TypicalFish 0 #1 December 7, 2004 The History Channel has a show called "Wild West Tech"... This week, it's about the invention and perfection of varying kinds of firearms which enabled the large-scale slaughter of Native Americans, etc., such as the Gatling Gun, Henry Rifle, things of that nature. The episode is titled (I shit you not): "Massacre Tech"... Am I the only one who finds this in rather poor taste? No matter where you are on gun ownership rights? It sounds like a Saturday Night Live skit..."I gargle no man's balls..." ussfpa on SOCNET Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #2 December 7, 2004 Eh, I'd rather tell it like it is.---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airborne31582 0 #3 December 7, 2004 I don't really see the problem with it, it's the truth ain't it? I like that show, kinda liked it better when Keith Carradine hosted it though....or is it David? I get those two brothers mixed up. Chris I thought of the odds of me succeeding, versus the odds I was doing something incredibly stupid, and I went ahead anyway. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #4 December 7, 2004 They were talking about the potato planter, right? One of the early fairly widely used machine guns... Interesting story behind the gun and why a design like that is no longer used, not sure the Hitler channel's take on it, though. They tend to screw things up.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jb092 0 #5 December 7, 2004 Well it is our history, like it or not. What could possibly go wrong? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dumpster 0 #6 December 7, 2004 Well, slaughtering Indians wasn't exactly a tasteful thing to do either. But they call a spade a spade. - The technology was developed primarily to massacre in wholesale lots. Easy Does It Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Doogie320 0 #7 December 7, 2004 Interesting spin on things by a normally credible channel. The Gatling gun wasn't designed with Indians in mind, but the slaughter of run of the mill white guys during the Civil War. While it was used in Indian campaigns its weight (slightly less than a cannon) made it impracticle to use for most battles with the Natives. It did see some combat during the Spanish American war notably during the fight around San Juan Hill. At that point in US history (and in the world) the opponent didn't matter much, arms makers just wanted to build bigger, more reliable, faster firing rifles. While that leads itself to "massacres" it isn't unique to the US or her campaigns against the natives. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyingferret 0 #8 December 7, 2004 Quote'Who controls the past', ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past. I would rather hear objectively, unpleasant or not.-- All the flaming and trolls of wreck dot with a pretty GUI. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RoysPlayThing 0 #9 December 7, 2004 ah! ... quit jo bitchin'! ..............._______________________________________________ My mind is like a parachute...it functions only when open. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr2mk1g 10 #10 December 7, 2004 QuoteAt that point in US history (and in the world) the opponent didn't matter much, arms makers just wanted to build bigger, more reliable, faster firing rifles. While that leads itself to "massacres" it isn't unique to the US or her campaigns against the natives. Sir Hiram Maxim who invented the machine gun proper (the Gatling gun is not a true machine gun as it is manually cranked) apparently invented the machine gun to end all wars. His view of the situation was somewhat similar to the M.A.D. concept of nuclear armament. He felt that the machine gun had such awesome firepower that nations would be unwilling to sustain the loss of life it would produce. Instead we got the First World War. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyingferret 0 #11 December 7, 2004 Kinda of like the Sharps rifle. After the buffalo were gone and the war was over they went out of business. But they made money and a legend until then: http://americanhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/collection/object.asp?ID=2-- All the flaming and trolls of wreck dot with a pretty GUI. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TypicalFish 0 #12 December 7, 2004 Quoteah! ... quit jo bitchin'! ............... Sooooo mean. Not really bitching; quite frnkly it doesn't offend me, I just think it's in poor taste... Especially the "re-enactments"... But that's just me; the sensitive male... "I gargle no man's balls..." ussfpa on SOCNET Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RoysPlayThing 0 #13 December 7, 2004 QuoteSooooo mean. na! actually I'm quite sweet, innocent, and sensitive I actually don't know what you were talking about in this thread, I just wanted to take this opportunity to pick Talk on to you. .... _______________________________________________ My mind is like a parachute...it functions only when open. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TypicalFish 0 #14 December 7, 2004 QuoteQuoteSooooo mean. na! actually I'm quite sweet, innocent, and sensitive I actually don't know what you were talking about in this thread, I just wanted to take this opportunity to pick Talk on to you. .... Chicks. Go figure. "I gargle no man's balls..." ussfpa on SOCNET Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #15 December 7, 2004 Quote"Massacre Tech"... Am I the only one who finds this in rather poor taste? It's equal-opportunity poor taste though - they don't limit themselves to just massacres of Indians: The Wild West was full of danger and violence. It was a land where simple arguments could quickly elevate to bloodshed, where the weather could suddenly turn deadly, where justice was shaped by petty jealousies and fragile egos. But against this tumultuous backdrop, a handful of truly horrific events stand out. MASSACRE TECH examines some of the most infamous events of the era, including the Mormon massacre of a wagon train of settlers, the Yavapai Indian attack on a fully-loaded stagecoach and the decimation of a camp of Chinese prospectors by horse thieves. At each event, a different weapon played a pivotal role, and WILD WEST TECH highlights the hardware that made these deadly attacks possible. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
