In modern times, how would armed citizens in the United States rise up against a government they deemed tyrannical?
A lot of unduly dismissive answers here. All these responses seem to forget recent history. The US fought (or is fighting) two counter-insurgencies against “armed citizens,” in Iraq and Afghanistan. Neither of those went particularly well for the US military.Factors to consider:The US is huge. Around 20 times bigger than Iraq and 15 times bigger than Afghanistan. Much of it is remote . There are a lot of places for freedom fighters to hide.Conversely, the US is very urban. 80 percent of the population lives in cities. Urban counter-insurgencies are a nightmare to fight.The US is awash in guns - around 300 million of them. I agree that Joe Sixpack’s 12 gauge and 9 mm pistol aren’t a match for a M4 carbine or a M249, but they can still kill or wound someone.There are around 20 million veterans in the US - men and women with military training and even combat experience. And guess what the combat experience was in - counter-insurgency. These veterans, who will form the core of the freedom fighters, will know the tactics that would be used against them by the active military.The US is highly decentralized - states, counties, municipalities/cities all have relatively independent governments. Some of these lower governmental units will support the freedom fighters, providing shelter, food, medicine, etc., either explicitly or covertly.Similarly, we can expect foreign aid to our freedom fighters. Russia would delight in getting some payback for Afghanistan 1980–88. Depending on how “tyrannical” the federal government is, and how hostile it is to the rest of the world, I could see other countries lining up to support the freedom fighters.The freedom fighters don’t have to win, they just have to not lose. Gain the hearts and minds of the population, avoid big set-piece battles, hit and run.Interestingly, this question allows people on opposite ends of the ideological spectrum to reach the same (I think incorrect) conclusion: People on the right can argue that America’s military is too strong for mere “armed citizens” to have any effect, while people on the left can argue against the Second Amendment. Both interpretations are overly simplistic.
Is it true that the UK conservatives cut police funding and then blame labor/liberals for terror attacks?
They have certainly cut police funding, and flat out ignored the risks that were brought to their attention when they did so. The Conservatives prefer economy to effectiveness. They would much rather see a job done cheaply than done well, even in the many cases where their miserliness ends up costing more in the long term.The extent to which they can blame Labour for terror attacks at this point is, however, extremely limited.
Liberalism? Conservative? What do these really mean?
Wow...good job! Pretty much sums it up and yeah...prepare to be attacked with namecalling. I'm sure they are on their way!
Is the United States doomed?
“Pride comes before a fall”. We’ve certainly had our share of pride. You don’t hear about excitement for the United States and the future anymore. That was decades ago. It has been replaced by analysis of its decline, the end of an empire, predictions of doom and gloom. Countries like China stimulate discussion of growth and it’s rise of power, postulations about it overtaking as the premiere superpower in decades to come.Of course, this is normal, its likely the United States has peaked. Just as Rome “sank into debauchery and dissipation as a result of great wealth and luxury”, we too see the effects of this. Crassness is certainly linked to debauchery in essence, however that is just the tip of the iceberg of a population filled with sloppy thinking slobs who forsake discipline and intellect in favor of hedonistic pleasures. Thug culture is glamorized, science scorned, all institutions that uphold the sanctity of discipline, intellectualism, knowledge, health and human services and technological advancement are all no longer trusted.Corporations feeding propaganda to people who promote fake science, people that don’t even partake in actual science are righting “scientific articles” that in effect only reinforce the money making machines of oil companies. The dimwitted lap it up, defying all past common sense and past instances. Billionaires feeding lies to the people, to make more billions. This is what happens when the rich become too rich, the rich aren’t upholders of justice, truth, and light, and America has had its share of corporate and individual greed, ever growing, ever becoming more powerful to control and manipulate naive minds who are exploited.The end is in sight, the decline of wisdom and virtue replaced by narcissism, crassness, slobbery. A major chunk of the nations values were built on a fraud of belief / religion. This crumbling of the religious structure is itself not detrimental to a disciplined, thinking, wise people, however the era of discipline has come and gone. What values to replace it? How will they know where to look? The culture has become corrosive, eroding into a competition to find out just how outrageous, grotesque and low we can go.While we race to the bottom, there will be those of us who fight it tooth and nail, but a minority that seems to becoming even more of a minority cannot save a state such as this.