Militias, “Survivalists”, “Preppers” right wing nut jobs, conspiracy theorists: what do they all have in common? Chis Hedges attempts to make some sense of the senseless in this clip. What does the violent American culture, and obsession and worship of guns have to do with White Supremacy and right-wing racism? Check it out:
AATTP
Americans Against The Tea Party is a group committed to exposing the Tea Party’s lies, violence, racism, ignorance, intolerance, bigotry, and corporatist fascist efforts to subvert our democratic process – and we are organizing to defeat Tea Party/GOP candidates on ballots everywhere.
REGULATE
1 a: to govern or direct according to rule
b (1): to bring under the control of law or constituted authority (2): to make regulations for or concerning
mi•li•tia
1. a body of citizens enrolled for military service, and called out periodically for drill but serving full time only in emergencies.
2. a body of citizen soldiers as distinguished from professional soldiers.
3. all able-bodied males considered by law eligible for military service.
National Guard definition
The volunteer military forces of each state, which the governor of a state can summon in times of civil disorder or natural disaster. Through congressional and presidential order, the National Guard can be called into service in the regular United States army.
POSSE
1: a large group often with a common interest
2: a body of persons summoned by a sheriff to assist in preserving the public peace usually in an emergency
Martial Law
The exercise of government and control by military authorities over the civilian population of a designated territory.
Martial law is an extreme and rare measure used to control society during war or periods of civil unrest or chaos. According to the Supreme Court, the term martial law carries no precise meaning (Duncan v. Kahanamoku, 327 U.S. 304, 66 S. Ct. 606, 90 L. Ed. 688 [1946]). However, most declarations of martial law have some common features. Generally, the institution of martial law contemplates some use of military force. To a varying extent, depending on the martial law order, government military personnel have the authority to make and enforce civil and criminal laws. Certain civil liberties may be suspended, such as the right to be free from unreasonable SEARCHES AND SEIZURES, FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION, and freedom of movement. And the writ of Habeas Corpus may be suspended (this writ allows persons who are unlawfully imprisoned to gain freedom through a court proceeding).
Dateline: December 12, 20.. Pheonix Arizona
Today Govenor Jan Brewer declared a State of Emergency in response to FILL IN THE BLANK. The National Guard has been ordered to mobilize, and all County ,and City Officials have been notified to activate all reserve peace officers and deputies.
Dateline: December 29, 20.. Pheonix Arizona
Today Govenor Jan Brewer declared Martial in response to overwhelming FILL IN THE BLANK. The National Guard being used to maintain law and order in the large cities in the State of Arizona, County Sheriffs have had to resort to forming posses. In more remote areas of the state, small towns with only a handful of law enforcement officers Town Councils and Mayors have called for volunteers to be under to direct control of thier respective Chiefs of Police.
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed
Of course it’s rooted in white supremacy.
EVERYTHING oppressive or repressive in this country is rooted in White Supremacy, including the Constitution
Chuy. Who didn’t understand that?.
Wow, way to make blanket statements with a narrow view of American History. My opinion, as a gun owning liberal american, is as follows. I am not keeping weapons of self-defense as a fear of minorities, of the government, nor of foreign intrusion. I am, however, concerned about the trend of policies against American labor. We already saw, throughout the 1870′s on to the 1930′s during the major labor movements among the coal companies, the rail workers, and large industry, that when push came to shove, companies would resort to hiring thugs to stamp out resistance with violence. It was in times like that with police who were bought off, and the federal government left in the dark, that this violence against workers would go unchecked, except when ordinary people stood up for themselves. The laws that protected American workers were hard won by those who fought back both peacefully, and when it came to it, with violence. Now worker’s rights are being infringed upon again, and those laws are being rolled back. Please don’t forget, that when you talk about the “violence” of American society, that the homicides can be traced to major urban areas of 250,000 pop. or more, and even further down to “hot spots”. There are millions of Americans quietly and peacefully participating in society and owning firearms legally. I come from a large and extended family of very liberal gun owning Wisconsinites, and I can speak for myself when I say I don’t like being painted as a racist gun toting idiot.
Ethan, Hedges is not talking about people who own guns, but about people for whom gun ownership is part of a complex proto-fascist ideology that the right has used in order to coopt the sense of rage and impotence that many people feel today. It points the blame for their (White) emiseration on Muslims, Blacks, Feminists, Jews, “illegals,” etc. Violence is central to this world view, and guns offer them the ability to commit violence against the “enemies” when the expected Armageddon takes place. The crushing of the Occupy movement has closed the one real opportunity for people to express their rage and increasing disempowerment in a non-violent movement.
Ethan, I absolutely agree with you. As a middle-of-the-road/liberal and a gun owner, I take great offense to being painted with such a broad brush. THAT kind of judgmental finger-pointing does NOT help solve the problems. It only serves to alienate one side or the other, and to keep the situation from ever being resolved. I, for one, speak-out against the NRA because since the NRA-ILA took control of the organization in the mid 1970s, I have felt that they DO NOT represent my opinions. We rational, reasonable, intelligent gun owners MUST speak out AGAINST the NRA or we are just another part of the problem.
Chris Hedges is so right about it all, this country has a lot of sick people in it, just sick and rotten and violent. Really disgusting, we never got over the Civil War,
Fact-check: There are no automatic assault rifles available to the civilian market. Everything available to the civilian market is semi-auto. That is, one trigger pull = one bullet fired and re-chambered. Full auto is one trigger pull = many shots fired.
you know what he meant…don’t play apples oranges…..he meant AR-15
One bullet per trigger pull … until ALL 30 rounds in your magazine are done before loading a new clip….