Quickleaf's article and summation sounds like my friend's thinking, so I suspect that's his initiating source (as in read article, then found the .gov site as proof).
I would suspect that if I found a .gov site and had a crazy theory and posted an blog entry about it, and you read my blog entry FIRST, then checked the .gov site to verify my "proof", that you'd be more inclined to agree with my position, than if you found the .gov site and were left to think of the reason on your own.
Basically, when you're given an explanation backed with facts, you're more likely to acccept the explanation. After all, it has facts, that you can check.
[MENTION=5868]Olgar Shiverstone[/MENTION]'s explanation of actualy military consumption of ammo matches by guess of what it could mean. Basically, training. You'll probably use more ammo on the shooting range, than on the field, at least for folks NOT in an active combat situation.
Assuming Olgar's "facts" on typical consumption rates are correct enough (they sound plausible, based on my understanding of shooting lots of ammo on the range, and 1 round on an animal), then this is all in line with that.
In general, I'm skeptical of large organizations being able to pull of large screw jobs of society like a coup. I suppose it's possible, lots of people helped Hitler, the Manhattan project was apparently pretty well kept, and Apple does a fairly good job of keeping their new iPhone's secret. But then, there's also leaks. We did KNOW what Hitler was doing. At least 2 of the Apple rumors were correct.
Additionally, when it comes to the big evil take-over concerns, we do have our second ammendment rights. Which are really the right to vote Hitler out of office. While there are crazy and wrong people who've previously executed on that right, it is always an option in America when General McEvil stages a coup and takes over the goverrnment.
I also believe that even if the majority of General McEvil's command buy's into his BS about America needing him to take over, at least SOME of his men (who are all also Americans) will realize what he's doing is wrong, and do something about it. I believe that at least one Nazi said "this is wrong" and got shot, and another Nazi kept his mouth shut and then worked behind the scenes to resist. Just like some white folk in the south helped black folk escape on the underground railroad. Not everybody drinks the local koolaid.