Looking away from the financial train wreck for a moment

[rolanni]

This article asks why we now have a standing army inside of US borders, in direct violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.

It's a good question. Anybody have a good answer?

Link from bifemmefatale, who also has a couple of things to say here

Comments

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Of course, the hundreds of US military bases on US soil didn't violate that law as far back as, say, Maine's version of Fort Knox . . .

I was, personally, a member of a standing army in New Jersey back in the 1970s. Had "crowd control" or "riot squad" training.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... I'm thinking Intent counts.


But this new mission marks the first time an active unit has been given a dedicated assignment to NorthCom, a joint command established in 2002 to provide command and control for federal homeland defense efforts and coordinate defense support of civil authorities.

After 1st BCT finishes its dwell-time mission, expectations are that another, as yet unnamed, active-duty brigade will take over and that the mission will be a permanent one.

Army Times (http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/army_homeland_090708w/)

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Active duty (regular army) troops train for that kind of mission all the time. Hard to judge Intent by anything except overt acts -- I had numerous training sessions carrying an M-14* against imaginary civilian crowds, hypothetically just outside the base gates in beautiful Eatontown, New Jersey.

And we weren't even a "combat arm", being a Signal Corps school installation.

*The M-14 fired a 7.62 mm NATO cartridge, which would penetrate multiple bodies at crowd-control (point blank) range.