no ballistics database for weapons that have not already been used in a criminal event.

In the US, everywhere in the US, you personally need a license to drive a car. Every car you would buy has a permanent registration number (VIN) which is on file in globally searchable databases that maintain vehicle histories (owners, accidents, incidents, etc.). Every vehicle has a title that links that ID to the current owner. Every vehicle ALSO has an annually renewed registration that links the vehicle to a clearly visible, traceable and searchable number linking the owner to the vehicle, and validating that the vehicle is roadworthy in most cases. As a driver, there is a system that ensures that you lose the privilege to drive if you don't respect the rules. And the same for cars: if a car is in an accident, well, it's pretty instantly traceable because the CAR is generally there, not just the fuel residue. It's not perfect, but man it's better than for guns.

Can the system support both guns and cars? Sure, in theory! But why not apply the same restrictions and standards for gun ownership and use as are applied for cars? The Swiss have almost as many guns per capita as the US but nearly no shootings. You know why? Well, I'll tell you: because every bullet is controlled. If you can't show the correct bullets you are supposed to have, you have SERIOUS problems. There is literally no reason that system (or something similar) could not exist in the US. But it doesn't.

[Totoro Man]

sure. why not. stronger regulation and better documentation of guns wouldn't hurt anybody. the critical thing is that it stay legal and be well regulated. banning something outright might not even solve the underlying cultural problem. the Prohibition (of Alcohol) failed to deliver on it's promise of making a better American society because of... well, American recalcitrance! and I don't see a gun ban doing much better.

personally, I don't think the restrictions on driving are severe enough. I've seen way too many teens and 'young adults' playing with their smart phones while driving, or smelled them smoking marijuana. (somehow they think that marijuana DOESN'T impair their judgement!)

if you're behind the wheel of something that weighs 1000-3000 pounds and can go over 80 mph I think you should be clear-headed and paying more attention to your surroundings!

finally, I think people should be able to respect local variations in legal procedures and not be too harsh about judging those differences. we can't write off an entire culture just because of a couple of differences here and there. if some nation has outlawed guns that's fine. if another nation allows people to own them that's fine too.

[Captain Smith]

Check out
http://www.idpacanada.ca/
http://www.ipsc-canada.org/

for gun folks.

Google says 16% of Canadian households have some kind of gun. Long arms are limited to 10 round mags. Like some states in the USA.

Here's an online gun store for Canadians. https://tigerarms.ca/

Got some reasonable semiauto rifles and handguns on sale. Limited capacity mags wouldn't be that much of a handicap in fighting them Yankee rogue marines.

Stock up for the marine regiment to teleport to Hamilton and head for Toronto! Use to live on the other side of the border.

I grant you that in many places Slade and 100 ninjas with sticks and katanas can take over your city. Pray for Green Arrow.

[Sharpandpointies]

Check out
http://www.idpacanada.ca/
http://www.ipsc-canada.org/

for gun folks.

Yes, that's the equivalent of the NRA up here. The vast majority of us in Canada do NOT subscribe to the views/opinions, and are not a part of those organizations.

Google says 16% of Canadian households have some kind of gun. Long arms are limited to 10 round mags. Like some states in the USA.

Google doesn't add the idea that these are mostly rural people, right? And that guns in cities are bloody rare (though becoming more common, sadly, among criminal-types)?

Here's an online gun store for Canadians. https://tigerarms.ca/

Got some reasonable semiauto rifles and handguns on sale. Limited capacity mags wouldn't be that much of a handicap in fighting them Yankee rogue marines.

It's an online store. That stuff isn't available just sitting around.

Plus, this isn't America. It would take MONTHS for people to get through the proper paperwork and actually manage to purchase these weapons. Then get them delivered. And with a rogue marine regiment stomping around Ontario, I strongly suspect that gun sales/shipping/permits would be put on hold.

Basically, there would be no real 'armed resistance' outside of our...wait for it...armed forces (I'll include cops and so forth in there).

Seriously, man...I get that firearms are big in the US, and that they're easy to get, that half the populace knows how to use one effectively, etc, etc. But please don't assume that they are similarly simple to get in Canada, or that Canadians are all skilled in their use, or that the rhetoric of Canadian firearm owners is exemplary of the opinions of the average Canadian citizen, etc. Or that the average Canadian citizen even WANTS a firearm.

It's a little off-putting.

[The Dork Knight]

One can't help but admire the US guns and weapons industry, the famous military industrial complex. One of the best capitalist enterprises, if not the very best ever.

The British did imperialism well up to an extent but the American economic empire is truly something else.

From an outsider's perspective, it often seems like all the gun violence and foreign wars and hippie protests are a small price to pay for literally ruling the world

[Sharpandpointies]

From an outsider's perspective, it often seems like all the gun violence and foreign wars and hippie protests are a small price to pay for literally ruling the world

It certainly does seem to inspire a diverse set of reactions. ^_^

[Captain Smith]

No offense to Canadians and you are welcome to whatever laws you want. I was just commenting on the possibility of an area having some resources outside of the governmental ones to fight the 'regiment'. Discussing gun control issues here is really a diversion.

My point was that local gun conditions might influence the regiment's chances and a side bar that the 'take over CrappyCake City' with my band of Ninjas would not be feasible in some locales. I've heard in Greece and Crete from folks who lived there, that caches of WWII fully auto SMGs are not unknown - just in case.

I think we have exhausted the feasibility of the 'regiment' having much success.

[Sharpandpointies]

No offense to Canadians and you are welcome to whatever laws you want.

Sentiments appreciated, dude. :)

[The Chou Lives]

No offense to Canadians and you are welcome to whatever laws you want. I was just commenting on the possibility of an area having some resources outside of the governmental ones to fight the 'regiment'. Discussing gun control issues here is really a diversion.

My point was that local gun conditions might influence the regiment's chances and a side bar that the 'take over CrappyCake City' with my band of Ninjas would not be feasible in some locales. I've heard in Greece and Crete from folks who lived there, that caches of WWII fully auto SMGs are not unknown - just in case.

I think we have exhausted the feasibility of the 'regiment' having much success.

Yep. Regiment loses, like kicking a dead horse.

As for you nonAmericans on forum: God bless you, I am sure there is good with the bad. That is natural in all societies.

I merely look at all of us as one term. “ Human.”

The Human Race is what counts most of all despite differences, along with the fact we are all in the same damn planet. So yeah, much love and yeah, this situation can be closed, it’s stakes, beheaded, and lite on fire.

[Ptrvc]

Hey, I'm American even though I don't live there. I've owned a gun and fired many.

I'm not against gun ownership per se, but your example right there should be all it takes:

In the US, you can go buy a completely untraceable weapon if you are 18 years old. Period. No license, a completely broken verification system (it fails open, and has a WICKEDLY understaffed office handling the requests, plus it doesn't even apply to gun shows), nothing to stop it. And in most cases, those weapons are ONLY useful for taking human life, or sport. For 99.99% of gun purchases there is either no other possible use case, or they are never put to the only other valid, possible use cases. There is no verification, there is no validation, there is no information at all linking most owners to most weapons, and no way to trace most weapons to most fired shots. Ammo is freely available and not traced at all. There is no ballistics database for weapons that have not already been used in a criminal event.

In the US, everywhere in the US, you personally need a license to drive a car. Every car you would buy has a permanent registration number (VIN) which is on file in globally searchable databases that maintain vehicle histories (owners, accidents, incidents, etc.). Every vehicle has a title that links that ID to the current owner. Every vehicle ALSO has an annually renewed registration that links the vehicle to a clearly visible, traceable and searchable number linking the owner to the vehicle, and validating that the vehicle is roadworthy in most cases. As a driver, there is a system that ensures that you lose the privilege to drive if you don't respect the rules. And the same for cars: if a car is in an accident, well, it's pretty instantly traceable because the CAR is generally there, not just the fuel residue. It's not perfect, but man it's better than for guns.

Can the system support both guns and cars? Sure, in theory! But why not apply the same restrictions and standards for gun ownership and use as are applied for cars? The Swiss have almost as many guns per capita as the US but nearly no shootings. You know why? Well, I'll tell you: because every bullet is controlled. If you can't show the correct bullets you are supposed to have, you have SERIOUS problems. There is literally no reason that system (or something similar) could not exist in the US. But it doesn't.

In the hands of and untrained person a car is a heck of a lot more dangerous than a gun. They're also used a lot more regularly and even with a that regulation cars are still used illegaly without regulation or insurance.

[The Chou Lives]

In the hands of and untrained person a car is a heck of a lot more dangerous than a gun. They're also used a lot more regularly and even with a that regulation cars are still used illegaly without regulation or insurance.

Yep. I consider a car waaay more a lethal threat than a gun.

[big_adventure]

In the hands of and untrained person a car is a heck of a lot more dangerous than a gun. They're also used a lot more regularly and even with a that regulation cars are still used illegaly without regulation or insurance.

Eh, not so much. Cars are used MUCH more regularly than guns: orders of magnitude more. And, last year, there were MORE gun deaths - around 40,000 - in the US than car related deaths - around 37,500. By any possible measure cars are MUCH "safer" than guns, and that ignores still the fact that cars and drivers are at least somewhat controlled, evaluated and tracked, whereas guns and ammo in the US simply aren't. You will find much much much less instance of untrained and unskilled people behind the wheel of a car, than behind the sights of a gun. It's not even CLOSE.