In an unprecedented move, the Biden administration has halted exports of all civilian firearms from the US for 90 days. This export ban encompasses even shotguns and rifle scopes and has never been done before, not even during World War II according to experts. While ostensibly done over concerns about regional instability and human rights violations, the real reason is more ominous - America is bracing for war.
With military stockpiles rapidly depleting from supplying arms to Ukraine and Israel, the US is moving to consolidate domestic firearms manufacturing capacity towards building up a wartime economy. Simply put, we are running out of weapons, and every bullet produced in America will soon be desperately needed by our own forces. The government is also worried about guns getting into the wrong hands abroad, but that is a secondary concern.
This export ban is the canary in the coal mine signaling that the world sits on the edge of a major conflict. With tensions rapidly rising in the Middle East, Taiwan, and Korea, the risk of a broader war drawing in the US rises daily. The American military is stretched thin, so prudence dictates marshaling our domestic arms industry for the battles ahead rather than exporting firearms.
Make no mistake, this move means the government believes a major war is coming soon. Whether with Russia, China, Iran or North Korea - America is bracing for conflict on a scale not seen in generations. Diplomacy has failed, bullets will soon fly, and US troops will need vast amounts of weapons and ammunition.
For the average American, this export ban changes little in the near-term. But it does signal that darker days lie ahead. A time is coming when the guns and butter of peacetime will be replaced by the blood and iron of wartime. The duty will fall once again on the citizen soldier to take up arms in defense of freedom. Just as in World War II, America's arsenal of democracy will churn out the tools of victory - this time for a new generation to wield on distant battlefields.
So while this export ban causes few ripples now, its implications are grave. It is the first concrete step to gird for conflict, the calm before the storm. Make preparations, keep your powder dry, and pray that our leaders find the wisdom to avoid war. But either way, understand that we approach the end of an era. The world slouches towards conflagration, and America marshals her strength to meet the challenge. This is no drill.
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