If Bu$h declared Martial Law in this country.....

[YouthInAsia]

lets say after they drop nukes on Iran and the people took to the streets en masse, do you believe American soldiers would fire upon their OWN people? This was the discussion at work today and the votes were split 50/50. I said that those paid mercenary groups, such as Blackwater, would MOST CERTAINLY fire upon their own people.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Would that be *martial* law?

Not to be picky or anything -- but the term "martial" law corectly implies what it is, law imposed by the military.

[BlooInBloo]

3. ROFL! Oh the irony of your post - if that doesn't beet awl!

[YouthInAsia]

6. oops, thanks!

[BlooInBloo]

2. "Martial".

[Deja Q]

4. Soldiers are trained to obey orders. No questions asked.

Yes, they would.

So behave.

I intend to behave, if martial law were declared.

[Buck Laser]

7. But soldiers are also bound not to obey

...an unlawful order. That's a legacy of WW2, when the Allies refused to accept "I was just doing my duty" as a defense for war crimes perpetrated by troops in the concentration camps.

[rustydog]

8. Soldiers take an oath to follow orders...officers

take an oath to the constitution.

That may be why some are openly calling for Rumsfeld's resignation.

If martial law was declared, I think you'd see Washington's national guard, for instance, go to another state so they would not be shooting their friends, family etc.

[hootinholler]

15. Negative.

All service members take an oath to serve protect and defend the constitution against all enemies foriegn and domestic.

Would they fire? Probably, depends on circumstance.

-Hoot

[TechBear_Seattle]

9. And yet...

They must also run each and every order through the filter: "Is this a valid, legal order?" Complying with an illegal order makes them just as guilty as the person who issued the order, thanks to the Nuremburg precedent.

[proud patriot]

5. some would for awhile , some wouldn't from the start

IMO

[Murdock]

10. absolutely..

Soldiers obey orders..

[oneold1-4u]

11. The "little" forgotten things

He created sooooooo long ago! Every police, sheriff, or any auxiliary civil law official comes directly under his command through a couple of laws given to Homeland Security to uphold! One of those laws gives any of those people the right to kill without any resulting consequences. This "force" along with the military that would still "follow" would be tremendous.
Keep your house and family as close and secure as possible. It will be a "hard day" and it is a "likely"!
Once one makes pets out of rats, it is not easy to get rid of them. Remember nutria! Well today, Wash.DC is over run with this type! They will eat each other but do a great harm first!

[AndyTiedye]

12. They'd Unleash the Talibornagains

They are grooming the fundie nutbars for exactly that role.
:scared:

[cali]

13. this is a very unlikely scenario

If people took violently to the streets- and even that's highly unlikely - it might look like Chicago in '68, but bush couldn't declare martial law. He'd be impeached so fast he wouldn't be able to blink.
This really is stupid stuff. Yes, yes, I know he's the devil's own spawn, and I'm not saying he wouldn't like to, I'm saying he couldn't get away with it.

[dave502d]

14. Maybe for a day,would you fire on your mon and dad. n/t