So, King George III just declared the Sons of Liberty a terrorist organization.

Bunch of thugs attacking property of the Crown.

Seen this faux comparison pop up here a few times. Is that the new talking point that they are pushing out there in left wing wacko land?

Oh look, the fascists are here!

The term used at the time was "rebels," I believe.

No. The main talking point on the left is Don't Use the US Military to Attack Innocent American Citizens. You know, full on wacko stuff.

If you're a part of a mob that is attacking people on the street and burning things down, then you're not an innocent American citizen.

Innocence is beside the point. The military should never be used against its own citizens.

That's what law enforcement is for and that's why there are laws in most developed countries to prevent politicians from arbitrarily deploying the military on domestic soil for law enforcement purposes.

Which is exactly why the British set troops on the looting protesters.

I mean, holy shit... this is kinda what the Second Amendment was designed for.

Are you telling me that all the folks on this board who masturbate over the second amendment are now supporting the deployment of the military on domestic soil?

No it's not besides the point. It's the main point. American law enforcement is not set up to handle mobs of hundreds who are armed with the intent of killing and pillaging. That's what our military is for.

And before you continue throwing stones at America, how about cleaning up your own back yard first?

Honestly I'm not in the slightest bit surprised. That it was only ever a fantasy nurtured in the safe knowledge that the day would never actually come is exactly what many of us have long since suspected.

No, that's not what the military is for.

On could argue that that is what the National Guard is for, but even then, it's a stretch.

Which is exactly why the British deployed troops to quell the violence. There's no getting away from the equivalence without denying the reality of the social problems which led here.

The national guard is a part of the U.S Military.

Much as the redcoats were part of the British military.

Do you really want another Northern Ireland?

Do you really not see that force is not the way forward?

Wish I could rep this 1,000 x.

Unfortunately, the idiot currently in charge of the country would rather pander to his base than try to actually solve the problem.

Many of those attacked and several of those killed aren't looters, but @We Are Borg is right: I shouldn't have mentioned innocence in the first place, because although these people are innocent, it doesn't even matter.

I wasn't going to say it but, fuck, why not?

I seriously wonder if troops do get deployed will those who are injured be treated as heroes? Will the civilian casualties and resistance be called terrorists and murderers like those in Iraq? Will those who "exercise their 2A rights" be "insurgents"?

Does @T.R and friends still not get they have absolutely zero experience of being a civilian living in a war zone?

When the president says he's going to "send in the military", he isn't referring to the National Guard. How do we know this? Because the president doesn't get to make that call. The Governor does. and in most states, governors have already called in their respective National Guards.

But, please, continue to mansplain to me the structure of the military.

Correct. They are business owners, police, security guards,firefighters, medical personal and various innocent bystanders being attacked by looters.

Yes it does matter. We have protests happening all the time in this country without any of the chaos that we've seen this past week. One night of civil unrest is one thing. But night after night after night after night of it and the feeling becomes enough already. If you don't want to see military in the street fighting off looters whose only purpose is to destroy communities, stop excusing and encouraging it.

Posse Comitatus says that the military is not for law enforcement inside the US. Period, full stop. To quote a movie, the Army is a broadsword, not a scalpel. You think the cops are being too aggressive with the protestors? Get the Army on the ground and you'll see protestors dying by the dozens because infantry soldiers do not play those games. They're not trained for it. Maybe the MPs, but even there, those guys are trained to the UCMJ, not civilian legal codes. Remember this?



This was the National Guard. Get regular Army on the streets and you'll see some blood, by golly. No, the cops created the mess, the cops need to deal with it. Maybe use National Guard troops to, y'know, guard some important places. Clearing streets of protestors? Nope.

If Trump invokes the Insurrection Act like Bush did in Los Angeles (elements of the 7th infantry division and 1st Marine division), he can send in federal troops.

Not saying he should, but he can.

Yeah, you have to suspend posse comitatus. Like Lincoln did, and boy didn't that work out well . . .