If this is the alternative...

[eynon81]

People often seem to need their revolt to be wrapped in a cloak of authority. Most civil war and revolutions in western history were often one state authority in conflict with another*. The 2 big revolts in American history both involved regional governments in conflict with the central government. For many Americans civil-disobedience will need to wear a uniform or it'll be blown off as evil commie stuff.



*The big exception seems to be the Communist revolutions of the 20th century, but those made everyone go crazy.

[Aaron]

I don't think Kent State can even be used as a discussion. The narratives people born in the last 2 decades have running around in their heads because of TV and the internet make for such stridently different community expectations than were present in the 50s and 60s, that soldiers today, put in that scenario... would have wildly different tendencies.

[Spider]

Soldiers today, put in that situation, wouldn't have live ammunition. Guardsmen you used to see at security choke points like airports for example, were routinely given empty magazines. They're there for show.

Soldiering and policing conceptually have almost nothing to do with one another. So don't use the military for crowd control, and don't militarize police.

I guess it's a question of whether or not it's worth it, politically, to defend communities when the looting and destroying starts, and the only thing that can stop it is the Guard. Just stand back and let it burn I guess?...no grand jury that way.

[Aaron]

Personally think anywhere within the boundaries of the United States, when a situation can be in anyway summarized by chaos, the question of the unreasonable threat to freedoms implies not just state support but federal support.

[Spider]

Well, this is not an anarchy. If the shit hits the fan, order is probably going to be restored by all the systems in place to do that very thing. Or else, as I suggested, they can just let it burn.

[Aaron]

Well yeah, I'm just saying.. there seems to be a question whether or not troops should ever be called in... I'm saying yeah... if it's highly qualified

[eynon81]