Mikhial Kalashnikov

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   Silverspeederposted 10 years ago

   The man who invented the most destructive weapon in history has died at 94, Mikhail Kalashnikov designed the gun for the protection of his motherland but in the end it has become the most recognised of all weapons, loved by some hated by others used by many.
   The fact that the gun was never patented has helped it become the most prolific with estimates of about 100 million being made, that's one for every 70 people.
   
   Its rather ironic that a man who wanted to design agricultural equipment to help farming and food production came to produce a design for one of the most successful weapons to date.
   
   Mikhail Kalashnikov, saint or sinner?

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      retief2000posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      "Sinner or Saint?"
      
      Man, doesn't that make him both?

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         wildernessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         It does not.  Protecting your country or family from those that would steal and enslave does not a sinner make.

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            retief2000posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            It is so fun to revisit the notion that humanity is flawed and imperfect, again and again, despite the abundant evidence.  All men are sinners and saints.  It is like the story that each man has in him two dogs, one vicious, angry, envious, greedy, etc... the other kind, generous, modest, thrifty, etc.... The dog that grows is the dog we feed.  What man is perfect in feeding the virtuous side?  It is fun picking nits with you, again(and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again,and again)
            
            Who could possible tire of banging one's head on a closed mind.

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               Zelkiiroposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               ...So, your point is that people are capable of both good and evil? Clearly this is new and exciting information. Do grace us with more of your profound and untold wisdom.
               
               

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                  retief2000posted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  Apparently not obvious enough for your comprehension.

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            retief2000posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Protecting your slave masters in Moscow makes you a saint?  M.K. was a devout Soviet man, does that make him a saint?  He is no less complex than any other man.  All men are some mixture of that which is just and decent and that which is cruel and perverse.  Sinner/Saint, get it?

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               wildernessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               Yes, I get it - do you?  Do you really believe that every attribute, every action, every thought or motive creates both sinner and saint at the same time?

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                  retief2000posted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  I believe that there is no human perfection and that all men are both sinner and saint.  Not all actions are those of a saint or those of a sinner but all men do things attributable to both saints and sinners.  Is the complexity of human conduct so hard to grasp.  Is the man dishing out soup to the poor and hungry a sinner or a saint when he thinks sexual thoughts about the woman working next to him while never ignoring or denigrating the plight of those he is feeding?  Things aren't simple and people are far more complicated than mere things.

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                     wildernessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                     But your question, which I answered, was "Man, doesn't that make him both?" referring to one specific action - the invention of a particular gun.  I have a hard time seeing that action being both saintly and devilish at the same time.  One or the other, or neither, but not both.  Particularly as motive counts for a lot, IMO, in determining the good/evil of an action.

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                        retief2000posted 10 years agoin reply to this

                        Not the action of inventing the AK-47, but the condition of being MAN, doesn't that make him both sinner and saint? I apologize for not writing my response in a way more easy to comprehend.  Language is a poor conveyor of meaning, sometimes, but you work with the tools you have.

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                           wildernessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                           Absolutely both sinner and saint.  I misunderstood your comment and apologize.

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                              retief2000posted 10 years agoin reply to this

                              Well aren't we just the best of friends now, it's a Festivus Miracle! Sincerely, thought it was just the two of us tussling over sin, again. My most sincere apologies, Zel will be so disappointed with our make up.

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                                 wildernessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                                 Well, he will just have to put up with it.  'Tis the season, after all!

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                                    retief2000posted 10 years agoin reply to this

                                    You are right, what the hell else you gonna do when it is 7 degrees outside, Merry Freezin' Christmas.

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      Credence2posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Providing a positive obituary to the inventor of a world renown and successful automatic weapon is not so bad. What did we think of Sam Colt, Browning, Thompson, Gatling, these guys are not reviled in history?

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      Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      S'pose since we don't know his heart, "inventor" would be most appropriate.

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      MG Singhposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      All said and  done , he was great inventor and he will be remembered for that.

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   Paul Wingertposted 10 years ago

   The produce that he invented is no different from other war related inventions over the years. The AK-47 is popular because it's very reliable and it sells on the world market for $50 (USD) and includes a box of 100 rounds.

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