Chuck Norris: Texas Ranger warns of potential US government plot to take over Lone Star State
Chuck Norris is racing to the rescue once again.
The 75-year-old actor, martial arts expert and upholder of conservative causes, has suggested that a US military exercise planned for later this summer may in fact be nothing less than a rascally plot to take over his home state of Texas.
Writing in his column on the right-wing website WorldNetDaily, Norris, suggested there was potential for Jade Helm 15, a US military training exercise planned for July and August, to turn into an occupation.
“If you haven’t heard about Operation Jade Helm 15, you need to. The US government says, ‘It’s just a training exercise’,” wrote Norris, who for many years starred in the TV series Walker, Texas Ranger.
“But I’m not sure the term "just" has any reference to reality when the government uses it. It’s neither over-reactionary nor conspiratorial to call into question or ask for transparency about Jade Helm 15 or any other government activity.”
Jade Helm 15, which is held across public and private land in six states, has long attracted the concerns of those who have little truck with the federal government’s potential for overreach.
Indeed, both the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, and US senator Ted Cruz, a Republican candidates for president, have publicly voiced their purported concerns about the event. Mr Abbott said he would have the Texas state guard monitor the event.
"I’m glad Ted Cruz is asking the tough questions of the Pentagon. Particularly because its ‘exercises’ come too near to my ranch’s backdoor as well, at least according to the map," he wrote.
“It’s pretty sad and bad when major military ops are ordered in a large, fiery state like Texas and not even the governor or its senators know the specifics.”
Norris, who earlier this year urged the citizens of Israel to vote for Benjamin Netanyahu, has long been a favourite of conservatives.
He added: “To those who merely think we should check our brains at the door of the White House and trust what the government does, I would reiterate to you the words of one of our government’s primary founders, Benjamin Franklin, who said, “Distrust and caution are the parents of security”.”
Its all true. However its not "Jade Helm" thats is taking over the state. It is Operation "Torchy's Tacos" mmmm soooo goood!
I'd say the right wing has gone off the edge, but it hasn't. Its just that the internet has given them a great big microphone. COmbined with the fact that only about 12 people vote in any state at any time, and it means a lot.
While the security-industrial complex is growing, this sort of coockoo for coco puffs ranting helps no one.
Of course, in the era when the NSA is literally watching everyone and the federal government celebrates it, anything is possible. Watch the Skies!
Texas, the only state where a terrorist attack gets a little media time (because the terrorists got curbstomped) but the militia conspiracy of the week is a big deal.
I thought Chuck was supposed to be good at that Kungjitsu stuff. He's clearly been hit in the head far too much. Not sure what the Governors excuse is though?
Texans do know that Texas is under US control right? Since 1845? And that these wargames happened back in 2001 or something? The only change is who the president is atm.
The media (NPR, Independent, etc) is over reacting to this imo...
Abbott ordered the State Guard (not the National Guard) to observe the military manuevers and facilitate direct communication between the military and the Governor's office.
That's not a bad idea folks.
That's not the same as having some rogue Texans, decked out in guillie suits with rifles scoped on our military guys, to watch out for any nefarius activites.
Our military needs these sorts of training... I hope everyone can understand that. Conversely, this is the first sort of major exercise like this there (from what I understand), and having the Governor requesting this line of communication/observation with the military seems reasonable.
juraigamer wrote: Texans do know that Texas is under US control right? Since 1845? And that these wargames happened back in 2001 or something? The only change is who the president is atm.
If you really want to get into it, the Feds don't 'control' ANY state or commonwealth, all are sovereign entities with their own constitutions and governments.
juraigamer wrote: Texans do know that Texas is under US control right? Since 1845? And that these wargames happened back in 2001 or something? The only change is who the president is atm.
If you really want to get into it, the Feds don't 'control' ANY state or commonwealth, all are sovereign entities with their own constitutions and governments.
If the Feds don't 'control' any state or commonwealth, then why was there a civil war? If they are sovereign entities, then surely, they're free to leave the union at any time?
That's not the same as having some rogue Texans, decked out in guillie suits with rifles scoped on our military guys, to watch out for any nefarius activites.
Wait you mean I bought this smelly CHinese suit for...nothing?
juraigamer wrote: Texans do know that Texas is under US control right? Since 1845? And that these wargames happened back in 2001 or something? The only change is who the president is atm.
If you really want to get into it, the Feds don't 'control' ANY state or commonwealth, all are sovereign entities with their own constitutions and governments.
If the Feds don't 'control' any state or commonwealth, then why was there a civil war? If they are sovereign entities, then surely, they're free to leave the union at any time?
Lots of reasons, and you're smart enough to know it.
And yet, even under massively expanded federal power, the Pres can't order a state governor to do anything, nor tell a state legislature what they can and cannot do. Look at the latest states making marijuana legal as an example.
The media (NPR, Independent, etc) is over reacting to this imo...
Abbott ordered the State Guard (not the National Guard) to observe the military manuevers and facilitate direct communication between the military and the Governor's office.
That's not a bad idea folks.
Actually, yeah. That is an AWFUL idea. It's more things that can go wrong.
You want to "facilitate direct communication between the military and the Governor's office"? You have the military pick up the phone and deal with the Governor's office. But since the Governor isn't really necessary for any of these exercises, the Governor has no business getting involved.
As CptJake said, North Carolina has survived decades of Robin Sage exercises without nuttiness like this.
But I can tell you despite having a bunch of backwoods hillfolk here in NC, we don't have deployments of the State Guard to "observe the military maneuvers and facilitate communication between the military and Governor's office" when Robin Sage exercises go off.
The media (NPR, Independent, etc) is over reacting to this imo...
Abbott ordered the State Guard (not the National Guard) to observe the military manuevers and facilitate direct communication between the military and the Governor's office.
That's not a bad idea folks.
Actually, yeah. That is an AWFUL idea. It's more things that can go wrong.
You want to "facilitate direct communication between the military and the Governor's office"? You have the military pick up the phone and deal with the Governor's office. But since the Governor isn't really necessary for any of these exercises, the Governor has no business getting involved.
As CptJake said, North Carolina has survived decades of Robin Sage exercises without nuttiness like this.
Of course that was a problem. But since Robin Sage started in the 70s, it is one that is pretty damned small/rare, and one they have since addressed.
The soldiers in that incident AND the LEO made some big mistakes.
And yet, at no time did the exercise threaten the NC government, even when some poor fethers got killed because folks didn't pay attention to what was going on. The intent of the exercise (much like the intent of this one coming up across the south to include TX) is to train troops, NOT usurp state governments.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Frazzled wrote: Actually, unless the military is only acting on military bases then the governor has to be involved, else its..illegal.
And I would bet DoD has coordinated with the land holders (both private and state). Even the article seems to say that has happened.
And you can bet things like the all the insertions will be cleared and flight plans filed (and waivers for certain types of flights granted).
Again, it isn't like DoD has never held exercises any place but on DoD bases.
CptJake wrote: Of course that was a problem. But since Robin Sage started in the 70s, it is one that is pretty damned small/rare, and one they have since addressed.
The soldiers in that incident AND the LEO made some big mistakes.
And yet, at no time did the exercise threaten the NC government, even when some poor fethers got killed because folks didn't pay attention to what was going on. The intent of the exercise (much like the intent of this one coming up across the south to include TX) is to train troops, NOT usurp state governments.
I know that... I just believe that the media is overreacting to this...
It's unfortunate that a group of whackadoos basically turned that public hearing into this crazy conspiracy orgasm. But, that's distinctly different than what Gov. Abbott is doing with respect to the Texas Guard.
I think the concern is not so much about a takeover (though some media and some individuals are making it out to be) but about disregard for private property, safety and disruption.
There's also a big difference between training being done in a specific location in close proximity with private property, or a couple of cold starving folks trying to E&E through your land vs a huge mobilization of undercover operatives through non-specific public and private areas, armed with firearms (even if blanks or simunitions).
Just imagine if you are a Texan landowner situated by the border and one night you see a whole bunch of gun toating guys traversing your land close to your home. How are you supposed to react?
That said, some monitoring by the State wouldn't be unreasonable.
Edit - I think if there were some assurances that a whole bunch of armed folks aren't going to end up romping through private land or private business, that would be something but we know next to nothing about the parameters of the exercise - hence all the concern (and exaggeration).
KiloFiX wrote: I think the concern is not so much about a takeover (though some media and some individuals are making it out to be) but about disregard for private property, safety and disruption.
There's also a big difference between training being done in a specific location in close proximity with private property, or a couple of cold starving folks trying to E&E through your land vs a huge mobilization of undercover operatives through non-specific public and private areas, armed with firearms (even if blanks or simunitions).
Just imagine if you are a Texan landowner situated by the border and one night you see a whole bunch of gun toating guys traversing your land close to your home. How are you supposed to react?
That said, some monitoring by the State wouldn't be unreasonable.
Except, unless the troopers get really lost, that cannot happen, as the land owners have been coordinated with.
KiloFiX wrote: I think the concern is not so much about a takeover (though some media and some individuals are making it out to be) but about disregard for private property, safety and disruption.
There's also a big difference between training being done in a specific location in close proximity with private property, or a couple of cold starving folks trying to E&E through your land vs a huge mobilization of undercover operatives through non-specific public and private areas, armed with firearms (even if blanks or simunitions).
Just imagine if you are a Texan landowner situated by the border and one night you see a whole bunch of gun toating guys traversing your land close to your home. How are you supposed to react?
That said, some monitoring by the State wouldn't be unreasonable.
Except, unless the troopers get really lost, that cannot happen, as the land owners have been coordinated with.
Is that true? I didn't hear such - That all the land owners have been coordinated with. But if so, then I would indeed be less concerned.
The media (NPR, Independent, etc) is over reacting to this imo...
Abbott ordered the State Guard (not the National Guard) to observe the military manuevers and facilitate direct communication between the military and the Governor's office.
That's not a bad idea folks.
Actually, yeah. That is an AWFUL idea. It's more things that can go wrong.
You want to "facilitate direct communication between the military and the Governor's office"? You have the military pick up the phone and deal with the Governor's office. But since the Governor isn't really necessary for any of these exercises, the Governor has no business getting involved.
As CptJake said, North Carolina has survived decades of Robin Sage exercises without nuttiness like this.
Nope. One incident in thirty years is pretty good.
And to point to it as some kind of example as to why the deployment of the State Guard "to observe the military maneuvers and facilitate direct communication between the military and the Governor's office" is pretty damn disingenuous.
What would the Governor's office have been able to do to prevent that situation? Serious question, because part of the exercises in question are to ensure the most realistic response possible.
KiloFiX wrote: I think the concern is not so much about a takeover (though some media and some individuals are making it out to be) but about disregard for private property, safety and disruption.
There's also a big difference between training being done in a specific location in close proximity with private property, or a couple of cold starving folks trying to E&E through your land vs a huge mobilization of undercover operatives through non-specific public and private areas, armed with firearms (even if blanks or simunitions).
Just imagine if you are a Texan landowner situated by the border and one night you see a whole bunch of gun toating guys traversing your land close to your home. How are you supposed to react?
That said, some monitoring by the State wouldn't be unreasonable.
Except, unless the troopers get really lost, that cannot happen, as the land owners have been coordinated with.
Is that true? I didn't hear such - That all the land owners have been coordinated with. But if so, then I would indeed be less concerned.
Use training environments off federal property when required once they have been properly coordinated with local (e.g,. civil, tribal, and private) authorities and when the requirements of this instruction have been met.
KiloFiX wrote: I think the concern is not so much about a takeover (though some media and some individuals are making it out to be) but about disregard for private property, safety and disruption.
There's also a big difference between training being done in a specific location in close proximity with private property, or a couple of cold starving folks trying to E&E through your land vs a huge mobilization of undercover operatives through non-specific public and private areas, armed with firearms (even if blanks or simunitions).
Just imagine if you are a Texan landowner situated by the border and one night you see a whole bunch of gun toating guys traversing your land close to your home. How are you supposed to react?
That said, some monitoring by the State wouldn't be unreasonable.
Except, unless the troopers get really lost, that cannot happen, as the land owners have been coordinated with.
Is that true? I didn't hear such - That all the land owners have been coordinated with. But if so, then I would indeed be less concerned.
Jade Helm 15 will take place on tracts of both public and private land in the seven states.
“In every case, extensive coordination has been completed with whoever’s responsible for that land,” Warren said. “In the case of private land, we’ve spoken and made detailed coordination with the patriotic Americans who have volunteered their land for the use of this important training.”
At the Pentagon, Warren said: “This is training that we’ve coordinated in great detail with both state and local officials in the various states that we’ll be conducting it.”
Not all Texans have reacted with hostility to Jade Helm 15. After the Army made presentations to the Big Spring City Council and the Howard County Commission, two local agencies in West Texas, the Big Spring City Council passed a resolution granting the Army permission to train within its city limits.
whembly wrote: Isn't that^ what Abbott doing?
"once they have been properly coordinated"?
The document defines what properly coordinated means and what conditions need be met. The governor doesn't get to decide that; I know people like to think that States have unlimited authority within their borders but it just isn't so and state governors are not monarchs beholden to no authority above them.
In determining the appropriate civil authorities for coordination, local government officials (e.g., mayor, city manager, county commissioner, or tribal leaders), and local and federal law enforcement agencies will be consulted. At a minimum, a senior level official with responsibility for each affected civilian environment will be consulted. For category I and II training events, if coordination with civilian officials is determined to be unnecessary or violates operations security (OPSEC) requirements, the decision by the approval authority to not do so will be cited in the approval documentation.
Edit:
You would think that with all the yelling in Texas about how dangerous the border is that the residents would be happy to have the US military come in and do mock exercises focused on protecting the border from foreign threats. Geez, give people what they want and they still complain.
But I can tell you despite having a bunch of backwoods hillfolk here in NC, we don't have deployments of the State Guard to "observe the military maneuvers and facilitate communication between the military and Governor's office" when Robin Sage exercises go off.
Having the commander of the state guard informed of the exercises is a good thing and not "backwoods hillfolk." Now maybe you don't mind US army units wandering around the cul de sac, but here we tend to notice things like that.
But I can tell you despite having a bunch of backwoods hillfolk here in NC, we don't have deployments of the State Guard to "observe the military maneuvers and facilitate communication between the military and Governor's office" when Robin Sage exercises go off.
Having the commander of the state guard informed of the exercises is a good think and not "backwoods hillfolk." Now maybe you don't mind US army unites wandering around the cul de sac, but here we tend to notice things like that.
Which, as pointed out, should not be an issue as DoD has coordinated with all the relevant folks.
Honestly, if the coordination had not happened, Gov Abbot would have no clue the exercise would use parts of TX, if he even knew it was occurring at all.
Honestly, if the coordination had not happened, Gov Abbot would have no clue the exercise would use parts of TX, if he even knew it was occurring at all.
Bingo. Also, DoD Policy requires state reps and senators be made aware if it is a Stage III exercise which explains how our favorite Canadian, Cruz got involved.
I think Cruz is Canada's version of a Vengeance Weapon on the US for all the moose jokes. Come on even his name (Cruz) is like an Austin Powers villain.
Frazzled wrote: I think Cruz is Canada's version of a Vengeance Weapon on the US for all the moose jokes. Come on even his name (Cruz) is like an Austin Powers villain.
Frazzled wrote: I think Cruz is Canada's version of a Vengeance Weapon on the US for all the moose jokes. Come on even his name (Cruz) is like an Austin Powers villain.
Who does #2, I mean Cruz, work for!!!
You didn't get the memo? Outlining the Chain of Command?!?!
LordofHats wrote: It's moments like this that I am reminded how much I am disappointed in the American capacity for rational decision making.
Where you been? Under a rock? Far off castle? Share the goods brother!!
Rational Decision Making was burned out of me by my 5th year in the Army Being my 5th and 6th year in service I fully understood what "The Army Way" was all about
The media (NPR, Independent, etc) is over reacting to this imo...
Abbott ordered the State Guard (not the National Guard) to observe the military manuevers and facilitate direct communication between the military and the Governor's office.
That's not a bad idea folks.
The Republican party would probably want to tell the Republican party that.
Former Texas Republican Representative Todd Smith;
"As a 16 year Republican member of the Texas House and a patriotic AMERICAN, I am horrified that I have to choose between the possibility that my Governor actually believes this stuff and the possibility that my Governor doesn’t have the backbone to stand up to those who do. I’m not sure which is worse."
The idea that the Governor was merely asking for there to be communication between the US troops commanding the operation and local Texas authorities is laughable backtracking. As has already been pointed out, as if that wasn’t happening already. And even if that communication needed expansion or improvement, that’s the kind of thing that goes on all the time without any need for media announcement.
No, the Governor made his statement in the media because was trying to pander to the crazies. Which is something politicians do, but this time it caught national media attention because this group of crazies is really an extraordinary kind of stupid. And so now the Governor is trying to backpedal fast as he can.
The media (NPR, Independent, etc) is over reacting to this imo...
Abbott ordered the State Guard (not the National Guard) to observe the military manuevers and facilitate direct communication between the military and the Governor's office.
That's not a bad idea folks.
The Republican party would probably want to tell the Republican party that.
Former Texas Republican Representative Todd Smith;
"As a 16 year Republican member of the Texas House and a patriotic AMERICAN, I am horrified that I have to choose between the possibility that my Governor actually believes this stuff and the possibility that my Governor doesn’t have the backbone to stand up to those who do. I’m not sure which is worse."
The idea that the Governor was merely asking for there to be communication between the US troops commanding the operation and local Texas authorities is laughable backtracking. As has already been pointed out, as if that wasn’t happening already. And even if that communication needed expansion or improvement, that’s the kind of thing that goes on all the time without any need for media announcement.
No, the Governor made his statement in the media because was trying to pander to the crazies. Which is something politicians do, but this time it caught national media attention because this group of crazies is really an extraordinary kind of stupid. And so now the Governor is trying to backpedal fast as he can.
Seb, are you seriously suggesting that somebody's trying to make political capital out of this because of upcoming presidential primaries? You're far too cynical
Operation Jade Helm Is Nothing To Be Concerned About. But Americans’ Distrust in Obama Is.
Liberals are tut-tutting at Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s order to the Texas State Military Reserve to observe the “Jade Helm” special operations training exercise going on in several southwestern states.
The same people who think Bu$Hitlerburton is responsible for the widespread impotence among progressive men cite this as evidence that conservatives are crazy paranoids obsessed with Obama-related conspiracy theories.
But while the concern over the exercise is misplaced, the fact that huge numbers of Americans do not trust this administration is entirely the liberals’ own damn fault.
First, let me put your mind at ease about Jade Helm – unless I’m an unknowing pawn of a giant conspiracy, there’s absolutely nothing to be concerned about.
Jade Helm is part of the regular SOF (special operations forces) training cycle to hone our operators’ skills in executing missions in inhabited areas.
People have the notion that our snake-eaters are always out in some jungle or desert, but a huge portion of the world is urban. This exercise helps them learn to better work in populated environments.
Most of our military trains out of sight on massive bases, but the SOF has trained in civilian areas for decades – near Ft. Bragg, civilians in rural areas often participate as role-players.
Sadly, on one occasion, a couple Green Berets mistook a sheriff’s deputy for a role player and tried to relieve him of his gun. He was not a role player. This tragedy shows why Governor Abbott is perfectly sensible to have his state militia observe and liaison.
Besides a couple wars, I deployed on civilian support operations like the Los Angeles riots and the Northridge earthquake response, and I commanded a reinforced battalion during the 2007 San Diego fires. I’m always amazed and amused by people babbling about such nonsense as FEMA camps and demonstrating their utter lack of familiarity with either military capabilities or basic logistics.
Do you have any idea how much stuff and how many troops it would take to lock down a significant number of Americans – especially Americans exercising the right to keep and bear arms? When tyranny happens here, it won’t be delivered by soldiers but the slow process of frog boiling that we see underway today as liberals slowly chip away at our rights.
The concern of millions of Americans over an innocuous exercise reflects not on them but upon our President*. It’s on him that people absolutely believe that he would, if he could, use the military to strip them of their liberties. And it’s not irrational in light of his actions.
Barack Obama has chosen to use executive orders to ignore the will of the American people’s elected representatives in Congress. His IRS targets conservative Americans. The misnamed Department of Justice lets his allies skate, like the tax dodging Al Sharpton – hell, like pretty much everybody on MSNBC. Is there anyone who think Hillary Clinton won’t get away with brazenly breaking government records and influence peddling laws? Yet somehow, the DoJ found the time and resources to persecute conservative Dinesh D’Souza for a paltry $20,000 campaign contribution to a failed Senate candidate, an act that shouldn’t even be against the law in the first place.
To the extent Americans distrust our federal government, it is absolutely the fault of Barack Obama and a mainstream media that willingly enables his gross violations of our laws, norms and customs. Obama gets no benefit of the doubt, and he deserves none. When we see him shaking-hands with dictators like Raul Castro while refusing to confront the socialist thugs in Venezuela, you get the sense that if he could send armed men to impose his will upon normal Americans he would do so in a heartbeat.
Sadly for him, our military and law-enforcement personnel are sworn to defend and obey the Constitution, not the guy who temporarily occupies 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. So if you see some operators out there on Jade Helm, wave at them, thank them, then tell them they need to be more covert because if Joe Civilian can find them, so can the enemy.
I did surveillance/counter-surveillance training in a decent sized urban area (and in several small towns within a hundred or so miles of that urban area). Part of the course was NOT getting 'made' by the subject of the surveillance, which in turn meant not sticking out to the locals and LEOs.
The training WAS coordinated with the LEOs and other agencies. In fact we had some detectives from some of the LE agencies in the course with us.
That "article" is possibly the funniest thing I've ever read.
The best bit is where he cites a poll on Fox news to back up his claim that it's Obama's/liberals' fault that he isn't trusted.
It's nothing at all to do with the best part of 10 years of secret muslim/socialist/secretly gay/ etc etc crap that's been pushed non stop by the American right.
...the widespread impotence among progressive men...
Is this really what you take for your serious news?
Anyhow, aside from the cheap "hurr dem other side is poopoo" stuff, the central premise of the piece is idiotic. This episode has nothing to do with general distrust in the president, this is about a collection of fringe idiots with a very silly conspiracy theory. No president can ever stop a collection of fringe idiots from hating him, or from making up some stupid conspiracy. The 9/11 Truther stuff wasn't due to a general distrust in the president, it was because in any society there are some total fething loons.
The only issue of any relevance is whether a political party is willing to feed the loons that line up more or less on their side of the political football field. And as we've seen from this governor's reaction, one side of politics is increasingly willing to pander to the silliest of nonsense.
And it doesn't take too much thought to start realising exactly how that kind of pandering can steadily lead to one side of politics beginning to 'distrust' the other side.
...the widespread impotence among progressive men...
Is this really what you take for your serious news?
He's a crass, ex-military (now lawyer) op-ed writer.
Anyhow, aside from the cheap "hurr dem other side is poopoo" stuff, the central premise of the piece is idiotic. This episode has nothing to do with general distrust in the president, this is about a collection of fringe idiots with a very silly conspiracy theory. No president can ever stop a collection of fringe idiots from hating him, or from making up some stupid conspiracy. The 9/11 Truther stuff wasn't due to a general distrust in the president, it was because in any society there are some total fething loons.
Imma going to stop you there. The 9/11 Truther were LARGELY formed because of the distrust of the Bush Administrations.
You will always have the looney toons, in all walks of life. They're largely ignored.
However, in this case, the fething 9/11 truther brigade had LARGE play here in the states... unfortunately. Mainly because of the Bush Derangement Syndrome (BDS).
My next point may enlighten you as to why this happens.
The only issue of any relevance is whether a political party is willing to feed the loons that line up more or less on their side of the political football field. And as we've seen from this governor's reaction, one side of politics is increasingly willing to pander to the silliest of nonsense.
And it doesn't take too much thought to start realising exactly how that kind of pandering can steadily lead to one side of politics beginning to 'distrust' the other side.
We, as a nation, have always held a skeptical eyes towards our President and the Government in general.
While it's arguably stronger in the redstate... the nation as a whole exhibit this to varying degrees. Just look at what's happening in places like Ferguson, Detriot, NYC and now Baltimore (Democrat enclaves for years). There's not a lot of trust between the citizens and the political class.
So, circling back to this Texan Governor... while I believe these people are overreacting, the Governor having his peeps (Texas Guard) do their thing isn't unreasonable, imo.
A 18 month old study about trust done on the weekend after a ton of stories about how some folks lost their health insurance?
Pretty weak, but not really surprising coming from someone who complains about people not trusting Obama after spending the last few years trying to convince us not to trust Obama and drowning himself in "don't trust Obama" media.
d-usa wrote: A 18 month old study about trust done on the weekend after a ton of stories about how some folks lost their health insurance?
Pretty weak, but not really surprising coming from someone who complains about people not trusting Obama after spending the last few years trying to convince us not to trust Obama and drowning himself in "don't trust Obama" media.
Uh uh...
It isn't like the "untrustiness" changed all that much during his presidency either:
whembly wrote: He's a crass, ex-military (now lawyer) op-ed writer.
And you're reading him, and posting him here as something you agree with, despite it being an article that's basically cheap shots and very silly analysis.
You are what you read mate. My sister drifted from a kind of centre left outlook, with a tendency towards some odd conspiracy theories, to a dogmatic hard right over about four years. It started with an entirely understandable dislike of our state Labor government, and so she started preferring news sources that repeated that dislike back to her. But then she read those sources on other points and started to believe those points, and then she went looking for sources that reinforced her even stronger right wing views. That process repeated itself until, well, now she's real hard line, and sometimes even gets that Anne Coulter style 'talking and not blinking' thing. I try not to talk politics with her anymore, not because we disagree (we've never agreed and that's half the fun), but because her arguments aren't interesting anymore, because she isn't really thinking about this stuff anymore. She just accepts the stuff from her side, and rejects the stuff from the other side.
I don't want to sound partonising, but I've kind of seen the same process during your time on dakka. You and I have never seen eye to eye on politics, but I've always enjoyed reading your posts, because it was clear you were thinking about this stuff. But I've seen a trend to post articles where the only merit is that they're from 'your side', and to reject arguments without any substance, just with 'that's what your side would say' kind of sentiment.
Imma going to stop you there. The 9/11 Truther were LARGELY formed because of the distrust of the Bush Administrations.
They sure were - that's my point. And do you think they formed out of a rational, sensible review of Bush and his policies, or because the far left just loves believing the worst possible nonsense about any right wing politician?
And once you realise that people who believed the anti-Bush conspiracy nonsense were driven by nothing that Bush actually did, it should be obvious how little Obama's policies or his ability to keep the trust of the population in general had to do with these Jade Helm lunatics. And which point it should be obvious how ridiculous that article is.
We, as a nation, have always held a skeptical eyes towards our President and the Government in general.
Actually, the US has always been kind of strong in its 'respect the office' sentiment. That's declined massively in the last couple of generations, but even now the US may have skepticism, but it's nothing like the open contempt for politicians you see elsewhere. Here in Oz abusing our politicians is great sport. And I don't mean US style abuse where people write critical op-eds, I mean when the PM goes on a meet and greet through the day they'll be constantly greeted with calling them dickheads. And they don't call them dickheads because they voted for the other side, but just because showing contempt for our politicians is great sport. The last PM toured a school and a couple of kids threw fruit at her, just because it was funny.
So, circling back to this Texan Governor... while I believe these people are overreacting, the Governor having his peeps (Texas Guard) do their thing isn't unreasonable, imo.
No, it's fething nuts. You can dislike, or even loathe a president, but thinking the president may be using training exercises as a cover for a federal takeover is flying rodent gak lunacy. A governor who entertains that is playing up for the crazies, and there's no two ways about it.
I don't want to sound partonising, but I've kind of seen the same process during your time on dakka. You and I have never seen eye to eye on politics, but I've always enjoyed reading your posts, because it was clear you were thinking about this stuff. But I've seen a trend to post articles where the only merit is that they're from 'your side', and to reject arguments without any substance, just with 'that's what your side would say' kind of sentiment.
That's the by-product of not seeing "eye to eye" my friend.
Just like you reading (maybe hypothetically) the TPM, The Atlantic, and Media Matters and agreeing with them... its they fit more in your world view.
You have a tendency to say "that's crazy pants, and here's why". That's one of the things I respect about you... even that I'll probably disagree with you most of the time.
I've always owned up to the fact that I don't like Obama and Democrats like Clinton/Reid/Pelosi ilk... based largely on their policies.
Imma going to stop you there. The 9/11 Truther were LARGELY formed because of the distrust of the Bush Administrations.
They sure were - that's my point. And do you think they formed out of a rational, sensible review of Bush and his policies, or because the far left just loves believing the worst possible nonsense about any right wing politician?
And once you realise that people who believed the anti-Bush conspiracy nonsense were driven by nothing that Bush actually did, it should be obvious how little Obama's policies or his ability to keep the trust of the population in general had to do with these Jade Helm lunatics. And which point it should be obvious how ridiculous that article is.
I totally buy that the non-Republicans of all stripes loved to believe the worst possible nonsense about any right wing politician. Which, if you're honest, you'll fall into that trap.
Perfect example: Todd Atkin. Everyone else couldn't wait to ask other Republicans what they think of what Akin said, in the attempt to infer guilt by association of the same party.
Conversely, when a Democrat does something bad... you'd often have to play that "Name that Party™" game and dig deeper to find out that politician's party is the Democrat.
We, as a nation, have always held a skeptical eyes towards our President and the Government in general.
Actually, the US has always been kind of strong in its 'respect the office' sentiment. That's declined massively in the last couple of generations, but even now the US may have skepticism, but it's nothing like the open contempt for politicians you see elsewhere. Here in Oz abusing our politicians is great sport. And I don't mean US style abuse where people write critical op-eds, I mean when the PM goes on a meet and greet through the day they'll be constantly greeted with calling them dickheads. And they don't call them dickheads because they voted for the other side, but just because showing contempt for our politicians is great sport. The last PM toured a school and a couple of kids threw fruit at her, just because it was funny.
I disagree. Traditionally, we've always been skeptical of our government... over the last few decades, it's trending not so much that we trust it more, but it's trending that we want more from our government.
So, circling back to this Texan Governor... while I believe these people are overreacting, the Governor having his peeps (Texas Guard) do their thing isn't unreasonable, imo.
No, it's fething nuts. You can dislike, or even loathe a president, but thinking the president may be using training exercises as a cover for a federal takeover is flying rodent gak lunacy. A governor who entertains that is playing up for the crazies, and there's no two ways about it.
K. Governor should tell the to STFU. Cool beans seb.
Its all for the sake of controversy and its really getting ridiculous. Texas is a great state, but their ruling class, and the cowboy culture is just becoming a giant derp-fest.
The people of Texas need to wake up and grow up, or deal with this consequences of pulling a Joe Biden in everything you do or say.
Essentially the ruling whackjobs in that state are just taking the easy way out instead of actually doing their jobs instead of robbing everyone.
-Texas is the textbook example of a WELFARE STATE. All of the major employers and corporations based in that state rely on federal contracts directly, or on grants or federal law/mandates for the majority of their revenue; Dell, Halliburton, Texas Instruments, and at least a couple dozen other multi billion dollar companies.
-Even after the heinous tragedy of Texas City, this state still has a ban against local fire codes. WTF? ITS THE 21ST CENTURY. As an engineer, I find this particularly idiotic.
-Threatened to secede around in the early 2000's. At least in jest. SERIOUSLY? WTF?
-Like most of the states in the south, African Americans and Latin Americans are treated like second class citizens.
Again I am sorry to any Texans who read this, but seriously, this is the truth and its gotta stop. Denial doesn't help any of us.
Most politicians do this, but especially in the past 15 years, Texas has been screwing us over with these shenanigans. I think Texans need to band together and put a temporary moratorium on this kind of behavior.
whembly wrote: That's the by-product of not seeing "eye to eye" my friend.
Just like you reading (maybe hypothetically) the TPM, The Atlantic, and Media Matters and agreeing with them... its they fit more in your world view.
I've read a handful of op-eds from The Atlantic, and none of those other sites. I actually don't really read specific newspapers, but these days I read mostly economics and financial blogs, the authors of which are all over the map, politically.
You have a tendency to say "that's crazy pants, and here's why". That's one of the things I respect about you... even that I'll probably disagree with you most of the time.
I've always owned up to the fact that I don't like Obama and Democrats like Clinton/Reid/Pelosi ilk... based largely on their policies.
Sure, nothing wrong with having a point of view and an opinion, and coming at an issue from that position. The problem is when you let your point decide what arguments and facts you accept and which you reject.
Quick rule of thumb - if you find yourself nodding when you're reading something, work twice as hard at figuring out if its true or not. And on the flip side, if you find yourself angry at a piece and wanting to reject it, double check every reason you've come up with for rejecting the article.
I totally buy that the non-Republicans of all stripes loved to believe the worst possible nonsense about any right wing politician. Which, if you're honest, you'll fall into that trap.
I've certainly been guilty of doing it. And I will almost certainly do it again. I just hope that I don't do it much, and that I've got the honesty to accept it when other people call me on it.
K. Governor should tell the to STFU. Cool beans seb.
The Governor should come out and state that there is no place for ridiculous conspiracy nonsense in modern discourse. And he should name names, like Alex Jones, and then call on all politicians and leading figures to similarly condemn anyone who deals in silly fantasy over basic political reality.
That's not going to happen of course, and it'd be unfair to condemn for failing to do what every politician and political commentator should be doing. So instead the governor's back flip on the issue, even if he tried to pretend he wasn't, is probably as good as its going to get. So now this just quietly goes away, and we wait for the next politician to curry favour with some conspiracy nutters. I'm going to confidently predict which side of politics is going to do it next.
So as someone with only a passing familiarity with the intricacies of US militia organisations, am I understanding correctly that the Texas State Guard is essentially a part-time Army Reserve organisation?
And they're being sent out to 'keep an eye' on a bunch of Navy Seals and Green Berets?
If that's the case, and this is really an attempt to take over Texas... just what exactly does anyone expect the State Guard to be able to actually do about it?
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe on Thursday slammed “foolishness” surrounding the upcoming Operation Jade Helm 15, calling the mobilization of the Texas State Guard in response to the military exercise “one of the dumbest things I have ever heard” in an interview with Washington D.C.’s NewsChannel 8.
aw_man wrote: Its all for the sake of controversy and its really getting ridiculous. Texas is a great state, but their ruling class, and the cowboy culture is just becoming a giant derp-fest.
The people of Texas need to wake up and grow up, or deal with this consequences of pulling a Joe Biden in everything you do or say.
As a representative of the people of Texas, PM me if you'd like to hear what you can do with yourself. Hugs and kisses bro.
-Texas is the textbook example of a WELFARE STATE. All of the major employers and corporations based in that state rely on federal contracts directly, or on grants or federal law/mandates for the majority of their revenue; Dell, Halliburton, Texas Instruments, and at least a couple dozen other multi billion dollar companies.
Of course, when I think welfare state companies I think Dell, Hess, Anadarko, Conoco, Halliburton, Whole Foods, and MD Anderson.
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insaniak wrote: So as someone with only a passing familiarity with the intricacies of US militia organisations, am I understanding correctly that the Texas State Guard is essentially a part-time Army Reserve organisation?
And they're being sent out to 'keep an eye' on a bunch of Navy Seals and Green Berets?
If that's the case, and this is really an attempt to take over Texas... just what exactly does anyone expect the State Guard to be able to actually do about it?
In the real world, coordinate with the military and local agencies, just like I'm sure they were already doing.
Alternatively, see if they can do donuts in the parking lot with Vietnam era trucks and M113s. I hope they choose option #2 myself.
insaniak wrote: So as someone with only a passing familiarity with the intricacies of US militia organisations, am I understanding correctly that the Texas State Guard is essentially a part-time Army Reserve organisation?
And they're being sent out to 'keep an eye' on a bunch of Navy Seals and Green Berets?
If that's the case, and this is really an attempt to take over Texas... just what exactly does anyone expect the State Guard to be able to actually do about it?
The Texas State Guard is a formal state militia, that is not tied to the Federal Government like the National Guard. They answer only to the Texas Governor, not the Governor and the President.
The Governor, (in a dumb move in my opinion) is pandering to the nutcase crowd, and is having command members of the State Guard "monitor" the upper levels of the exercise. They aren't intended to stop anything, or anything like that. All they are doing is observing how the upper echelons of this exercise is playing out.
-Like most of the states in the south, African Americans and Latin Americans are treated like second class citizens.
Again I am sorry to any Texans who read this, but seriously, this is the truth and its gotta stop. Denial doesn't help any of us.
Most politicians do this, but especially in the past 15 years, Texas has been screwing us over with these shenanigans. I think Texans need to band together and put a temporary moratorium on this kind of behavior.
I write to you from behind the lines in the last free state of Texas as we prepare to resist the invasion of Jade Helm 15.
While Gen. Travis laid in a supply of extra "beeves" in advance of the Mexican assault from Gen. Santa Anna at the Alamo, we are fearful of running low on Slim Jims and Moon Pies as the Walmarts are turned into detention centers for citizens robbed of their constitutional rights. As POWs (Prisoners of Walmart), we expect to be put to work in the sporting goods department against our will while earning below minimum wage.
We have had one encounter with a commander of the invading force during a hearing in Bastrop, Texas. Lt. Col. Mark Lastoria was deceptively polite and informative but Texans don't fall for those characteristics. We don't need facts. In Chuck Norris we trust, and he has informed us that this is an attempt by the Kenyan socialist in the White House to surrender our country to the United Nations. We have heard the talk that this is a training exercise in seven southwestern states to prepare U.S. troops for new types of war fighting, but Chuck Norris said, "It's not crazy to think Obama would invade Texas."
So that's what we believe.
Of course, a lot of us still think of the Civil War as the "War of Northern Aggression," and we are not going succumb to repeated history. In fact, a few weeks before the Jade Helm's leadership incursion, our state legislature listened to passionate arguments to save "Confederate Heroes Day" on the Texas holiday calendar. A law to abolish the commemoration and honor all participants in the conflict was stopped with persuasion suggesting those who fought with the North were traitors, and anyone who wants to pay them tribute should "go to New York."
Our brave governor, Greg Abbott, has ordered the Texas State Guard to establish listening posts to monitor Jade Helm exercises in case America's soldiers come to take our guns, Duck Dynasty paraphernalia, Lone Star beer, pickup trucks, and bass boats. His command has left only a few of us confused. The governor says he honors the military at the same time he sends a message that he distrusts their activities. We are concerned that our previous governor, Rick Perry, has transcended Abbott's intellect. Perry cannot remember three things at once but thinks paranoia over Jade Helm is not warranted.
Related: Pentagon: No Texas takeover plot
We expect the Jade Helm troops to seduce our population with the profits from selling gas, food, and lodging, but we will be vigilant. We have our radios tuned to Texas conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and we have read the text of the U.N.'s Agenda 21 and know that the global elite can requisition even our golf courses without paying appropriate greens fees. We are aware of the cost of freedom in Texas, though, and on a nice 18-hole golf course it can be a hundred dollars a round plus cart fees.
Dissenters are arising in our midst, too, and pose some danger. A suspiciously sane former state lawmaker, Todd Smith, a Republican, wrote the governor to tell him that his "pandering to idiots" had made him "livid." Although Smith served 16 years in the Texas House, he seems to have salvaged a troubling intelligence. He told Gov. Abbott, "I am horrified that I have to choose between the possibility that my governor actually believes this stuff and the possibility that my governor doesn't have the backbone to stand up to those who do. I'm not sure which is worse."
But be not afraid, America. We are Texans. We will resist logic and intelligence to the very end. And we will keep up our traditions. From the Alamo to the Battle of Goliad, the Confederacy, LBJ's Vietnam, George W. Bush's Iraq War, and even Jerry Jones' Dallas Cowboys, we have a long legacy of losing. And the odds are also against us in the coming Battle of Jade Helm, but we expect to prevail against the invaders, and we will not give up our rights.
Or our air conditioning, cold beer, and Slim Jims.
I write to you from behind the lines in the last free state of Texas as we prepare to resist the invasion of Jade Helm 15.
While Gen. Travis laid in a supply of extra "beeves" in advance of the Mexican assault from Gen. Santa Anna at the Alamo, we are fearful of running low on Slim Jims and Moon Pies as the Walmarts are turned into detention centers for citizens robbed of their constitutional rights. As POWs (Prisoners of Walmart), we expect to be put to work in the sporting goods department against our will while earning below minimum wage.
We have had one encounter with a commander of the invading force during a hearing in Bastrop, Texas. Lt. Col. Mark Lastoria was deceptively polite and informative but Texans don't fall for those characteristics. We don't need facts. In Chuck Norris we trust, and he has informed us that this is an attempt by the Kenyan socialist in the White House to surrender our country to the United Nations. We have heard the talk that this is a training exercise in seven southwestern states to prepare U.S. troops for new types of war fighting, but Chuck Norris said, "It's not crazy to think Obama would invade Texas."
So that's what we believe.
Of course, a lot of us still think of the Civil War as the "War of Northern Aggression," and we are not going succumb to repeated history. In fact, a few weeks before the Jade Helm's leadership incursion, our state legislature listened to passionate arguments to save "Confederate Heroes Day" on the Texas holiday calendar. A law to abolish the commemoration and honor all participants in the conflict was stopped with persuasion suggesting those who fought with the North were traitors, and anyone who wants to pay them tribute should "go to New York."
Our brave governor, Greg Abbott, has ordered the Texas State Guard to establish listening posts to monitor Jade Helm exercises in case America's soldiers come to take our guns, Duck Dynasty paraphernalia, Lone Star beer, pickup trucks, and bass boats. His command has left only a few of us confused. The governor says he honors the military at the same time he sends a message that he distrusts their activities. We are concerned that our previous governor, Rick Perry, has transcended Abbott's intellect. Perry cannot remember three things at once but thinks paranoia over Jade Helm is not warranted.
Related: Pentagon: No Texas takeover plot
We expect the Jade Helm troops to seduce our population with the profits from selling gas, food, and lodging, but we will be vigilant. We have our radios tuned to Texas conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and we have read the text of the U.N.'s Agenda 21 and know that the global elite can requisition even our golf courses without paying appropriate greens fees. We are aware of the cost of freedom in Texas, though, and on a nice 18-hole golf course it can be a hundred dollars a round plus cart fees.
Dissenters are arising in our midst, too, and pose some danger. A suspiciously sane former state lawmaker, Todd Smith, a Republican, wrote the governor to tell him that his "pandering to idiots" had made him "livid." Although Smith served 16 years in the Texas House, he seems to have salvaged a troubling intelligence. He told Gov. Abbott, "I am horrified that I have to choose between the possibility that my governor actually believes this stuff and the possibility that my governor doesn't have the backbone to stand up to those who do. I'm not sure which is worse."
But be not afraid, America. We are Texans. We will resist logic and intelligence to the very end. And we will keep up our traditions. From the Alamo to the Battle of Goliad, the Confederacy, LBJ's Vietnam, George W. Bush's Iraq War, and even Jerry Jones' Dallas Cowboys, we have a long legacy of losing. And the odds are also against us in the coming Battle of Jade Helm, but we expect to prevail against the invaders, and we will not give up our rights.
Or our air conditioning, cold beer, and Slim Jims.
Signed,
A Patriotic Texan
I'd be amazed if a proper Texan knew what half those words meant. Also, none of them are code for "its okay to bang your aunt", so let's clear that conundrum (sorry, small words: issue) up, shall we?
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe on Thursday slammed “foolishness” surrounding the upcoming Operation Jade Helm 15, calling the mobilization of the Texas State Guard in response to the military exercise “one of the dumbest things I have ever heard” in an interview with Washington D.C.’s NewsChannel 8.
It amazes me somewhat that there seems to be a generalized painting of Texans as ignorant morons from several posters here that bristle when talking about the unfair generalizing of minorities in a similar fashion.
While I agree that this whole Texas is being invaded concept seems very left field, I would say most Texans are going , "what the hell?" when this was announced.
Relapse wrote: It amazes me somewhat that there seems to be a generalized painting of Texans as ignorant morons from several posters here that bristle when talking about the unfair generalizing of minorities in a similar fashion.
While I agree that this whole Texas is being invaded concept seems very left field, I would say most Texans are going , "what the hell?" when this was announced.
The Texans who own the land the training will be conducted on seemed okay with it, otherwise they would have said No.
Relapse wrote: I agree. That's why I'm wondering how people bought into the invasion concept.
The people that are buying into the invasion concept already believed that Obama was going to use the military to destroy the individual states, declare martial law, and take their guns away. If you already believe all that to begin with it's pretty easy to latch onto an Infowars article that confirms what you already "know".
I write to you from behind the lines in the last free state of Texas as we prepare to resist the invasion of Jade Helm 15.
While Gen. Travis laid in a supply of extra "beeves" in advance of the Mexican assault from Gen. Santa Anna at the Alamo, we are fearful of running low on Slim Jims and Moon Pies as the Walmarts are turned into detention centers for citizens robbed of their constitutional rights. As POWs (Prisoners of Walmart), we expect to be put to work in the sporting goods department against our will while earning below minimum wage.
We have had one encounter with a commander of the invading force during a hearing in Bastrop, Texas. Lt. Col. Mark Lastoria was deceptively polite and informative but Texans don't fall for those characteristics. We don't need facts. In Chuck Norris we trust, and he has informed us that this is an attempt by the Kenyan socialist in the White House to surrender our country to the United Nations. We have heard the talk that this is a training exercise in seven southwestern states to prepare U.S. troops for new types of war fighting, but Chuck Norris said, "It's not crazy to think Obama would invade Texas."
So that's what we believe.
Of course, a lot of us still think of the Civil War as the "War of Northern Aggression," and we are not going succumb to repeated history. In fact, a few weeks before the Jade Helm's leadership incursion, our state legislature listened to passionate arguments to save "Confederate Heroes Day" on the Texas holiday calendar. A law to abolish the commemoration and honor all participants in the conflict was stopped with persuasion suggesting those who fought with the North were traitors, and anyone who wants to pay them tribute should "go to New York."
Our brave governor, Greg Abbott, has ordered the Texas State Guard to establish listening posts to monitor Jade Helm exercises in case America's soldiers come to take our guns, Duck Dynasty paraphernalia, Lone Star beer, pickup trucks, and bass boats. His command has left only a few of us confused. The governor says he honors the military at the same time he sends a message that he distrusts their activities. We are concerned that our previous governor, Rick Perry, has transcended Abbott's intellect. Perry cannot remember three things at once but thinks paranoia over Jade Helm is not warranted.
Related: Pentagon: No Texas takeover plot
We expect the Jade Helm troops to seduce our population with the profits from selling gas, food, and lodging, but we will be vigilant. We have our radios tuned to Texas conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and we have read the text of the U.N.'s Agenda 21 and know that the global elite can requisition even our golf courses without paying appropriate greens fees. We are aware of the cost of freedom in Texas, though, and on a nice 18-hole golf course it can be a hundred dollars a round plus cart fees.
Dissenters are arising in our midst, too, and pose some danger. A suspiciously sane former state lawmaker, Todd Smith, a Republican, wrote the governor to tell him that his "pandering to idiots" had made him "livid." Although Smith served 16 years in the Texas House, he seems to have salvaged a troubling intelligence. He told Gov. Abbott, "I am horrified that I have to choose between the possibility that my governor actually believes this stuff and the possibility that my governor doesn't have the backbone to stand up to those who do. I'm not sure which is worse."
But be not afraid, America. We are Texans. We will resist logic and intelligence to the very end. And we will keep up our traditions. From the Alamo to the Battle of Goliad, the Confederacy, LBJ's Vietnam, George W. Bush's Iraq War, and even Jerry Jones' Dallas Cowboys, we have a long legacy of losing. And the odds are also against us in the coming Battle of Jade Helm, but we expect to prevail against the invaders, and we will not give up our rights.
Or our air conditioning, cold beer, and Slim Jims.
Signed,
A Patriotic Texan
I'd be amazed if a proper Texan knew what half those words meant. Also, none of them are code for "its okay to bang your aunt", so let's clear that conundrum (sorry, small words: issue) up, shall we?
You're just jealous of our pickup driving skills and total domination of the oil and gas industry without which you are nothing.
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Relapse wrote: It amazes me somewhat that there seems to be a generalized painting of Texans as ignorant morons from several posters here that bristle when talking about the unfair generalizing of minorities in a similar fashion. While I agree that this whole Texas is being invaded concept seems very left field, I would say most Texans are going , "what the hell?" when this was announced.
No, we don't pay attention to this nonsense. Thats what slightly troubling is that Abbott did.
Relapse wrote: I agree. That's why I'm wondering how people bought into the invasion concept.
The people that are buying into the invasion concept already believed that Obama was going to use the military to destroy the individual states, declare martial law, and take their guns away. If you already believe all that to begin with it's pretty easy to latch onto an Infowars article that confirms what you already "know".
Again in our defense this is at the exact same time that DHS is ignoring courts on immigration, an appellate court just ruled the NSA program is illegal, and cartels have flooded across southern Texas. If you go to Eagle Lake you will be fired upon.
On the flipside I read these nutballs, then similar nuttballs on the left side on Slate and Salon (hint if you don't notice there are nutballs on those sites, You Are One). Sometimes it gets scary.
The year is 2023, and President Ted Cruz is ending the second of his contentious terms in the Oval Office. While his policies have been controversial — for example, undoing major social legislation (Obamacare) without a single Democratic vote — his administration’s continual expressions of hostility toward dissent have finally proved intolerable to millions of Americans.
Liberal grievances date back to 2017, the first year of Cruz’s administration, when his Department of Homeland Security issued a report declaring that fears about economic stagnation and inequality combined with liberal hatred of a conservative Latino could foster left-wing extremism. Specifically, failure to achieve comprehensive immigration reform could lead to violence. According to DHS, left-wing “extremist groups’ frustration over a perceived lack of government action on illegal immigration has the potential to incite individuals or small groups toward violence.”
And since it was known even during the Obama administration that returning vets were having trouble integrating into their communities but were instead “ready to do battle,” the Cruz administration feared that left-wing extremists would find willing recruits in the ranks of former soldiers: Left-wing extremists “will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to exploit their skills and knowledge derived from military training and combat.”
Facing a firestorm of criticism from liberal activists who reminded the administration that “dissent is the highest form of patriotism,” DHS Secretary Allen West stood firm: In his statement Wednesday, West defended the report, which says “left-wing extremism” may include groups demanding immigration reform and amnesty, as merely one among several threat assessments. But he agreed to meet with the head of La Raza, who had expressed anger over the report, when he returns to Washington next week from a tour of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Concerns only deepened as periodic reports surfaced of Army briefings that list La Raza, MoveOn.org, and the Southern Poverty Law Center as “extremist” organizations similar to Hamas, the KKK, and al-Qaeda. DHS-funded reports even went so far as to redefine mainstream leftist concerns about income inequality and climate change as “extremist,” essentially labeling tens of millions of Americans as suspect.
Conservative critics labeled liberals as “paranoid” to be concerned over the DHS reports and Army briefings, but liberals countered that Vice President Rubio himself had accused Democratic lawmakers of acting “like terrorists” during the Democrat-triggered government shutdown in 2021.
In addition, Democrats noted that President Cruz had turned the federal bureaucracy into an engine of intolerance, with the IRS launching systematic audits of the NAACP, Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and other liberal nonprofits, costing them millions of dollars in legal fees and bringing their fundraising to a near halt. At the same time, reports surfaced that the Cruz Department of Justice was attempting to “piece together” prosecutions of liberal nonprofits while — locally — conservative district attorneys were launching terrifying pre-dawn raids on the homes of liberal activists in swing states.
Even the military hasn’t been immune to President Cruz’s crackdown on dissent. His purge of generals — long noted in left-wing blogs — spilled over into the mainstream with a second-term feature story in Politico called “Cruz vs. the Generals.” Americans of all ideological backgrounds continue to express confidence in the rank-and-file soldiers, but increasing numbers of Americans believe that the top leadership has been drafted into the president’s ideological crusades.
Fear and mistrust finally boiled over in San Francisco, Manhattan, Boston, and other stalwart liberal enclaves when the Pentagon announced “Operation Crimson Hammer,” a “Realistic Military Training” exercise in which thousands of special-forces soldiers will hold exercises in New York City, San Francisco, Oakland, other urban areas. Strangely enough, the Pentagon’s own briefing slides listed deep-blue locations such as Manhattan, the Bay Area, and Cambridge, Mass., as “hostile,” while conservative exurban communities were all listed as “friendly.” Democratic lawmakers returned home to find their town halls full of leftist activists demanding answers from the Pentagon. What is “realistic” about a military operation in Central Park?
So, how would the Left respond to the mirror image of the Obama administration’s treatment of conservatives? To know the answer, one only has to look back to the Bush administration and to the extent of leftist paranoia — though, compared with Obama, Bush did not take even a fraction of the negative actions against activists and political speech. Let’s not forget that more than half of Democrat voters[whembly: This is what I was trying to elaborate Seb.] thought it was “very” or “somewhat” likely that the Bush administration either “assisted in the 9/11 attacks or took no action to stop the attacks because they wanted the United States to go to war in the Middle East.” Let that sink in: For all the elite’s disdain of allegedly gullible conservatives, a majority of the Left believed that an American president was complicit in mass murder.
But extreme paranoia wasn’t limited to the Democratic rank and file. As National Review’s own Rich Lowry pointed out, Naomi Wolf (former campaign consultant to Bill Clinton and Al Gore) actually wrote a book explaining how the Bush administration was mirroring the early actions of dictatorships like those in Germany, Russia, and China. Harper’s Magazine published breathless stories about a barely averted Bush administration “coup” or “military dictatorship.” Even as recently as 2013, the National Journal published an article claiming that military officers were considering “staging a coup” against President Obama — the basis for the claim was a series of statements by a retired general who specifically declared that no coup was being contemplated.
No, the Obama administration isn’t going to invade Texas or Utah. Yes, there are some bottom-dwelling, opportunistic conspiracy-mongers who’ve done their best to whip up public concern. But when the Obama administration has done so much for so long to express its disdain for conservative citizens, when it has turned one of its most powerful bureaucracies — the IRS — into a weapon against domestic political opponents, and when it has stonewalled through every meaningful investigation of admitted misconduct, it has richly earned citizens’ distrust.
In this atmosphere of earned distrust, it is appropriate for elected officials to ask questions about even benign and well-meaning military exercises. I don’t believe there is anything nefarious about “Operation Jade Helm,” but I also don’t believe there is anything burdensome about justifying the operation to a conservative public that has been targeted and maligned by the Obama administration in multiple other contexts. After all, suspicion about domestic use of the military is baked into our constitutional cake.
I hope the soldiers involved in Operation Jade Helm have a safe and successful exercise. I also hope, however, that the Obama administration and the media have learned their own lesson: that the price of continually expressed ideological hostility is the erosion of public trust. And for that, they have only themselves to blame.
The year is 2023, and President Ted Cruz is ending the second of his contentious terms in the Oval Office. While his policies have been controversial — for example, undoing major social legislation (Obamacare) without a single Democratic vote — his administration’s continual expressions of hostility toward dissent have finally proved intolerable to millions of Americans.
Liberal grievances date back to 2017, the first year of Cruz’s administration, when his Department of Homeland Security issued a report declaring that fears about economic stagnation and inequality combined with liberal hatred of a conservative Latino could foster left-wing extremism. Specifically, failure to achieve comprehensive immigration reform could lead to violence. According to DHS, left-wing “extremist groups’ frustration over a perceived lack of government action on illegal immigration has the potential to incite individuals or small groups toward violence.”
And since it was known even during the Obama administration that returning vets were having trouble integrating into their communities but were instead “ready to do battle,” the Cruz administration feared that left-wing extremists would find willing recruits in the ranks of former soldiers: Left-wing extremists “will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to exploit their skills and knowledge derived from military training and combat.”
Facing a firestorm of criticism from liberal activists who reminded the administration that “dissent is the highest form of patriotism,” DHS Secretary Allen West stood firm: In his statement Wednesday, West defended the report, which says “left-wing extremism” may include groups demanding immigration reform and amnesty, as merely one among several threat assessments. But he agreed to meet with the head of La Raza, who had expressed anger over the report, when he returns to Washington next week from a tour of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Concerns only deepened as periodic reports surfaced of Army briefings that list La Raza, MoveOn.org, and the Southern Poverty Law Center as “extremist” organizations similar to Hamas, the KKK, and al-Qaeda. DHS-funded reports even went so far as to redefine mainstream leftist concerns about income inequality and climate change as “extremist,” essentially labeling tens of millions of Americans as suspect.
Conservative critics labeled liberals as “paranoid” to be concerned over the DHS reports and Army briefings, but liberals countered that Vice President Rubio himself had accused Democratic lawmakers of acting “like terrorists” during the Democrat-triggered government shutdown in 2021.
In addition, Democrats noted that President Cruz had turned the federal bureaucracy into an engine of intolerance, with the IRS launching systematic audits of the NAACP, Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and other liberal nonprofits, costing them millions of dollars in legal fees and bringing their fundraising to a near halt. At the same time, reports surfaced that the Cruz Department of Justice was attempting to “piece together” prosecutions of liberal nonprofits while — locally — conservative district attorneys were launching terrifying pre-dawn raids on the homes of liberal activists in swing states.
Even the military hasn’t been immune to President Cruz’s crackdown on dissent. His purge of generals — long noted in left-wing blogs — spilled over into the mainstream with a second-term feature story in Politico called “Cruz vs. the Generals.” Americans of all ideological backgrounds continue to express confidence in the rank-and-file soldiers, but increasing numbers of Americans believe that the top leadership has been drafted into the president’s ideological crusades.
Fear and mistrust finally boiled over in San Francisco, Manhattan, Boston, and other stalwart liberal enclaves when the Pentagon announced “Operation Crimson Hammer,” a “Realistic Military Training” exercise in which thousands of special-forces soldiers will hold exercises in New York City, San Francisco, Oakland, other urban areas. Strangely enough, the Pentagon’s own briefing slides listed deep-blue locations such as Manhattan, the Bay Area, and Cambridge, Mass., as “hostile,” while conservative exurban communities were all listed as “friendly.” Democratic lawmakers returned home to find their town halls full of leftist activists demanding answers from the Pentagon. What is “realistic” about a military operation in Central Park?
So, how would the Left respond to the mirror image of the Obama administration’s treatment of conservatives? To know the answer, one only has to look back to the Bush administration and to the extent of leftist paranoia — though, compared with Obama, Bush did not take even a fraction of the negative actions against activists and political speech. Let’s not forget that more than half of Democrat voters[whembly: This is what I was trying to elaborate Seb.] thought it was “very” or “somewhat” likely that the Bush administration either “assisted in the 9/11 attacks or took no action to stop the attacks because they wanted the United States to go to war in the Middle East.” Let that sink in: For all the elite’s disdain of allegedly gullible conservatives, a majority of the Left believed that an American president was complicit in mass murder.
But extreme paranoia wasn’t limited to the Democratic rank and file. As National Review’s own Rich Lowry pointed out, Naomi Wolf (former campaign consultant to Bill Clinton and Al Gore) actually wrote a book explaining how the Bush administration was mirroring the early actions of dictatorships like those in Germany, Russia, and China. Harper’s Magazine published breathless stories about a barely averted Bush administration “coup” or “military dictatorship.” Even as recently as 2013, the National Journal published an article claiming that military officers were considering “staging a coup” against President Obama — the basis for the claim was a series of statements by a retired general who specifically declared that no coup was being contemplated.
No, the Obama administration isn’t going to invade Texas or Utah. Yes, there are some bottom-dwelling, opportunistic conspiracy-mongers who’ve done their best to whip up public concern. But when the Obama administration has done so much for so long to express its disdain for conservative citizens, when it has turned one of its most powerful bureaucracies — the IRS — into a weapon against domestic political opponents, and when it has stonewalled through every meaningful investigation of admitted misconduct, it has richly earned citizens’ distrust.
In this atmosphere of earned distrust, it is appropriate for elected officials to ask questions about even benign and well-meaning military exercises. I don’t believe there is anything nefarious about “Operation Jade Helm,” but I also don’t believe there is anything burdensome about justifying the operation to a conservative public that has been targeted and maligned by the Obama administration in multiple other contexts. After all, suspicion about domestic use of the military is baked into our constitutional cake.
I hope the soldiers involved in Operation Jade Helm have a safe and successful exercise. I also hope, however, that the Obama administration and the media have learned their own lesson: that the price of continually expressed ideological hostility is the erosion of public trust. And for that, they have only themselves to blame.
Is Texas a smoking crater yet or what? I have it on good authority that the jets should be making sorties this very second and the FEMA camps should be turning Texans to soap... I mean, peaceably relocating them for their safety.
Give it to me straight; are US and Real US(Texan) forces engaged in a bitter struggle pitting brother against brother in the same way that apparently these operations have been doing for years now?
Like, Obama's third term isn't due to start for a while, but he's gotta get around to taking all the guns sooner or later, so let's just drop the 'will they/won't they feth' tension and get down to some hard bonings already!
Forar wrote: So it's been, like, more than a week.
Is Texas a smoking crater yet or what? I have it on good authority that the jets should be making sorties this very second and the FEMA camps should be turning Texans to soap... I mean, peaceably relocating them for their safety.
Give it to me straight; are US and Real US(Texan) forces engaged in a bitter struggle pitting brother against brother in the same way that apparently these operations have been doing for years now?
Like, Obama's third term isn't due to start for a while, but he's gotta get around to taking all the guns sooner or later, so let's just drop the 'will they/won't they feth' tension and get down to some hard bonings already!
>.>
The exercise has not started yet. It doesn't kick off until mid-July.
Forar wrote: So it's been, like, more than a week.
Is Texas a smoking crater yet or what? I have it on good authority that the jets should be making sorties this very second and the FEMA camps should be turning Texans to soap... I mean, peaceably relocating them for their safety.
Give it to me straight; are US and Real US(Texan) forces engaged in a bitter struggle pitting brother against brother in the same way that apparently these operations have been doing for years now?
Like, Obama's third term isn't due to start for a while, but he's gotta get around to taking all the guns sooner or later, so let's just drop the 'will they/won't they feth' tension and get down to some hard bonings already!
>.>
The exercise has not started yet. It doesn't kick off until mid-July.
It's pretty hot in Texas in mid-July. Drink lots of water. And ice in Margaritas don't count!
Forar wrote: So it's been, like, more than a week.
Is Texas a smoking crater yet or what? I have it on good authority that the jets should be making sorties this very second and the FEMA camps should be turning Texans to soap... I mean, peaceably relocating them for their safety.
Give it to me straight; are US and Real US(Texan) forces engaged in a bitter struggle pitting brother against brother in the same way that apparently these operations have been doing for years now?
Like, Obama's third term isn't due to start for a while, but he's gotta get around to taking all the guns sooner or later, so let's just drop the 'will they/won't they feth' tension and get down to some hard bonings already!
>.>
The exercise has not started yet. It doesn't kick off until mid-July.
It's pretty hot in Texas in mid-July. Drink lots of water. And ice in Margaritas don't count!
I've been stationed at Ft Hood and Ft Bliss. I know about being outdoors in TX summers.
