Wonder if they’ll take it to the level that the Estonians have.
Finland and Russia/Soviet Union have a bit of a past, shall we say. The Winter War and The Continuation War make for interesting reading and seem to have some contemporary parallels today.
Mandatory conscription providing a base of trained civilians to form the backbone of a reserve, home guard, militia, or other irregular force is something that is fairly common in the world but often administered haphazardly. Some nations take it very seriously (ROK, Israel, Switzerland, etc.) and some…not so much. I’ve always thought the Swiss did it best, what with letting their guys take their military guns home with them and encouraging competition with them. Plus, the whole bunkers and redoubts thing also gives them some cred.
Russia’s recent foray into Lebensraum has seemingly forced some European countries to admit that, perhaps, the grand European tradition of disarming your citizenry in the name of security, safety, and civility withers in the cold harsh light of threats to sovereignty. Who knew? Behind every blade of grass and all that jazz.
Do you know who some of the strongest, most vocal, most virulent, most dedicated anti-Communists are? Former residents of communist countries. I have met plenty of people from former Soviet bloc countries and to a man they all support the notion of an armed citizenry. People who fled Hungary, Poland, Russia, and Cuba…they take to the AR15 like fat kids to donuts. I’m surprised more former Soviet states that were steamrollered by the USSR haven’t put an AK in every household.
I really hope the trend of encouraging national participation in firearms activities in the name of national defense continues. I’m sure at some point the various European governments will do their usual act of calling all loyal sons to bear arms during the crisis and then demand they turn those same arms in when the crisis is past. Looking at you, UK.
And, of course, I hope the Finns don’t make the mistake of thinking that opening shooting ranges is the start and finish (Finnish?) of creating a citizen-soldier. Small unit tactics, communications, medical, logistics (so much logistics) all need to be part of the curriculum. It’s the mistake that we often joke about in the survivalist world…you’ve got a million rounds of ammo and three days worth of food. Knowing how to shoot is only a small part of good training.
And, of course, no post about Finnish anything is complete without the comments constantly bring up Simo.
And do you know, at the same time, among which people you can find a significant number who blindly support each of America’s decadent wildnesses, even fiercer than your most devoted “liberals,” “norms,” “leftists,” or whatever you call them? Bingo! – Among those same people from the former soc block. And exactly for the same reason, as a reflex against everything that comes from the lands of the former metropolis. Even if it’s pure shit, if it comes from the free world,” from the side of the American dream, they’ll devour it with pleasure and a smile on their lips. (You know about both sides of the coin.)
This is an even sadder sight than people hopelessly in love with their pseudo-memories of the non-existent bright communist past. I’m from such country and I know.
Concerning war: Of course, think about what you decide according to the sources you trust; And I tell you that everything about the war is wind and fog, nothing is as it is presented to you on both sides (a little time will pass and it will be known if I am right).
In this regard: A unique perspective on Tucker’s interview with Putin, whose purpose and essence no one understood (backed up with all the necessary sources). I mean, there really is nowhere else to meet it, backed up by the necessary factual justification. In case you are interested in more details, scroll down and review the next comments of the same person. This, for example (recommend). And I argue that this is exactly the actual reason for the interview (review, open the links and review more if you wish).
Explanatory context, concerning the above.
(I have no idea exactly what this site is and I don’t care; I visited it for the first time the day I made the comment. It is enough for me that it is a “site that allows my comments”.)
Quote “It’s the mistake that we often joke about in the survivalist world…you’ve got a million rounds of ammo and three days worth of food.”
Is something that worries me quite a bit.
Well armed and hungry people are not your friends. Add *hitty politics like the “skinsuit is your uniform” to the mix spells major trouble to me and my MAG.
Done an AO study? Do you have a better dead when the police protection fails list?
Does logistics include a calendar system as so to know when to plant crops?
Following. Folks will need to use much more personal discernment filtering and dissecting of any and >all< news put forth by .govs or media conglomerates. Operation Mockingbird: all media is a paid/ideologue operative, don't be a naive consoomer. Just as u.s. army adverts now feature actors akin to a Mormon high school football team photo line ups to garner recruitment, .govs in western spheres are panic veering back to the right in appearances only, to prop back up their degrading structures. A society and culture must have deep and strong underpinnings before it can ever be anything resembling a martially strong country and be defensively effective. No drafts or larping in the woods can militarize any modern westernized nation of pansies and candyasses. As an aside note, Russell Bentley had already extensively, and in technicolor, documented for (8) eight years the 'Ukraine' government shelling Donestk Russian speaking areas that desired to be culturally left alone and had to secede for survival. U-tube disappeared that reporting from platform, wonder why? Russia rightfully invaded to protect these people from a known and planned pending 'ukraine' invasion of rightfully separatist regions being cooked up by Vicky and the gang at globalist central casting. Gonna have to back the Vlad on this one, knowing full well the already dirty hands of western cabal. Who/whom are the baddies again? Asking on behalf of the dead.
Sailors that were aboard the USS LIBERTY were unavailable for comment.
Staying frosty requires a good bullshit filter and extensive self study beyond regurgitated press releases. Keep prepping like a mad lad, you'll need all of it for yourself at this trajectory path.
Truth is the rarest element in the universe. When seen, spoken or heard, generates a look of bewilderment and disbelief.
“My job is not to report the news. my job is to sway public opinion” ~ Walter Cronkite
I find Common Sense is the rarest element in the universe.
Man, now that is a government which has its priorities straight. How awesome would it be to have USA build government owned ranges that gave out FREE ammunition so that shooters could practice and perfect their shooting. No take-home ammo either to keep costs down – Issue 10 rounds at a time with returning the emptied brass cases.
Why is that Whitney Houston song playing in my head (I believe that children are our future … lead the way and …) :^)
Governments are very enthusiastic about firearms training for civilians when they need more cannon fodder. None of these people have ‘rights’. They’re tools of the state.
Umm, the Scandinavian countries and Finland already have the brass thing covered. If their registration list has you down for a M1896 and 35 rounds of 6.5×55 160gr RN with it, you better have 35 rounds of same or the empty brass for the spent rounds with the same headstamp when you get the random inspection.
Canoe accident? No more pew-pew for you.
Not true for Norway at least. Norwegian law does not regulate an upper amount of rounds. If you keep more than than 15.000 you must inform the Directorate for Civil Protection. due to perceived fire hazard.
No one hands outs ammo at any civilian range I’ve been to (I wish..) No one keeps count of headstamps or anything else as you enter or exits the range.
Nor does Sweden.
Notice that in the article, they say that at the turn of the century (2000), they had about 2,000 ranges, Since then, it had been reduced to about 600 0r 700, a more than 60% reduction. Was there a concerted effort to reduce gun ownership in Finland between 2000 and 2024? Now that they are feeling threatened by the Russians they want to encourage people to know how to shoot? Whatever is going on would not increase my faith in government,
Your comment echo the Russian government. Why do you think that is?
Hopefully, the ranges will all be on the Finnish-Russian border, with the impact zone in the Russian direction.
Train the way you’ll fight.
You know, this is actually a good idea. We should build 30 gun ranges in our 30 biggest Blue cities. Then we mandate all Gangbangers ( to protect the children of course) must take gun safety and use training. We teach these savages to shoot better and within a year our crime rate drops as the gangbangers go bye bye.
Had a retired Chicago PD SWAT friend talk about responding to a gang shootout just before he retired. They found 250 spent casings at the scene in front of house where 10 bangers went at it, but just 2 people got wounded. He said then better training would fix the gang problem real quick.
“Escape From NY”, really….
For anyone interested this is an excellent book:
Target Switzerland: Swiss Armed Neutrality in World War 2 by Stephen Halbrook
https://www.amazon.com/Target-Switzerland-Swiss-Armed-Neutrality/dp/0306813254
Never discount the Finns. They make great guns. Tika, Valmet, and Sako. And people like Simo Hiya who know how to use them. Read a couple of books on the Winter War of 1940. There is a book about Simo Hiya which I have a copy of. And I just got another on the Winter War.
As an aside. I see TAPCO must be back in business again. I’m getting emails from them. I’m pretty pleased about that. As long as the quality remains the same. I redid my NORICO Mak 90 with TAPCO furniture. Cut the weight by 2 lbs over all. Now if they just made furniture for milled recievers I’d be all set.
I don’t doubt it. Problem is, 5 million people need to die before any garbage burearocrap wakes up to reality. Too late.
I hope our grandchildren live long enough to survive this BS.
My grandfather sent an M1903 to England in 1940 in response to an appeal for firearms. The Brits destroyed it after the war. After he told me (little boy) the story, he said to hold on to your guns, don’t give them away or give them up.
Thanks, grandpa, for those and other words of wisdom.