February 23, 2004
MAYHEM AT THE MARGINS (via ef brown):
Defining the Domestic Role of the Military (Peter Brownfeld, February 23, 2004, Fox News)
Amidst calls to use the military to fight the war on terrorism at home, some experts warn that allowing the military to perform a domestic role would set a dangerous precedent, put civilians at unnecessary risk and threaten Americans' basic civil liberties.
"The military has been so impressive abroad that in many ways, it's not surprising that some people think it could be equally effective at fighting the war at home," said Gene Healy, senior editor at the Cato Institute.But, Healy added, those people could find themselves sadly mistaken.
"A free society is not a militarized society. It is a society where law enforcement is the duty of civilians and any effort to change that ought to meet a very heavy burden of proof," he said.
A number of politicians have been talking about making such a change. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., and Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., have been calling for a militarization of America's borders.
When nativists and libertarians fight each other we all win. Posted by Orrin Judd at February 23, 2004 11:09 AM
Anything Trent Lott is for makes me nervous. His political ineptness, particularly during the Clinton years, was the cause of my changing registration from Republican to Independent.
Posted by: Genecis at February 23, 2004 1:07 PMOn the left we've got people who want to treat every social problem as something technology can fix. (Witness the foolishness New Mexico's latest attempt to reduce drunk driving.) On the right we seem to have people who want to treat every social problem as something that can be defeated militarily.
The only time we have success is when we treat social problems as social problems.
Posted by: Raoul Ortega at February 23, 2004 3:16 PMWhat problem?
Posted by: oj at February 23, 2004 3:23 PMI'm as in love with Posse Comitatus as the next red-blooded American, but if this fuss is all about the Army guarding the borders then I can't see what it's all about. Provided that really means The Borders (i.e. patrolling the vast stretches where people are sneaking across) and not going house-to-house in LA or Yakima asking people if they really belong here, them what's the problem?
Posted by: at February 23, 2004 8:21 PMOur soldiers are far too precious a resource to squander on unarmed folks looking for work. The amount of training and the investment in equipment in each one makes it about as cost effective as using a stealth bomber to haul mail. There are plenty of real missions for the military.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at February 23, 2004 9:16 PMOur soldiers are far too precious a resource to squander on unarmed folks looking for work. The amount of training and the investment in equipment in each one makes it about as cost effective as using a stealth bomber to haul mail. There are plenty of real missions for the military.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at February 23, 2004 9:17 PMI thought the same thing, Genecis. If Trent Lott's involved, I need more info.
Posted by: NKR at February 23, 2004 9:40 PM