A Well Regulated Militia

[HoreTore]

Anyway, when the Government does not uphold its side of the contract, i.e. it becomes tyrannical and the people no longer wish to be in the contract, they should have the right to end the contract with the government and create a new one (contract and government) which they agree with.

All good in theory. In practice, however, it leaves the path open for those desiring a less desirable government, be that fascism, theocracy, communism or whatever.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

All good in theory. In practice, however, it leaves the path open for those desiring a less desirable government, be that fascism, theocracy, communism or whatever.

With the amount of libertarians and conservatives in America, I don't think the rise of fascism or communism is a real issue. Here in Europe we might see that problem a little bit more, but I don't think so for America. Not yet at least.

[HoreTore]

Not yet at least.

That's the problem, isn't it? Who knows what the future will bring? Fascism needs a few people in strategic places with power and money, theocracy needs some religious whippin', communism needs demagogues inciting the poor/working class. None of those are unrealistic in any country IMO.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

That's the problem, isn't it? Who knows what the future will bring? Fascism needs a few people in strategic places with power and money, theocracy needs some religious whippin', communism needs demagogues inciting the poor/working class. None of those are unrealistic in any country IMO.

The excellent thing about having a regulated militia is that for every communist militia, you have a libertarian militia. As well as that, you have the regular army - if one militia tries to seize power, the regulars and opposing militias will step in.

[Marshal Murat]

I always figured that a 'well-regulated militia' would be made up of anarchists....

[HoreTore]

The excellent thing about having a regulated militia is that for every communist militia, you have a libertarian militia. As well as that, you have the regular army - if one militia tries to seize power, the regulars and opposing militias will step in.

The bad thing is that there is no real way of knowing who will end up as the biggest one, nor is it really possible to know who the army will support. The army is always present in coups, and rarely on the "good side".

Also, the "militias"(private army is a better term IMO) are growing.... Blackwater have become a 20.000 man army in 10 years. Imagine 10 such armies 10 times the size, each with a different leader... That sounds like a glorious civil war if you ask me.

[drone]

Also, the "militias"(private army is a better term IMO) are growing.... Blackwater have become a 20.000 man army in 10 years. Imagine 10 such armies 10 times the size, each with a different leader... That sounds like a glorious civil war if you ask me.

Blackwater isn't a militia, it's a professional mercenary army. You can tell the difference by the size of the paychecks. Being in a proper militia should not be your day job...

[HoreTore]

Blackwater isn't a militia, it's a professional mercenary army. You can tell the difference by the size of the paychecks. Being in a proper militia should not be your day job...

No, but for this purpose they serve basically the same role, don't they?

They're a private army outside democratic control, like a militia would be. And a damn big one too...

[Banquo's Ghost]

Whilst I appreciate the sentiment behind the idea of militias that guarantee the citizens' freedoms, it is a rather touching fantasy.

One of the best examples for why is the United States herself. Some time past, a group of peoples/their representative states decided they didn't like the way the social contact was going and decided to opt out. Another group of peoples/representative states decided they rather fancied the idea of imposing their version of the contract on the recalcitrant. Inevitably, they had a Civil War about the issue and guess what? Those who had overwhelming control of government assets stomped all over the romantics, despite the latter being better led.

Plus ça change. Insurgencies may irritate governments but whilst those governments control the armies and the means of production, it's tough to overthrow them. Most especially if that government has become tyrannical (inevitably less squeamish) and far more so these days with their hold over modern weaponry. When the Constitution was written, it was still just possible to eject an unwelcome tyranny by militia - as long as it had a four thousand mile supply chain and a mad king. Nowadays I suspect one will find those helpful conditions somewhat scarce.

It took us eight hundred years to change the occupation of a foreign government that the majority of the Irish people hated. And it took terrorists to do it (and the development of a kinder, gentler, more civilised Britain) rather than well-regulated militas.