Posted on 12/17/2008 3:34:33 PM PST by Sammy67
A new report by the U.S. Army War College talks about the possibility of Pentagon resources and troops being used should the economic crisis lead to civil unrest, such as protests against businesses and government or runs on beleaguered banks.
“Widespread civil violence inside the United States would force the defense establishment to reorient priorities in extremis to defend basic domestic order and human security,” said the War College report.
The study says economic collapse, terrorism and loss of legal order are among possible domestic shocks that might require military action within the U.S.
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn warned Wednesday of economy-related riots and unrest in various global markets if the financial crisis is not addressed and lower-income households are hurt by credit constraints and rising unemployment.
U.S. Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., and U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., both said U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson brought up a worst-case scenario as he pushed for the Wall Street bailout in September. Paulson, former Goldman Sachs CEO, said that might even require a declaration of martial law, the two noted.
State and local police in Arizona say they have broad plans to deal with social unrest, including trouble resulting from economic distress. The security and police agencies declined to give specifics, but said they would employ existing and generalized emergency responses to
(Excerpt) Read more at phoenix.bizjournals.com ...
this is not a prediction, this is a threat.
I agree!
Maybe the US gov’t should follow the US Constitution?
It’s also funding hype.
So the military will be asked to protect the very corrupt individuals in government who created the mess .... how very handy.
I see, the new President has to be ready to declare martial law. Didn’t Hugo do the same thing shortly after he assumed power? Makes sense. I can look out my window and see the surging right wing mobs. . . .
Ping.
Since the military has taken a vow to protect the constitution against all enemies - foreign and domestic- it would be interesting to see just exactly who they might consider to be the “enemy”. To me, it would not be the people who are rioting. As for the Wall Street types and our (warning, oxymoron alert) “public servants,” well - that’s a different question.
So the rumors of a super secret "we're all gonna die" Congressional meeting in Sept is correct. This explains much....
“I see, the new President has to be ready to declare martial law. Didn’t Hugo do the same thing shortly after he assumed power? Makes sense. I can look out my window and see the surging right wing mobs. . . .”
I think the current president has made all this possible. :(
“I can look out my window and see the surging right wing mobs. . . .”
Remember the mobs at the Long Island Walmart after Thanksgiving?
Welcome to the USA, the newest Third World Nation.
BS Alert!!!!
Another version of this was posted last night.
The paper is an academic and speculative discussion about the need to plan for “known unknowns” like 9/11 or Mumbai.
It’s not about corraling the masses and civil breakdown.
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?pubID=890
Known Unknowns: Unconventional “Strategic Shocks” in Defense Strategy Development
Authored by Mr. Nathan P. Freier.
Known Unknowns: Unconventional... Cover Image
* Added November 04, 2008
* Type: Monograph
* 51 Pages
* View the Abstract First
* Cost: Free
I agree.
Yes I’m sure it isn’t going to go over well when the government finally has to tell those on Welfare that the checks will bounce! We are broke, why we still insist on supporting people who are perfectly capable of supporting themselves, I’ll never know?
There is a great amount of reality denial going on across the US.
Right now, Phoenix still is glassy eyed about the prospects of building a $900M Tower of Babel/condominiums/business center in the middle of the city, even though the businesses involved are jumping ship. The city fathers haven’t figured out that the salad days are over, and the new reality is drastically reduced tax revenues and fiscal conservatism.
The smarter people know that economic bad times are coming, but after a few seconds to realize that all that really matters is housing and food, both of which are, and will remain in abundance, they assume that there will be riots in the streets because the public can no longer buy wall sized HDTVs for every room of their deeply mortgaged houses.
Not gonna happen. There are likely to be a whole bunch of unemployed, blue and white collar workers who for the first time in their lives are going to be living slim, but if the government is smart, and keeps them in housing and with food in their bellies, they are not going to be rioting much, either.
Obama will probably try to reinvent the WPA, but it is unnecessary, because international trade will be halted, and America will need workers to rebuild all those industries we outsourced.
The most important thing is to keep a sense of realism and responsibility. It won’t be terribly hard to return to the idea of only spending what you earn, and no more, at all levels.
A new report by the U.S. Army War College talks about the possibility of Pentagon resources and troops being used should the economic crisis lead to civil unrest, such as protests against businesses and government or runs on beleaguered banks... The study says economic collapse, terrorism and loss of legal order are among possible domestic shocks that might require military action within the U.S.There is going to be *no* economic collapse. I've read that wireless stocks are going to take a hit in 2009 -- a good investment if Reparations pass. [with no apologies to Dave Chappell]
What the so-called “War College report” (actually an academic paper) is really all about:
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?pubID=890
The author provides the defense policy team a clear warning against excessive adherence to past defense and national security convention. Including the insights of a number of noted scholars on the subjects of “wild cards” and “strategic surprise,” he argues that future disruptive, unconventional shocks are inevitable. Through strategic impact and potential for disruption and violence, such shocks, in spite of their nonmilitary character, will demand the focused attention of defense leadership, as well as the decisive employment of defense capabilities in response. As a consequence, the author makes a solid case for continued commitment by the Department of Defense to prudent strategic hedging against their potential occurrence.
present
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