The 1st BCT’s soldiers also will learn how to use “the first ever nonlethal package that the Army has fielded,” 1st BCT commander Col. Roger Cloutier said, referring to crowd and traffic control equipment and nonlethal weapons designed to subdue unruly or dangerous individuals without killing them.
So maybe they'll just be controlling crowds and subduing unruly and dangerous individuals without enforcing the law? The forestry and rescue stuff is one thing, but these actions are law enforcement.
Wow, the USA misses the evil Soviet Union so much that they're adopting some of their power wielding tactics.
Because apparently neither your local police forces nor your intelligence agencies are up to the task of dealing with 'rioters'...
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Rescuing people from floods = great Threatening to shoot looters after mass riots or disasters = ok
Counter terrorist actions = shouldn't the FBI or that sort of unit be doing it? I rather doubt that terrorist will show up in numbers that police SWAT teams, CIA or FBI can't handle, having an army brigade seems like using a sledge hammer to go after a wasp
policing protests = not a good idea, unless the government really does want hippies, antiwar protesters, union members, grannies and kids shot dead
Read this (http://lefarkins.blogspot.com/2008/09/oh-noes-army-is-coming-to-take-our.html) and this (http://lefarkins.blogspot.com/2008/09/posse-comitatus-on-merits.html) before jumping to the conclusion that Greenwald is right about this.
I have enormous respect for Greenwald, and I certainly agree that there are a lot of threats to liberty in the United States today, but there's some important history to understand on this particular issue.
Perhaps I'm confused, but aren't' many of the things he's talking about essentially the responsibilities of the National Guard?
While I'm concerned about the specific implications of this individual action, when combined with the way the White House has been using the guard in Iraq, this seems to point toward a significant overlap of responsibilities.
If this 'home deployment' becomes standard practice, how long until the guard is permanently nationalized? And the two separate organizations are essentially merged? Yikes!!
If this 'home deployment' becomes standard practice, how long until the guard is permanently nationalized? And the two separate organizations are essentially merged?
This has already happened.
The Reserve Components (USAR and ARNG) are supposed to be a reserve to use in emergency, not as operational units.
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(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-26 01:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-26 02:08 pm (UTC)So maybe they'll just be controlling crowds and subduing unruly and dangerous individuals without enforcing the law? The forestry and rescue stuff is one thing, but these actions are law enforcement.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-26 01:48 pm (UTC)Because apparently neither your local police forces nor your intelligence agencies are up to the task of dealing with 'rioters'...
==================
Rescuing people from floods = great
Threatening to shoot looters after mass riots or disasters = ok
Counter terrorist actions = shouldn't the FBI or that sort of unit be doing it? I rather doubt that terrorist will show up in numbers that police SWAT teams, CIA or FBI can't handle, having an army brigade seems like using a sledge hammer to go after a wasp
policing protests = not a good idea, unless the government really does want hippies, antiwar protesters, union members, grannies and kids shot dead
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-26 02:20 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-26 02:48 pm (UTC)I have enormous respect for Greenwald, and I certainly agree that there are a lot of threats to liberty in the United States today, but there's some important history to understand on this particular issue.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-26 02:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-26 02:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-26 05:07 pm (UTC)While I'm concerned about the specific implications of this individual action, when combined with the way the White House has been using the guard in Iraq, this seems to point toward a significant overlap of responsibilities.
If this 'home deployment' becomes standard practice, how long until the guard is permanently nationalized? And the two separate organizations are essentially merged? Yikes!!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-26 06:39 pm (UTC)This has already happened.
The Reserve Components (USAR and ARNG) are supposed to be a reserve to use in emergency, not as operational units.
We have NO RESERVE FORCES ANYMORE.