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Domestic Militarization: A Disaster in the Making
Cato Institute ^ | September 25, 2005 | Gene Healy

Posted on 09/26/2005 4:05:53 PM PDT by tjbravo

In his televised address on September 15, President Bush declared that "It is now clear that a challenge on this scale requires greater federal authority and a broader role for the armed forces--the institution of our government most capable of massive logistical operations on a moment's notice." Senator John Warner (R-Va.), chair of the Armed Services Committee, goes further. In the wake of Katrina, he's suggested weakening Posse Comitatus, the longstanding federal law that restricts the government's ability to use the U.S. military as a police force. Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita called Posse Comitatus a "very archaic" law that hampers the president's ability to respond to a crisis.

(Excerpt) Read more at cato.org ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 109th; cato; johnwarner; nationalguard; possecomitatus; usmilitary
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To: clamper1797

Yep, that works for me too.


21 posted on 09/26/2005 4:38:21 PM PDT by Morgan in Denver
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Comment #22 Removed by Moderator

To: Morgan in Denver

National defense, etc., yes.

Don't get me wrong, I am against weakening posse commitatus. I am also pointing out that the idea of weakening it is probably not going to get any traction (except among maybe the Dems) at this point. Thanks to the MSM hoping that Texas would screw up, their wall-to-wall coverage has shown that a competent state and local government does possess the ability to handle a disaster on a huge scale.

We've been ignoring the media since 1835 and leading by example. I think we just made the whole argument pointless - since we were clearly able to get the job done using our own resources.


23 posted on 09/26/2005 4:41:03 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: Morgan in Denver

That is the point you know ... Lincoln used Fed power for his purpose ... what would another President use that power for ... say a President like ... well like Lincoln


24 posted on 09/26/2005 4:42:49 PM PDT by clamper1797 (Proud member of the Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club 1972-1973)
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To: JoJo Gunn

That's why we have to give up the welfare state full of uneducated people who rely on government largesse; NOT give up our rights.


25 posted on 09/26/2005 4:43:17 PM PDT by DLfromthedesert (Texas Cowboy...you da man!!)
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To: MizSterious

I agree. Doesn't look like there's much to choose from, does it? Well, at least not with trying to balance out such an anomaly as Nagin. ("anomaly" is putting it mildly, of course. "Insane" is more to the point, and we all can only hope he never gets re-elected).


26 posted on 09/26/2005 4:44:29 PM PDT by JoJo Gunn (Help control the Leftist population. Have them spayed or neutered. ©)
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To: konaice

One thing I haven't seen in the media is how the involvement of National Guard forces in Iraq and Afghanistan has improved their capabilities. All you hear from the yapping left is how they could have helped in these disasters. On the contrary, it's weeded out poor soldiers and officers, and integrated them more into the regular forces. I think the immediate effectiveness of guard forces in NOLA once they were allowed in is due to the fact that the gang thugs didn't want to f**ck with battle hardened troops.


27 posted on 09/26/2005 4:45:07 PM PDT by neodad (Rule Number 1: Be Armed)
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To: tjbravo

Maybe we should put the military in charge of protecting our borders while we're at it. Congress has demonstrated that they sure as hell aren't up to the task.


28 posted on 09/26/2005 4:45:21 PM PDT by layman (Card Carrying Infidel)
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To: Spktyr

I'm not thrilled with anything that further reinforces the "Govt will save me" attitude. I don't trust my state government to save me let alone plan on waiting for the feds to do it.


29 posted on 09/26/2005 4:46:13 PM PDT by cripplecreek (Never a minigun handy when you need one.)
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To: clamper1797

I would be more concerned if it were a president along the lines of Hillary, or Kerry, or Gore. Or, heaven forbit, a Howard Dean. Limiting Federal powers is exactly what hte US Constitution is all about, and changing that invites future problems. (Even if it's for the children. /sarcasm)


30 posted on 09/26/2005 4:47:29 PM PDT by Morgan in Denver
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To: livius
I agree. Total incompetence on the local level made Katrina worse than could of been imagined.

If Bush thinks he can use this lack of competence to impose the Federal Government on Individual States he is not as smart as the liberals think he is stupid!

31 posted on 09/26/2005 4:47:55 PM PDT by rocksblues (I support the war on terror)
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To: tjbravo

This is a very bad idea that threatens the federal nature of out GoV


32 posted on 09/26/2005 4:57:18 PM PDT by mylife (The roar of the masses could be farts)
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To: Morgan in Denver
Not just NO, but HELL NO!!!

I'm with you.

33 posted on 09/26/2005 4:58:19 PM PDT by elbucko
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To: clamper1797

I agree 100%!


34 posted on 09/26/2005 5:00:33 PM PDT by BnBlFlag (Deo Vindice/Semper Fidelis)
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To: Spruce

"If I'm not mistaken, doesn't that document leave this sort of thing in the hands of the individual states? What was that thing called, again?"

Actually, the Constitution does not leave this in the hands of the states. The Posse Comitatus Act is not a part of the Constitution. Just as it was constitutional for Congress to pass this law in the late 1800s, it is just as constitutional for them to amend or rescind this act.


35 posted on 09/26/2005 5:14:12 PM PDT by DugwayDuke (Stupidity can be a self-correcting problem.)
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To: vigilo

Bush is very busy on giving congress back to the democrats


36 posted on 09/26/2005 5:16:39 PM PDT by virgil
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To: livius

"It's just vast incompetency in the making. This whole thing was because of the failure of a mayor (Nagin) and a governor (Blanco) to perform their duties."

Sure, it was incompetency but no competent chief executive is going to allow this kind of incompetency to affect the perception of his job performance. No chief executive worth his salt would put his fate in the hands of a Nagin or a Blanco.


37 posted on 09/26/2005 5:17:07 PM PDT by DugwayDuke (Stupidity can be a self-correcting problem.)
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To: Spktyr

The Politicians in Texas bit the bullet for defects in their plan.

The defect being the human part.

Humans don't evacuate exactly as planned, anymore than they do their Christmas Shopping on time.

Adapting the plan to correspond to human behavior, instead of assuming the plan would be followed across multiple borders, would help.

The exact course of the Hurricane was not predictable, the extent of the flooding, so those towns that went 'early', should not be blamed.

It is impossible at this time to evacuate everyone, especially since many were dealing with 'extra company just in from New Orleans, or Alabama'.

In the end I hope everyone sees too. That in the worst of situations, every arm of the federal government, every state, every city, every town, pitched in to rescue every human and pet life possible.

That is why we are America.
All talk is of loosing this defense, or that situation and becoming a Third world power.

That will only happen when we do not act, as a nation, as we did.

Could things have been better?

Only in the eyes of the MSM.

One cannot change what was going to happen down in NO.

All that happened was that it was exposed and became the proverbial football.

Ever imagined Hillary or Kerry or Bill catching a pass from George Bush?

There are high stakes in this game. They bluffed.

But the storms are not over.


38 posted on 09/26/2005 5:17:44 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 (I jez calls it az I see it.)
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To: DugwayDuke

I think this is a smart move for President Bush. He knows that the congress will never give him that power. NEVER. But with all the MSM and Democrats bitchin about too slow, too fast, the president knows they will blame him no matter what he does. So, he says, If you're going to blame me, then give me the power. (knowing congress won't) then he can say. How can you blame me for being too slow, too fast, but you do not give me the power. I don't have the power now and you won't give me the power. Now, Sit down and shut up!


39 posted on 09/26/2005 5:21:41 PM PDT by encm(ss)
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To: Motherbear
I wasn't risking my kids' lives, and because of hundreds of thousands of people like me, we had chaos.

No.

You left in time.

The others should have been gone.

It was not possible to achieve that, due to other factors.

The 'plan' will have to account for the fact that precise prediction of exactly where you will be safe and therefore who MUST leave can never be achieved.

It is the plan, not you.

40 posted on 09/26/2005 5:22:47 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 (I jez calls it az I see it.)
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