We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Recent Military Civil Disturbance Drills Prepare to Take Down Protesters

Click here to access article by Susanne Posel from Occupy Corporatism
Earlier this month, the South Carolina National Guard (SCNG) conducted a “rapid reaction force” training drill in order to ready reservists to subdue a crowd of protesters for 24 to 48 hours or until reinforcements could arrive.
The ruling class is clearly preparing in every way for the crisis they fear the most: when people in the US finally wake up and smell a police state.
Lt. Col. Robert H. Bumgardner, explained: “The RRF training was unique for us in several different ways. The most unique part of the RRF training is that it highlighted the core of the National Guard. Being able to ask a soldier to defend against an enemy [Empire rebellion] abroad one week and then asking them to protect the citizens [ruling class] of the state the next week is a huge accomplishment.”