SCARY CRAP...Bush Seeks to MILITARIZE Disaster Relief Efforts! FASCISM

[rbajai]

This should scare the HELL out of every American. * wants to MILITARIZE federal relief efforts! It is unprecedented. That's what we have the National Guard for.

Folks, what we have going on here is an unelected President who is leading our country into a fascist police state with a shredded Constitution and no guarantee of human rights. Think it won't happen? Just wait until you see tanks and military humvees running through the streets of American cities. No, it ain't China. It ain't North Korea. It ain't Iran. It's the UNITED STATES of AMERICA.

Call Congress NOW and tell them you won't sit idle and allow * to turn our country into a police state. Tell them you don't want * to militarize relief efforts. Tell them you simply want to continue to have the National Guard and FEMA to respond to disasters. 1-877-762-8762.

It's OUR COUNTRY. Let's TAKE IT BACK!

From
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/25/AR2005092501224.html?referrer=email&referrer=email

Bush is asking Congress to consider a major change, potentially shifting federal responsibility for major natural disasters from the Department of Homeland Security to the nation's top military generals. The Defense Department has been hesitant to take such a role because of sensitivity to the idea of adopting a police presence on U.S. soil and because of strains on the armed forces from the war in Iraq.

[babylonsister]

1. Welcome to DU, rbajai! This

info is somewhat dated; the blivet referred to this during his speech from NOLA 2 weeks ago. Just thought I'd let you know in case no one seems too surprised. And yes, it is scary; we can only hope no one goes along with this b.s. 'plan'.

[rbajai]

6. Thanks.

This is a frog-in-water situation. If * said we would militarize all relief and rescue operations in May 2001, people would have thought he was nutz and there would have been loud outcry. But they know that to implement their goal of a military police state, it has to be done little by little under the radar. So after one disaster, * brings up the idea. After the next disaster, he pushes it more. After another disaster, Americans, after being tired from so many disasters and "beaurocracy" getting in the way, will finally submit. It's a dastardly plan for sure.

Now what I want to know is when the hell Americans stopped to think about how disasters were previously handled - through the National Guard at the request of Governors, with FEMA in a support and coordination role. What happened to THAT? Why all of a sudden has that fallen apart? Why aren't Americans yelling out, "Where was the National Guard?"

[Coastie for Truth]

2. Analogize to Pre-WW2 Corps of Engineers

In the first Century and a half of the Republic the Army's "Corps of Engineers" was actually a bunch of separate, distinct, disconnected functions--

1. "Combat Engineers" - these are the troops who ford streams, build pontoon bridges, etc. Keep them in the Army.

2. "Civil Engineers" - the massive public works - dams, levees, some public buildings (court houses, post offices) in the days before the General Services Administration.

3. "Topographical Engineers" - the "Lewis and Clark" engineers who mapped the US.
See NOAA's Commissioned Corps, below.

Also, consider the "Uniformed Services" that are only part of the "Military" in times of war--

1. "Coast Guard" - NO. It is not part of the Navy. It transfers "Operational Control" of some units to the Navy - but it is NOT part of the Navy.

2. "Public Health Service" - Communicable Disease Control Center, Food and Drug Admin, NIOSH, Prison Health Service, Indian Health Service, etc. During war time it becomes part of the military.
One of the Bush-Chertoff proposals is to transfer the Public health Service from the Department of Health & Human Services to the Department of Homeland Security -- as if Chertoff doesn;t have enough to screw up.


3. "NOAA Commissioned Corps" - this is the marine bed part of the old "Topographical Engineers.

What does a hypothetical "Infrastructure Natural Disaster Corps" buy? Not much, but just maybe

1. A national base of resources to draw from. Don't know if that's good or bad.

2. A unified incident command structure - like the California Office of Emergency Services's "Incident Command System" for earthquakes, general alarm fires, etc.
Both Katrina and Rita illustrated a total breakdown of the multi-asset "Incident Command System"

[snappyturtle]

3. Scary?,,,,,,,,,,,absolutely frightening!!

Count me in----I'll get my list out and start calling legislators' offices in DC. You know,what is truly frightening is that * is talking about an important matter while the nation is so focused on the recovery of the Gulf States.....perfect opportunity to get the military positioned so that "next time"??? There's Israeli trained militia and Blackwater in NO now----see Jeremy Scahill's article "Blackwater Down: in The Nation to learn more.

[rbajai]

4. Thanks.

And I fully agree. If this doesn't scare Americans I don't know what will.

Will the SHEEPOLE WAKE UP this time?

[kma3346]

15. I keep wondering that myself

WHAT is it going to take to make people wake up? Are they going to wait until they themselves end up being the victims, because if they do, it will be too late.

:argh:

[Mr_Spock]

5. Typical overreaction from the reactionary right.

These people could not govern if power fell into their laps. Which it did in this case. How can anti-government people run a country?

[Logansquare]

7. Doctors Without Borders has identified this as one of the biggest dangers

to unbiased humanitarian aid. It's especially dangerous on an international level, since military aid operations can be used as a wedge to establish a permanent presence in a foreign country or to destabilize an existing government. Doctors Without Borders has a philosophy that if a government interferes with humanitarian aid, they will refuse to go in. It's controversial, but they feel that if they start allowing governments to manipulate their operations, it will lead to them becoming puppets for political interests.

On a domestic level, it could lead to a loss of states rights, and an increase in federal control over local government. I think it's the federal government's duty to coordinate disaster response and to administer funds for rebuilding--that's what FEMA and the Congress did before neocons broke them. When a nebulous police-state entity like Homeland Security (which suspends cornerstones of our Constitution such as habeous corpus), takes over disaster response, it's goodbye to democracy, folks.

[rbajai]

8. Logansquare, you said:

"When a nebulous police-state entity like Homeland Security (which suspends cornerstones of our Constitution such as habeous corpus), takes over disaster response, it's goodbye to democracy, folks."

EXACTLY. I personally am a bit :scared: about what is coming - and believe me, it IS coming. That is, unless more people wake up to what is going on and confronts it by calling Congress and expressing disdain for that fact that not only are we losing our freedoms, but if they listen to * and agree that we need to militarize relief efforts, we can kiss America as we know it GOODBYE.

It is THAT SERIOUS.

[DemonFighterLives]

9. This is indeed a big problem

With dubby murmuring about the military taking over everything. Possi Comitatas would need to be changed so he can then start his martial law plans.
Everything is handled like a military campaign to this bunch of loonies. Just give us back our pre 2000 system and we'll be happy.

[rbajai]

10. Agreed.

Funny, if Clinton had made these proposals, the country would have risen up and declared him the antichrist. But because it's * calling the shots now, he can get away with it with nary a murmur. Why is that?

[Emit]

11. Personally

And not to simplify these matters, because I know it's more complicated than this, but:

I believe that the Bush & Co. supporters are so happy to have their guy in the WH (and their people in the House, Senate and Judiciary) that they'll go along with anything Bush & Co. try. I have talked with many hard-core Bush & Co. supporters. They are so blinded by: 1) a chance to have abortion banned; 2) an opportunity to have the US Constitution basd on 'word of God' (i.e., to declare the US a Christian nation; 3) through totalitarian rule and religious dictate, have homosexual rights eliminated; 4) cut all social services and have faith based initiatives and private churches replace government social programs; and 5) tax cuts, tax cuts, tax cuts a la Grover Norquist style.

And the list goes on and on. This (mis)administration is proof positive that an AUTHORITARIAN government can not adequately lead a free thinking society without becoming totalitarian in its practices.

Of course, the Machiavellian powers that be have their own agenda, and they know full well how to control the masses and the propaganda to suit their needs.

BTW, with regard to your original OP, here are some more important links from recent weeks:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4790112

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4760655

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=2057984

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4793504

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4849457

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4715924

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=125&topic_id=55606

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4675980

[rbajai]

12. Emit, you said:

"I believe that the Bush & Co. supporters are so happy to have their guy in the WH (and their people in the House, Senate and Judiciary) that they'll go along with anything Bush & Co. try."

Absolutely. From my experience with Bush supporters they are an eerily loyal bunch. Yes they do want all those things. They would like nothing more than a one-party fascist Republican rule in this country. They are PRIMED for it. And that's why they are so willing to accept anything Bush does or says.

It is nothing less than the Cult of Bush. And trying to draw them out of that cult is like trying to pet a cornered pit bull. They attack and growl at you, biting your hand. They simply want to remain deceived I guess.

[DemonFighterLives]

14. I don't know Why

but one thing for sure is that anyone who crosses the b*shes either end up committing suicide or something similar.

Welcome to DU, by the way! :hi:

[kma3346]

13. This is exactly what I was talking about...

On my thread about the bigger issue of Gore's mercy mission:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4890026

It's unbelievable what they're trying to get away with in the name of the pathetic response to Hurricane Katrina. You can only come away with the conclusion that this was the desired outcome.

[rbajai]

16. Yep.

All under the guise of freedom and democracy. What a clever deception. Pull the rug out from under us while claiming to beleive in freedom and democracy.

These guys are sinister and must be stopped by calling Congress and demanding our Senators vote down ANY possible moves towards greater military involvement in rescue and relief efforts. Furthermore, tell your Congressmen/women that we need the NATIONAL GUARD back here at home to help us - NOT the U.S. Military whose traditional role has been solely national defense. And then tell your Congressmen/women that you believe Posse Comitatus is a critical law that ought not be infringed upon.

I certainly will not stand for * turning this country into a police state. I will not succumb quitely to the military making arrests on U.S. citizens as if we were a foreign enemy. I have no guns and no weapons, but I do have my telephone and E-mail. I intend to use it. And I think we all should.

[Hubert Flottz]

17. If the Bush administration can't govern under the parameters of

the over 200 year old US Constitution, then they are unfit to govern...PERIOD, in the USA!

Every other president before Bush, was able to face every other disaster in the past, but Bush freely admits now, that he can't do it, without creating a neonazi police state. He admits he's unfit to cope. Bush admits that he can't provide National Security, under our democratic system of government, that we've had in this country for over 200 years.