The Utter Paranoia (or Slothfulness) of the Gun Nuts

Stockwell Day has decided to quietly do away with a perfectly sensible gun importation regulation. The rule that he has ditched would have required firearms importers to put an imprint on every gun legally imported into this country. The police are in favour of this move as it allows them to better track how guns are falling into the wrong hands.

Now why would the gun lobby oppose such a sensible measure? Either following this rule is somehow too arduous (though I doubt that) or they are completely paranoid. Every attempt to register and track guns is fought tooth and nail by these people. I doubt very much the same people would support the notion of unlicensed motor vehicles or aircraft, but for whatever reason they cannot tolerate the anyone knowing anything about how many guns they have, where they put them, what types they are, or where they came from.

Guns are magical secret toys for this bunch. I don't think any of them take pains to oppose licensing cats, anglers, automobiles or anything else, but the second that someone tries to keep track of guns it's Nazi Germany all over for this bunch (whether or not their claims have any basis in reality is another matter).

Sure. And when the tanks come rolling through, a bunch of rotund hunters used to slathering themselves in deer piss and sitting in a tree will arm themselves with shotguns to stop them. Bullshit. I mean the gun lobby is actually craziest lobby out there in terms of paranoia if they believe in the logical implications of their talking points.

MMP Will Cause Nazis?!

Yes, the Toronto Star is just that desperate to vilify MMP that it allowed Brian Henry to make essentially that assertion today (second column). After Henry repeats the tired nostrums about unstable governments he raises the spectre of hate groups trying to organize a party and then being allowed into a coalition government:

"According to an Association for Canadian Studies survey released Sept. 11, 12 per cent of Canadians don't like Jews. This is better than most places in the world, especially as only 4 per cent have a 'very unfavourable' opinion of Jews. But even 4 per cent is over the threshold a party would need to gain seats under the MMP system."

His preferred alternative would be a one party state, really:

"It might be more fair – that is, it might better reflect the will of the large majority – if we could have a blend of the two centre parties. But that won't happen."

After weeks of poorly-researched fear-mongering the Star has had to resort to someone who prefers one-party rule threatening us with neo-Nazis at the government table if we vote MMP!

Godwin's Law: Tom DeLay Edition

The Huffington Post finds an example in Tom DeLay's new book. It's been a bad week for Republicans resorting to Hitler comparisons.

Godwin's Law Award

I missed this, but apparently US Senator James Inhofe had compared those who believe that global warming is occurring to the Third Reich. Go read the link, his comparison is faulty on several levels.

Bonus content: Inhofe gets bitch-slapped for not letting Al Gore answer any of his questions.