The dozens of military vehicles in this museum, including this modern-day Leapord I Main Battle Tank, are all fully operational, including the 105-mm cannon.
This guy has more firepower in his barn and basement than a US Army Infantry Company.
Ben's little article got me to thinking, since I do have a bit of a connection with Switzerland. Through in-laws and friends of in-laws, the last time I visited I got to tour the Swiss military museum (while it was closed for the winter) and visit a guy who has two tanks in his barn and a host of other military vehicles and more real-live machine guns that you can shake a stick at.
Here's the kicker. In "Freedom-land USA", even the these pieces at GOVERNMENT museums have to be de-activated. The tanks, they weld the gun barrel and breechblock shut, remove the power-pack, etc. The musuem firearms have to be de-activated if they are classified as a nasty machine gun. And you sure as hell can't have fully-operational tanks and anti-aircraft guns out in the barn.
All the goodies I'm talking about over yonder there 'cross the pond, they are all fully-operational, both the privately-held ones and the museum pieces. They could fill 'em up with diesel, stock the ammo racks, and go to war tommorrow. Every Swiss man has to serve a stint in their Army, and when they are done they take their field gear, uniforms, and STG-90 rifle home with them so they are instantly ready to answer a reserve call-up.So almost every Swiss home has at least a rifle in it.
Yet despite all this, I have never heard of a tank, anti-aircraft gun, or machine gun crime spree in Switzerland. In fact, I haven't heard of any incidents at all, with the one exception of a recently discharged serviceman going on a shooting spree with his GOVERNMENT-ISSUED STG-90 service rifle.
The way the Brady Bunch talks, though, you'd think the streets of Switzerland would be running knee-deep in blood and anarchy would reign. Instead, the Swiss have always had some of the lowest crime rates in the world. Hmmmmm.
1 comment:
I didn't know if I should write a post about Switzerland since that's kinda your turf, but I enjoyed that article that I referenced, so I figured what the hay.
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