Retired General Spots The Moment The American Experiment Started To Crumble
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Retired General Spots The Moment The American Experiment Started To Crumble
Retired Marine Gen. John Allen this week pinpointed the exact moment he believes the United States began its slide “into illiberalism.”
In a column for Foreign Policy , the retired four-star general argued the descent “may well have begun on June 1” when President Donald Trump threatened to send in troops to tackle anti-racism demonstrators at protests that have spread nationwide following the death of George Floyd last week.
“Remember the date,” wrote Allen, the president of the Brookings Institution who served as commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
“It may well signal the beginning of the end of the American experiment,” he warned.
Allen recalled how Trump railed during a White House Rose Garden press briefing on Monday “against weak governors and mayors who were not doing enough, in his mind, to control the unrest and the rioters in their cities, and threatened to deploy the U.S. military against American citizens.”
“It was a stunning moment,” said Allen, noting how Trump “expressed only the barest of condolences at the murder of George Floyd,” “said nothing about the fundamental and underlying reasons for the unrest: systemic racism and inequality” and was clear “he views those engaged in the unrest and criminal acts in these riots as terrorists, an enemy.”
Allen ended the column on an optimistic note, however, suggesting that June 1 could also be seen “as a day of hope” and “the beginning of the change of American democracy not to illiberalism, but to enlightenment.”
“But it will have to come from the bottom up. For at the White House, there is no one home,” he concluded, with more one withering swipe at Trump.
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58% Of Voters Support Using Military To Help Police Control Protests
And on that very same post from Forbes there was this link.
The two don't square with each other.
The polling site used was Morning Consult which has a pretty reliable rate of reporting facts.
Just a day earlier this was a poll taken which shows strong support for the protests.
I'd want to know more about that poll data of voter support of using the military as police before I accept or reject the poll.
I for one, as ex-military DO NOT support using the US military in a police roll. National Guard are fine as they are under the supervision of the Governors.
however, trump did not use military.
upset because trump did not use the military. they want a stronger response.
I support the protests as most people do.
but, the people rioting? need a steel toed boot put squarely up their ass. ( the sooner the better. )
not so complicated.
but seriously, these riots will help democrats at the polls in november.. so, please continue.... LOL
They could. Don't have time to deep dive into the polls right now, but thinking that the military should support the police does not address the manner in which they should be used.
For example, use the military to supplement the officers on the front line, so other police can address handling the protesters that do take it too far with vandalism, arson, etc.
Morning Ozzwald.... Happy Friday.
Nope... Our professional military shouldn't be anywhere around in a law enforcement capacity with these protests.
Think unlawful orders, something that got pounded into us from boot camp on.
Curious. Did you feel that way (if you were alive then) about Detroit in 1967?
American law calls for civilian peace officers to keep the peace, or, failing that, National Guard troops under the command of their state governors.
Not seeing the local "peace officers" coming out in whatever forces they're allowed to to quell the mayhem. The local governments are letting down their constituents and trying to blame the Feds for their inefficiencies.
I agree, but remember we are talking about circumstances around a poll. I'm just trying to point out that thinking the military could "help" the police is not the same as enacting military law, in terms of this poll.
1st you have to show where civilian police have failed.
FYI, because crime occurs is not indicative of "failure", and protesting is a Constitutionally protected right.
I was seven at the time, and had to read up on the situation in Detroit. What we have today is a long way from those protests and riots as there were snipers shooting at police, firemen, National Guard and ambulance drivers. Only seasoned military personnel who had been under fire could have been successful under those conditions. At that point, the Army was the only tool left in the tool box. I don't like it, but I can't change history, and it had to be done.
Lets be sure of two things:
These protests & riots has everyone awake and clear eyed. Now what are we going to do as a country to make things better for all involved?
It was a good question Jim.... I hope I gave you a thoughtful answer.
Here is my source for reading:
Take care...
Martial law.....
The thought makes my skin crawl!
Worse yet is the thought of American soldiers firing upon their fellow citizens. That puts us on the same level as China and we are supposed to be way better than that.
And Trump probably gets a woody just thinking about it ( to be a little crude ).
I was in the Air Force and never saw combat. Never had a gun pointed at me (did get stopped in the hangar where the Cobra Ball was but that's for another day).
I had been out of the AF for about 4 years when 9/11 happened. I had the kids in the back seat and as we were passing through the front gate, there was a HumVee with a 50 caliber gun pointing straight at us. I told the kids to shut up and not say another word until we got home, because I was scared. It felt like we had been placed under Martial Law at that moment
Ma-Duce does have that effect on people.....
“against weak governors and mayors who were not doing enough, in his mind, to control the unrest and the rioters in their cities, and threatened to deploy the U.S. military against American citizens.”
It might have flown over the heads of the Trump haters, but all Trump did was threaten to send troops because the governors and mayors have completely lost control of the liberal and sometimes sanctuary cities. His comment was to shame them into action. Now the ball is in the court of these democrat "leaders", whose police sand chiefs are about at the point of throwing in the towel and letting the rioters have the way. That is not going to settle well with the vast majority of peaceful and innocent citizens and business owners, who will come to believe their elected officials have neither the will or desire to protect them from harm and violence..
It's amazing to me how shortsighted and totally clueless some are to the danger this poses to our democracy. At some point you hope that some can move beyond party line and understand that there is something more important than their team "winning". No one will be "winning" except those in power if the country is taken over by an authoritarian.
Fools
When does that "Change" and when have ALL political leaders NOT been "Authoritarians" ?
That's been going on for "DECADES" !
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You're right....................
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The intelligence community and the military has been treating the American public like terrorists for almost twenty years. The military was deployed against the American people decades ago.
General John Allen is really complaining about having to follow orders. The President is supposed to follow orders, not give orders.
General Allen makes some very good points.
However, he completely misses the American Economic Exceptionalism by a long shot. That was kicked into decline by Supply Side Economics and sucker punched by it's bastard baby Citizens United. Since then and continuing to this day the wealth is concentrating while the power is consolidating.