The now infamous Cody Wilson successfully fired a 3D printed plastic pistol one time by hand, without maiming himself. The tech press went wild.

From Forbes magazine over the weekend, Wilson's intellectually flimsy rationalization for making what he calls the "Liberator:"

"[Cody Wilson] prefers to think of his Liberator in the same terms as its namesake, the one built for distribution to resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied countries in the 1940s. That plan was conceived in part as a psychological operation aimed at lowering the occupying forces' morale, Wilson says, and he believes his project will strike a similar symbolic blow against governments around the world. 'The enemy took notice that weapons were being dropped from the sky,' he says. 'Our execution will be better. We have the Internet.' "

The journalist doesn't even blink.

A claim that one is symbolically and virtually making a plastic gun available to those who wish to rise up against dictatorship worldwide doesn't hold much water. The expense (at least $8k for what is Wilson's used 3D printer) makes it so that's not achievable. The people in such nations tend toward the poverty stricken.

Wilson is also ignorant of history but perhaps this is just shamming.

Anyone even slightly familiar with WWII history knows how the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS dealt with armed resistance, partisans and uprisings -- all of which had much more than plastic guns.

As for current belief in the efficacy of a 3D plastic gun in enabling overthrow, one considers the current case of Syria, or Libya. Or [fill in the blank, there are many options.]

It's in Wilson's career interest to foster this nonsense because he depends on philanthropic donation from other like-minded, very white, very libertarian, very right-wing nuisances with plenty of disposable income.

For this we can thank the NYT tech journalist who publicized Wilson to the greatest effect last year, making much of his work much easier to fulfill.

Title reference, from Woody Guthrie. 2013 3D plastic gun manufacturing, not exactly something he would have supported, one suspects.

Today's humorous music and video diversion on a vexing social problem.

Originally published at Dick Destiny blog. About the author.