- cross-posted to:
- antiwork
- cross-posted to:
- antiwork
In the 1920s an increasing number of corporations were acquiring machine guns for labor relations related reasons. Deterring striking employees.
Did you know that the Peters company made ammunition specifically for riot control for the Thompson submachine gun in the 1920s? And it wasn’t rubber bullets, either – it was paper-wrapped snakeshot. The cartridges were actually longer than a standard magazine would accept, necessitating the production of a special longer magazine to fit them. That magazine would hold 18 rounds, and was specially marked as such…
… At about 8 feet it made a pattern about 18 inches in diameter (from a rifled Tommy Gun barrel), and did not cycle the action… the proper way to use this ammo for crowd control: fire it into the pavement in front of the crowd, allowing it to ricochet up into the crowd at a lower velocity. It would be less lethal that way, but still a great way to lose an eye!
Ian’s video: [5:30] https://youtu.be/ud3Csq6568k?si=
Old Popular Mechanics article that mentions this type of ammo.
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“for labor related reasons”
Christ it almost sounds boring when you say it like that.
“Seymour, make sure you order more coffee filters, we’re running low in the break room.”
“Yes sir. While I’m placing orders, sir, there’s another Union meeting this Friday. Shall I order some extra labor relations supplies?”
“Yes, yes, of course.”
“In what caliber shall we order them sir?”
“I dont recall; same as last time. Oh and don’t forget to pick up my dry cleaning. Make sure she starched the collars this time.”
“Yes, sir, very good sir.”
deleted by creator
I like to imagine an irate magnate of industry enraged by fairly reasonable requests.
“Sick pay?! Why the hell would I pay someone to get sick?! What’s next do they want every Sunday off too?”
“Johnson get the riot ammo. Teach those union thugs nobody messes with Carnegie Steel!”
Frick*
Henry Clay Frick, whom he told to break the strike however he had to, while Carnegie hid in Great Britain, and publicly “supported” unionization.
TIL, I just picked a random monopoly and presumed they’d have done something like that.
There’s a good reason that Carnegie and Rockefeller hid from the public and had bodyguards. It took their PR campaigns almost 100 years for the public to forget their actual legacies
Strong energy of “Subway™️ Eat Fresh©️ and Freeze, dirtbag!”
I was shooting heroin and reading “The Fountainhead” in the front seat of my privately owned police cruiser when a call came in. I put a quarter in the radio to activate it. It was the chief.
“Bad news, detective. We got a situation.”
“What? Is the mayor trying to ban trans fats again?”
“Worse. Somebody just stole four hundred and forty-seven million dollars’ worth of bitcoins.”
The heroin needle practically fell out of my arm. “What kind of monster would do something like that? Bitcoins are the ultimate currency: virtual, anonymous, stateless. They represent true economic freedom, not subject to arbitrary manipulation by any government. Do we have any leads?”
“Not yet. But mark my words: we’re going to figure out who did this and we’re going to take them down … provided someone pays us a fair market rate to do so.”
“Easy, chief,” I said. “Any rate the market offers is, by definition, fair.”
He laughed. “That’s why you’re the best I got, Lisowski. Now you get out there and find those bitcoins.”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’m on it.”
I put a quarter in the siren. Ten minutes later, I was on the scene. It was a normal office building, strangled on all sides by public sidewalks. I hopped over them and went inside.
“Home Depot™ Presents the Police!®” I said, flashing my badge and my gun and a small picture of Ron Paul. “Nobody move unless you want to!” They didn’t.
“Now, which one of you punks is going to pay me to investigate this crime?” No one spoke up.
“Come on,” I said. “Don’t you all understand that the protection of private property is the foundation of all personal liberty?”
It didn’t seem like they did.
“Seriously, guys. Without a strong economic motivator, I’m just going to stand here and not solve this case. Cash is fine, but I prefer being paid in gold bullion or autographed Penn Jillette posters.”
Nothing. These people were stonewalling me. It almost seemed like they didn’t care that a fortune in computer money invented to buy drugs was missing.
I figured I could wait them out. I lit several cigarettes indoors. A pregnant lady coughed, and I told her that secondhand smoke is a myth. Just then, a man in glasses made a break for it.
“Subway™ Eat Fresh and Freeze, Scumbag!®” I yelled.
Too late. He was already out the front door. I went after him.
“Stop right there!” I yelled as I ran. He was faster than me because I always try to avoid stepping on public sidewalks. Our country needs a private-sidewalk voucher system, but, thanks to the incestuous interplay between our corrupt federal government and the public-sidewalk lobby, it will never happen.
I was losing him. “Listen, I’ll pay you to stop!” I yelled. “What would you consider an appropriate price point for stopping? I’ll offer you a thirteenth of an ounce of gold and a gently worn ‘Bob Barr ‘08’ extra-large long-sleeved men’s T-shirt!”
He turned. In his hand was a revolver that the Constitution said he had every right to own. He fired at me and missed. I pulled my own gun, put a quarter in it, and fired back. The bullet lodged in a U.S.P.S. mailbox less than a foot from his head. I shot the mailbox again, on purpose.
“All right, all right!” the man yelled, throwing down his weapon. “I give up, cop! I confess: I took the bitcoins.”
“Why’d you do it?” I asked, as I slapped a pair of Oikos™ Greek Yogurt Presents Handcuffs® on the guy.
“Because I was afraid.”
“Afraid?”
“Afraid of an economic future free from the pernicious meddling of central bankers,” he said. “I’m a central banker.”
I wanted to coldcock the guy. Years ago, a central banker killed my partner. Instead, I shook my head.
“Let this be a message to all your central-banker friends out on the street,” I said. “No matter how many bitcoins you steal, you’ll never take away the dream of an open society based on the principles of personal and economic freedom.”
He nodded, because he knew I was right. Then he swiped his credit card to pay me for arresting him.
The only thing we have to fear is Chiquita itself.
the proper way to use this ammo for crowd control: fire it into the pavement in front of the crowd, allowing it to ricochet up into the crowd at a lower velocity.
I doubt they were intended or instructed to use these like that.
Thats how modern rubber bullets ate intended to be used and i have never seen footage of cops doing that either
Non lethal sells better than less lethal.
“Less lethal” in the same way stabbing someone with a pocket knife is less lethal than with a sabre.
What’s your point?
Mine is - ‘non-lethal’ was a scam to sell this idea to public, and then purchase weapons that are still capable to do a lot of damage, carry them around and shooting people like they are nothing, under that veil of them being safe.
Basically the same, only with attempted humor
Ah, seems like I got whooshed.
