"They were persons who for whatever reason came to view their home country as the enemy."Correction. Not their home country but the ruling government. It is a very important distinction. Everybody I know spends at least part of their day thinking about some government agency as the enemy. Cops are the enemy of speeders. The IRS is the enemy of the worker and the business man alike. The FDA and DEA are enemies of the medical marijuana user. I am fairly certain that the DMV is the bane of every driver.
So while I doubt the speeders are going to unite and wage jihad on the police, thinking of your government as the enemy is not such a strange idea.
8 comments:
Actually it's quite patriotic. That's why the founding fathers put in the second amendment. They knew the tendency of government was to become tyranical and it was the duty of the people to recognize and correct the tyranny by force if necessary.
I disagree, Knight of Pan. It isn't patriotic to see the government of the enemy- it is patriotic to work within the system to keep proper limits on the power of government- and this can include exercising one's 2nd Ammendment rights.
But a presumption of the government as enemy isn't patriotism- it is paranoia.
...unless you're a radical libertarian or anarcho-socialst...
[word verification = builpzm]
I think I agree with both of you to a degree. Here's the resulting mash-up. It can hardly be considered patriotic to attack the ruling government, even if it were necessary. Right, good, forseen and prepared for inevitablity, but probably not patriotic.
And seeing the government as anything other than the enemy leads to ugly nationalism, Hitler style. Every political system throughout history eventually ends in tyranny. It's the nature of putting some people in charge of other people even if we get to choose who the over-lord is.
And in case you are hinting at me being an Anarcho-Socialist, you're wrong! That's for hippies and they can have it. I'm just a straight up anarchist. Maybe leaning towards Anarcho-Syndicalist, willing to entertain the idea of Anarcho-Capitalists.
Dave- I didn't say the government was necesarily the enemy, just that it has the tendency to become tyranical. The old saying: Power corupts and absolute power corupts abssolutly. Still holds true. The second amendment is the way of last resort to correct a government gone astray, but it is very necesary to have for the sake of the people. In the spirit of Jakes original post, if I get a speeding ticket it may be against my will and I may feel (rightly of wrongly) some local unit of government is just trying to exact a tax from me for some municipality but that doesn't mean I grab a gun and begin a revolution. However if the government tosses aside the constitution and oppresses us citizens and refuses to leave office even after being voted out-then it's time.
However if the government tosses aside the constitution and oppresses us citizens and refuses to leave office even after being voted out-then it's time.
Woot! We got 2 out of 3. If we get the trifecta, I'm reminding you of what you posted.
wv=pyzbbc
I'll be leading the revolution bro!
Jake, I apologize. I ABSOLUTELY meant anarcho-syndicalist. I apologize for the brain-fart on my end.
Knight of Pan: Yes, yes, yes. We are in agreement.
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