Gov. Asks State Guard to Monitor Military Exercise

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I agree with Judge Pape's statement; "It's a sad when people's greatest fear is their own government". But, yes, it's getting to that point.

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday asked the State Guard to monitor a U.S. military training exercise dubbed "Jade Helm 15" amid Internet-fueled suspicions that the war simulation is really a hostile military takeover.

The request comes a day after more than 200 people packed a meeting in rural Bastrop County and questioned a U.S. Army commander about whether the government was planning to confiscate guns or implement martial law. Bastrop County Judge Paul Pape said "conspiracy theorists" and "fear mongers" had been in a frenzy.

Pape thanked Abbott for the letter to the Texas State Guard, which he believed helped emphasize the benefit of the military training rather than further fuel theorists.

"It's a sad when people's greatest fear is their own government," Pape said. "Think about the ramification of that. If Americans go to sleep at night worrying whether their own government is going to sell them out before morning, it'd be hard to sleep."

Suspicions about Jade Helm intensified on some conservative websites and social media after a map labeled Texas, Utah and parts of California as "hostile" for the purposes of the three-month training exercise that begins in July. Such war simulations aren't unusual, though the Army has acknowledged that the size and scope of Jade Helm makes it unique.

Texas and six other states are hosting the exercises on public and private lands. The Army says the terrain and topography in the areas selected are ideal to replicate foreign combat zones.

No other governor had so publicly addressed the training exercise.

"It is important that Texans know their safety, constitutional rights, private property rights and civil liberties will not be infringed," Abbott wrote. "By monitoring the Operation on a continual basis, the State Guard will facilitate communications between my office and the commanders of the Operation to ensure that adequate measures are in place to protect Texans."

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Mark Lastoria told the crowd in Bastrop on Monday that the exercise will involve 1,200 soldiers and all four branches of the military, according to the Austin American-Statesman. He said people with a "personal agenda" about the exercise had been spreading misinformation.

Lastoria spoke for two hours, but some left the meeting still unconvinced.

Pape told The Associated Press that some came from as far as Houston and Dallas to attend the meeting. He said the county could reap as much as $150,000 in economic activity from the exercise, which in Bastrop is set to include 60 soldiers, two Humvees and a helicopter.

Bastrop County is home to Camp Swift, the largest base for the Texas National Guard, and Pape said most people likely won't even notice.

"There's been a lot of dust thrown in the air, a lot of haze," Pape said. "Those who wanted to raise concerns on the one hand succeeded. They've raised a lot of attention about this. But the fact is the message is clear: Jade Helm is a well-designed and a well-constructed training operation."
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http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/texas-governor-tells-state-guard-monitor-army-training-30654859
 
Gotta keep the wingnuts happy. Personally, I think the exercise is an attempt to start a leprosy epidemic, but that theory hasn't gotten traction yet.
 
Media that works to create anger and fear is getting more and more popular. The political dialogue in this country is increasingly hostile and removed from reality. I guess it was two decades ago that Philip K. Howard wrote The Death of Common Sense. Now we're incinerating the body and dumping the ashes in the Pacific.
 
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All I can figure is that some people want to be afraid. Or they need an adversary of some kind. I don’t know what it is but there’s something with human psychology that is drawn to any perceived threat like this. The “news” media is an empire built on that ****.
 
It is sad when the Governor of such a large state feels the need to stoop to the level of keeping the nut jobs happy because they are part of his base. Stop giving these people credibility!
 
Crockett said:
Media that works to create anger and fear is getting more and more popular. The political dialogue in this country is increasingly hostile and removed from reality.
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I wonder if many people are just checking out of politics altogether and so we mostly hear from the disaffected and fearful minority (?) on each side. Personally I am numb to the whole stupid, corrupt game. I’m not sure I even care to vote any more. It feels almost pointless given the candidates we have and the system they have to navigate in an attempt to govern.
 
I'm not too worried about what's going on in Bastrop, but why is it a bad thing for anyone to question why this is going on? One has to be a wingnut to question the government's actions these days? I'd suggest it's natural and expected to question all actions and it's abnormal to accept everything without question.
 
I am not big on conspiracies, but I for one do not trust the current administration.

I am talking about the one in Washington D.C. not the one in Austin.

:texasflag:
 
The current U.S. President going to invade Texas? My estimation of this new threat is that it somewhere below that of a vampire takeover but more worrisome than the zombie apocalypse.

Anybody worried about that crap needs a hobby that doesn't involve listening to Alex Jones and building a survivalist shelter.
 
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Vol Horn 4 Life said:
I'm not too worried about what's going on in Bastrop, but why is it a bad thing for anyone to question why this is going on? One has to be a wingnut to question the government's actions these days? I'd suggest it's natural and expected to question all actions and it's abnormal to accept everything without question.
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I heartily agree. I say (to steal Austin's moto) keep Texas "weird". I'd hate to live in a sycophant state like Mass. or NY that says "how high" every time Obama says "jump".

I'm not too worried about Obama declaring Marshall law in Texas, but I'm glad our Governor is keeping a wary eye on Washington and is standing up to Obama on a number of fronts: immigration, redefining marriage, the health care grab, etc.
 
I don't think the current administration is going to invade Texas, I just said I don't trust "them."
 
There's nothing wrong with questioning anything the government does, including this. What is wrong is pulling nutty conspiracy theories out of one's *** against all evidence and common sense, and what's even worse is using state money and resources to entertain and legitimize such nutty theories.


And Greg Abbott isn't keeping his eye on Washington. He's being a partisan slug. Does anyone think he'd be "monitoring" a military operation like this if it happened under a Republican president? Hell no. He'd roll his *** down to Congress Avenue and salute the tanks rolling through the streets so he could claim he was pro-military. And he wouldn't monitor the operation. He'd offer the State Guard to support the operation.
 
For all the talk about not having enough money, Abbott and Perry sure found the cash when they want to use it for stupid pet projects to keep the nuttiest part of their base happy. You know, because screw Obama and stuff.
 
I cannot see the need either, but you drama queens are all of a sudden against wasting taxpayer dollars? Welcome to the "wing nut" party!
 
I am obviously not in favor of wasting taxpayer dollars, but my main point was to point out the hypocrisy of being mr budget hawk then spending money on stupidity like this that wont do anybody any good.
 
So, the exercise in Bastrop will have 60 soldiers, 2 Humvees, and a helicopter? Sounds like a Federal power grab for sure.
There were more folks at the Bastrop meeting whining about it.
 
From a letter former state Rep Todd Smith sent to Abbott:

"Let me apologize in advance that your letter pandering to idiots who believe that US Navy Seals and other US military personnel are somehow a threat to be watched has left me livid. As a 16 year member of the Texas House and a proud patriotic AMERICAN, I am terrified that I have to choose between the possibility that my Governor actually believes this stuff and the possibility that my Governor doesn’t have the backbone to standup to those who do. I’m not sure which is worse."
 
Here's the whole letter:

"Gov. Greg Abbott, let me apologize in advance that your letter pandering to idiots who believe that U.S. Navy SEALs and other U.S. military personnel are somehow a threat to be watched has left me livid. As a 16-year Republican member of the Texas House and a patriotic American, I am horrified that I have to choose between the possibility that my governor actually believes this stuff and the possibility that my governor doesn’t have the backbone to stand up to those who do. I’m not sure which is worse.

As one of the remaining Republicans who actually believes in making decisions based on facts and evidence, I am appalled that you would give credence to the nonsense mouthed by those who instead make decisions based on Internet or radio shock jock driven hysteria. Is there anybody who is going to stand up to this radical nonsense that is a cancer on our state and party?

It is alarming that our state Republican leadership is such that we must choose between degrees of demagoguery. I know that in many cases you are the better of the two demagogues. Having been there, I also know that politicians are not always able to speak their minds because they represent large groups of people and not just themselves. But this bone that you have thrown to those who believe that the U.S. military is a threat to the state of Texas is an embarrassing distance beyond the pale.

You have embarrassed and disappointed all Texans who are also informed, patriotic Americans. And it is important to rational governance that thinking Republicans call you out on it.

Todd Smith, Bedford"


http://letterstotheeditorblog.dallasnews.com/2015/05/governor-abbott-shouldnt-pander.html/
 
I have yet to hear an explanation for why the feds are conducting these experiments around the country. Any thoughts?

Do they just have some money to blow and time on their hands?
 
From the abcnews link at the top:

"Texas and six other states are hosting the exercises on public and private lands. The Army says the terrain and topography in the areas selected are ideal to replicate foreign combat zones."

Maybe the burned-out forests around Bastrop resemble Ukraine?
 
I have yet to hear an explanation for why the feds HAVE ALWAYS BEEN conducting these experiments around the country.

FIFY
 
Huis: The military, like police and fire, have to be ready to respond to diverse situations on short notice. That means a lot of thier jobs is necessarily practice and simulation.
 
I grew up in a Navy training town and suspected there was a legit explanation; a few years ago they did a similar practice in the abandoned courthouse in Corpus Christi and spooked some locals who were not in on the exercise.

Our state government is so bad that I was almost hoping the feds would declare martial law and just take over like they did in June of 1865. He joked.
 
The rent a cops providing security for the very recent event concerning Islam, that attracted two protesting people wielding AK47 type rifles, were probably well practiced over the years in good guy/ bad guy shooting events. There are competitions you can pay to attend to practice your skills moving through various types of courses containing the pop up or otherwise good guys and bad guy targets that you are to shoot or not.

It is pretty sad to think we should even consider whether the police or military have our, American citizen, best interest in mind. Such is modern life. Question everything.
EintsteinQuestionEverything.png
 
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