Sunday, January 31, 2016

President Obama Orders The Pentagon To Make Guns Safer


Rowan Scarborough, The Washington Times: Obama bucks history, directs Pentagon to make guns safer, not more lethal

Wartime U.S. presidents have taken keen personal interest in picking the most lethal gun for the military.

But in President Obama’s first foray into small-arms procurement for the armed forces, his Jan. 4 executive order on gun control directs the Pentagon to find ways to make not so much more lethal firearms, but safer ones.

His direct order has brought a few snickers among retired combatants who argue that the commander in chief is issuing his directive at a time of more pressing small-arms priorities. The military, critics say, fields a flawed personal rifle and has spent more than a decade selecting a new off-the-shelf pistol, with no winner yet.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The money quote ....

.... “Presidential involvement in small arms has been strategic and game-changing in our history,” said Mr. Scales, a former commandant of the U.S. Army War College. “Obama comes along and tells the Army that, in this administration, money is going into small arms to build — not a deadly weapon, not an effective weapon, not a dominant weapon, not a lifesaving weapon, not a technological cutting-edge weapon — but a weapon that prevents accidental discharge. Give me a break.”

9 comments:

Jay Farquharson said...

"accidental discharge" is a big deal in the Military, and is treated as a big deal,

But I think Obama is going more for " secure" guns, the so called " smart gun" technology.

That would render an abandoned, stolen, transferred gun, or combat booty, useless to the new owner.

There's a crapload of M-4's and M-16's in ISIS hands right now.

Don Bacon said...

--from the executive order here
The Department of Defense, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security (departments) shall, to the extent practicable and permitted by law, conduct or sponsor research into gun safety technology that would reduce the frequency of accidental discharge or unauthorized use of firearms, and improve the tracing of lost or stolen guns. Not later than 90 days after the date of this memorandum, the Secretary of Defense, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall prepare jointly a report outlining a research and development strategy designed to expedite the real-world deployment of such technology for use in practice.

Unknown said...

I can just imagine the soldier on the battlefield. ..... who can't defend himself from an armed enemy at close range because the R.O.E.'s won't allow his weapon to fire. Safety is paramount, and our best soldiers are trained to act accordingly. But politics in general just keep making their job more and more difficult.

B.Poster said...

Translation of the money quote, if you are an honest law abiding citizen, you are doomed. I don't see well. There's a good chance my would be assailant would be concerned about an "accidental charge" into his/her brain. This is my best chance of survival in such a situation. If Obama had his way future people in my situation will be doomed as their assailants would be able to act with impunity knowing their pray cannot accidently kill them or deliberately kill them since there is no difference with a firearm. Once one chooses to fire it, game over for the would be assailant.

Since Barack Obama grew up in the church of Jeremiah Wright "god damn America" church and he never denounced his pastor, one can only conclude he will have a very difficult time representing America or its interests. Furthermore he is African-American and has an Islamic name meaning he can NEVER be challenged. The media will smear anyone who dares do so and Americans have spent the last 40 years prostrating themselves before the world desparately trying to prove they are not racists. This has been to no avail. As such, it is hardly surprising some Americans might choose to arm themselves.

As the first African American president whom Americans of all stripes worshiped many as the lord and savior, he has utterly failed. To those who worshiped him as lord and savior, it is the fault of those evil Republicans (the media agrees). To others he is held in utter contempt. As for all Americans, no anglo American wants to be accused of racism. Th8s would mean the end of their careers and very likely their lives and more likely than not the lives of their families. Hence Obama can NEVER be challenged by anyone of significance. He can prostrate us before Iran or pretty much anyone else. He cannot be challenged. America MUST continually be punished for racism for ever and ever.

The country is unlikely to survive much longer given the array of enemies it has against it. Since it needs to be continually, perhaps its enemies will allow it to live.

While Barack Obama and his team are a wet dream to the enemies of America, they need to remain humble. While unlikely, America may actually survive his reign of destruction. Even more unlikely, America may actually get a new leader who can and will actually challenge America's enemies.

To Iran, Russia, and China along with other American enemies, while you can likely walk down any street in the United States wantonly slaughtering any all Americans you might choose to with absolutely no consequence except world wide praise. This is unlikely to last forever. While America cannot hold you to account and with its current leadership would never attempt to do so, someone in the future well might (unlikely but it could happen, it seems unlikely anyone will defend American interests given the huge costs and lack of profit in doing so.)

My advice to Iran and other enemies of America such as Russia and China would be to show mercy and remain humble in victory. Iran has a level of power over America today that no American leader could have ever dreamed of having over Iran. Stay humble!!

America has faced and still faces numerous existential threats form its enemies while its enemies have never faced a comparable threat as part of a pre emptive attack from America.

My advice to America's enemies such as Russia, China, Iran, ISIS, and others would be to enjoy your edge while it lasts. Right now all of you have an edge over America that has never been had over anyone in human history. I'd suggest remaing humble in victory!!

Jay Farquharson said...

You need to check out "Gun Fail".

On average 32,500 people in the US shoot themselves, or someone else, "accidentally", every year. It's usually cleaning guns, dropping guns or removing the clip and forgetting there is still one in the chamber. Annual averages are that roughly 9,000 die. This year, in 21 States in the US, you are more likely to get shot, than have a car accident.

Still, this " order" relates to only military guns, like the 54,000 M-4's, M-16's, MINILE's and Baretta's that the US gave to the so called FSA that their either gave, sold or surrendered to ISIS, or the 280,000 M-4's, Barrett-50's, M-16's, MINLE's, Browning .50's, Browning .30's and Batetta's that ISIS captured from the Iraqi Army.

If the tech get's good enough, and simple enough, DARPA might even be able to fit it in tanks, or jet fighters.

TWN said...

One word, MORON.

Jay Farquharson said...

TWN,

Given that you don't know how to use the reply function, which is a simple press and click button in the thread,.........

You really should not be name calling anyone.

B.Poster said...

I'm not entirely sure who the "moron" is here. If I'm being referenced, I must admit I did deviate wildly off topic. For this I apologize.

The issue at hand is an order for the military to make guns safer. All that will be accomplished in such an endeavor, is it will further handicap the US military making their jobs more difficult and will make things easier for America's enemies.

While this does not apply to civilian guns yet, it will at some point. Anytime the US government wants to social experiment it starts with the US military for at least two basic reasons. 1.)US service personnel are under contract and cannot simply "quit" as a free individual can. This makes them a captive target. 2.)The military lacks the advocacy programs many other enjoy further making them prime targets for beuracrats who wish to experiment on whatever hot button issue fancies them.

Also, the social experiments are eventually moved to the private sector as well. Essentially the end result of any endeavor to make guns safer will only make things harder for law abiding citizens wishing to have adequate defense.

Maybe this is the goal. Mr. Obama is the staunchest anti gun advocate possibly in US history to ever hold such a high position. Yet his end result of his policies has been to increase gun ownership!! The same thing is likely to happen with an attempt at "gun safety" as he proposes. Law abiding citizens will be less safe and the military will be further handicapped in trying to do their jobs.

Jay Farquharson said...

B. Poster,

1). That's what the reply function is for,

2). One of the technologies that DARPA has investigated, is a simple RFID trigger block so that when a US soldier is aiming his gun at another US Soldier, the gun will not fire, and a varient, for LMG's and HMG's that create an " interrupter", like the ones fitted to WWI aircraft to allow them to fire through the propellor arc with out shooting their own propellor off, that would allow an MG crew to "spray" an area, even with US soldiers are in it, that would ensure US Soldiers alone, are not hit.

3). Nobody's coming for your guns. There are more guns in the US than people.