An outright declaration of martial law is just too much of a frontal attack. I think they know they have to work gradual, pick off any dissent one by one. To do that they have to get around posse commitatus.
Posse comitatus is an act of Congress, not part of the Constitution. It prohibits the Army and Air Force, but not the Navy or Marines, from enforcing the civilian laws except as authorized by Congress.
This may or may not be a wise law, but it doesn't violate either the PC or the Constitution.
>>>An outright declaration of martial law is just too much of a frontal attack. I think they know they have to work gradual, pick off any dissent one by one. To do that they have to get around posse commitatus.<<<
I’ve written this before, but I’ve spent most of my adult in the media and schools, so I’m familiar with the mindset of the American fascist.
In fact, I think it’ll be worse than we imagine. I don’t think we’ll see the gulags and the killing fields and the camps. It’ll be, as you say, “one by one.” And it will be subtle, coy, underhanded. For most people, all it will take is a visit from a friendly stranger in a crisp suit with a quiet reminder about what is appropriate to say at work or in public. You can keep your guns and call Rush and Mark and Sean. Complain all you want, but be aware that we have diverse, multiple viewpoints, all of which deserve a voice, and if your opinion creates a hostile workplace, or a hostile community, or a hostile family, please quiet down according to the regulations concerning this kind of speech. Maybe there will be a fine for malcontents, or a calmly worded dismissal from your job. Keep your gun. Who are you going to shoot, anyway, some guy in a cubicle just following rules from another guy in a cubicle based on a 4,000-page law? Go to church if you want, just don’t pray openly, since it might annoy someone. Still a troublemaker? You’ll be required to attend a weekend workshop at a posh hotel with a continental breakfast, concluding with a signed agreement to reform behavior or speech. Of course, every once in a while there will a show trial, which should be enough to make everyone else cower in fear. Let a thousand flowers bloom, according to the species list guidelines from the Department of Agriculture’s Soil and Water Conservation Service, with pest management from the EPA, using water based on usage rates provided by the Department of Commerce, and carbon credits applied from the Department of Energy to balance your footprint of greenhouse gases. No invasive species, either; the Fish and Wildlife Service guy will be over to look over the blossoms to make sure the environment is safe. Smiling, kind, and, of course, unrelenting help from the state. And remember, as long as you follow the rules, it’s your property.
I think I’m right about this, too. I hope I’m just a nut who needs a tin-foil hat. God help us.