In the U.S. we're saturated with guns (one per person?), so obviously the laws will have little if any or even a negative effect.
Exactly. Any attempt to restrict guns fails because there are already too many guns- you just hurt those who play by the rules (aka victims not criminals).
If you tried to take away guns from the people to get to a place where guns laws could work, you would start the Civil War 2.
The gov would just flick a couple of switches and all your revolutionaries wouldn't be able to communicate, they would break down into thousands of separate groups who would fight each other for power. Then the gov would just do clean up
You would be surprised. Some of these people who hoard guns come up with all kinds of contingency plans. I have known a few. Plus it would be very hard to get a volunteer American army (many of whom are gun nuts themselves) to go and enforce some sort of crazy gun control. The real battle would be within the military.
I have a gun because the world is dangerous. That is enough for me.
By some people's logic I should not have a gun, but then again I shouldn't have many of my freedoms if you have a collectivist world view. I should be forced to recycle, drive a small car, never buy incandescent light bulbs, buy American, never eat fast food, never smoke, etc. The personal freedoms of Americans allow us to make MANY bad choices that hurt our fellow humans. Guns are just part of it.
I often imagine that one day centuries from now people will look back at this age- an age of waste and violence- with the same disdain that we look back on slave owners. But those looking back will have a fraction of the personal freedom we do, as the corrupt central government they live under makes most choices for them.
As someone who grew up with vast freedoms, you could not take them away. Once your mindset shifts to being an individual it is hard to voluntarily give up choices.
That is why China has their firewall, because once that horse is out of the barn it is impossible to put back. If the future ends up like I think, it will because m/billions of free thinking individuals died to prevent it, guns in their hands...