alt Hacker NewsThe reality is that tear gas is not an effective riot control tool. It works fine against spontaneous mobs of sports fans after their team loses, but it's not especially effective against prepared insurrectionists.
The last time the US faced this level of organized political resistance against lawful federal authority, the Army and National Guard routinely used fixed bayonets to control segregationist protesters. The same technique would work today, but with modern rifles being significantly shorter and hence being less effective bayonet platforms, a dedicated spear might be the better option.
Such weapons, employed in a close-order formation, would be much less lethal than they might seem at first blush. Historical data from 18th and 19th century conflicts shows that, even in battles where bayonet charges happened, there was still an extremely low rate of actual bayonet casualties. Even trained and disciplined soldiers will break and rout rather than let themselves be stabbed with bayonets (or, presumably, spears).
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>Even trained and disciplined soldiers will break and rout rather than let themselves be stabbed with bayonets (or, presumably, spears).
What if the organizers have drilled it into their heads that they won't use real spears? "WHY DID YOU HAVE REAL BULLETS?!?!?"
Poe’s Law strikes again. Surely you’re not for real?
Maybe we should talk about the first time the US had this level of political resistance against "lawful authority". That seems like a better analogy for what's going on here.
Also I feel compelled to point out that "lawful authority" does not imply "authority acting lawfully". The difference is painfully demonstrated by the existence of a thread discussing the use of respirators in response to government jackboots suppressing lawful first amendment activity. The obvious alternative is to let the protests happen, per our Constitution.
The most recent organized resistance was not segregation but the 1970s bombings. There were 2000 bombings in less than two years.