That old guy in the trench coat looks like a real bad@$$ Col Benson. Wantin' I get Delta in here and take him out?
Posted on 08/05/2012 7:30:25 AM PDT by Travis McGee
The Scenario (2016)
The Great Recession of the early twenty-first century lasts far longer than anyone anticipated. After a change in control of the White House and Congress in 2012, the governing party cuts off all funding that had been dedicated to boosting the economy or toward relief. The United States economy has flatlined, much like Japan’s in the 1990s, for the better part of a decade. By 2016, the economy shows signs of reawakening, but the middle and lower-middle classes have yet to experience much in the way of job growth or pay raises. Unemployment continues to hover perilously close to double digits, small businesses cannot meet bankers’ terms to borrow money, and taxes on the middle class remain relatively high. A high-profile and vocal minority has directed the public’s fear and frustration at nonwhites and immigrants. After almost ten years of race-baiting and immigrant-bashing by right-wing demagogues, nearly one in five Americans reports being vehemently opposed to immigration, legal or illegal, and even U.S.-born nonwhites have become occasional targets for mobs of angry whites.
In May 2016 an extremist militia motivated by the goals of the “tea party” movement takes over the government of Darlington, South Carolina, occupying City Hall, disbanding the city council, and placing the mayor under house arrest. Activists remove the chief of police and either disarm local police and county sheriff departments or discourage them from interfering. In truth, this is hardly necessary. Many law enforcement officials already are sympathetic to the tea party’s agenda, know many of the people involved, and have made clear they will not challenge the takeover. The militia members are organized and have a relatively well thought-out plan of action.
With Darlington under their control, militia members quickly move beyond the city limits to establish “check points” – in reality, something more like choke points -- on major transportation lines. Traffic on I-95, the East Coast’s main north-south artery; I-20; and commercial and passenger rail lines are stopped and searched, allegedly for “illegal aliens.” Citizens who complain are immediately detained. Activists also collect “tolls” from drivers, ostensibly to maintain public schools and various city and county programs, but evidence suggests the money is actually going toward quickly increasing stores of heavy weapons and ammunition. They also take over the town web site and use social media sites to get their message out unrestricted.
When the leaders of the group hold a press conference to announce their goals, they invoke the Declaration of Independence and argue that the current form of the federal government is not deriving its “just powers from the consent of the governed” but is actually “destructive to these ends.” Therefore, they say, the people can alter or abolish the existing government and replace it with another that, in the words of the Declaration, “shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.” While mainstream politicians and citizens react with alarm, the “tea party” insurrectionists in South Carolina enjoy a groundswell of support from other tea party groups, militias, racist organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan, anti-immigrant associations such as the Minutemen, and other right-wing groups. At the press conference the masked militia members’ uniforms sport a unit seal with a man wearing a tricorn hat and carrying a musket over the motto “Today’s Minutemen.” When a reporter asked the leaders who are the “red coats” the spokesman answered, “I don’t know who the redcoats are…it could be federal troops.” Experts warn that while these groups heretofore have been considered weak and marginal, the rapid coalescence among them poses a genuine national threat.
The mayor of Darlington calls the governor and his congressman. He cannot act to counter the efforts of the local tea party because he is confined to his home and under guard. The governor, who ran on a platform that professed sympathy with tea party goals, is reluctant to confront the militia directly. He refuses to call out the National Guard. He has the State Police monitor the roadblocks and checkpoints on the interstate and state roads but does not order the authorities to take further action. In public the governor calls for calm and proposes talks with the local tea party to resolve issues. Privately, he sends word through aides asking the federal government to act to restore order. Due to his previous stance and the appearance of being “pro” tea party goals the governor has little political room to maneuver.
The Department of Homeland Security responds to the governor’s request by asking for defense support to civil law enforcement. After the Department of Justice states that the conditions in Darlington and surrounding areas meet the conditions necessary to invoke the Insurrection Act, the President invokes it.
(From Title 10 US Code the President may use the militia or Armed Forces to:
§ 331 – Suppress an insurrection against a State government at the request of the Legislature or, if not in session, the Governor.
§ 332 – Suppress unlawful obstruction or rebellion against the U.S.
§ 333 – Suppress insurrection or domestic violence if it (1) hinders the execution of the laws to the extent that a part or class of citizens are deprived of Constitutional rights and the State is unable or refuses to protect those rights or (2) obstructs the execution of any Federal law or impedes the course of justice under Federal laws.)
By proclamation he calls on the insurrectionists to disperse peacefully within 15 days. There is no violation of the Posse Comitatus Act. The President appoints the Attorney General and the Department of Justice as the lead federal agency to deal with the crisis. The President calls the South Carolina National Guard to federal service. The Joint Staff in Washington, D.C., alerts U.S. Northern Command, the headquarters responsible for the defense of North America, to begin crisis action planning. Northern Command in turn alerts U.S. Army North/Fifth U.S. Army for operations as a Joint Task Force headquarters. Army units at Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Stewart, Ga.; and Marines at Camp Lejuene, N.C. go on alert. The full range of media, national and international, is on scene.
“Fix Darlington, but don’t destroy it!”
Upon receiving the alert for possible operations in Darlington, the Fifth Army staff begins the military decision making process with mission analysis and intelligence preparation of the battlefield. (Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield is the term applied to the procedures performed by the intelligence staff of all Army unit headquarters in the development of bases of information on the enemy, terrain and weather, critical buildings and facilities in a region and other points. Army units conduct operations on the basis of this information. The term is in Army doctrine and could be problematic when conducted in advance of operations on U.S. soil. The general form of the initial intelligence estimate is in figure 1.) In developing the intelligence estimate military intelligence planners will confront the first constraints on the conduct of full spectrum operations in the United States, as well as constraints on supporting law enforcement. The analytical steps of the Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield, or IPB, must be modified in preparing for and conducting operations in the homeland.
The steps of the IPB process are: define the operational environment/battlespace, describe environmental effects on operations/describe battlespace effects, evaluate the threat/adversary, and determine threat/adversary courses of action. (PSYOP was changed to Military Information Support Operations, MISO, by Secretary of Defense directive in June 2010.)
While preparing terrain and weather data do not pose a major problem to the G-2, gathering data on the threat and under civil considerations for intelligence and operational purposes is problematic to say the leasst.
(Much more of the long essay may be read at the original link.)
Your reply is why I believe that Benson is just trolling for threats of violence from what he perceives to be a latent “white racist tea party militia.” As Steel Wolf said so well above, he just does not understand his “enemy.” That, or he knows better, and is simply trolling for threats of violence, for another unstated reason.
I think Benson is just trolling for violent threats.
This essay is just now filtering out to the constitutional/tea party community, and already more interesting comments are being posted at the original SWJ story.
Personally, I can’t believe that Benson is this stupid, and didn’t pick “white racist tea party militias” as anything less than a deliberate trolling operation.
If that is the case, what do you suppose might be the benefit if he gets what he is asking for? Are they looking to reinforce their own beliefs (and those of their political masters)? I wonder what conclusion might they draw if/when they do not receive said threats?
I’m sure they will be able to cull some threats, to reinforce their delusions. Amazing that this guy is a COL/PhD and an “expert” on counter-insurgency.
No wonder we are so lost in A-stan, and Iraq is falling apart.
The authors' scenario seems more like a liberal self-delusional alternate reality rather than anything I can accept with any stretch of credibility. These people are falling victim to their own spin.
It is my assertion that the "Progressives" (and media, and strap-hangers, and all the rest of that ilk) should be damn glad that "we" are not the folks that "they" constantly accuse us of being. The fact that "they" remain free to continue to denigrate and slander those with whom they disagree, instead of hiding in fear of their lives, proves that "we" are not the violent, knuckle-dragging, illiterate bigots that they constantly and loudly claim we are. Do you suppose any of them ever stop to ponder this?
Ideology often trumps honesty in government. When you maneuver around 'unthinkable obstacles' because you don't like the implication, it invariably leads to cartoonish analysis. And here we are.
As you said: here we are. Our tax dollars at work.
It is now a commonly used tactic of oppressive government officials to bolster the achievement of goals that can not be justified via normal, truthful or accurate means.
In this instance Mark has generated the entire scenario around a totally unfounded premise of activities by a totally non-existent "white racist tea party militia."
Another case in point...
On July 14, 2010 after ATF headquarters in Washington D.C. received an update on Fast and Furious, ATF Field Ops Assistant Director Mark Chait emailed Bill Newell, ATF’s Phoenix Special Agent in Charge of Fast and Furious:
“Bill – can you see if these guns were all purchased from the same (licensed gun dealer) and at one time. We are looking at anecdotal cases to support a demand letter on long gun multiple sales. Thanks.”
The F&F example is clearly stating their desire to use examples of violations of regulations that occurred on THEIR orders so as to justify creating more regulations and restrictions.
Mark Chait, a poster boy of the current communist regime.
COL Kevin Benson, Jennifer Weber, rising stars on the horizon? .
It sounds like the Col may be coming out of retirement and looking for a star.
Having ten enemies within the wire is worse than having 100 outside it. And yet the author’s saying that the influence of the insurgency is already so high that they need to go out of state for help? That means the entire state, if not the nation, is a powder keg dangling over a bonfire.
Outstanding post, I do agree with that...
The question I have is how/would we (term used loosely) “reject” the involvement/infiltration of un-necessary racist organizations??? (i.e.: KKK, and other white supremist persons???)
To me, over the last few years, this Tea Party has never been accepted by any establishment organizations at all, even the ones who would be friendly to the originalist agenda it espouses...
Everything I see that is reported by media outlets, and other government agencies is that the Tea Party IS trash, un-organized, does not make a political difference, and is based upon racist ideals...Something I have not seen myself in witnessing those rallies and other functions in my community...
Steel Wolf is right...This situation is a powder keg just waiting for a spark, and it has been that way for a lot longer than anyone I know realizes, and I am surprised it has lasted this long in such a fragile environment...
When the bubble does burst, I do not believe anyone will come out a winner on this one...
One thing is for sure though...I know what side I will be on, and it has been determined by long hours of study, preparation, and the hope we can temper/correct the economic nose-dive this country is on before it is too late...
I could write a lot more, but several of the keys on this keyboard are not working very well ;-), I might need a tune-up...
My best to all, this has been a very good thread to read through...And long overdue...
bttt
That old guy in the trench coat looks like a real bad@$$ Col Benson. Wantin' I get Delta in here and take him out?
In my opinion, this is because the Tea Party is a genuine grass-roots awakening, unlike so may of the Astro-turf events, groups and organizations concocted by the Left. As such it scares them much more than they will ever admit, and for reasons that they will also never admit (most of which have to do with the suggestion that their Socialist dream is not anywhere near as accepted as they want to believe it is.) Back in post #26, Steel Wolf discussed the inability of some folks to face reality in such cases because the implications of their world view being so out of touch with reality is simply politically unthinkable.
They fear it, and they have no real effective counter, so they have no other strategy than to resort to the Alinsky tactics that they have been using. The problem for them is that the Tea Party is a genuine grass-roots uprising, and there is no real "head" of organization, no one directing the movement other than millions of patriots that are sick and tired of letting the Socialists dictate every aspect of their lives while looting the treasury and destroying our culture. As such, this entire phenomenon is something that the Left has no real effective counter to (though that obviously does not stop them from trying). It is interesting to observe.
That’s why this Darlington scenario is so laughable! Yes, it is a Libtard’s wet dream, but it isn’t going to happen. Our side isn’t going to play their strawman.
Ping to the whole thread in general and the replied-to post in particular.
Just getting to this thread. I would bet money that post is gone by now. I hope you got a screen shot.
I’ll go take a look in a minute to confirm or disprove my supposition.
Don’t miss posts 30 and 39 while you’re at it. Steel Wolf and bayouranger have some interesting things to say for sure.
Do you suppose this guy may be trolling as a way to bring “favorable” attention to himself to get an Asst. SecDef position in the 2nd Obama Administration he likely hopes for?
It seems more in line with the Princeton thought process of the female..trolling or not.
Freud was right.
Great idea! I believe it was in the 1st 12 or so.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.