I have to give kudos to one group of people for all they’ve done to stimulate the American economy. It truly shows that useful action can come from the private sector. I am talking, of course, about the American firearms industry. With a failing economy in late 2008, these people didn’t simply wring their hands and wait for the new presidential administration to come around and fix it, no! They leaped into action.
Immediately, you’d see signs everywhere. At the WalMart. At your neighborhood gun shop. On the internets. And what did they all say?
This is the brilliant part of the strategy. They didn’t say “buy our guns and ammo, they’re awesome.” Completely unlike a conventional advertisement, they struck at their customers’ most powerful motivating emotion: fear (or…was that racism? No? We’ll go with fear.) The signs said “Obama is going to take your guns away!” These looked like straightforward campaigning from the usual nutball groups, like the NRA and the National Republican Party, but when the election ended and the signs stayed up and the Wal-Marts emptied (of guns and ammo, if nothing else) their true meaning became clear. The purpose of this Big Lie was to sell guns.
Weapon and ammunition sales exploded even as the economy continued to show the strain from nearly a decade of disasterous mismanagement. Prices soared. Slowly the Wal-Marts were re-stocked, and still the ammo flew off the shelves. The idiot population of America was insatiable.
The signs still stand. Every once in a while, a poll drifts across Facebook to scare you into thinking there’s a universal handgun ban coming. And the universal handgun ban? Nowhere in sight. There’s no movement. There’s no bill. There’s no conversation. This just isn’t an issue. The Supreme Court even recently struck down the long-standing DC handgun ban. Obama doesn’t even support federal gun-control, even if he has supported it at the state level in the past.
So thanks to America’s gun-sellers, gun-makers, and gun-nuts for doing your part to stimulate the economy. I can only hope that history looks kindly upon you for your contribution.
Actually. I find this hilarious. Go gunmakers. Really. Anyone who thinks about will realise it’s simply impossible until our oldest generation has lived from day one with computer-controlled public records to even begin gun control on a large scale in this country. We can, at this time, basically adddress new sales. That’s IT.
The idiot population of America was insatiable.
Indeed. These people are idiots, and the more insane the propaganda, the more they eat it up, as long as it’s anti-Obama.
Like you said, there is NO attempt whatsoever being made to even limit gun ownership, let alone “take them away.” You’ve GOT TO be clinically insane to seriously believe such crap. But, that’s what many Repubs are shouting day in day out. *sigh*
Lollerpops. How ridiculous. People are so easily frightened into doing what you want.
Rofl. This is great. Stupid, but great.
@SerenaDante – like obama would be able to take guns out of texas hahaha what a joke
People may believe that. But there were millions of idiots who actually believed Obama would follow through on his campaign promises (oh look, we’re still in Iraq!)
Obama has other worries.
Gotta love propaganda…
Personally, I wouldn’t care if they banned guns, but I do believe people have their rights… -.-
absurd. they came so close to passing the allowance of concealed weapons across state lines which is really screwed up because all the states have different kinds of laws for buying guns. Like some states, they’re really not too keen on you buying guns if you have a violent mental illness history, like that. go figure. but other states, I guess just anyone can buy them. gun rights are getting more propped up, nothing is going to happen to gun rights
This was why my ex-boyfriend voted for Bush in 2004; he seriously believed that a Democrat would take away his right to have guns. Because, you know, the President is empowered to do that…. and Congress is so likely to do that … and the Supreme Court has been just looking for an excuse to do that … :-
@npr32486 –
Oh yeah, I’m glad I voted for Nader. At least now I can’t be disillusioned and disappointed.
My family has a lot of guns, but my grandfather used to own a gunstore and therefore has a mini arsenal in his basement, so we didn’t have to buy any :P Plus we hunt anyways, it’s not like we have them because we’re freaked out
I think I don’t understand why people would go buy guns if there was actually a ban coming. The guns have serial numbers, and when you buy them you have to fill out a form and the form has your name, address and the serial number of the gun.
I do know people who have guns with no serial numbers and no form that they ever filled out. That’d be smarter.
Manipulating the Public seems to have become an art form.
The irony is that Bush did far more open damage to 2nd amendment rights than anything Obama has even suggested thus far. But don’t expect the NRA to point that out; they actually *like* it when our rights are threatened. It keeps them in business.
@Fairywife –
Because the “gun bans” of the past have been bans on importing and manufacturing new weapons of a particular class; while those already in private hands are still legal to possess, trade, transfer, and even sell.
What I found amusing about those ads was that McCain actually did support a handgun ban and Obama did not. My smart gun nut friend was 100% behind Obama simply because of his stance on gun control. People really are too gullible…
if guns is what they sell, then in the great fire to be, guns is what they will get, for all eternity. David used a stone, because he understood that death comes from only one means… fighting to survive. last time i checked, i didn’t need a gun, but maybe that is because i live in utopia.
So the message I get … is that deception is the true stimulant to the American economy
Yup.
Maybe we should have obama come out against healthcare reform and sell it as “obama’s trying to take your healthcare reform away”.
The pathetic thing is it would probably work…
Best marketing campaign EVER. Smart people always take advantage of other people’s stupidity, especially advertisers. I think that’s actually the definition of marketing: “taking advantage of other people’s stupidity to sell your product.” Seriously, look it up in the dictionary! ;)
Hello Mr. Richter,
You made your site simple yet elegant. I see that you have a wide variety of interests and observations here!
I’m sending an important message to people about Jehovah God’s plans for us that is in the Bible. 2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. (Isaiah 12:2) (KJV)
Obama is going to take away all your timeshares! Buy them now!
lol that is an astute observation there friend. My dad never in his life cared about owning a gun… until now. He owns three, plans to buy another and has ammunition galore. I have no idea why. It worries me because my unstable brother lives in the house with him, though I hope my dad is at least smart enough to keep them locked up. But like I said, I have no idea what he plans to do with these guns as he doesn’t hunt (and they are hand guns anyway) or go to shooting ranges or… need them at all…
On the upside, when the Zombie Apocalypse occurs he will be prepared for it :D
Sheeple!
(It’s my new favorite word)
Very interesting point. We do live in a capitalist society. Health and Car Insurance is the same.
Advertisers distorting, even fabricating, the facts to sell something? No way.
“These looked like straightforward campaigning from the usual nutball groups, like the NRA and the National Republican Party”
You need to remember to take your medication.
@soccerdadforlife – Good point. My blood pressure does tend to get a little out of control without my regular dose of Lisinopril. Thanks thanks for that bit of practical, down-to-earth advice.
On a completely unrelated note, have you heard of humor?
@BobRichter – “Good point. My blood pressure does tend to get a little out of control without my regular dose of Lisinopril. Thanks thanks for that bit of practical, down-to-earth advice.”
I was writing about your need to take your lithium tablets.
“On a completely unrelated note, have you heard of humor?” Sure. Have you?
@soccerdadforlife – You may have heard of humor, but it seems you lack the ability to recognize it. Perhaps it is not I who am in need of medication.
@BobRichter – Your “humor” was only humorous to statists and was intended to be disrespectful of non-statists. My humor, otoh, was funny to both sides and not disrespectful of statists. And you are obviously uninformed about gun control bills that were originally scheduled to be considered last March but were postponed due to prioritization of the stimulus, crap-and-trade, and health care. I get the NRA bulletins and they are extremely accurate.
@soccerdadforlife – You’re so busy arguing against your straw “statist” that you not only completely missed the joke (which was neither intended for nor aimed at the people you think,) but you made a number of unfounded assumptions. I’d try correcting you, but I can’t see the percentage in it.
While your “joke” wasn’t disrespectful to Democrats or Republicans, it was disrespectful — to me, to the psychiatric profession, and to people who suffer from mood disorders. It was also funny only in the sense of people laughing at you. You missed a joke that just about everyone else got and got all bent out of shape over a statement you somehow completely missed the irony in.
I may have to look into getting those NRA bulletins myself, though I doubt they’re as interesting as you probably think they are.
In the meantime, can I ask that you go be a crazy-but-lovable anarchist on someone else’s blog for a while? Thanks.
@BobRichter – suckermummy is…how shall I say this…a bonafide asshole, and a delusional nutjob. What a scary combination of qualities, eh? Just ignore him like you would a rambling madman.