This is fundamentally dishonest and just chaps my a$$ about Townhall.
President Obama didn't *invent* the CCMRF. And I like how they talk about Sept 18 (even before the election) and then lead you to the "new president having set aside..."
NORTHCOM and the CCMRF were formed under President Bush, not President Obama, and had been in the works for a long time. They're an extension and rationalization of the ad-hoc way we used to approach the issue. Heck, they derive directly from lessons learned from 9/11 *and* Hurricane Katrina.
I used to *be* one of the people who is now the bloody enemy to the people who write this crap. I know exactly how ad-hoc the response was going to be to something big. I was one of the guys who planned all that ad-hoc-ery.
I was a WMD/MSCA (Weapons of Mass Destruction/Military Support to Civil Authority) Response planner at 5th Army (now ARNORTH, the Army component of NORTHCOM) in the late 90's, under President Clinton. But hell, we've had plans for this since the dawn of the nuclear age, called "Garden Plot." Been there, got the t-shirt, use it to clean the guns I bitterly cling to as I read the Bible, sitting in my basement surrounded by ammunition and anti-abortion literature.
Think it through - d'you really *want* the government to *not* have a plan in case everything turns to crap? Of course it's a double-edged sword. But do you want the government to be completely winging it?
The biggest change here is that instead of just tasking a unit ad-hoc when the need arises, we've designated one and trained it. Oh, and we have a President that we're not that fond of, so of course it's all blippin' evil in intent.
Fine. I'm a bad guy. I helped do this kind of planning.
So I must be the enemy. Because I *believe* we should be doing this planning. And I *believe* we should have units tasked and trained for it. And I *believe* they should be prepared to deal with a partial or complete collapse of civil authority in an area that has just been hit with a significant WMD event, from Chem/Bio through EMP.
Yes, it can be misused. But that's true no matter who is in power. It's true as long as government has armed forces (including police). There's always a risk, and the risk is mitgated by the people making (and being offered) rational choices when the time comes to select who holds the levers of power.
The fargin' Left pulled this kind of paranoiac crap for 8 years. I'm sorry to see our side sink like this, to shoddy tactics and shoddier analysis.
Gah. This kind of marketing just galls me, because of how it preys on peoples fears and *stokes* them. This even if the guy's book may actually have some intrinsic value on the issues of self-sufficiency. The intellectual dishonesty of the ad obviously twists my knickers.
I know, there are many who hang out here who don't agree with me on things like this. But if all y'all can get all exercised about being characterized as "right-wing extremists" I can get exercised about how this Townhall ad demonizes me and my fellow soldiers who get these assignments and do our best to fulfill them - in consonance with the law and duty.
Before we had no voice and had to take the crapola dished out by the MSM as good and true. Well, because of the fact checkers and people like you, we have someone covering our back. And...we can keep the BS factor to a minimum.
Now go off and pet one of the dogs and feel better. We can't stop the bombast but we can alter its use.
As far as the response units go, of course there does need to be plans and goals in place in case of some form of disaster. I recall some fronts getting all bent out of shape proclaiming that the Bush Admin had plans for invading Iran. I thought 'well, of COURSE there are plans for that.' I don't doubt that there are, somewhere, detailed plans updated as required, for invading Duluth, should the need ever arise.
Sometimes, we humans can turn ourselves into our own worst enemy.
I figure it crosses the event horizon into paranoia when you start going out and LOOKING for problems, or cutting yourself off from all human contact. Long as I'm not out stepping on other people's rights, or barricading my door, jumping at shadows, I'm fine.
Better that your side lose honorably than adopt The Other Side's successful tactics.
It's very discouraging how many in so many ways try to push the fear button in people.
I throw the BS flag on you this time, #4.
This is just cheap, crass commercialism and is aimed at the insecure of our own side and is simply exploiting the insecure among us in a dishonest fashion.
That's just venal. It has nothing to do with victory on the political level. It has everything to do with dollars.
Guys, your opponents are calling the tune, and you're dancing maniacally away. Don't be too surprised if this pushes independents and (relatively) conservative Democrats to the Obama side...