Community | October 08, 2008 | 34 comments

Thousands of troops are deployed on U.S. streets ready to carry out “crowd control”

source: http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2008/10/08/thousands-of-troops-are-deployed-on-us-street...

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DandelionSalad
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by Naomi Wolf
AlterNet
Oct 8, 2008

Members of Congress were told they could face martial law if they didn’t pass the bailout bill. This will not be the last time.

Background: the First Brigade of the Third Infantry Division, three to four thousand soldiers, has been deployed in the United States as of October 1. Their stated mission is the form of crowd control they practiced in Iraq, subduing “unruly individuals,” and the management of a national emergency. I am in Seattle and heard from the brother of one of the soldiers that they are engaged in exercises now. Amy Goodman reported that an Army spokesperson confirmed that they will have access to lethal and non lethal crowd control technologies and tanks.

George Bush struck down Posse Comitatus, thus making it legal for military to patrol the U.S. He has also legally established that in the “War on Terror,” the U.S. is at war around the globe and thus the whole world is a battlefield. Thus the U.S. is also a battlefield.

He also led change to the 1807 Insurrection Act to give him far broader powers in the event of a loosely defined “insurrection” or many other “conditions” he has the power to identify. The Constitution allows the suspension of habeas corpus — habeas corpus prevents us from being seized by the state and held without trial — in the event of an “insurrection.” With his own army force now, his power to call a group of protesters or angry voters “insurgents” staging an “insurrection” is strengthened.

[...]

continued at http://www.alternet.org/rights/101958/thousands_of_troops_are_deployed_on_u.s._s...
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34 comments // Thousands of troops are deployed on U.S. streets ready to carry out “crowd control”

  • keithponder
    • 0
      keithponder  

    • I tried to tell my best friend about this last week. He mocked me, as in," don't worry, be happy ".

      He is not my best friend anymore.

    • 3 years ago
  • 1percent
    • 0
      1percent  

    • Posse Comitatus Act

      This was enacted to prevent such events from occurring.

      The Constitution will be posted on the door of my home in times of unrest.

      It will be defended against enemies, foreign and domestic.

      The time will come to make your choice.

      Live Free or Die!

      Ride on!

    • 3 years ago
  • DandelionSalad
    • 0
      DandelionSalad  

    • How are the citizens/residents of our country going to support our troops if the troops then become the enemy?

      Another thought is do we as citizens really want our president to have troops at only his command? Sounds too much like a dictatorship to me. I think Naomi mentioned this in the video interview.

    • 3 years ago
  • DandelionSalad
  • UrbanGypsy
    • 0
      UrbanGypsy  

    • I won't be comfortable believing that everything's okay until I see Obama get elected. I'm always suspicious that Bush might try to stop the election by calling martial law and staying in power. What would we do then?

      A lot of people say they'll go out and protest and start a "revolution".... Many will stay at home scared. What power does the populace have against tanks, machine guns, airplanes, armored vehicles, and riot police?

      There's a lot of people who actually WANT to see a "revolution" and chaos happen. I don't think it will happen...

      And let's not dehumanise the men and women who serve as police. They are normal people like all of us. Let's stop thinking of them as "the enemy".

    • 3 years ago
  • keithponder
  • UrbanGypsy
  • JaetheFirst
    • 0
      JaetheFirst  
    • UrbanGypsy:

      If Obama is in some way connected to this grand nefarious scheme: we're all fucked.

      Or if he turns out to be the anti-Christ: we're all fucked too.

      I'm not religious, but I'm wary of such "theories", in the same way that I'm wary of theories such as: that there might not even be an election this year; or that the AMERO is upon us; and so on and so forth.

      I just hope Obama is smart enough to dismantle all of this!

    • 3 years ago
  • hubris_personified
    • 0
      hubris_personified  

    • Now soldiers will be faced with violence against the people they're supposed to protect. Wonder how long before the military is paralyzed by deserters and officers getting fragged.
      Soon the time might be right for actual revolution. Does anyone correlate troop deployment and Obama leading in the polls uncomfortably close to election? possibly another case of the executive office being siezed by republicans desperate to hold on to power? Are we close to dictatorship? Riot, kill cops, soldiers whoever.

    • 3 years ago
  • torybart
    • 0
      torybart  

    • What step are we on now?

      My Opinion:

      1. Check (terrorists)

      2. Check (i.e. Guantanamo)

      3. Check (Blackwater, etc.)

      4. Check (Bush's "terrorism" surveillance, repealed by Congress, reinstated by Presidential Signing Order)

      5. Check ("little-noticed new law has redefined activism such as animal rights protests as 'terrorism' ")

      6. Check (American and Canadian citizens included)
      7. Check (the US Government's "list" or people that Naomi describes)

      8. Check (Fox News - enough said)

      9. Check, but not entirely yet ("Bill Keller, the publisher of the New York Times, ran the Lichtblau/Risen stories, Bush called the Times' leaking of classified information "disgraceful", while Republicans in Congress called for Keller to be charged with treason")

      10. No. But Iran is the perfect plan to enact step 10 so be prepared.

      "When you see law enforcement being armed with automatic weapons, bullet proof vests and riot gear in small towns that have not had a murder or crime in years, then you have to ask yourself why."

    • 3 years ago
  • torybart
  • rainbowryan420
  • DreSandoval
  • Ragan
    • 0
      Ragan  

    • Perhaps the US citizenry should consider training its own government control regiment to counter a government out of control.

    • 3 years ago
  • Ish05
  • torybart
  • Jacques_of_Spades
    • 0
      Jacques_of_Spades  

    • You idiots. This is absolutely no different than cops watching over any large gathering or protest. Martial law? Police state? No. Exactly the same, only this time it's the federal government paying to protect and serve rather than local governments.

    • 3 years ago
  • Ish05
  • torybart
  • awakening
  • JaetheFirst
    • 0
      JaetheFirst  
    • Jacques_of_Spades:

      I wish I shared your confidence that everything is not going to hit the fan too. But from all of the weeks of independent research I've accumulated, perhaps even longer, I'd like to say months, all my indicators seems to point to the extreme possibility of abuse by this Administration. There might not even be an election this year. Ugh! I hope, if he's elected, Obama can satiate this crisis. The LAST thing I need to hear right now is that Barack Obama can very well be the anti-Christ from the Book of Revelation, because in that case we're all fucked, with our without Obama, because God knows that if McCain drops, or if he doesn't he'll bring about more conflict, Sarah Palin is no reassurance either.

      Albeit she has a better chance of becoming president than McCain does at this point.

      Scary indeed.

      I, however, refuse to be frightened. 8 years of Bush-mongering can lead to such convictions. However some have argued that things are only going to get more serious and more scary from here on out. Damn it...that's fucking crazy. :)

      Oh and by the way, "awakening": I suppose I'm young too. I just turned 18. :)

    • 3 years ago
  • phukna
    • 0
      phukna  

    • UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!

    • 3 years ago
  • deeblackangel
  • brasskong
  • Ish05
    • 0
      Ish05  

    • I will probably get flamed for saying so but, I don't and have not supported the troops for a while now. It's is ultimately their choice to be become chess pieces in the game of war and I don't support such actions. Mark my words, all this "support our troops" propaganda will end with martial law.

    • 3 years ago
  • JaetheFirst
    • 0
      JaetheFirst  
    • Ish05:

      It's O.K. Speak out! Your not alone in this opinion you set forth. Albeit mine is somewhat more "empathetic". I say a lot of, what my friends have called, "controversial" things here on Current and I haven't once been flamed. Surprisingly. As long as you know what your talking about and have at least one article to substantiate your claim you should be fine. :)

    • 3 years ago
  • rexmundi
  • Chuck_st_chuck
  • DandelionSalad
  • TexasPatriot67
  • 1percent
  • DandelionSalad
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