Kalishnikov - Bio of the Big Gun (anti-gun hysterics alert!)

ABC News International ^ | 6/13/2006 | NICK WATT

[DemforBush]

June 12, 2006 — From Liberia to Afghanistan to the jungles of South America and the badlands of Iraq, the weapon of choice is nearly always the Kalashnikov. But it wasn't supposed to be that way...

[DemforBush]

There is already a similar thread here but I figure you can never point out the ignorance of the average reporter too often when it comes to firearms. People are killing each other because the AK-47 is too easy to use. Riiiiight.

[Paladin2]

The same thing is true 0f the aut0m0bile and the aut0matic transmissi0n. M0re pe0ple die because the aut0 trans makes it easier f0r many t0 drive.

[nevergore]

Time to get a new keyboard....eh?

[Lurker]

"When I look at TV," Kalashnikov said, "and I see the weapon I invented to defend my motherland in the hands of these bin Ladens, I ask myself the simple question: How did it get into their hands?"

The government you were so proud to work for gave most of them away Anatoly.

L

[Spktyr]

And while part of that country really wishes that they hadn't given them away like free candy (victims of the Chechnya rebels), the other part hasn't learned the lesson and continues to give them away.

[Misterioso]

How hard is it to decide how KalAshnikov is spelled?

[Lurker]

If I'm not mistaken the first time the Russian government ever actually got paid for the damned things was the recent order from Hugo Chavez.

The Russians must be laughing their asses off at that idiot.

Here's hope Mr. Kalishnikov at least got some kind of commission on the deal.

L

[DemforBush]

Kalashnikov, Kalishnikov, a commie by any other name... :)

[Paladin2]

Yeah, it's a pr0grammable gateway2k keyb0ard built in 1993, b0ught used, and has an invent0ry tag indicating that it was the pr0perty 0f a nearby university. Many 0f the p0pular keys are quite shiny indicating t0ns 0f use. I d0n't think it liked being used with a mechanical KVM switch.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

"When I look at TV," Kalashnikov said, "and I see the weapon I invented to defend my motherland in the hands of these bin Ladens, I ask myself the simple question: How did it get into their hands?"

It got into their hands because the Soviet government gave millions of them away to every dictator, thug, and terrorist it thought would help it defeat the United States during the Cold War.