The government is preparing for martial law!

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I have a friend who works for the government and knows first hand that the military is preparing for civil disturbance and crowd control...The recent and ongoing Marine's urban warfare exercizes nationwide is not just for terrorism but Y2K. The commanders have been told not to talk to reporters. As a member of the media, I once asked several marines reps about their exercizes and you can tell they get real nervous. Also the recent PG&E blackout in S.F. Bay Area had to do with Y2K repair/testing. The same source said no doubt about it because he knows people in PG&E. He's buying a generator.



-- Vigilence (jaz@abc.com), September 13, 1999

Answers

I have no information about what the government is doing in this area, other than the public information I read in the papers and find on the Internet.

But it seems to me that any realistic assessment of the situation (which is NOT the same as the public information we're all being given about the "three day storm" scenario) would conclude that there is some possibility of major infrastructured disruptions in one or more of the large cities. Jim Lord's publication of the Navy report suggests that, at least within the Navy, there is some awareness of possible failures in electricity, water, sewage, etc.

If that were to happen in NYC, Miami, Los Angeles, or a hundred other U.S. cities -- AND if it was combined with a disruption in food supplies -- then it wouldn't be surprising to see riots and other forms of "civil disturbance." As we saw with the Rodney King riots, it's pretty easy for things to escalate to a point where the local police can't deal with it -- hence the National Guard.

If I were responsible for contingency planning for Y2K on a national scale, I would also be VERY worried about terrorist attacks during New Year's weekend. But I wouldn't imagine it being the sort of thing that would require a platoon of Marines to deal with -- instead, I would be worried about someone poisoning the water supply, dumping germs and viruses into the infrastructure, etc. Y2K and terrorism may turn out to be very much interrelated...

Whatever the overall outcome of Y2K turns out to be, I think there are good arguments for being someplace far away from a big city on New Year's weekend...

Ed

-- Ed Yourdon (HumptyDumptyY2K@yourdon.com), September 15, 1999.


V

The government may be preparing for a worst case scenario even if they don't expect the worst case. I can't fault them for that. I am doing the same thing.

But with this administration I wouldn't put using turmoil to their advantage beyond them at all.

Watch six and keep your...

-- eyes_open (best@wishes.net), September 15, 1999.


Can you go into any more detail?

Governments are always in principle prepared to do crowd control. The unique aspect of y2k is simultaneity.

Here is my scoop on martial law:

There are at the most about 5 million police, national guard, military who could be used. There are multiple layers of government who have to act federal military, state national guard, state troopers, county sheriffs, city police. If Clinton declares martial law and expects local cops to play along, he is going to have to make the rules very simple and very clear.

In order for it to work, you have to have buy-in from the other 240+ million people. You will have to deputize a lot of people. Martial law is scary when it is only in your area. How can it be done all over all at once?

Solution: I hope you are in a place that is small and obscure.

-- Thom Gilligan (thomgill@eznet.net), September 15, 1999.


(1) I would expect the government to be prepared to declare martial law in the event of any major emergency. Thus, they need to be prepared ahead of time. Sort of like the military should be prepared to go war, even if we are currently at peace.

(2) As an informed, proactive individual, I should look at what martial law would mean to me. The military/police would establish curfews and possibly even shoot looters, rapists, and other criminals. If I don't plan on being in any of those categories, I wouldn't be in much danger. On the other hand, if "other criminals" includes people who have prepared, who believe in the second ammendment, who have blue eyes, who are over 55, or who commit similar "crimes," I would be in a world of hurt.

(3) If I believe that the government is seriously preparing for martial law, I should also prepare...to stay out of sight and to keep my head down. Martial law eventually ends, and there can be "war crimes" tribunals. It can take a few years, though...

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), September 16, 1999.


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