Guns are like thermometers, only instead of measuring body temperatures they measure our fear. - Jean Zimmerman History The invention of the firearm in 10th century China transformed warfare and, as the technology spread along the Silk Route the nature of combat changed fundamentally forever. Before the arrival of the gun the outcome of a fight was determined by physical strength, determination and skill in using weapons. As we have discussed in our post related to Martial Arts such skills with armed and unarmed fighting took considerable time to develop. It also required courage to stand against another opponent and physically exchange blows and techniques in a competition where life itself was at stake. Philosophical Considerations The gun transformed the nature of combat so that a weaker person could kill a physically stronger opponent from a distance and without any risk. The gun was, and remains, the perfect weapon for the weak to overcome a physically or nu
Devoted to the fiction of K.R.M. Morgan