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Perils for Pentagon as Trump threatens to militarize response to civil unrest

16 Comments
By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali

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16 Comments
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All past & present presidents have had a chance to change the police system, change the way society takes care of law & order. For example, why don't we see more blacks in areas where there are more black people? Whites where there are whites, Hispanics sheet there are Hispanic's, etc. These problems could easily be avoided. Why are the police instructed to shoot & kill; not maim or wound. This goes back many presidents.

Whose ideas are they to use military level violence. The president is free to use it because it's there.

The killer should have the book thrown at him. Whoever is training & mentoring the police needs re-educating. This is not a Battlefield frontline. Let's make America great again, but not Trump's or any violent or cold blooded person's way.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

"America is not a battleground. Our fellow citizens are not the enemy," Martin Dempsey, the retired four-star general who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote on Twitter.

BINGO! Well said Gen Dempsey...

A current military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, voiced concern about the lasting damage that would come from using the military as a "political prop."

Absolutely correct - and the only reason the military became involved is Trump was criticized by Tucker Carlson as being "weak". So what happened? What always happens when the Fox News pundits pull Trump's strings - he dances... We get an emergency walk over to a church for a bizarre photo op, an unhinged phone call with the Governors, and these comments on use of the military...

"This mission is an uncomfortable mission. They don't like doing it, but we can do it," said General Joseph Lengyel, chief of the National Guard Bureau.

That's an overstatement Gen Lengyel. I spent 27 years in uniform and we trained to kill the enemy - not to do law enforcement. Even the MPs trained on their wartime duties. They don't know local or state laws. There is a reason Kent State happened - don't forget it...

If Trump really wanted to stop the violence he would reign in his white supremacist militia supporters who are causing all of it...but he won't - he can't offend those "very fine people"...

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Through incompetent leadership, where his actions have denied any respect from the people, he as a result does not have enough respect to be able to lead the people out of this mess. The only response he has left is a military one.

It's a direct result of his own incompetence.

And we will sit back and wait for the next George Floyd. And the next one. And the next one. And the next one.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Democrat governors across the country have deployed the National Guard to the streets en mass over this past week. I am guessing you forgot that the National Guard are also trained to kill as-well-as to perform other duties (ie. assisting in national emergencies). I agree that the active military should not be used domestically except in the more dire of circumstances- but let’s not pretend that many of the same National Guard troops patrolling the streets of America’s biggest cities are not the same people who were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan to kill militants.

Flat our incorrect....

DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS from across the country are rejecting President Donald Trump's threat to use military force in states that refuse to deploy the National Guard to effectively shut down ongoing protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis.

https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2020-06-02/democratic-governors-reject-trumps-threat-to-deploy-military

Your posturing about the evil of the use of the American military in country is disingenuous if you omit the fact that the National Guard has much of the same training to “kill the enemy” as active duty service members. Do you suggest these killers be removed from the streets as well?

My posture is fine, thank you. And your comment has no basis in fact, as proven above...

1 ( +2 / -1 )

There is a name for governments that use the military for political purposes.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Let’s start by ending the antifa rioters targeting black communities.

Wait! I thought BLM was the main problem according to the Trump's. Also who is the head of Antifa? Also how come they are not designated as an official terrorist group? It seems Trump has failed again.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Its just so funny that the Trumps used to call BLM a bunch of terrorists and now Trump is their best friend? Trump please be consistent and remember that according to Trump BLM is a terrorist group.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Am sick of hearing about Trump and his failures as a leader. Looking forward to new leadership.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

expat: Leave the abuse of citizens exercising their right to free speech to the cops, the sceret service and national guard.

How about no one abusing anyone else for exercising their right to free speech. Let’s start by ending the antifa rioters targeting black communities.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

@lincolnman: I spent 27 years in uniform and we trained to kill the enemy - not to do law enforcement. 

Democrat governors across the country have deployed the National Guard to the streets en mass over this past week. I am guessing you forgot that the National Guard are also trained to kill as-well-as to perform other duties (ie. assisting in national emergencies). I agree that the active military should not be used domestically except in the more dire of circumstances- but let’s not pretend that many of the same National Guard troops patrolling the streets of America’s biggest cities are not the same people who were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan to kill militants.

Your posturing about the evil of the use of the American military in country is disingenuous if you omit the fact that the National Guard has much of the same training to “kill the enemy” as active duty service members. Do you suggest these killers be removed from the streets as well?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Expat:

This will result in a coup.

Can I add that to my list of failed predictions by the Trump haters here? It is already pretty big.

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

Trump was threatening to bring in the Military if certain states didn't bring the rioters and looters under control.

And rightly so, these riots have nothing to do with Floyd issue, they are being orchestrated by lefties, anarchists and opportunistic looters.

-10 ( +1 / -11 )

Democratic governors and mayors are forcing President Trump’s hand with their failure of leadership.

-11 ( +2 / -13 )

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