New Battle Rifle?

16 Sept 08

On the progress of a successor to the AR-15, from a friend in the System:

"As much as a strong case for the immediate adoption of a new Battle Rifle and caliber can be, and is being, passionately made, I believe fiscal reality will descend, like a wet blanket, upon whatever new Administration comes to power in January.

The acquisition of a new rifle is relatively small potatoes by DOD standards. A single copy of a C17 is worth as much as the whole rifle program! However, components of airframes are manufactured in dozens of separate congressional districts. A new rifle is minuscule, by comparison, and is manufactured in one or two places. These days, the Pentagon gets excited only by 'Death-Rays' and 'Smart-Bombs.' The mention of new individual small arms will predictably generate little more than a chorus of yawns, both at the Pentagon and in the halls of Congress!

So, unless you're an SMU Trooper, you'll likely never see a new rifle, much less a new rifle caliber, any time soon!"

Comment: Our abject dependance upon, and foolish assumption of, high-tech war will be our undoing! The world is irreversibly entering an era of carnage and darkness. The "Age of Wars" is upon us, and we'll all be lucky to live through it! Our Civilization will be saved by capable, competent riflemen, or not at all!

/John

Footware

16 Sept 08

More preparation for the unexpected, from a friend in NYC:

"On Friday, 26 Feb 1993, I was on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center, just sitting down to lunch at the Windows of the World Restaurant. We suddenly heard, and felt, a huge explosion in the parking garage far below.

Power went out immediately, but emergency power kicked in. However, it soon went out too, being damaged during the explosion. Elevators weren't working, so we all started nervously descending the darkened, never-endingstairway!

I made it all the way down to the first floor, mostly because I was wearing hiking boots. But, some of my fellow restaurant-patrons, wearing flip-flops and other non-serious footwear, couldn't make it all the way and eventually had to be carried by firemen, as their feet became badly injured. They, in their wildest nightmares, never imagined they would be taking a hike for their lives that day! As a result, many nearly didn't live through it."

Comment: You never know when you will have to hike away from danger, maybe a long distance! Who routinely wear shower shoes and flip-flops, even lightly-made, low-quarter shoes (as can be seen in airports all the time) will have bloody, seriously-damaged feet by the time they hike the first half-mile! They may well die simply because they are insufficiently sure-footed, or are unable to go on.

For one, I don't wear shoes. I wear hardy boots with steel toes and rigid support for my ankles. They may not be particularly stylish, but they're waterproof and designed for vigorous hiking. When I am compelled to walk long distances over rough gravel, broken glass, damp foliage, and rubble, I can, and my feet won't be broken when something falls on them, or I have tokick someone in the shin!

/John