The weakest argument for gun ownership in the USA

[HoreTore]

First off, I'd like to know what are the chances of democracy becoming a tyranny in the United States, so that gun ownership can be justified through this argument. Aren't the political institutions, checks and balances, democratic traditions, the rule of law not trusted enough so that you can buy an AK-47 on every corner without any restriction to take out the FBI, or buy a sniper in case you would feel the urge to shoot the President in the face?

The only case in which this would be a valid argument, is to protect against a small military coup. Nazism, Fascism and Communism have all had huge popular support and most of the time it's been a people's movement, so an armed populace won't do anything against that, as the fascist/nazi/commie supporters will also have the same guns. The most probable outcome in such a case is a long civil war. And we all know how every government act in times of civil war, don't we?

Secondly, I'd like to know what are the chances of a foreign power invading the United States, and an armed populace resisting the invaders, so that gun ownership can be justified through this argument. If this would happen, wouldn't it be a massive failure of the defense forces? And if the US defense forces failed to defend the country, the invaders would presumably possess weapons the general populace couldn't counter with a bunch of machine guns.

An armed population will have zero chance against a foreign military invasion, see Iraq/Afghanistan. Their only chance is, like in Iraq and Afghanistan, to win a war of attrition.

Times change, so do laws.

Indeed.

They won't be able to because they will never gain enough support.

Yes, we've never seen an extremist popular movement end up in a ruthless dictatorship... That's never happened.