I’ve long argued that the problem with economic libertarianism is that it ignores basic human nature, more specifically the tendency of people to strongly value their short-term wants and needs over their long-term best interests, such that they will favor the former heavily over the latter, and do so in ways that are harmful not just to their own best interests, but to the best interests of the economy as a whole.

E-Mart makes the case far beyond my poor power to add or detract. Go read.

Governor Rod Blagojevich required to turn in his firearm owner’s identification card

Wait a moment. Those are for gun owners. And he’s a bit anti-gun. So, irony with a dose of hypocrisy.

Seen at Volokh’s.

Fincher case also cited: Machine guns are not in common use by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes and therefore fall within the category of dangerous and unusual weapons that the government can prohibit for individual use.

Pay for play? More Illinois corruption? Coming soon to a White House near you? Gasp, swoon.

Link.

Update: more:

“I don’t believe there’s any cloud that hangs over me, I think there’s nothing but sunshine hanging over me,” Blagojevich said.

Sunshine, as it turns out, is the name of his roommate at club fed.

Update: Hats off to the Obama administration who, according to investigators, had no part in it.

A look at gun purchases as recorded by NICS. Look out, he has graphs. And will you dumb, cousin-humping rednecks stop buying guns. You have nothing to fear. Well, nothing to fear unless you have an assault weapon; or a handgun; or want to use one for self-defense; or carry one. As long as you’re law-abiding and don’t want to do any of that.

Related: A poll at insty’s indicates folks are burying AR-15s in their backyard. A few notes:

You’re better off burying it in someone else’s backyard if you’re trying to hide it. And you are, since your burying it. Of course, I don’t know why people try to hide it. I’d be proud. Gun owners (particularly evil black rifle owners) need to come out of the closet. Also, it makes them hard to get to if you need them.

And if you’re burying something, I’d bury a cheap AK or SKS as opposed to my spendy and more finicky AR-15. A little dirt in an AR has a more detrimental effect than it does on a Kalashnikov due to tighter tolerances.

Lastly, if you’re burying long term, you’ll need ammo too. So, make sure you get the non-corrosive kind.

Say, anyone know if, like guns, PVC pipe sales are booming now too?

Those damn pragmatists:

A real-world example of mass civil action causing government to stop enforcing its interpretation of gun laws has been the hundreds of thousands of AR rifles purchased in California by California gun owners over the past few years, despite the continued presence of CA’s increasingly irrelevant AWB on the books. The legal framework and impetus was primarily due to members of the Calguns board.

Stupid compromisers.

Pics of Chechen homemade weapons.

Robert talks about rifle twist rates.

KATV spotlight’s Team CZ member Matt Mink.

Video here.

Washington Post readers misinformed on Mayors Against Guns.

Not really a medical device. Translation: Ok, one of our bureaucrats fell asleep at his desk again.

The firearm blog has a look at their new magazines.

A good start.

Rightwing Sparkle:

See what Obama has done? He has taken a pro-gun control Republican who never liked guns at all and made me a gun owner, gun rights, and gun carrying anti-gun control chick.

Well, there is a reason he’s Employee of the Month.

Update: From Bitter in comments: But…but…the Brady Bunch says only current gun owners are buying. They made it clear in press release after press release that these aren’t new buyers. How could they be wrong?!? Heh.

A look at reasonable restrictions in California.

It is at nrablog.com. Via press release.

What could possibly go wrong:

NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly is making sure 1,000 rookie police officers assigned to Times Square on New Year’s Eve are ready to rock with M4 automatic machine guns. Recruits at the academy will get three days of training to familiarize them with the weapon, which until now had only been used by officers in the NYPD’s elite Emergency Service Unit.

Chris has a lengthy post on HS Precision and it’s not so coveted Horiuchi endorsement.

From Political

From Yahoo! news, just now.

Are like you and me, only better.

As reported, I attended the Glock Shooting Sports Foundation match this past weekend. First of all, it was cold. About 34 degrees. Secondly, it’s hard to shoot with frozen hands. And that’s my excuse for not shooting very well.

On to the event. A lot of folks were there and there were quite a few out of state tags in the parking lot. Looks like these events draw quite a few people. I got there early and signed up. Made my way to the range. Everyone there was helpful. I told the folks running the ranges that I had never shot in an event like this before and that I was much more of a paper shooter than competition guy. They told me not to worry and to have a good time. And each rangemaster explained the rules of each course of fire.

My first event was the steel plate shoot. I came out swinging the first string then proceeded to suck at the subsequent strings by leaving a plate standing. I was shooting consistently low.

The next event I participated in was Five to Glock event. This time, the opposite occurred. I did not do well during the first two courses of fire and did a respectable third run.

When it comes to matches, I need more practice since, when at the range, I just shoot paper.

One thing about the match I found interesting: lots of women. I guess they like Glocks.

The Glock events should be great fun for a new shooter or for someone (like me) who never shot an event before. None of the courses required drawing from the holster and all where shot from at the ready. And there are no magazine changes in any of the events. And no running around. It’s shooting targets under time, with match rules. Just take a Glock, some magazines and some ammo. If you’re a new shooter or new to competition and want to give it a shot, you should head to GSSF event near you. Here’s a schedule. It’s great fun and, probably, a gateway into shooting more competitive events.

AFP:

President-elect Barack Obama said Sunday that lawful gun owners have “nothing to fear” from his incoming administration so there is no reason for Americans to stock up on guns.

Gun shops across the country have reported increased sales amid fears that Obama intends to restrict gun sales after taking office on January 20.

While Obama supports gun control, he has repeatedly denied any intention of “taking away folks’ guns.”

The right to bear arms is guaranteed in the second amendment of the US constitution and gun control is a hot-button political issue.

“I believe in common sense gun safety law, and I believe in the second amendment,” Obama said at a press conference Sunday.

“And so, lawful gun owners have nothing to fear.

“I’ve said that throughout the campaign. I haven’t indicated anything different during the transition, and I think that people can take me at my word.”

Well, nothing to fear unless you have an assault weapon; or a handgun; or want to use one for self-defense; or carry one. As long as you’re law-abiding and don’t want to do any of that. Oh, and stop buying so many.

Is it the supply or the demand part they’re struggling with?

In other news, they say Obama has always been frustratingly pro-Second Amendment. Huh?

Not only does your favorite gun suck, but your favorite ammo sucks too.

ACORN looks to regulate bullets.

The AP: The state is examining whether more than 13,000 Tennesseans who have been served with orders of protection should be stripped of their gun permits.

I’m with murdoc. Which is it? Is the gun lobby dead because it did so well or because it did so poorly?

He said, she said.

Plaxico Burress on Firearm Safety

Careful, they’re everywhere.