2013 was the gun-banner’s Stalingrad, their El Alamein. It was the maximum push, their furthest line into our lines. Now is the time for Guadacanal, for Kasserine Pass, for Kursk. It’s time to go on the offensive and take back some of the ground we’ve lost.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
QotD: End Of The Beginning Edition...
You know how I hates me some negative thinking and loser talk, so I loved this analogy from ExurbanKevin in his look back at the battles of 2013:
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27 comments:
Thanks for the link!
Wasn't Dick Metcalf Kasserine Pass? Or was he when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
Oh my. I don't think I ever want to post from my "smart" phone.
Actually if we're going with flawed WWII analogies, I'd have to call AWB '94 the gun-banners' Stalingrad. They've been losing ground ever since. 2013 was more like the Battle of the Bulge.
But I quibble. The gun control debate isn't a war that'll be won or lost by one side for good and all, like WWII. The gun-grabbers can win it, but we never completely can in the current system. All we can do is keep resisting. They'll be back as soon as we lose focus.
Dick Metcalf demonstrated the truism that those who will not learn the lessons of Zumbo are doomed to repeat them.
Dick Metcalf was General Fredendall, to totally mess up the metaphor we're working here.
An excellent link. Thanks. It reinforces my belief the push has come to shove and the shove will be more than just making a point about right and wrong.
Yeah, I'm with Robin, let's not have any Kasserine action...
For all the history buff smarty-pantses, the odd WWII example out in the analogy isn't Kasserine Pass, but Kursk. ;)
Windy Wilson,
"Dick Metcalf was General Fredendall..."
Excellent!
Joel,
"All we can do is keep resisting. They'll be back as soon as we lose focus. "
True. But the last part of the quote is "Now's the time to go on the offensive," not "Now's the time to pat ourselves on the back and go home." :)
We've got three good bills in the works here in IN, and as soon as I have the information in hand, I'll be working to get the good word out and to support our troops as best I can.
We've had victories in the statehouse every year here since I moved to Indiana, all the more spectacular because our entire lobbying force is three retired guys who stay in Indy during legislatin' season and badger our legislators with pictures of their grandkids. :)
Yeah, I know Kursk and Kasserine weren't the best analogies, but they're the ones everyone knows.
Besides, I never liked the Eastern Front because there was no one to cheer for. Commies and Nazis fighting each other? Can they both lose?
ExurbanKevin,
"Forget it, he's rolling." ;)
I mentioned Kursk because, while Kasserine was a loss, it was still the Allies on the offensive after the Jerries' high water mark, whereas Kursk was the Krauts on the offensive into Russkie defenses that were prepared for them.
Quibbles, though. It was a great quote. :D
Windy Wilson's was very good indeed.
Yep, all the money and effort they poured into 2013, and really they have just about nothing to show for it.
That HAS to hurt, and hurt bad.
Still the comparison to a war with a surrender at the end isn't valid as there is no "General" or single leader to surrender, or even a group to be crushed. Brady and Joyce used to be the big baddies in the fight and they've essentially been crushed to the level of the Klan in America...still around, but not pulling any weight. But they've been displaced by Bloomberg and his Mom AstroTurf.
They may be crushed soon too, and who knows, maybe Mark Kelly working his wife like a Ventriloquist figure might be the next.
Still every major loss they have, coupled with more people getting permits and guns will make future victories even less for them.
The future isn't set yet, hence why we need to keep fighting and keep fighting strong to make their chances nothing but a statistical exercise.
In the words of Shepherd Book "they'll come at you sideways"
http://www.captainsjournal.com/2014/01/10/future-health-care-in-america-the-abyss-of-gun-rights/
and Tam is our George Patton!
It's probably good to be reminded from time to time that any analogy falls apart sooner or later.
"Mark Kelly working his wife like a Ventriloquist figure"...gold!
Critter,
Tam as Patton?
No. Just no.
Bradley or Clark perhaps.
She is lacking in the Attention Whore-ism needed to be Patton.
BGM
Too honest to be Mark Clark.
Is The War on Terror (TM) a better metaphor? We crushed the Taliban, they're back. OSM is dead, the next row of leaders steps forward. The benefactor of Palestinian suicide bombers has been dragged from his spider-hole and hanged but Al Queda in Iraq has retaken Falluja.
As a Texan, I'd rather we had our San Jacinto.
Mike
Politically, the metric is the number of active gun control drivers in Congress. Legislators who won't just "vote for gun control when it comes up" but stake their political capital on it by putting their name on new legislation.
The McCarthy, Schumer, Pelosi, Feinstein, Lautenberg crowd. Without prominent supporters in positions of power, the next wave of control bills won't be able to get momentum.
Who coming up is stepping into those roles? Other than Giffords I can't think of a prominent name, the new crowd seem more pragmatic and less ideological on the topic.
The Generals of Gun Control's Great War are passing, and I don't see any incipient Eisenhower's or Patton's in their ranks.
Alas, in Colorado, the Obama/Bloomberg Axis DID win (or purchase) a few victories.....I REALLY hope those laws can be rolled back. e shall see!
We were hammered hard in 2013 here behind enemy lines in California. Probably going to get it even worse this year.
Me, I'm hoping they get some Elphey Bey/Retreat from Kabul action.
But I might not be a nice guy all the time.
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