Domestic Occupation
On October 1st, the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division began training in NorthCom, a domestic federal defense command that encourages the support of "civil authorities." Troops will actively serve as an on-call response team, thereby breaking restraints that have been in place for over 100 years.
Army Times reports that soldiers "may be called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control or to deal with potentially horrific scenarios," and test out the Army's first nonlethal weapons package designed to "subdue unruly or dangerous individuals without killing them." The assignment is expected to become permanent within a year.
The federal government's ability to exercise military force within the United States has been largely prohibited by both the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 and the Insurrection Act of 1807, the latter having since been amended to authorize the depletion of troops during a "natural disaster, epidemic, orther serious public health emergency, terrorist attack or incident, or other condition." Additionally, the Defense Authorization Act of 2006 has amended the President's ability to declare martial law, allowing him or her to take control of the National Guard without any state authorization.
Tweet- 10-7-08
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Evil powers in government
Larry Fenton
Well the events of the past week seem to be a game changer for a close election next month. The timing is perfect for a Barack Obama landslide victory. Our government has been tinkering with wall street for years every time the stock market falls a 100 points or so... Now we all thought the bailout would keep the ramshackle wallstreet DOW and fiat money system going. But, this dark cloud called the Bush presidency cannot last forever. If they try (through another election fraud or steal) to put in McCain it will be so obvious that a full blown insurrection would most likely result. The spirit of freedom exists and will prevail even if a few of democracy's leaders are killed or imprisoned. We saw that in our revolution and as we all know history is likely to repeat itself.
The Board is set...
and the pieces are moving.
This story just makes this even more obvious. Where is the mainstream press coverage of this? Too tied up with the current political drama and economic woes to pay attention to these subliminal actions made by our corrupt and power-hungry government that compromise the American populous' well being and ability to evoke change.
Continuity of Government Bill ring any bells?
Also, love the governmental usage of exquisitely vague statements such as "or other conditions" that qualify for domestic troop deployment. What could these other conditions be perhaps? Popular uprising against the evil powers that be? Peaceful protest against a fascist regime? Riots and civil unrest concerning the manipulated and false outcome of the upcoming election?
Take your pick.
Knight to D5...
recourse?
The implications ...
Looking at the other articles (the first one appeared in 'The Army Times', it looks like they are anticipating a combination of terrorist attacks - mass biological or nuclear weapons - or more subtle attacks on the infrastructure (shades of the Estonian cyberwar) that would lead to social chaos (what will we do without Wal-Mart and our cars?!!?). I think it's the implications for what amoral politicians might do with the capability that are frightening people - but our American voting system would keep amoral politicians out of office ... right?
Tales inveniunt, quales colunt
the Estonian cyberwar was pusssycrap
Anthrax attack = public health emergency
I have a short term supply of doxycycline
"potentially horrific scenarios"
I have a feeling this is all being done to scare us into a need for "greater security."
For example, if the media decided to stage an elaborate radio broadcast that depicted a martian invasion, and everyone believed it, what would happen to the "reality" of the majority? How powerful would the people feel who ran the broadcast?
When convinced that such realities of "potentially horrific scenarios" exist, anyone would easily justify the presence of this brigade. And, who wouldn't? I honestly feel there is no threat of of this ridiculous "homegrown terrorism" other than what we are convinced to believe.
"You have tasted death now," said the Old Man. "Is it good?"
"It is good," Mossy replied. "It is better than life."
"No... only more life."
Amy Goodman also covered this on Tues 10/7
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/10/7/us_army_denies_unit_will_be
In a barely noticed development, a US Army unit is now training for domestic operations under the control of US Army North, the Army service component of Northern Command. An initial news report in the Army Times newspaper last month noted that in addition to emergency response the force “may be called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control.” The military has since claimed the force will not be used for civil unrest, but questions remain. We speak to Army Col. Michael Boatner, future operations division chief of USNORTHCOM, and Matthew Rothschild, editor of The Progressive magazine.
Where's the checks and balances? Well, they're missing too.
Naomi Wolf discusses the 1st Brigade..
http://www.alternet.org/story/101958/
From the Alternet article:
U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman of California said to Congress, captured on C-Span and viewable on YouTube, that individual members of the House were threatened with martial law within a week if they did not pass the bailout bill:
"The only way they can pass this bill is by creating and sustaining a panic atmosphere. … Many of us were told in private conversations that if we voted against this bill on Monday that the sky would fall, the market would drop two or three thousand points the first day and a couple of thousand on the second day, and a few members were even told that there would be martial law in America if we voted no."
Enlightenment Mumbo Jumbo
Just saw this humorously relevant post - signalling the belated end of the age of rationalism - by Erik Davis on his blog Mark to Mars
I've got a strong feeling that the paranoid fantastic machinations of a fading elite are not going to cause too much of a problem. I'm more optimistic today about the world our children will inherit than I was six months ago. If we envisage our current civilisation as a plant then we can say that it has root rot, is wilting and shedding leaves, facing suddenly hostile climatic conditions; but growing from the same earth is a related but different seedling, which has already adapted to the conditions, and needs only a little bit of nurturing from us in order to flourish and bloom.
Doom is the only thing booming from the mainstream, and I can't help but feel excited...
Insanity!
Propaganda Anonymous Wow. A friend of mine in West Philly said he saw a military chopper flying low over his neighborhood today. WTF! Alex Jones always seemed like a bit of a nutcase to me, but tonight he seems a bit prophetic. Bush is pretty much the Devil.
Just to extend the paranoia a bit, Daniel Pinchbeck reported in his last book about the FEMA sponsored detention centers being built here in the States.
There have been reports of 'the white trains' completely unmarked that ride throughout the the country at nite. Think, the CIA planes that flew from country to country.
You know what movie comes to mind when I think of those detention centers and trains.....
'V for Vendetta' ....Watch it again.
Shit seems pretty crazy right now
Some Naomi on the subject
Propaganda Anonymous
Here's some great stuff from Naomi Wolf
Alternative concept
This can also be a political move to 'withdraw' without calling a 'withdrawal'.
The problem then becomes a matter for some 'ways and means' committee to put this down on the budget as justifiable as a 'need'.
The problem here is entirely in the hands of the various states and any governor or state-government that allows such can be called-to-carpet for abrogating Constitutional strictures against 'housing' any soldier, in time of peace nor, in time of war BUT in a manner to be prescribed by law. So these guys are playing cute in defining 'law'. And if we object internally, we are fools in not objecting objectively or externally and saying what we think VOCIFEROUSLY or OUT LOUD. To whom? To news media? In 'blogs'? I wot not. To whom you acceded as 'representatives'. If you don't, you agree. So, you, me and we-all, get what we deserve, I guess. Because we are lazy, silent and herdable sheep. We are the 'shepherd' who protects the sheep. We are sheep and sherpherd all at once here. And if we say nothing, we get what we allow.
What's the problem? Afraid to call a couple of reps? Afraid to lick a stamp and put a letter of objection in an envelope?
I've written my reps. I've written to many other state reps and people in power and put my money where my mouth is. So my conscience is relatively clear. Is yours?
Or are ye skeert?
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"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance -- that principle is contempt prior to investigation." HERBE
Supercops