6h0st_in_the_machin3

Portuguese here:

• There was compulsory male military service, that would be the only place where you could “handle” military grade hardware, aka assault rifles.
• Currently IIRC, guns are accessible if: you’re a military or law enforcement agent, a hunter (rifle or shotgun) or go through a process for a fire arm license due to professional or business reasons (e.g. a goldsmith) for self-defense.
  As well hand guns are limited to “non-military” calibers… for instance 9mm is for government agents solely.

Of course there’s black market and use by shady actors…

As for people’s personal relationship with guns, most people doesn’t care to have one as there’s not much violent crime to justify said behavior.

It’s a duality…

• In Europe, you can get a hefty fine if you are a public figure and slander someone else without evidence, see the two examples below on the same politician, a MEP (former):

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-angola-dossantos-portugal-idINKBN1ZG29K

https://www.portugalresident.com/former-mep-tv-commentator-ana-gomes-condemned-over-crook-tweet/

So it’s not like in US where the “first amendment” allows you to derail everyone and everything without consequences…

At the same time, EU wants to fight criminality, e.g. drug cartels, money laundering, terrorism, human trafficking, etc… by removing encryption that makes investigation “more” difficult…

And if you think about it, most people use encryption and other security measures not because they are criminals, but because they are essentially “owned and spied” by big tech…

As some douchbag once said, the government doesn’t care which porn sites you visit or with who you go to bed with…

Every now and then just throw a “miau”, in the conversation… 🤪