In the days following the Las Vegas shooting, anti-gun groups are already trying to exploit the crisis to put limits of gun ownership. However, the biggest betrayal and surprise for many has come in the form of the NRA, which has said that in light of the shooting, they are going to side with anti-gun groups and promote certain “additional regulations” on firearms accessories:
Following the tragic events in Las Vegas, which were seemingly made even worse by a product that most people didn’t even know existed a couple of days ago, and ramped-up calls for new gun restrictions from Democrats, the National Rifle Association has just caved and called for “additional regulations” on “bump fire stocks” which effectively serve to allow semi-automatic weapons to function as fully-automatic.
Here is the full statement from the NRA:
“In the aftermath of the evil and senseless attack in Las Vegas, the American people are looking for answers as to how future tragedies can be prevented.”“Unfortunately, the first response from some politicians has been to call for more gun control. Banning guns from law-abiding Americans based on the criminal act of a madman will do nothing to prevent future attacks. This is a fact that has been proven time and again in countries across the world.
In Las Vegas, reports indicate that certain devices were used to modify the firearms involved. Despite the fact that the Obama administration approved the sale of bump fire stocks on at least two occasions, the National Rifle Association is calling on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) to immediately review whether these devices comply with federal law.
“The NRA believes that devices designed to allow semi-automatic rifles to function like fully-automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations.”
“In an increasingly dangerous world, the NRA remains focused on our mission: strengthening Americans’ Second Amendment freedom to defend themselves, their families and their communities.”
“To that end, on behalf of our five million members across the country, we urge Congress to pass National Right-to-Carry reciprocity, which will allow law-abiding Americans to defend themselves and their families from acts
Meanwhile, the White House has also joined in with Sarah Sanders just telling reporters that the Executive Branch wants “to be part of the discussion” on regulating bump fire stocks.
(source)
This story should enrage and disgust all people in the USA, because the NRA, which has branded itself as a “defender” of gun rights, has turned against the very people it claims to support.
The benefit to come from this is that the story is an excellent teaching movement for how the false left-right dichotomy , which we have written extensively about, works in a context other than just pure political bantering, and the technique is most accurately described as one form of the Hegelian dialectic.
Named after the German positivist philosopher Georg Hegel, and it is a way reasoning that is used to determine truth not by seeking an absolute standard, but through dialogue between two opposing points and seeking a resolution by “meeting in the middle.” The way it works is that the first person proposes an idea, which Hegel called a “thesis,” and another person proposes the opposite idea, called the “antithesis.” Since the assumption is that “truth” lies somewhere between these two extremes, the “thesis” and “antithesis” argue with each other to form a new outcome, which Hegel called the “synthesis.” If “truth” has not yet been reached, then the “synthesis” is proposed as the new “thesis,” a corresponding antithesis is proposed as well, and a new “synthesis” is developed. This is done as many times as in necessary until the “truth” is elucidated.
An image illustrating how the Hegelian dialectic works in its philosophical operation
The International Socialists (popularly known as Marxists or Communists) of the 19th century loved the Hegelian dialectic and is still their favorite choice of argument, as well as that of many a tyrant. What makes the Hegelian dialectic so attractive to such people is because it makes no presumptions of absolute truth. Rather, it says that truth is the product of two extremes instead of being its own end, and that this synthesized truth can be realized through argument.
Remember the argument about a frog and a pot of boiling water? If you drop a frog in a pot of boiling water, he jumps out immediately, but if you put him in a pot of warm water and slowly turn up the heat, he will be cooked to death without even realizing it. The Hegelian dialectic is the intellectual equivalent of the frog in warm water- it allows men with bad intentions to slowly establish bad ideas in other men without them realizing it and in such a a way that they eventually come to accept their position without even realizing consciously they have changed their own views.
The Hegelian dialectic is used by both left and right- all socialists will make use of it. I is found more commonly on the left because the Hegelian dialectic is an excellent tool by which lies are able to be “laundered” into truths through concentrated social pressure. This reflects the method of attack which International Socialists use, which is to stir up division based upon extrinsic differences between groups of people such as economics or social class and often times have to lie, exaggerate, or convince people of lies in order to sell them on their plans.
The Hegelian dialectic is seen less among the National Socialists because while it is used and while they do lie, the National Socialist prefers to rely on facts that are extremely unpopular but unable to deny because they are objectively true. The National Socialist does not attempt to avoid persecution or claim to be weak, like the International Socialist does, but outright invites himself to be attacked, defamed, and reviled publicly while he continues to proclaim the facts he has made into his cause. This is part of his strategy, because it is a long-term one that can take decades to implement and requires the participation of fellow National Socialists to continue it to fruition. However, the end result is more effective and dangerous because after a long time of holding the same facts up and being attacked, it is inevitable that some people are going to start looking at the essence of the facts he holds, and people of good will inevitable will realize that the facts he is proclaiming are indeed facts.
This causes a crisis in them, because they realize that the whole time they were attacking the facts he was proclaiming, they were actually attacking something that was true, thus making them realize that in spite of their good intentions, they were the enemies of truth. As such, once they discover this, many will stop attacking and investigate more of their facts, only to realize they are too true. It is at this point that the National Socialist delivers his poison, because he will respond by “forgiving” the person for attacking him, and then he will proceed to deliver his propaganda, which is that National Socialism is the answer to the problems that ONLY HE WOULD SPEAK ABOUT AND NOBODY ELSE WOULD. By doing this, many people will be willing to believe him immediately and not check his facts on this issue because he has already shown himself by his holding to unpopular facts regardless of social temperament as a “trustworthy” person, and in so they are able to make fervent, passionate and articulate converts.
I have two points to make from this.
First, regarding the NRA, what you are witnessing here is an example of the Hegelian dialectic applies in the style of the “international socialist.” The NRA- the “pro-gun thesis” has at this point reached an agreement- a “resolution” with the gun control people- the “anti-gun antithesis.” Both groups have, superficially, compromised their positions on “gun control”- the issue at hand- to reach the resolution that this particular gun part and those in its class need “regulation.” What is going to happen now -and watch for this- is that the “anti gun antithesis” people will come back and say that the NRA’s agreement on a ban for this part is not strict enough. Therefore the dialectic will start all over again, except this time the “thesis” will be “this gun part needs to be banned” and the “antithesis” will be “all gun parts need to be banned,” or something of this nature.
The way that you stop the dialectic, as we have pointed out before, it to take a “fundamentalist” stance on an issue. This means that whatever issue that is at hand, you assume a position and DO NOT BUDGE FROM IT for any reason unless it directly benefits you and you clearly understand the reasoning for doing it.
Second, is a point to be made about the National Socialists.
People loved to point out when former President Barack Hussein Obama’s underling Rahm Emanuel famously said “never let a good crisis go to waste,” and they were correct. However, do not make the mistake of thinking that President Trump’s administration, who we have noted has many people in it who are connected to, associated with, or work for people and groups with connections to National Socialists and other ethnonationalist groups will not do the same.
Expect instead, in traditional National Socialist form, for these same groups to jump into this situation and speak with lots of “facts” and “truths”- all of which are real and undeniable- and which they will expect “THE LEFT” to attack them over, and quite severely. While the facts they will state may be true and good, do not make this mistake of blindly supporting these people even if they do speak with facts, because ultimately they do not care about the facts at all. They only care about power, and the facts to them are good and useful in so far as they are able to propagate their ultimate philosophy, which is the exact same one that the “left” uses, except taken from the perspective of a nationalistic view as opposed to an internationalist view.
Watch what Trump and his cabinet says- or does not say- and do or does not do- about this issue. It will be an insight into the reality of what is taking place in private regardless of whatever public stances or actions take place.
One needs to watch the National Socialist view with particular care, since the National Socialist will appear as the “antidote” to the poison of the Hegelian dialectic by their (likely) professing facts and/or truths. However, the only difference between the ultimate aims of both groups is not the vitality of the poison, but how it is delivered. The International Socialist tries to deliver the poison immediately, and convince another person to take the medicine, whereas the National Socialist will point the poison out and once he gains the trust of the person by pointing it out, will then offer him the poison under the guise of an already established trust.
As with all forms of socialism, be they National or International, they all end in the same manner, which is in death and destruction. What all socialists want, and what their ultimate complaints about whatever government is in power, is that they are not the ones in power. Since they believe in power at all costs with respect to none, they will say whatever they need to say and do whatever they need to in order to take power for themselves.
In this sense, the conflict between the anti-gun groups and the NRA is really no different. Neither group, at least at this point in history, shows fundamental care for the good of the people they claim to suport, and both are solely interested in power and profit for themselves. It is just a small reflection of and insight into the greater struggle that is taking place today in society.