I don't really like the notion that everyone is an army of one protecting their little two acre nation-state from invaders. A bunch of people shooting at each other is never going to solve crime, no matter how much people entertain wild west fantasies.

Now I'm totally pro-gun rights, but that's because citizens may need to form militias to protect their freedom if the government turns tyrannical. Not because I think that someone walking out of my house with a $150 TV deserves a bullet through them. It isn't justice if it isn't measured.

However in the draw your .44 US, this would just be quaint.

This is serious. No country goes forever without a dangerous economic crisis. There's no such thing as overdue, but there's no reason on earth to believe it can't happen here. And quite honestly, I fear it could be nearly Wiemar bad.

An angry scared hungry america would put an actively Authoritarian (as opposed to dormantly so like now -- which is a big difference, nearly unlimited police rights aren't too unusual in the world, true East Berlins are -- if you were upset about the patriot act, wait until anyone not in total lockstep really does need to be checking the wiring of their home. It so so so can happen here.

Oh and we have a giant minority who have as little legal protection as blacks did in the jim crow south.