Does Obama “plan to use the military against citizens”?

Summary: Today’s hot story on the Right concerns Obama’s new policy allowing use of military force on US soil. Great outrage and wetting of pants follows! Like the “Antarctica ice collapsing” stories this month that bedazeled the Left, these demonstrate (again) that we’re ill-informed and easily manipulated because we get information from our tribal leaders, and they lie to us. Leaders don’t speak truths, let alone harsh and difficult ones, to dogs. When we decide to again stand like men and women, we’ll find reliable sources of information. And better leaders

.

“Memo outlines Obama’s plan to use the military against citizens“, Washington Times, 28 May 2014 — Opening:

A 2010 Pentagon directive on military support to civilian authorities details what critics say is a troubling policy that envisions the Obama administration’s potential use of military force against Americans.

The directive contains noncontroversial provisions on support to civilian fire and emergency services, special events and the domestic use of the Army Corps of Engineers.

The troubling aspect of the directive outlines presidential authority for the use of military arms and forces, including unarmed drones, in operations against domestic unrest. “This appears to be the latest step in the administration’s decision to use force within the United States against its citizens,” said a defense official opposed to the directive.

This is agitprop fed to the gullible — like much of what the Washington Times prints. They’re pros.

1. This article refers to DoD Directive 3025.18, which consolidates, replaces, and updates various policy documents going back to 1997 (they’re listed in the references).
2. These policies were expressed for the field in “Civil Support“, Joint Publication 3-28, dated 14 September 2007 — before Obama was elected.
3. JP 3-28 was reissued in “Defense Support of Civil Authorities” dated 31 July 2013.

So the policy is not Obama’s. It’s not new. The article identifies no changes. For that we turn to JP 3-28, which lists the changes from the 2007 version. Read them and tremble in fear!

.

1. Changes title of the joint publication from “Civil Support” to “Defense Support of Civil Authorities”.
2. Restructures document format, removing key sections from appendices and placing them within appropriate chapters.
3. Introduces the Deputy Secretary of Defense-approved definition of “complex catastrophe”.
4. Updates the definition of defense support of civil authorities.
5. Changes the terminology of “catastrophic incident” to “catastrophic event.”
6. Changes the terminology of “strategic communications” to “communications synchronization.”
7. Introduces, defines and clarifies the dual-status commander to include nomination, training and appointment.
8. Explanation of the capabilities for incident awareness and assessment.
9. Clarifies the role and authorities of the military in homeland defense and support to civil authorities.
10. Describes more fully the importance of the National Response Framework.

Incidents like this could make us better if only we’d learn from them. Yet we prefer to hold tribal truths, even false one, and continue to rely on those who lie to us.

For More Information

(a)  Archives of posts:

1. Posts about propaganda (of both Left and Right)
2. Posts about Information & disinformation

(b)  Posts about ignorance and delusions of the Right:

1. Can Obama turn America into something like Zimbabwe?,
   22 February 2010
2. About the political significance of the conservatives’ health care propaganda, 23 March 2010
3. More use of the big lie: shifting the blame for the housing crisis, 29 December 2011
4. Seeing the world through conservative eyes, 15 February 2014
5. A look into the GOP mind: untethered from reality and drifting in the wind, 3 March 2014

(c)  Posts about the Right’s appears to fear:

1. Today’s conservative doomster warning (ludicrous but fun), 1 August 2010
2. Hatred and fear of Islam – of Moslems – is understandable. But are there hidden forces at work?, 3 August 2010
3. About the mystery missile launch (America the fearful, chapter XX), 10 November 2011
4. Inciting fear of inflation in our minds for political gain (we are easily led), 28 February 2011
5. Danger, America! Wet your pants in fear of China!, 4 June 2013

(d)  Some posts about propaganda:

1. Successful propaganda as a characteristic of 21st century America, 1 February 2010
2. A note about practical propaganda, 22 March 2010
3. The similar delusions of America’s Left and Right show our common culture – and weakness, 26 March 2010
4. Programs to reshape the American mind, run by the left and right, 2 August 2010
5. The easy way to rule: leading a weak people by feeding them disinformation, 13 April 2011
6. Facts are an obstacle to the reform of America, 20 October 2011
7. Our minds are addled, the result of skillful and expensive propaganda, 28 December 2011
8. Who lies to us the most? Left or Right?, 25 February 2013
9. Who lies to us the most? Left or Right?, 25 February 2013
10. We can see our true selves in the propaganda used against us, 14 May 2013
11. A nation lit only by propaganda, 3 June 2013
12. The secret, simple tool that persuades Americans. That molds our opinions., 24 July 2013
13. We live in an age of ignorance, but can decide to fix this – today, 15 April 2014

.

.