Via Sullivan, a great point:

T]he country ranked last on the [Small Arms Survey] — with only 0.1 guns per 100 people — is Tunisia, which as you’ll recall was still able to overthrow a longtime dictator in 2011. With only 3.5 guns per 100 people, the Egyptian population that overthrew Hosni Mubarak was hardly well armed either. On the other hand, Bahrain, where a popular revolution failed to unseat the country’s monarchy, has 24.8 guns per 100 people, putting it in the top 20 worldwide. A relatively high rate of 10.7 guns per 100 people in Venezuela hasn’t stopped the deterioration of democracy under Hugo ChÁvez.

Also: If you can’t legally buy a tank, or a warplane, or a missile launcher—and you can’t—then do you really think you’re going to be able to rely on small arms if you someday need to overthrow the government that spends more on its military than the next top 14 countries combined?

Eli Sanders is The Stranger's associate editor. His book, "While the City Slept," was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. He once did this and once won this,...

4 replies on “You Need Guns to Overthrow a Government?”

  1. Does the statistic of 0.1 guns per 100 people in Tunisia include the guns owned by the security forces that were indiscriminately firing into crowds of demonstrators during the protests?

    Say, what does the failed coup in Bahrain and the successful coup in Egypt (resulting in a military dictatorship) have in common?: They were both backed by the CIA. Ever heard of Amber Lyon? You should probably Google her.

    And while I agree that even with the highest percentage of private gun ownership in the United States, this has not prevented the country from sliding into a fascist police state, it might just be prudent to own a couple firearms for defense as we continue to deteriorate into third world nation.

  2. Talk of overthrow is silly but…
    If money spent on the military were the most important thing, the U.S. would not have lost in Vietnam etc. etc.

  3. Spindles: The coups in Bahrain and Egypt were backed by the CIA? Considering that both governments have been clearly supported by the US, I think you ought to provide some evidence before people take that claim seriously. And you realize that the military has been running things in Egypt for more than 50 years? The military power in the current Egyptian government is not some new thing that sprang up as a result of the uprising against Mubarak.

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