(Wesley) Clark Calling for Civilian Reserve Corps

AP via Yahoo! ^ | 10/14/03 | By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer

[Frank_Discussion]

Wow. Where did the Kosovars get the Idea? Hmmm...

[AngryJawa]

The Georgia State Guard is a similar organization. It provides logistical support for National Guard troops during callups as well as for disasters, emergencies,...the Olympics...8^).

[holden]

How is this different than the National Guard?

These guys and dolls will be part of the great social experiment, politically correct up the wazzoo--a fertile field for all kinds of recruitment.

They'll be run by administrator-pink triangle-types in Homeland Security, not military types of the Pentagonal variety.

HF

[45Auto]

There's nothing new about this; we already have such a corps - its called the "Constitutional Militia" and it is defined in United States Code and is enshrined by the 2nd Amendment. The unorganized militia is the "whole of the people" in the words of the Founders. Clark's idea was already put forward some years ago by another staunch "defender of liberty" - Gary Hart in his book:

The Minuteman: Restoring an Army of the People by Gary Hart

Free Press (May 1998); 292 pp.

"Hart's book is well-written and thoroughly anchored in both military and political realities. An America that followed his recommendations would probably be less apt to become involved in ill-considered foreign wars, more resistant to tyranny, and effectively impossible to invade."—Glenn Harlan Reynolds (Reason)

... "Drawing on his long experience as a leader in the field of military reform (including twelve years on the Senate Armed Services Committee), Hart proposes a return to the oldest principles of the republic, making an impassioned case for replacing the present Cold War military with a smaller standing army and a much larger, well-trained citizen reserve-- an "army of the people". The professional nucleus would be a rapid-response force responsible for dealing with immediate crises and low-intensity conflicts, while the larger army of citizen-soldiers would be called up when national interests required a larger, sustained military presence.

From ancient times to the present, the heroes of democracy have consistently upheld two principles: that it is dangerous to maintain a large standing army in peacetime; and that free people have a civic duty to participate in their own defense.

Contemporary America, by contrast, has sunk into "Eisenhower's Nightmare", beholden to a powerful military-industrial complex embracing the armed forces, military contractors, unions, Congress, and military communities economically dependent on military spending. The only way to break this cycle of dependence, Hart argues, is to restore a citizen military—a true militia, like the one that defended Lexington and Concord. If we reject this path, he warns, we risk being truly ill-prepared for the challenges facing our nation in the century about to dawn."

The only problem with the idea of both Clark and Hart is that they propose to completely control this so-called "citizen militia" and in reality disarm the Constitutional Militia in the process. Never trust a RAT with security issues, either from the personal self-defense mode, or the larger national defense picture.

[neverdem]

There is a New York Guard also. I suspect most if not all states may have these organizations. In New York one of their missions is to back up the governor in case its National Guard units are activated, federalized and deployed elsewhere. I think the folks volunteer for no pay. There were a few articles in National Review Online a year or two ago.

[Pest]

There's a Michigan Militia. I'm sure you've all heard of that one.

[neverdem]

Here's the story about the NY Guard.
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-konig060402.asp

[judicial meanz]

They already have this. They are called State Guards. He is just too ignorant to notice.

[judicial meanz]

Virginia has a State Guard too. Its called the Virginia Defense Force. http://www.virginiadefenseforce.org

[Pilsner]

The Texas State Guard's website is:

http://www.agd.state.tx.us/stateguard/default.asp

[AngryJawa]

I think the folks volunteer for no pay.

Yup, that's the way it is in GA. You also have to purchase your own BDU's, etc. I'm still batting around the idea of joining...

[judicial meanz]

I just recieved several days of state active duty pay for Hurricane Isabel.

In Virginia, they pay you when you get called to State Active Duty. The rate of pay is the same as that paid the US Army for whatever rank/grade you are.

[Pilsner]

In Virginia, they pay you when you get called to State Active Duty. The rate of pay is the same as that paid the US Army for whatever rank/grade you are.

Same in Texas. The big difference from the National Guard is that you don't get paid for training.

[judicial meanz]

Thats what we have. Volunteer unless called out.

Since the war began, we have had quite a few State Active Duty taskings, and some paid training status assignments, however. I put almost two weeks last year in SAD status, and this year its close to that.

Its nice to get a paycheck every once in a while.

[kb2614]

Remember that Wes is joined at the hip with the Clintons. He's a puppet.

[archy]

Remember that Wes is joined at the hip with the Clintons. He's a puppet.

More precisely, Wesley Kanne's Chicago-area rabbi father Benjamin, Democratic Delegate to the 1932 Democratic National Convention, has ties to many of the same Chicago *buisinessmen* and bought political figures of that period, as does Hillery Rodham.

The old Chi-town newspaper morgue files from that time still exist, at least for now....

-archy-/-

[archy]

Remember that Wes is joined at the hip with the Clintons. He's a puppet.

More precisely, Wesley Kanne's Chicago-area rabbi father Benjamin, Democratic Delegate to the 1932 Democratic National Convention, has ties to many of the same Chicago *buisinessmen* and bought political figures of that period, as does Hillery Rodham.

The old Chi-town newspaper morgue files from that time still exist, at least for now....

-archy-/-

[RISU]

Vote for Bush. I don't think he will go into "slavery" as an option unless he really really needs to.

[RightWhale]

Is this for real? Is Clark for real? What does he think about the Kobe Bryant case? Or the feeding tube case? Or plastic bracelets? Or the taikonaut?

Think Kucinich is a space case, then take a look at Clark before you make your final decision.