But what if they did turn the heat all the way up to confiscation. What if they just bumped it a notch to say...banning the possession of high capacity mags? And a warrant was issued to arrest me because my neighbor ratted me out for not surrendering all of mine?
The government does not need to have house to house tactical raids.
Will the mass of people comply? Probably. But I believe they will do so through coercion rather than by force.
The government does not have enough resources to tactically hit every household that would not comply if done so by force. We may be able to print the money to buy the supplies needed for this like guns and armor. But there will not be enough manpower to accomplish this.
Not to mention that to hit everyone tactically with force would create more sympathy and actually bolster a resistance. This method works against them, not for them.
No...if you want to accomplish your goal, you use blackmail / coercion. Hit people where it hurts, but not with force. Examples...
1. IRS could hold all tax returns until you comply.
2. Once government health care is setup, refuse medical treatment to those who do not comply.
3. Refuse to accept a suspects children into public school until you comply.
4. Deny all government payments until your comply. Unemployment, Food Stamps, Housing Assistance, Childcare Assistance, etc.
5. Refuse to allow suspects to use public transportation like air travel until you comply.
6. Refuse to renew or issue government documents until you comply. Drivers Licenses, Birth Certificates, Social Security Cards, Passports...all the important documents you need in life.
And these are just the few I could think up in a little time. This would make the majority comply without firing a single shot. Compliance through blackmail / coercion. If a ban is instigated, this is how it will be enforced.
Most politicians may be liars and thieves. But they are not stupid.