Solo Wilderness Security

"I have no respect for Ghandi or passive resistance (aka passive victim)"

"Die with your boots on with dignity, is far better than dying as an old man wearing a turban diaper."

"My point is that Ghandi was a domesticated mule."

"Gandhi couldn't walk 5 mins without tripping on the robe wrap or whatever you want to call his wardrobe."

Holy Sh!t. I'm really not sure what to say. I'm all for standing up for ones self and fighting for freedom, but your statements about Ghandi are about the Sh!ttiest things I've read in a LONG time. Seriously. Not to mention the astounding ignorance.

I really am truly sorry you think this way. It's sad.

[..]

>Remember that he was stabbed by his own people.
Ghandi was shot 3 times in the chest by Nathuram Godse. An extremest.

John Lennon was shot 4 times in the back by Mark David Chapman. An extremest.

Lincoln was shot by his own countryman. Kennedy was shot by his own government (debatable). Martin Luther King Jr was shot by his fellow American.

I guess they were all useless too since their own people murdered them.

>That is how many young Indians feel today about Gandhi's philosophy and wardrobe. It makes their culture look 500 years behind, since he is the icon but does not represent the majority of the youth.

Of course his wardrobe doesn't represent today's youth. He died 65 years ago. Do young Christian boys walk around in clothes Jesus wore? He also chose his wardrobe in direct defiance of British rule and occupation. Something today's current generation of India would have little direct experience with, since it ended 66 years ago.

India's flag, which depicts the spinning wheel, was a direct result of Ghandi's work and influence. A spinning wheel that he often made his own clothes on, in protest of British rule (boycotting foreign-made goods)

Rodger,

There are some fairly major points about Gandhi's philosophy and how he developed it over the years which cannot be covered in this thread.

With all due respect, if you feel that your current position is correct and that there is nothing else to learn then by all means carry on. If you are interested in learning about Gandhi from his own words and only want to read one book, I'd recommend this one:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Essential-Gandhi-Anthology-Writings/dp/1400030501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361539705&sr=8-1&keywords=gandhi%27s+anthology

I guess you'd come out the other side with more or less the same beliefs since you've spent some time developing your opinion based on your research and experiences but this book will give you a better understanding of Gandhi.

I've put myself in harms way in the defense of others, including working as a peacekeeper in the Balkans. I walked through entire villages which were wiped out and the survivors displaced. I worked as a EMT at WTC. Trust me, I get your underlying message.

I have no intention of allowing myself or any other innocent person to face harm at the hands of a predator if I can do something to stop it. On the same token, violence committed in defense should always be an absolute last resort. In the case of national defense, when diplomacy has failed or imminent danger. In the case of defense of self or the innocent, the measured act is the lowest use of force on the continuum which will resolve the issue.

+1 Glock 26.

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Sometimes i despair for the future of the human race.

"If you cannot see the flaw in his "feel sorry for me" philosophy, I cannot add further discussion."

I can. Much depends on what resources you have. As Americans, and the world's sole superpower, it would be ridiculous for us to "throw ourselves into the sea…". We prefer to 'nuke' our enemies instead — because we can. And so you ridicule.

But if you are the puny underdog, "live free or die" often means die.

All of us can think of examples where brave defenses bore fruit. And there are also plenty of examples where brave defenses bore death and ultimate destruction. The peaceful resistance of the Balkan states won the people their independence. The fierce resistance of the Palestinians won them little sympathy but countless deaths and suffering — and we're talking 60+ years of zero progress.

Not saying you are wrong — because sometimes you are right. But only sometimes. By that, I mean your view about zero tolerance for oppression and tyranny… is too simplistic. Zero tolerance? Rarely are things in life ever so black and white. And it's too easy to subscribe to 'zero tolerance' when our country is the current top dog.

… and have decided to paint half my body blue, carry a Nerf Mace, and scream "THIS…. IS…. SPARTA!" randomly throughout the day (purposefully mixing historical events bastardized by Hollyweird.)

I think we can officially call this one a stalemate.

Happy trails all.

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Again, overly simplistic in your analysis. It's seldom just population or land mass. It's whether the people are united or not. Back in Gandhi's time and before — they weren't united. As well, the people were unarmed for all intent and purpose.

Cultural submissiveness? The various Indian kingdoms, nawabs, etc. did fight back. But they lost due to their vastly inferior armament. Would you ever consider Russians as culturally submissive? Methinks a final charge a la Churchill against the Mongols back in the 1300's would have meant annihilation. But they were smart enough to cater to their Mongol overlords for a couple of hundreds of years — and fought back successfully when ready!

Finally — you surely aren't arguing that "zero tolerance / armed resistance" is always the answer?? My point is simply this: there is no single solution that works every time. Much depends. If you cannot see the flaw in your "zero tolerance" philosophy, then using your own words, "I cannot add further discussion".

Britain had machine guns to help negotiations.
The US follows the same empire building model.
Economic 'aid' can be painful.

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This forum needs some active mods… This is supposed to be the gear section of an ultralight backpacking forum.
I feel I've wandered onto some militant racist survivalist forum.

As a paying customer I'm sad to see it. Just my opinion.
YMMV
NLslacker

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As a paying member you can be your own mod and just skip the threads that you don't want to read; I certainly do that myself.
To request that a thread be moderated just because it makes you uncomfortable isn't really a long term solution. At least here things get discussed . Uncomfortable at times, but healthier in the long run.

I hear you Kat.

"A former college wrestler fended off a cougar attack on a popular hiking trail in Olympic National Park by locking his legs around the animal and squeezing its throat with his hands. Phil Anderson survived the attack Friday afternoon even though he could not choke the young, 80-pound cougar into unconsciousness. "I couldn't quite get my hands around his neck to shut off his esophagus. I could see in his eyes he was going in and out. He was right on the verge of passing out, but his neck was way too muscular,"

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19960527&slug=2331443

I wonder if he was from WSU? Go cougs!

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Turns out the assailant is a low down no good Husky and Butch has filed a restraining order.

Oh yeah…. GO COUGS!

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Daniel:

Thanks for the video, it brought some needed levity to this thread. After the crass, indefensible remark comparing Gandhi to a mule, the video and Ian's WSU Cougar photo at least made me smile.

Dirk

Thankfully, here in Australia we don't need to carry an assault rifle ( either in the city or out in the bush). My biggest worry is ticks, stinging nettles, and the Dropbears!.

> biggest worry is ticks, stinging nettles, and the Dropbears!.
Also leeches, Bunyips, Drongobirds, and members of the Shooters Party.

Cheers

Crazy Aussies!