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SFC Intelligence Analyst
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*Capitol. There's a difference.

Not even remotely comparable.
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MSgt Steve Sweeney
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The assumption here is that the deployment was for political expediency rather than to address a specific threat. While I understand some might want to believe that, I don't think we can assume the premise before establishing it as a fact. And give that it speaks to motive, and given that there was an attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th which clearly demonstrates a willingness to use violence and force against the government of the United States, demonstrating the presence of a legitimate threat, I feel you will be hard pressed to establish the premise of political expediency as a fact.
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LTC Marc King
LTC Marc King
3 y
Maybe I can understand the initial deployment and only because the Capital Police and FBI knew it was coming and did nothing? … But did it really take more troops then we had in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria combined? And did it really require an extension from January till May after deploying fencing? I know you have a different point of view on all of these issues but I know political theater when I see it and that was political theater and continues to be so through this Jan 6th Commission.

I know you have a way of simply dismissing real life anecdotal experiences… but my final assignment in the Army was Legislative Laision … working on Capital Hill … an experience that carried through to my corporate life.. lots of work procuring funding for body armor for soldiers and Marines. And this I know… if they don’t want you inside the Capital Building or any of the Offices … it is extremely difficult to break in… and that’s a fact.
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MSgt Steve Sweeney
MSgt Steve Sweeney
3 y
LTC Marc King - Without the full threat assessment, one can only judge from external appearance, and that may not be the best perspective. Also there is the prospect of "once bitten, twice shy" and not wanting to dismiss any threat regardless of the confidence level. Which optics look worse... extra NG troops keeping the area secure, or another mass attack because someone thought it was okay to tell the NG to go home. I am sure risk aversion played into the equation. And I don't dismiss anecdotal experience. It can be very valuable to point assessments of limited scope. Where anecdotal experience breaks down is trying to extrapolate a personal experience to the broad and expansive assessment, say to the motives and actions of an entire race of people, for instance.

The military acquisition process is a different ball of wax entirely. Have you ever seen the movie "Pentagon Wars"? If you have any experience with military acquisition and procurement, I think you will enjoy it.
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LTC Marc King
LTC Marc King
3 y
MSgt Steve Sweeney Mot only did I see Pentagon Wars I lived it in real life as I was on the FT Knox end of the Bradley development…remember it was first the Inf/Cav Fighting Vehicle.
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MSgt Steve Sweeney
MSgt Steve Sweeney
3 y
LTC Marc King - Good to know. I didn't get to see those fights and monkeyshines from that close to the beltway, but definitely felt the repercussions from where I was standing.... mostly from the test and evaluation perspective where I saw some egregious stuff.
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LTC John Wilson
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When discussing these points, the Compact between the States that established the Federal Government is worth a review.

Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution grants authority to Congress to establish a system for immigration and to provide for the National Security (which includes our borders). This includes the Congressional authority to "provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions." As the Framers understood the term "Invasion" in their era, "A hostile entrance into the possessions of another; particularly, the entrance of a hostile army into a country for the purpose of conquest or plunder, or the attack of a military force." (Webster's American English Dictionary 1828). Though unarmed, the massive influx of "illegal immigrants" -- aided by armed Cartel operatives and infiltrated by terrorists -- constitutes an "invasion" in a sense.

Since Congress has established fair Laws for Immigration (which the Executive Branch will not faithfully execute) an are faced with an invasion along our Southern Border (in a broad sense), there is cause to deploy the National Guard -- a modern form of the Militia -- to "...execute the Laws of the Union,... and repel Invasions."

Neither the U.S. Congress nor the Executive Branch have elected to deploy the Guard. Moreover, the Federal Government in the last six months has willfully and deliberately refused to fulfill their obligations under the United States Constitution. So, what can States do?

Amendment X states: "The powers not DELEGATED to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." [EMPHASIS ADDED]. Imagine if I posed this question in another thread: "Who delegates to Whom?" Does the Subordinate delegate to the Superior? Or does the Superior delegate to the Subordinate? We know the answer to this -- the Federal Government is Subordinate to the States that created it and granted it limited and enumerated powers.

If a Subordinate mutinies and REFUSES to carry out their assigned duties, there are many options available to the Superior. Among these are the option to rescind (even temporarily) the delegated authority vested in the subordinate and carry on the duties themselves. In the case of Texas, Arizona and others lending assistance to their cause, that is precisely the Constitutional option the States have Lawfully undertaken -- and the Supremacy Clause does not protect the Federal Government when they are derelict in exercising their delegated powers.

Moreover, according to Amendment X, The People also delegated enumerated powers, and they -- like the States -- may volunteer to participate in the States' exercise of power -- including providing private funding.
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