Hit and miss

First, the hit; 

"There are already enough firearms of every sort loose in this land to commence hot civil warfare and they will not be surrendered by their owners. The horses are out of the barn on that one, even if sales of military-style weapons are outlawed. Any effort to confiscate them from people already possessing them will only provoke more overt antagonism between the two poles of American politics — and would probably lead to exactly the sort of violence that sober observers discern on the horizon."

Yes, and those who insist that passing a law to ban firearms, regardless of action, features, caliber, et al., will actually accomplish their stated goals is a fucking moron of the highest order. You'd have about as much luck with un-inventing the wheel.

For those scratching their heads, confused about what I just said, well, that fucking morons thing...

...And the miss, and its bigger than Kunstler can possibly imagine;

"Our battered American common culture and its expression in political consensus ought to start with the foundation of the social contract: the agreement to not slaughter each other."

No, there is no contract. Nor has there EVER been one. Not here, not in Europe, not in the history of mankind, as a matter of fact, has there ever been one and Ma Nature surely doesn't give a shit about that ridiculous concept, and in fact, is outright opposed to it. The fact that there were a bunch of sober, clear-thinking men (don't get me started down this road, pansies) back in the late 18th century who recognized the very nature of mankind, and did, for the very first time, something about leveling the field, FOR EVERYONE, is about as close as we've ever come.

The gun confiscation bit is yet another step, directly away from that ideal, and toward the slaughter of each other that he mentions.

Check your history, even recent history, if you don't believe me.