Posted on 06/12/2011 10:36:20 AM PDT by dagogo redux
I am posting this vanity to take the pulse of fellow Freepers regarding the possibility of martial law being imposed, and your thoughts on the best way to react when it is.
I’ve been something of a “prepper” for a few years now, watching history unfold and putting store by the truth of the old Boy Scout Motto. I’ve watched our imperfect US Constitution be easily subverted, but I have held fast to my faith in the much more fundamental Declaration of Independence.
Preparedness, the “eternal vigilance” our Forefathers’ spoke of, has seemed a patriotic duty in these dark times. I have felt, given my circumstances in life, that I am about as internally and externally prepared as I can be for whatever comes.
Recently, however, two readings have stirred up some potentially useful doubts, and I wanted to see what various folks among you thought about such things.
One Second After, by William R. Forstchen was not the wake-up call to me that it apparently had been to many others, and it did seem to present a “best case scenario,” if you will, on the role of local communities versus the Feds in restoring order and a semblance of civilization after some dramatic event. I had already thought through, and put into place with my neighbors, the community aspect of things, but it really drove the point home to me (and to my neighbors, who recommended it). However, short of such an “ideal” EMP attack, I doubt things will unfold like that.
More disturbing, I think, are the more likely scenarios in which an all-too-functional State, Federal, and International behemoth will merely step in to restore order through martial law after some natural or concocted emergency. At the same time, those in power would likely use the opportunity to solidify tyrannical power over a once-free people.
This concern was driven home by a recent reading of a little publication titled Understanding and Surviving Martial Law: How to Survive and Even Prosper During the Coming Police State, by Sam Adams. In this (somewhat promotional) pamphlet, he lays out in chilling detail the gathering power - in legislated and fiat laws, in the accompanying attitudes of the power elite, and in the material and organizational planning already underway and often already accomplished - power intended to implement total control over the population when the time is right.
In Chapter VIII, “Adapting to Martial Law,” however, I was shocked to read his solution. Some excerpts follow:
“There will be those who will want to fight, but unless they can get some cohesiveness to their organization, they’re just shooting cap guns at people with tanks. You would do well to mind your own business, be as peaceable as possible, and stay alive. There will eventually be resistance down the road, but at the inception of martial law, that is NOT the time to fight."
And: “Those instituting martial law will be looking for people to make examples of in order to quell any type of uprising or protest from the rest of the sheep. Harsh reprisals at the inception of martial law will keep the masses cowed and controlled.”
He points out the obvious need to cache weapons and food ahead of time, either off site, or concealed well enough on site to evade completely the ubiquitous house to house searches that will take place to confiscate such prepper items. He advocates cultivating carefully chosen networks of like-minded people, not drawing attention to oneself through attitude, speech or behavior, and patiently waiting until things “level off” and a resistance can be formed (I suppose, al la “Total Resistance,” the Swiss guide to such things).
I have often weighed these two paths, and that is the input I’d appreciate hearing from others here. Zombies and chaos I’m ready for. A well organized army of LEOs and US & foreign/UN military imposing martial law is a different matter, and one about which I am torn. My station in life could take me either way quite easily: fight heroically in my last days, or lay low and hopefully live long enough to undermine their regime.
Your thoughts are welcome.
Bump for later.
He worries that they will use the 'police shield' to gain entry and seize your/our supplies. (At what point do you resist the local police?)
We have discussed having a number of smaller supplies stashes instead of one big one so that all is not lost if we're raided.
iPing
http://www.activistpost.com/2011/06/janet-napolitano-visits-nyu-law-school.html
Janet Napolitano Visits NYU Law School to Discuss Need For Citizen Spies (Video)
“We have to get to a place where every part of our society is cognizant of the kinds of threats that are out there, and empowered to take some common sense steps to counter that.” — Janet Napolitano
Homeland Security head, Janet Napolitano, continued her campus tour in a recent stop at NYU Law School where she gave a speech about the state of security as we approach the 10-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and following the announced death of Osama bin Laden.
In the video below Napolitano lays out a sweeping surveillance agenda that includes citizen spies who have a mission of “shared responsibility” to thwart “Core” al-Qaeda, foreign groups “inspired by” al-Qaeda, as well as domestic “extremist” groups, which apparently include an increasing number of plots by U.S. citizens. She added that “there is no single portrait” of today’s potential terrorist, citing recruiting tactics “including Hip Hop videos, if you can imagine that.” And, naturally, cyberspace. Each of the four key ways that she stated as critical to Homeland Security’s mission will widen the Stasi-style network of unpaid employees of the State virtually deputized to spy on their neighbor in the private and public sector and issue reports to the DHS federal security matrix.
1. Strengthen the nation’s 72 fusion centers, which coordinate with local police, businesses, churches, universities and more in a cooperative effort to federalize local communities. [What does “federalize local communities” mean?]
2. Continue the expanded use of Suspicious Activity Reports (SAR), initially used for IRS reporting and for businesses to alert government officials to large cash purchases at their establishments. The new initiative will cover all sectors that will share back to DHS.
3. Launch the National Terrorism Advisory System to replace the general color-coded terror alert system and set up a “base level” high risk, which will be augmented with specific messages. One component of this new system that she does not address is that it will be directed toward the individual by utilizing a text messaging system, as well as social networks to issue government statements and warnings (or propaganda).
4. Continue expansion of a national “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign that began with the NY Metropolitan Transit Authority, and kicked off at private businesses like Wal-Mart whereby people can receive ongoing messages via telescreens in government buildings, private businesses and public areas, then report on anyone for any reason without consequence for false reports.
She also predictably suggests that the counter-terrorism apparatus is a useful tool that can save citizens in need of rescue from natural disasters. More likely, it is the roll-out of soft martial law that will create a permanent state of fear, suspicion, false arrests, police brutality, and the end of the American republic in the same fashion that led to the end of every society that chose the path of security over freedom.
[Video at link, if you can stand to watch or listen to this cow]
They would have to go on a major recruiting spree.
Many cases of this in the aftermath of Katrina. One doesn’t have to look too far into the past to learn.
So, what do you plan to do about it?
Another poster mentioned multile and smaller caches. I would suggest that at least some of them be off site.
1. If you're gonna fight and possibly die, ALWAYS make sure you take at least one enemy combatant with you. ALWAYS.
2. Do not discuss your plans or preparations with ANYONE besides family members you can trust...and life-long friends. DO NOT make new friends.
3. Single men without wife and kids in the house should fight from the inception of Martial Law until their death. If necessary rig your house with explosives to ensure you achieve the primary edict #1 above.
If you gather with other men to fight, you will die.
UNder martial law those powers who could recruit would also be able to implement policies that many WOULD want to sign up quickly and be recruited.
Amnesty for accidental shootings under martial law.
Guaranteed rations and medical care.
A share in any useful things confiscated.
The only things that would be drawbacks would be expulsion and jail for those not following orders, and execution for deserters.
They would get a ton of lowlifes to do their dirty work. Wouldn’t care if they got mowed down at all, it would give them time to flush out people with the real soldiers.
Y2K. Nuff said.
The feds don’t have the manpower and they can’t count on the locals. If you live in a big city, you are already close to it now and if you are a “prepper”, you don’t have any business living there.
I would worry more about how I am going to eat all that food before it spoils and less about the boogyman.
I don't think that will be a problem.
One scenario I can see playing out is a nationwide food shortage. Most people will jump through whatever hoops are put in place in order to obtain food.
The shortage of food doesn't even have to be real. It only needs to be declared. People will strip the shelves of their local stores of food, the authorities will intercept new shipments to "restore order", and the obvious signs of shortage will appear everywhere almost instantly.
I see little limit to what our present population would believe or do.
Yield to the first police raid and shoot for any others.(?) If they get all your supplies, you'll die anyway. May as well go down shooting, eh?
We are planning multiple off site locations too.
This has been my initial thought as well.
But it has been effectively done, locally and nationally, in our country’s history.
OTOH, all our military might can’t even beat the Somalis or the Afghans or the Viet Cong. They beat Sadam, then lose the war/country if they leave.
Bring in foreign/UN troops to do the dirty work? That takes enormous logistics, especially to go beyond the major population centers, and even then they would not likely prevail.
Still, the increasingly unsoft tyranny, and the threat of even harder tyranny has even supposed “prepper” publications saying to just “go along.” I think it’s a siren song, but I think it can be very tempting. But to imagine being forced to watch Obama or Big Sister speak answers the question for me on a gut level most days.
The electricity was off for a week after Katrina all the way over (two hour drive from NO) here in Mobile. We have stories that would get your ears ringing too.
A disturbing thing that occurred here was from the evacuees...they brought their pets with them and once it became obvious that they weren't going back to NO any time soon...they abandoned the pets here on the roadways just off interstate 10.
I fed packs of abandoned dogs for weeks after Katrina. It was a heart-breaking experience on some days when I arrived to feed and the pack was gone. The county dog catcher finally 'clear-out' all the packs.
FEMA has new rules now regarding pets.
A perfect description of the Basij militia in Iran. They were used where the army (even the Revolutionary Guards) couldn’t be trusted to kill civilians and carry out the orders of the government.
Designate one shotgun, one rifle and one handgun as your primary "social unrest" home defense weapons and load up on the ammo for them. Having 20 guns doesn't do you any good if all you have is a few rounds for each. Kinda hard to watch out the FRONT living room window where the armed looters are moving around and dig through the BACK bedroom closet for more ammo. ("I KNOW I have at least a half box of .270 somewhere from last deer season......where the hell is it ???").
If you can't afford lots of expensive high caliber ammo, get a few bricks of .22 ammo. 300 rounds flying out that window from your .22 rifle and pistol may not drop a 250 lb man, but a wound in the arm with a .22 will slow him down, take him off the attack and put HIM on defense. Plus, with a bucket of .22 ammo, your wife and kid can easily load one gun while you shot the other.
Nonsense. Martial law is a non-starter to this administration for one simple reason: it would be harder on their supporters than their opponents.
Look for a hybrid analogous to our current method of waging war as opposed to “declaring” war. It’s much easier to cheat by new tools than convince those who recognize your old tools they’re not being cheated.
Bandera County Sheriff’s Office Issues Domestic Terrorism Warning ___ Law Enforcement Agency Concerned Radical Anti-Government Groups May Be Moving Into Area
(June 9th): The law enforcement agency said followers of The Sovereign Citizens Movement have been known to carry out violent acts, including killing law enforcement officers and other public servants.
The sheriff’s office told KSAT-12 News the warning was prompted by the recent shooting death of Bexar County Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Kenneth Vann.
“We have domestic terrorism right at our doorstep,” said Capt. Charlie Hicks of the Bandera County Sheriff’s Office.
Hicks said while there’s NO EVIDENCE Vann’s death had any links to the Sovereign Citizens, it’s the same type of crime followers are known for.
http://www.ksat.com/news/28189270/detail.html
... it’s coming
Bandera County Sheriff’s Office Issues Domestic Terrorism Warning ___ Law Enforcement Agency Concerned Radical Anti-Government Groups May Be Moving Into Area
(June 9th): The law enforcement agency said followers of The Sovereign Citizens Movement have been known to carry out violent acts, including killing law enforcement officers and other public servants.
The sheriff’s office told KSAT-12 News the warning was prompted by the recent shooting death of Bexar County Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Kenneth Vann.
“We have domestic terrorism right at our doorstep,” said Capt. Charlie Hicks of the Bandera County Sheriff’s Office.
Hicks said while there’s NO EVIDENCE Vann’s death had any links to the Sovereign Citizens, it’s the same type of crime followers are known for.
http://www.ksat.com/news/28189270/detail.html
... it’s coming
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