Tyrants, The Taliban, and Gun Control

Question: What do the Taliban, who are now ruling Afghanistan, and American gun-control proponents have in common?

Answer: A lot when you compare current events in that beleaguered country and the ongoing movement to kill the Second Amendment here in the United States.

That answer might get a lot of noses out of joint within America’s gun-ban movement, including in the hallowed halls of the White House, but we’ll simply present the facts and let the chips fall where they may.

Last week, after a botched, hurried withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan after 20 years in the region, the Taliban took control of the country in just a few days with very little fighting by the Afghan army left to protect citizens. Shortly thereafter, Taliban fighters began distributing all kinds of new, high-tech, military-grade firearms and artillery among themselves, becoming arguably one of the best-equipped fighting forces in the entire world.

What came next was no surprise to those who understand tyranny. The day after taking control, the Taliban began calling for Afghan citizens to turn their privately owned firearms into the new regime. And you can likely guess the reason.

According to a Reuters report, a Taliban spokesman told the news organization: “We understand people kept weapons for personal safety. They can now feel safe. We are not here to harm innocent civilians.”

Hmmm, where have citizens heard that before? Perhaps from the Third Reich before the death of millions during the Holocaust? Maybe in China before cruel leaders there put a crushing thumb on innocent citizens simply protesting for freedom? Perhaps even modern-day Venezuela, where the socialist government banned private ownership of firearms, leaving citizens now with no recourse as what is left of the once-proud country slowly disintegrates?

The answer is all of the above, and pretty much anywhere tyrants have wanted to control everyday citizens. The list goes on.

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It’s interesting to note just how much the Taliban “don’t need guns anymore” statement sounds like this one, taken straight from a story at Michael Bloomberg-funded The Trace.

“Many Americans think that having a gun in the house will protect them, if, say, someone breaks in to attack or steal from them—yet violent break-ins are actually quite rare and have become steadily less common over the past 20 years. And when one occurs, having a gun is no safety guarantee.”

In fact, the statement by the Taliban resonated with many who are involved in the ongoing battle to save the Second Amendment and the rights it protects.

“One of the first things Joe Biden did after taking office was push his gun-ban agenda,” Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA), said in a news item posted to the group’s website. “One of the first things the Taliban did after taking Kabul was go door-to-door, seizing firearms. Biden says banning so-called ‘assault weapons’ and 9mm pistols will make the country safer. The Taliban is telling people they don’t need guns because they are safe. Those are some very alarming parallels.”

Gottlieb added that gun-ban proponents in the United States—especially those at the highest levels of government—could learn a lesson by paying attention to what is happening in Afghanistan.

“Biden and Kamala Harris would be happy to disarm America,” Gottlieb concluded. “We must never allow that to happen in this country. If Biden, Harris and their Democrat colleagues in Congress think gun confiscation is a good idea, they can go to Kabul for a close look.”

One thing’s for sure: After giving millions of dollars’ worth of high-tech weapons to be terrorists by the botched troop withdrawal, Biden has no moral ground to stand on when it comes to his desires to disarm average law-abiding Americans.

Freelance writer and editor Mark Chesnut is the owner/editorial director at Red Setter Communications LLC. An avid hunter, shooter and political observer, he has been covering Second Amendment issues and politics on a near-daily basis for the past 20 years.