Keep an eye on this:

[lunadelcorvo]

"According to the Army Times, beginning in October, the Army plans to station an active unit inside the United States for the first time to serve as an on-call federal response in times of emergency. The 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team has spent thirty-five of the last sixty months in Iraq, but now the unit is training for domestic operations. The unit will soon be under the day-to-day control of US Army North, the Army service component of Northern Command. The Army Times reports this new mission marks the first time an active unit has been given a dedicated assignment to Northern Command. The paper says the Army unit may be called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control. The soldiers are learning to use so-called nonlethal weapons designed to subdue unruly or dangerous individuals and crowds."

Not to be overly alarmist, but this move, together with Bush's 'emergency powers' executive orders strike me as a potentially Very Bad Thing. Thoughts?

[EDIT: Link to the article: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/army_homeland_090708w/]

[EDIT 2: Thanks to lucretiasheart for pointing this out...

Comments

Food for thought ...

[ahrensm.livejournal.com]

As our economic crisis worsens, we could potentially be looking at food riots or worse. The events of the last few months may be happening on wall street, but they will play out on main street. By the time the mess is straightened out, we may be in a worse position than the great depression. But, don't worry, the fundamentals of our economy are sound! AND we have army troops stationed around to make sure no one gets out of line.

Re: Food for thought ...

[raven-moon.livejournal.com]

We may at that. However, this remains the first time the actual US Military will be turned loose on our own soil - something of which I *seem* to recall the Constitution taking a dim view. Grim as this sounds, if economic factors prove to be the use to which this deployment is turned, it's still better than the all too numerous other instances I can imagine...

Re: Food for thought ...

[doctoreon.livejournal.com]

It's illegal according to the Posse Comitatus Act (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posse_Comitatus_Act), unless of course they want to claim they are using the troops pursuant to the Insurrection Act (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insurrection_Act) against terrorists or they're being used to stop the transport of nuclear material. That's the only time the military can be used against American citizens on U.S. soil.

Re: Food for thought ...

[raven-moon.livejournal.com]

I am aware it is illegal under Posse Comitatus, but sadly, the emergency powers Bush instated more or less make Posse Comitatus obsolete....

http://www.inteldaily.com/?c=144&a=1431

http://www.towardfreedom.com/home/content/view/911/

http://rinf.com/alt-news/new-world-order/is-bush-administration-planning-martial-law/1588/

http://www.altpr.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=665&mode=thread

http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/2-bush-moves-toward-martial-law/

Re: Food for thought ...

[doctoreon.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, I knew all that to be true, too. I just like to point out in futility that they had to break the law to make what they're doing legal.

Re: Food for thought ...

[raven-moon.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, quite. I am still a little unclear on just how that was accomplished, but it seems to have been, and WTF is to do now?

Re: Food for thought ...

[doctoreon.livejournal.com]

"So this is how liberty dies. With thunderous applause."

Re: Food for thought ...

[raven-moon.livejournal.com]

Funny thing, but I've been re-watching the first three episodes, and thinking how apt it is.... The manufactured threat to spur the Senate to panicked action, the appearance of a non-regulated army under control of a limited group, the 'emergency powers...'


(Would that make JarJar Palin?)