i guess it could be both

Its not as simple as that. NFA items now take about 6 months to register (ie, apply for the $200 tax stamp). Right now, this is limited to such items as pre '86 machine guns, destructive devices, supressors, short barreled rifles/ shotguns. These are relatively rare niche items. The NFA was passed when $200 was a serious barrier to entry.

If Biden gets his wish and there's any level of compliance, there could be hundreds of millions of NFA items. The ATF would have to be massively expanded.

Its more clever than most gun control regimes, but its still untenable.

Paperwork and personnel? Seems hard. Nevermind.

With taxes due next week, there is some irony here.

Mine were done in February. What's your point?

That, you know, the IRS is an example of how the federal government has historically struggled with 'paperwork and personnel' at scale.

Well that, and a shit ton of dead dogs. The ATF loves killing dogs almost as much as women and children.

You said due. I'll leave with my point as is.

Sometimes fancy folks don't get refunds so they aren't worried about scammers stealing the money that the feds have been holding and accruing interest against. I don't know these people, but I am told that they exist.

I think you fundementally misunderstand the issue of expanding the NFA to this extent. Its a 6 month backlog for many reasons, and I think you would need to talk to the head of the ATF to understand what is required for scaling. This is the most elaborate and complex way of accomplishing this policy objective.

Inventing an entirely new gun regulation regime might be more doable than opening up the NFA for all this shit.

Wait a big, complex situation can't be solved immediately? And people would have to talk to each other about scaling?

Like I said. Seems hard. Nevermind.

This is possibly the most complicated path to achieve the stated goals. There are numerous other approaches that would be much simpler. If you agree with the stated goals, you should care about the how of it.

Cutting the IRS budget by 20% and reducing its auditor staff by a third over the course of a decade and a half, and then pointing to them as an example of how federalism can’t manage large scale tasks...is the most on-brand ‘cynical America’ thing ever.

Next target: the post office.

change the definitions of pistols, rifles, shotguns, etc. so they aren't labelled "arms"

then the 2nd amendment doesn't apply to them anymore.

problem solved.

Plus "arms" is capitalized in the 2nd amendment. Can probably figure out a loophole around that.

Here's some criticism on it from the left:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/07/16/biden-gun-control-poverty/#click=https://t.co/sypv035e8I

i wish this thread didn't have the f- word in it

it just debases the legitimacy of the argument

have some more self-respect, thread title

the merits of your arguments are strong enough on their own

Thanks for sharing this. I meant to read it last week and forgot.

I especially liked the assumption that right-wing gun owners must be more well off than left-wing gun owners and would therefore continue to overmatch the working class libs.

Snarkiness aside, I agree with her that more should be done about handguns, mental health services, and defunding the police.

McCloskey update. I can't figure how the local prosecutor is going to take this to trial:

https://www.ksdk.com/amp/article/news/local/gardner-staffer-ordered-crime-lab-to-reassemble-patricia-mccloskeys-gun/63-be112149-d06c-4f54-a225-6545e74b5c2d?__twitter_impression=true