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Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
The Bulletin has an article entitled The NRA Goes Global. I trust their grasp of science is better than their grasp of politics.
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Interesting 1999 article. Seems the Bulletin was on the cutting edge of the NRA's global foray.
Have to call them out on something, though. The 50 rds of 5.56mm ammunition (for the Stg 90 battle rifle) stored in a sealed container in a Swiss household does exist, as the article stated. Along with the other 500 rds the householder bought for his own target use...sheesh. There are no real ammunition security requirements in Switzerland--they can get what they need anytime.
When I see that old false chestnut, I know they don't know squat about Swiss military preparedness.
The bio of the author is what is informative, and begs the question why the "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists", a publication of allegedly scientific pursuit, would print this effluvium.
--- Natalie J. Goldring is executive director of the __Program on General Disarmament__ in the University of Maryland's Department of Government and Politics. She is also director of the __Program on General Disarmament__ at the National Center for Economic and Security Alternatives in Washington. Much of the research for this article was conducted while she was deputy director of the British American Security Information Council, and __director of its Project on Light Weapons__. The author wishes to thank Philip Alpers for his assistance in tracking down the international activities of gun groups.
(Link needs to be fixed)
"Yet the NRA pays this lobbyist to try to derail initiatives that would limit the free flow of firearms, domestically or internationally. In recent decades, millions of people have been killed by the kinds of weapons the NRA thinks should be readily available. If the work of the NRA and similiar organizations cannot be overcome, millions more may die in the next century."
The initiatives under discussion would indeed limit the "free flow" (now there's a real joke from the viewpoint of a gun owner living in Massachusetts) of firearms to individuals not directly affiliated with a government or government-backed group. Not even the proponents would claim that any of these are aimed at or would in any way limit the flow of arms to govermnets and government-supported militias, yet it is precisely these who have used firearms to slaughter tens of millions of their politicial opponents, disfavored ethnic or religions groups, and others during my lifetime. Instead, these seemingly well-intentioned initiatives would simply make it more difficult for the victims to attempt to defend themselves, their families and their communities from government-supported genecide.
The United Nations --- making the world safe for the mass murderers for 60 years.