"Jade Helm 15" is a huge, two month military training exercise which will send special forces and members of every military branch into our nation's southwestern states - where the soldiers can practice field operations (including infiltration) in "hostile territory."
And even though the exercise doesn't begin until July 15, it's already a huge success - because the territories involved are getting hostile.
This is especially true in Hope n' Change's home state of Texas, which is now being widely ridiculed and laughed at (trigger warning: the link takes you to MSNBC) as the home of tinfoil ten-gallon hat conspiracies about Jade Helm and a potential federal invasion of the state.
Let's make something very clear: we don't buy the conspiracy theories and we don't think America's military would ever turn on its own people. But that being said, y'all really shouldn't be laughing at Texans and thinking we're crazy.
Rather, in the words Barack Obama has used to foment anti-police activity nationwide, a "gulf of trust exists" based on previous history.
So let's look at his history and consider just how trustworthy he is.
He blatantly lied about reducing healthcare premiums or letting people keep their existing coverage. Lied about a "red line" if Syria used chemical weapons. Lied about his belief that marriage should be exclusively between a man and woman. Lied about ISIS being a "JV team" of little threat or consequence. Lied about where the money would go for his "shovel ready jobs," lied about "cutting the red tape" on the Keystone pipeline, lied about balancing the budget, and lied about his desire to make Washington less partisan. We'd go on, but it's easier to say he pretty much lies about everything.
And of course, he unilaterally and illegally authorized the very real invasion of the Jade Helm states by millions of illegal immigrants - creating drastic fiscal burdens for the citizenry while raising the local incidences of serious crime and disease. And in 2008, he expressed the desire to deploy a "civilian national security force" - a fully trained, funded, and armed domestic army tasked with (ahem) keeping the peace internally.
So, in light of all this, will the Jade Helm troops be welcome to train in Texas? Hell, yes. Texans love the military. And we'll keep a weather eye open for trouble because it's in our nature.
But asking us to trust a snake oil salesman like Barack Obama and take him at his word? Now that's laughable.
44 comments:
Stilton, I don't think America's military would ever turn on its own people either. But, I remember doing hours and hours of riot control training with fixed bayonet back in 1966. The whole time hoping that I’d never have to do that! And I didn’t! The military is not a democracy, they are trained to follow orders. Failure to follow orders will have serious consequences. So, it depends on the leadership to provide the correct direction. One good thing about the draft was you would have more people asking “why are we doing this?” If the leaders can convince the soldiers that what they are about to do is right and needed, they will be more likely to follow orders. Remember, Americans have fought Americans before. Both sides thought they were doing the right thing.
No conspiracy theory here, but it doesn’t hurt to be alert either.
BE ALERT! the world needs more Lerts.
the networks and the political hacks for the administration talk like people in Texas are crazy and paranoid. given the transparency and honesty of this administration, is it REALLY paranoid to perceive a threat to our freedom?
Given how the military has been decimated in the last decade (and I include Dubya) and infiltrated by minorities and those who do not possess the XY chromosomes,
I'm not all that certain American military troops would not fire on fellow citizens.
The "Occupy" movement of a couple of years ago with their mass arrests leads me to believe we have been conditioned and groomed to accept more of this this kind of behavior because it was "for the greater good".
No, I do not laugh at Texans; I applaud them and their efforts to remind this administration the First Amendment exists because of the Second Amendment.
Every. Thing. He. Says. Is. A. Lie.
Rumor has it that our Commander-in-Chief is a proud veteran of “Operation Purple Helm” which took place at the Man’s Country bathhouse in Chicago in the 1990s.
Heck no, I'm not laughing. We had better be cautious. The biggest part of the people of Germany never saw it coming.
@Joseph ET- I have great faith in our military. That being said, they are required to follow orders - and you can bet that Washington wouldn't frame those orders in language like "round up all the patriots." No, there would be false accusations of an immediate domestic terror threat which the military was required to deal with.
I'm genuinely not worrying about this - just making the point, as you say, that it doesn't hurt to be alert.
@Geore in Houtx- It's seeing people laugh at Texans that has me ready to plant my ostrich skin boot in someone's ass. There's no question that Barry is trying to take down our nation; the only question is whether he'll get impatient enough to exercise force rather than just letting his policies do the job.
@Bobo the Hobo- If I were to don my tinfoil chapeau for a moment, I'd suggest that "special teams" could be selected and trained based on their political ideologies and willingness to follow orders. So you wouldn't need the entire military to wage war on America's citizens - just those special teams. And yes, Jade Helm is a "training exercise" for special teams - but hopefully not of the kind I just described.
TrickyRicky- You. Are. Right.
@Cat Whisperer- As I recall, it was a rear action.
@Gun Slingin Granny- Bingo! The people in Germany didn't see it coming, and there seems to be a belief among the intelligentisia and ignoranti these days that events of "historic" proportions only happen in the past. We're just too civilized and metrosexual these days for any ugly and overt military action to happen in our homeland - right?
So let people laugh if they want; here in Texas, we know it just makes good sense to keep your eyes open for rattlesnakes.
All it will take is one false flag event while Jade Helm is in operation, such as a suicide bombing of their troops blamed on a veteran or Libertarian group, and the "exercise" will become fully functional.
If it's purpose truly is to train our troops for foreign engagements, why are they not training in some of the billions of acres already owned by the federal government, like say - any number of US military bases both here and abroad, national parks, or practically the entire state of Nevada?
Something stinks about the whole thing, and it starts by the government saying "trust us".
To expand on what @Bobo the Hobo points out, I do not think that today's military would ever turn on its own people. But what about the next generation's military? I wouldn't be so certain.
For example, just look at the difference between this generation's military versus the previous. Could anyone imagine the post-Reagan military going along and tolerating classifying the Fort Hood massacre as "workplace violence"? Or, for that matter, could anyone imagine a post-Reagan military accepting an enemy agent in the form of Nidal Malik Hasan, much less promoting him all the way to major?
We've recently discussed how the Marines are under pressure to lower their standards so that women can better participate. Now the Army Rangers are under the same pressure.
America's experienced officer-warriors, tired of living in an increasingly politically correct military are taking earlier retirements, only to be replaced by the newer "more enlightened" officer corps that more resemble "community organizers" than the warriors of the past. Many of these new officers are more concerned about "social" issues than winning wars against enemies that outright hate us. These are the kinds of people who think it's "enlightened" in the name of "diversity" to promote obvious enemies like Major Hasan instead of throwing them in jail.
So do you really think that a military dominated by "community organizer" types would care as much about duty to what many consider an outdated document like the Constitution as previous generations did?
I will not expand on anything - simply, yes, the progs are not to be trusted - Obama y sus Sandinistias hay mentirosos.
Y'all haven't dug deep enough to find the real reason for the skepticism with which Jade Helm has been met by some Texans. I think you need to go back to 1993 and the Branch Davidian siege outside of Waco.
Spend a few minutes reading up on it. It's Wiki, but it seems pretty even handed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waco_siege
Trust, but verify is a form of advice given which recommends that while a source of information might be considered reliable, one should perform additional research to verify that such information is accurate, or trustworthy.
So perhaps there is not one single thing to be concerned about, as the powers-that-be claim, but forgive me if I don't completely turn a blind eye to the potential for some political agenda that is less than transparent and possibly even aimed at controlling or curtailing legal, law-abiding American citizens constitutional rights.
@Joseph ET said, "If the leaders can convince the soldiers that what they are about to do is right and needed, they will be more likely to follow orders."
And that is what allowed the atrocities in German controlled lands during the run-up to, and WWII to happen.
Jaded Hell? Opps that operation started in all seriousness in 2008.
Does the tinfoil go under or over my kelvar 10 gallon hat liner?
@Geoff King- I agree that when you have a lot of volatile elements in a confined space, there's always the risk of a deliberately-planned catalyst to set things off.
I agree that this doesn't smell right. And in part, I wonder if the reason the training exercise is being staged in these domestic environments is because the mission may eventually be in these environments?
@John the Econ- You're very right. I have every respect for the military, but it's a different animal than it used to be in decades past. And if the order comes down to fight for the downtrodden "real" American citizens who are enslaved by Wall Street (per Joe Biden) and systemically oppressed by police (per Obama) - how many young soldiers might believe themselves to be liberators rather than storm troops?
@Juanita the Icon- I've forgotten my college Spanish (weird, since I'm surrounded by it in Texas) so had to look up mentirosos. Apparently they're mint flavored candies which you drop into a jug of diet coke to make a geyser.
Just kidding. They're liars of the el grande variety.
@Baggers- Thanks for reminding people what it looks like when the feds bring their toys to Texas to try to impose order whether it's needed, wanted, or not.
I remember watching those tanks destroying the compound and the flames raging as adults and children were dying inside. And I wept at the insanity.
In a March 24 press release from the Army, Jade Helm 15 was described simply as a “routine training exercise to maintain a high level of readiness.” The reason given for picking out the particular states, including Texas, is because each possesses a “unique terrain” that soldiers might find themselves operating in overseas. Well, that all sounds well and good....but....
I'm with George in houtx...if we did not have to endure Barry's endless lies and subterfuge, readiness exercises such as this would make sense, but we just DON'T TRUST THIS ASSHOLE! OR ANYONE FROM HIS ADMINISTRATION! Thank you.
Among many other noteworthy things, Texans formed a REPUBLIC from north Mexico and yes, hostile, raiding, injun territory before they were part of the Confederacy, then joined the Union. For the wag-jaws at MSNBC, that's a NATION, dude… the only state to have done so.
It's a good read, easily researched, to learn who lost their lives at the overwhelming siege of the Alamo and where all those folks originated. They didn’t come from San Antonio. It’s a good lesson; if you don’t know this please look it up.
Some of the most effective international border control efforts while also humane treatment of illegal aliens crossing into USA (because international border control... a FEDERAL responsibility... is weak… is provided by Texas ranchers, aka private citizens who have property rights, which Washington DC doesn’t seem to know about or respect. There’s very little federal land in Texas, albeit a lot of military presence: land sea and air.
As well as truly deserving their reputation for being friendly, Texas is hugely multicultural; has a long seacoast and offshore industries, world class medical facilities, high tech industry, great music & art; and the space & and aircraft industries. Being about 2.5 times the size of an average state, they have a lot of agriculture. They’re also the energy hub and a major energy port in case the sun don’t shine and the wind don’t blow for a lot of Americans. As for dining: Steaks, BBQ, Seafood, Cajun, Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Persian, European, Russian, wine & beer, ad infinitum. Theirs are great highways with magnificent scenery & active beautification program. Texans are generous people who work. And they’re armed to the teeth.
Smart-alecks would do well to have respect and really hope there’s not another insurrection or civil war. Some of them could be in deep shit, because Texans also REMEMBER. While not even originally from Texas; we know it well and have great love and respect.
It burns me up when the snide libs make fun of Texas with their oh so snooty noses up in the air. This is a great state and we don't burn our cities down over some ignorant perceived injustice. When terrorists come to our state, we send them to their virgins post haste. Oh, and as for Obama lying, Stilt, you've got it all wrong. He misspeaks. My sarc button goes to eleven!
@American Cowboy- "Trust but Verify" is all I'm saying. Well, nearly - I'm actually suggesting that we skip the trust part entirely and go straight to verification.
And per the German analogy, it's true that those who have forgotten history are doomed to repeat it - but it's also true that there are some (in Washington, no doubt) who remember history and want to repeat it.
@REM1875- The tinfoil should always go on the outside. That way you can tell the Lefties that it's a solar panel when you're infiltrating their ranks.
I look for the military to be asked to escort and protect federal agents in a jtf joint task force scenario. What happens then will be up to federal agents (most like atf and fbi) and the citizens they meet. This will put the situation in a different light. Let us pray.
@PRY- I believe I've also seen information suggesting that some of the exercises would involve trying to accomplish goals within more urban areas without hindrance or discovery. Which again makes perfect sense, if we can trust those at the top. And frankly, I'm amazed that there are any states which DO trust Obama at this point. And I'm proud as hell that Texas ain't one of 'em.
@Rod- Great piece! Texas was indeed a nation before joining the adorable little conglomeration of states which had come before. That's why the Texas flag can fly at the same height as the American flag - unlike other state flags.
I've lived in Texas for over 30 years now and love it. And despite my playful use of cowboys in the cartoon above, we're a really remarkably diverse bunch of people. BUT...we DO have a Texas mindset that is proud, friendly, independent, and wary of fast-talking carpetbaggers.
I saw a great t-shirt online the other day, and may need to track it down. It was emblazoned with the Lone Star flag and said: "TEXAS. Don't worry about us seceding. Worry about us invading."
@Shelly- If the feces hits the fan, those liberal blue states are going to be screwed. In Texas, we'll still be doing fine, talking about the weather, and taking turns guarding the entirety of our borders from those who got smart too late.
Texas is a state of mind as much as it a geographic location where we live.
Good point about damned near ever person at the Alamo being a transplant.
1. The military is only required to follow LAWFUL orders.
2. Anytime someone has said to me "Trust me" you can bet you better keep your eyes wide open!
3. How to tell when oBambi is lying? His lips move!
Because I enjoy being a contrarian, I have a somewhat different take on the Branch Davidian siege.
Although I am not a fan of immolating people, I did appreciate the fact that for once, the Federal government took mass welfare fraud seriously.
@ Anonymous
You are correct. A military service member is obligated not to follow an illegal order.
However, the difference between a illegal order and a legal order can often be a very gray area.
You had better know exactly why the order is illegal.
Remember, every order is considered legal until shown otherwise. Even ones that are blatantly illegal, in all probability are not going to be enough to stop your trip to the stockade and a Military Court Martial.
Typically if something that your superior instructs you to do seems wrong, the golden rule in the military is to take it higher up and higher up again if necessary through your chain of command You may later be able to make a case for mitigating circumstances (for example if you feel that your life was in danger if you refused)( i.e. that officer threatened to just shoot you,) but that will be of limited benefit unless you can show that you took action once you were out of danger, but maybe he would then face a Court Martial.
"That being said, they are required to follow orders"
This is totally incorrect! They cannot follow illegal orders. The nonsense that Alex Jones is spreading shows just how crazy he is.
These exercises have been going on across the country for almost 50 years. It's an inflated version of the Special Forces Robin Sage exercise that SF students go through during the SF Qualification Course at Ft. Bragg. The students "liberate" much of North Carolina roughly 8 times a year.
JH15 is the same sort of exercise for operational SF and SOF units and their support.
Alex Jones only learned of this FTX because Special Operations Command sent out notices to inform governments, law enforcement agencies, and citizens in the training areas what the exercise would entail. They also need citizens to volunteer to role-play "oppressed" citizens that will be recruited to overthrow the fictional "tyrannical" government.
Alex Jones' hysteria may well get someone killed during this, but it will be an SF soldier. Two SF students were shot and killed several years ago by a NC police officer who did not get the word.
The Special Forces motto is De oppresso liber; "to free the oppressed" not "to oppress the free"
LS
Now wait a minute. Who here believes Obama would EVER send troops overseas during his reign?
If you don't believe this training would ever be used, how can you believe it's goals are as stated?
@REM1875- Texas is a state of mind. Lyle Lovett explains it pretty well right here.
@Anonymous- I'm going to defer to @Joseph ET a couple of comments down.
@John the Econ- I'm not holding my breath for Obama to roll the tanks on the rest of the welfare fraudsters.
@Joseph ET- Very well put. How is one to know what an "illegal order" is during the fog of war? If soldiers had been scrambled to grab the bomb-making Tsarnaev brothers before they committed terror at the Boston Marathon, it would have been a good thing - right? But what if those same soldiers are told that some political blogger is secretly making bombs? They'd scoop the person up and be proud of doing so. And that's scary.
@LenSatic- With the exception of the "legal orders" argument which I addressed above, I completely agree with you. I haven't listened to Alex Jones much, perhaps because when I do listen to him he sounds like a foaming whackjob.
Military exercises are a good thing, and I assume that this is also the case with Jade Helm 15.
But (you knew that was coming, right?) it seems that under Obama, we now live in a topsy-turvy world. The president calls the police "oppressors" and his political opponents "hostage takers." He's striking deals with the worst actors on the world stage while abandoning our allies. The fires of racism and socialism are being stoked by elected officials.
And so the things I formally took for granted, I just can't anymore. When it comes right down to it, the wariness I feel about Jade Helm is the same wariness I feel about every action by this administration.
@EastBayLarry- Actually, I do think Barry might deploy forces overseas when there's absolutely no way he can avoid doing so. We're already seeing some of that (albeit not enough).
@ Stilton Jarlsberg
I agree that BO might have a different vision of who are the good/bad guys, but the military doesn't. Field grade officers don't really count anymore as they are seen as politicians by the troops now. Special Forces is NCO driven, the officers exist, largely, to keep the Big Army out of their beards. :D
If you get a few minutes you might want to pop into professionalsoldiers(dot)com and poke around a bit. If you do, be sure to check out their Jade Helm thread. BTW, you may find some of your 'toons on their site. ;)
LS
My brother in law (Army ret.) has been training Army "terrorists" (i.e. the "bad guys")for years for these types of exercises, and I don't think it's anything unusual, other than the scale of this exercise seems somewhat huge. Still, perhaps our armed forces commanders may be aware that an "invasion" by our current enemies will not be masses of boats coming ashore or mass air strikes, but rather simultaneous spot attacks by local cells covering large chunks of geography.
Maybe it's a good thing they are thinking big. Then again, I share Stilton's apprehension, and that is solely because of O'Liar's position as Commander in Chief. He has overstepped his bounds and lied his ass off too many times to be trusted.
@LenSatic- I'll do that. And I'm honored to think some of my cartoons are on view there!
@Colby Muenster- Excellent point; our troops may have to fight terrorists on the ground right here in the U.S., now that Barry is letting them pour across our open borders. What a world...
Speaking of a army that will be trained to protect the Constitution versus one that will turn on its own citizens: Which side will those behind the training of these future officers be fighting for?
Army ROTC Program Allegedly Forced Cadets To Wear High Heels For ‘Walk A Mile In Her Shoes’ Political Event, Sparks Outrage
"According to Washington Times, cadets have taken to message boards complaining they’ve been pressured to participate in the event by means of making attendance mandatory, as explained by one anonymous cadet.
“Attendance is mandatory and if we miss it we get a negative counseling and a ‘does not support the battalion sharp/EO mission’ on our CDT OER for getting the branch we want. So I just spent $16 on a pair of high heels that I have to spray paint red later on only to throw them in the trash after about 300 of us embarrass the U.S. Army tomorrow."
Shat can we do? It's suggested that any employer who is interviewing at Brown, planning to, or hiring Brown graduates of any age may want to reconsider. Unless they happen to be an ROTC member who refused this mandate.
On a lighter note, have you noticed that these exercises always have some hip groovy name like 'Operation Jade Helm' and others. Why aren't there more mundane titles like 'Operation Rutabaga' or 'Exercise Haemorroid?'
First, the military is lying. No rancher would let the military tear up his ranch for free. That is his lively hood. Secondly, there is Fort Hood near Kileen,Tx, 165,000 acres for military exercises. No cost to the taxpayers as we have paid for that base already.
@ James Daily
JH15 is an Unconventional Warfare exercise. Nothing gets torn up. There will be no tanks, artillery, marching troops, or even military vehicles outside of helicopters. And no uniforms.
The object is to be able to blend in with the locals and recruit them to either form a guerrilla force or to join one that has already been established. So the farmer you mention, would probably only be asked to let them use an outbuilding to cache equipment or to hole up in.
LS
Stilton, if you listed ALL of Barack Obama's lies, they would exceed the capacity of your website.
@LenSatic- Good points all (your perspective is valuable here). But here's a question: if the mission is to "blend with the locals" and "recruit them to form a guerrilla force," will these "locals" be portrayed by enlisted personnel - or by civilians who aren't in on the mission? In other words, if a civilian DOES join a guerrilla force, is he/she going to be heading to the pokey?
It's actually the fact that the exercise is designed to mix the military with civilians to see if they can accomplish "goals" which the civilians would normally consider hostile that concerns me.
@Stilton Jarlsberg
There will probably be some Active/Guard/Reserve military personnel involved. The number depends on the the number of civilians who volunteer to participate.
Still, some, if not most, of the "guerrilla" leaders will be former SF or active/NG SF guys. They know the Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) used and can better challenge the troops involved in the exercise. An actual enemy would not be as large a challenge as actual brother-in-arms. ;)
LS
BTW, I come here for the cartoons, not Army talk. More Lefty Lucy, please. She's hot! :D
LS
"...he pretty much lies about everything."
He did keep his promise to destroy the coal-power industry and make energy rates "necessarily skyrocket."
BTW, anyone checking out my PS.com link, the 071515 thread is a goof aimed at AJ. ;) Read deeply.
LS
Well, JH15 ended today. Early drafts of the After Action Report (AAR) suggest that the exercise was a failure. It seems that Americans have been so oppressed by this Administration that it was impossible to oppress them further.
Maybe next time. ;)
LS
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