A lot of people say Obama is anti-business, but there’s one part of the American economy that is delighted that he got reelected.
No, I’m not talking about bankruptcy lawyers or corrupt lobbyists, though those would be good guesses.
The real winners from Obama’s re-election are America’s gun manufacturers and gun sellers.
Not that I’ve looked at any data. I’m just basing this on the comments I’ve heard over the past few years and the up-tick in such comments in the past 36 hours.
But I’m quite confident that the overall firearms industry has profited from Obama’s tenure.
Anyway, the great economist Frederic Bastiat teaches us to look at both direct and indirect effects (or, as he put it, the “seen” and “unseen”), so I want to highlight a disadvantaged group that will suffer as a result of the Obama-induced increase in gun sales.
Yes, I’m talking about criminals.
To understand the point I’m trying to make, we’re going to do a thought experiment.
Start by closing your eyes and thinking about someone you know who has worked hard, saved some money, bought a nice house, and filled that house with nice things for the family to enjoy.
Now tell yourself, “I want those things as well.”
But you also think, “Damned if I’m going to wake up early every day like that chump and bust my rear end to earn a good life.”
Instead, you decide it’s okay to take things that don’t belong to you, even if it involves some coercion.
So what’s your next step?
No, this isn’t a thought experiment about voting for Obama. Besides, the election is over.
Close your eyes again and think about how you would obtain things that don’t belong to you and without using the government as the middleman.
What would you do? Well, you might beg the person to give you things.
But that might be a bit awkward or demeaning, and the person might say no.
That leaves burglary as your only option. Sort of a private sector version of income redistribution.
Now we get to the key point in our thought experiment.
You sneak up to the house with the nice things and you suddenly see a sign.
Here’s a quiz. What do you do after seeing this sign?
a. break into the house because you once heard a politician or journalist assert that gun ownership doesn’t deter crime?
b. decide after a bit of reflection about potential costs and benefits that it might be more prudent to find another house to rob?
If you need some help with the answer, think about the meaning of this cartoon.
If you’re still having trouble grasping the concept, this Chuck Asay cartoon might be worth a look. Or this post has some signs that may help your understanding.
And if you still don’t comprehend, then congratulations. You deserve a starring role in this video.
The “My next door neighbor” cartoon is absolutely wonderful.
Would love to know if it’s ever been implemented, and what the reaction of the gun-free neighbor was…
crisbd, the gun-free neighbor mocked the gunhugger with the claim that the gunmakers and ammomakers are funneling cash to the campaigns of the Democrats’ worst gungrabbers. Then the antigun neighbor called the cops and told them that a moron next door is menacing him and trying to incite violent aggression. The cops figured out how to use asset seizure laws to grab the gunhugger’s house and to kick that lover of paternalistic government into the street where it belongs. In fact, the cops had a big three day party with drugs and hookers. It was rumored that numerous local Republican businessmen showed up, and the place was trashed.
Now, why shouldn’t there be a database to keep track of our rightwing, gunhugging friend’s whereabouts? It could include all Americans like him, even those still in their homes, and be made available on the Internet. Of course, ALL cops, judges, prosecutors, and military personnel, too, need to be included. This crowd of government employees cooperates in taxation and other evils, esp. when it’s time to collect a paycheck or a benefit like a pension. In fact, the database should include all lawyers, too, for they swear oaths to uphold the alleged laws called statutes and constitutions.
Furthermore, voter information needs to be compiled and published so that it will be easier to hold troublemakers accountable for cooperation in electoral politics. Criminals who vote should not be able to hide behind a system of secret ballots.
It’s by the way, however, that leftists aren’t liberals. Instead, they’re illiberals, like the fool who left his sign on the cops’ lawn, much to the amusement of the cops who let the hookers use it for target practice from the living room.
Re: Paul T
Wha? Did you forget a /sarc tag?
@Paul T
WOW !
Me think your mind is working overtime. Maybe time to chillax.
What wrong, Sir Bill? Me think you not cope well with the irony of the gunhugger, our heroic homeowner, being tossed into the street by a few of his own heroes.
Well, maybe that wasn’t enough to motivate your response. Instead, you were angered by the suggestion that Dan Mitchell carries water for leftists, who have written too much of his glossary of political terms.
Now, Mr. Bill the Funnyman, what would be wrong with depriving you of the protections of the secret ballot? What do you have to hide? What personal responsibility would you like to shirk? And what would be wrong with counting both leftwingers and rightwingers as illiberals?
Try to think before typing your next response. I promise that you’ll experience no more pain than you deserve.
[...] info is very powerful. The bad guys are more afraid of armed homeowners than the police. Surely, as I explained here, that tells us that gun ownership lowers [...]
[...] is very powerful. The bad guys are more afraid of armed homeowners than the police. Surely, as I explained here, that tells us that gun ownership lowers [...]
[...] have a more sensible approach to thwarting crime. Some of them apparently took my IQ test, which asks whether murderers prefer armed victims or unarmed victims, and they wisely concluded that the ability to shoot back is a lot better than cowering in a corner [...]
[...] politicians don’t like spending caps for the same reasons that burglars don’t like armed homeowners. As Veronique de Rugy notes, if we imposed a spending cap, they would be forced to reform [...]
[...] I offered an IQ test on the issue for liberals and criminals, and this set of cartoons and posters takes an amusing look at the issue of gun-free [...]
[...] politicians don’t like spending caps for the same reasons that burglars don’t like armed homeowners. As Veronique de Rugy notes, if we imposed a spending cap, they would be forced to reform [...]
The “Nothing in his house worth dying for” might also say “No weapons to steal here. They’re all on my person where they belong.” That’s why MY burglar did not get MY gun.
[...] info is very powerful. The bad guys are more afraid of armed homeowners than the police. Surely, as I explained here, that tells us that gun ownership lowers [...]
[...] this is like the IQ test that I posted for liberals and criminals. The answer should be [...]
Reblogged this on Climate Ponderings.
[...] give your leftist friends this IQ test on gun control and see if they can figure out the right [...]
[...] give your leftist friends this IQ test on gun control and see if they can figure out the right [...]
Burglars: Please carry identification so your next of kin can be notified without delay. The people next door will not shoot you if you break in; for your own safety, go there.
[...] give your leftist friends this IQ test on gun control and see if they can figure out the right [...]
What is the real reason governments take guns away from law-abiding citizens?
Hint: Hitler
Why did our forefathers give citizens the right to defend themselves?
Hint: England
[...] Returning to satire, the Houston-Chicago comparison reminds me of this IQ test for criminals and liberals. [...]
[...] Returning to satire, the Houston-Chicago comparison reminds me of this IQ test for criminals and liberals. [...]
[...] Returning to satire, the Houston-Chicago comparison reminds me of this IQ test for criminals and liberals. [...]
[...] Returning to satire, the Houston-Chicago comparison reminds me of this IQ test for criminals and liberals. [...]
[...] I’ve shared lots of gun control humor, such as this IQ test that I posted for liberals and criminals, this very effective neighborhood watch group, and several amusing videos linked at the end of this [...]
[...] I’ve shared lots of gun control humor, such as this IQ test that I posted for liberals and criminals, this very effective neighborhood watch group, and several amusing videos linked at the end of this [...]