Weapons: The Great Equalizer?

For those who live under oppressive regimes, weapons are the subduing tool of tyrants.  But for many others, they’re thought of as the great equalizer.  Consider the principle behind the much debated 2^nd amendment:  “A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” In the latest issue of New-Scientist, Laura Spinney investigates an opposing theory that suggests civilization is a product of advancements in weaponry, that the development of long-range weapons marked the moment when “power became uncoupled from physical strength.”