>>I would posit that it did exactly what it was intended to do; i.e. to disarm the vast majority of people and create large zones of easy targets so that the government could have a monopoly on power.<<
That is a variation of “in the land of the blind, the on-eyed man is king.”
In a land of sheep, the wolf need only have one claw to feed.
A pellet rifle will suffice when the only possible response is spitting...
I like your logic.