Posted on 08/13/2012 8:59:36 AM PDT by bimboeruption
Imagine a group of individuals seizing an American town or city, disarming the local law enforcement agency, apprehending and imprisoning citizens who pose threats to their agenda, and taking over the local government. Such a scenario may seem unlikely to the average American unless one were to consider a group composed of something like Islamic extremists or foreign nationals who are anti-American with a political agenda.
No doubt the guardians that we task to protect and defend our freedoms, our lives, and our property consider such a scenario as well as many potential other ones that can pose threats to our welfare. And among them are those who think and draw up contingency plans to address such situations. Preparations are made in logistics, in training exercises, and in instructional sessions in the military. As it should be, right? But imagine this scenario featuring American citizens as the threat instead of foreign nationals.
One retired Army colonel, Kevin Benson, who teaches at the University of Foreign Military and Cultural Studies at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas does imagine such a situation, and has written a paper titled “Full Spectrum Operations in the Homeland: A “Vision” of the Future” which is posted on the Small Wars Journal (online at http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/full-spectrum-operations-in-the-homeland-a-%E2%80%9Cvision%E2%80%9D-of-the-future). In an excerpt from the paper he writes:
“The Great Recession of the early twenty-first century lasts far longer than anyone anticipated. After a change in control of the White House and Congress in 2012, the governing party cuts off all funding that had been dedicated to boosting the economy or toward relief. The United States economy has flatlined, much like Japan’s in the 1990s, for the better part of a decade. By 2016, the economy shows signs of reawakening, but the middle and lower-middle classes have yet to experience much in the way of job growth or pay raises. Unemployment continues to hover perilously close to double digits, small businesses cannot meet bankers’ terms to borrow money, and taxes on the middle class remain relatively high. A high-profile and vocal minority has directed the public’s fear and frustration at nonwhites and immigrants. After almost ten years of race-baiting and immigrant-bashing by right-wing demagogues, nearly one in five Americans reports being vehemently opposed to immigration, legal or illegal, and even U.S.-born nonwhites have become occasional targets for mobs of angry whites.
“In May 2016 an extremist militia motivated by the goals of the “tea party” movement takes over the government of Darlington, South Carolina, occupying City Hall, disbanding the city council, and placing the mayor under house arrest. Activists remove the chief of police and either disarm local police and county sheriff departments or discourage them from interfering. In truth, this is hardly necessary. Many law enforcement officials already are sympathetic to the tea party’s agenda, know many of the people involved, and have made clear they will not challenge the takeover. The militia members are organized and have a relatively well thought-out plan of action.
“With Darlington under their control, militia members quickly move beyond the city limits to establish “check points” – in reality, something more like choke points -- on major transportation lines. Traffic on I-95, the East Coast’s main north-south artery; I-20; and commercial and passenger rail lines are stopped and searched, allegedly for “illegal aliens.” Citizens who complain are immediately detained. Activists also collect “tolls” from drivers, ostensibly to maintain public schools and various city and county programs, but evidence suggests the money is actually going toward quickly increasing stores of heavy weapons and ammunition. They also take over the town web site and use social media sites to get their message out unrestricted.
“When the leaders of the group hold a press conference to announce their goals, they invoke the Declaration of Independence and argue that the current form of the federal government is not deriving its “just powers from the consent of the governed” but is actually “destructive to these ends.” Therefore, they say, the people can alter or abolish the existing government and replace it with another that, in the words of the Declaration, “shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.” While mainstream politicians and citizens react with alarm, the “tea party” insurrectionists in South Carolina enjoy a groundswell of support from other tea party groups, militias, racist organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan, anti-immigrant associations such as the Minutemen, and other right-wing groups. At the press conference the masked militia members’ uniforms sport a unit seal with a man wearing a tricorn hat and carrying a musket over the motto “Today’s Minutemen.” When a reporter asked the leaders who are the “red coats” the spokesman answered, “I don’t know who the redcoats are…it could be federal troops.” Experts warn that while these groups heretofore have been considered weak and marginal, the rapid coalescence among them poses a genuine national threat.”
Like many of the individuals who posted their comments on the paper at the website I find the article offensive. Obviously one reason is the manner in which he demonized tea party organizations, and his demonstration, inspite of his possession of a Ph.D., of his lack of knowledge of such organizations. More detestable is his apparent lack of regard for the oath he took as an Army officer. Perhaps he was a special case, or absent in sick call when they swore him and/or his little group in. Perhaps he felt that that oath didn't apply to him. Whatever the case there is no excuse.
Mr. Benson's paper does have some value in illustrating the cancer that has spread in our government. To give some clarification of the disease, here's an excerpt from an earlier article from this blog:
“You're probably a terrorist if you supported former presidential candidates like Ron Paul, Bob Barr, or Chuck Baldwin. The guy with the flip-charts doesn't count. Yet.
“You're probably a terrorist if you're against the New World Order, the North American Union, and those united numbskulls, the UN. Reading Tom Clancy novels doesn't help your case.
“You're probably a terrorist if you're against abortion, against illegal immigration, and against gun control. If you're just against paying taxes you could be a terrorist unless you're a member of the presidential cabinet or a congressional representative, then you're excused.
“You're probably a terrorist if you're against RFIDs (Radio Frequency Identification) and universal service programs. You're probably a terrorist if you're for the US Constitution, for property rights, for national sovereignty, and for Christian ideologies.
“You're probably a terrorist if you've seen Aaron Russo's "America: Freedom to Fascism". Same goes if you've watched "Zeitgeist". Got to wonder if "V for Vengeance" is on the list.
“You're probably a terrorist if you stock up on things like water, baby formula, ammo, cigarettes, alcohol, denim jeans, and medicines. And for all you folks rushing out to buy guns and ammo out of fear that the current administration will enact severe gun restrictions, hey, you may have made the list as well.
“You're probably a terrorist if you go around carrying things like cameras, binoculars, hand held tape recorders, maps or charts, sketch pads, notebooks, SCUBA equipment, or disguises. Or a tourist.
“So far Mom and apple pie aren't on the list, and if you think that all the above is utter nonsense, think again. And while you're at it, scrape off those bumper stickers, hide your flag collection, and get rid of your gold lest those things also give you away as being a terrorist.
“This "nonsense" comes from sources such as the Missouri Information Analysis Center Strategic Report: The Modern Militia Movement (dated 20 Feb 2009), the "If you encounter" pamphlet from the Phoenix branch of the FBI, the Texas Department of Public Safety and Criminal Law Enforcement pamphlet titled "Terrorism: What the Public Needs to Know", and Virginia's "Terrorism & Security Awareness Orientation for State Employees".*
Simply put the majority of Americans living in this country have been identified as potential threats to a government that has grown beyond its constitutional limits. It could be you that is considered a threat, or maybe someone in your family. Perhaps it's the neighbor next door, your pastor, or some little old lady down the street who does nothing radical other than to make popcorn balls for the kids as Halloween treats.
This attitude isn't novel to our current administration, it is just more blatant. Earlier administrations have made contingency plans for civil unrest and/or rebellion. We do have legitimate threats to our national security and welfare; however, most of those dangers are from foreign nationals within and without our borders, yet our government seemingly pays little attention to them. The government is more concerned about its continuity than it is about the people, failing to understand that its true guarantee to its life and its true army are the people themselves, and not a ruling minority and the military it maintains.
I don't see the likelihood of a scenario like Mr. Benson paints. Rather what I see is the likelihood of some organization subscribing to some leftist ideology staging such an event or a false flag operation for some political agenda. One problem that Mr. Benson should consider for his scenario is the likelihood that some troops in his Fifth Army may lay down their weapons and refuse to act against American citizens. Perhaps there won't be as many to do it nowadays as there would have been when I was in the service, but there will be enough to present a problem to the command. What would be your contingency plan for that situation I wonder?
*http://www.naplesnews.com/blogs/observation_post/2009/mar/22/terroristdefentry
http://www.tradoc.army.mil/tpubs/pams/tp525-3-1.pdf
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/national_security_strategy.pdf
This article is dated 8-12. I did a search and nothing popped up regarding this topic.
Has anyone heard about this?
Just where does Obama’s private army fit into this scenario?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2915773/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2914855/posts
Thanks Slim!
I searched on the wrong words.
>Just where does Obama’s private army fit into this scenario?<
Good question.
I wonder how many soldiers Obama has in his private army?
Do you think many in the military would take up arms against their fellow citizens...us?
The original academic journal article is a leftist fantasy about how the Tea Party becomes an insurgency and the military has to crush it.
This article is a libertarian fantasy about this journal article becoming standard US military doctrine.
I think that most would stand down if ordered to take up arms against us, the American people. After all, that is what our military are, a cross section of us, the American people.
I suspect the article itself is propaganda.
“Do you think many in the military would take up arms against their fellow citizens...us?”
Not any in the real military...but let us consider those who are currently getting promotions due to - shall we say - other things than military merit?
Those who are as mentally and morally incompetent as the liberal politicians who have quota’d these folks into promotions.
Who will these droogs suppport?
The night Obama was inaugurated he signed an executive order allowing 45,000,000 to begin bringing "refugees" from Gaza here.
OWS or the Union thugs in Madison, WI are the only know groups with the who we now know the Obama Administration told local police forces to stand down against to allow them to OCCUPY.... Maybe the good Colonel is a support of Agenda 21?
Obama and the elites will turn us over to the NWO.
I really don’t think so but I don’t get warm fuzzy feelings knowing that some of them are planning for it.
>I suspect the article itself is propaganda.<
Why do you think that?
What he describes is a cartoon that makes "V for Vendetta" look like a monograph by Hugh Trevor-Roper.
We needn’t worry. If Obama wins his “Homeland” brown shirts and storm troopers will have shut down the Tea Party, any conservative media, and anyone objecting to Obama’s agenda of sovietizing America will be shut up, one way or another. If Romney wins, we will be well on our way out of this depression by 2016, and Ryan will do a good job, starting in 2020. Idiot leftist, even those in the military will be more agitated than ever. The left will be absolutely rabid, with race baiters, poverty pimps, and rabble-rousers slinging hate towards everyone who doesn’t join their Occupyesque anti-culturalism.
What better way to intimidate or stir reaction.
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