It's called keeping hardware out of terrorist's hands. Since my son is in Iraq, I fully support not exporting anything that can be used by snipers.
It's illegal and should be.
So was the for mentioned invasion of Iraq (arguably), the subsequent use of white phosphorus, as well as the collective punishment that has been imposed on various cities throughout the country since the invasion.
If you are worried about getting sniped by some dude that bought a rifle scope online, in a private sale, that he had shipped to another country (then presumably reimported, along with some sort of gun), I have a tin foil hat I'd like to sell ya.
The reason they ban export of certain optics is because they were imported from somewhere else, to the US, and other countries would like to enforce import tariffs on stuff that is imported (go figure). If someone in the US buys a swarovski scope then shipps it to his buddy (who is actually paying for it) somewhere else, the other country will miss out of the tax of the imported good.
Well I agree with Ron Paul that we don't belong out there policing the world either. Armed citizens on any of those planes could have stopped them from flying into those buildings. I am sick of Big Brother and the Nanny State, and of Empire.
I know, I know all taxes are bad (after all fruit from the money tree builds bridges, roads, and police forces right?), and government is gonna come git cher gunz, but could just one thread not devolve in to a
John Burch Society errr I mean Ron Paul
pipedream err celebration