(no subject)

[rm]

If there's one thing I'm hating about this election cycle is that it's making me feel like a paranoid loon.

McCain suspending his campaign is making my spidey sense tingle in a really fucked up way. I wouldn't bet anyone $20 that something totally outrageous isn't about to happen.

Comments

[tommx.livejournal.com]

Like postponing the election itself as a precursor to facism? That occurred to me as well, but I don't think this is anything more than McCain trying to make political cowardice look like patriotism.

[roy-batty.livejournal.com]

In this case, you're likely right - just McCain antics. That said, we're scooting closer to fascism every day. Seen the reports of the active duty Army unit being redeployed to Northern Command (the area that includes the U.S.). They're being retrained in (among other things) fighting "civil unrest".

see : http://propheticheretic.wordpress.com/2008/09/22/us-army-unit-to-be-deployed-for-domestic-operations/ (though I'm sure there are more authoritative links out there)

What *are* they getting ready for, I wonder?

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yup, that's the thing I saw yesterday that would have only mildly alarmed me if I wasn't putting plus signs on either side of it with this economic mess (and the bail out plan they've apparently been hashing out for months), among other things.

[tommx.livejournal.com]

Well, I've been saying for years that all this administration is currently lacking is shirts of the proper shade of brown.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

They lack a military and constabulary that would support them.
Oh, and a lot of really rich people wouldn't like it-bad for business.
That doesn't mean that they aren't staring wistfully with their noises pressed up against Fascism's window.
But fascists in high places do not themselves fascism make.

[zillah975]

So, since Army Times is quoted in the story I thought I'd look and see what they had to say about it. I didn't do an exhaustive search, but in the first three searches the only thing I could find is this article, from 10/17/2006: U.S. Army North up and running.

It says, in part:

Located at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, USARNORTH achieved initial operating capability in September 2005, and is responsible for specific missions, including:

• Execute homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities missions.

• Provide training and readiness oversight of certified weapons of mass destruction--civil support teams.

• Conduct the Army-to-Army portion of the theater cooperation mission with Canada and Mexico.

• Coordinate the activities of defense coordinating officers and their elements assigned in each Federal Emergency Management Agency region.

• Organize up to two task forces that, with augmentation, can become joint task forces and deploy within the operational area to command and control Department of Defense forces responding to homeland defense or civil support operations.

Now I'm NO expert on the military, and I'm certainly pre-disposed to assume the worst about the current administration (and am very inclined to believe they'll steal or cancel the election if they can), but that sounds to me like just what we're talking about here. That they've been doing this since '05 or '06, just as part of the whole Homeland Defense thing.

So, I dunno...? I dunno. Anyway, I thought I'd mention it.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

On the face of it, it seems to be one of the few things this administration has done that actually does make sense in light of 9-11 and Katrina.
If I saw signs that troops were being vetted for "patriotism" I'd worry. I don't.

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

but I don't think this is anything more than McCain trying to make political cowardice look like patriotism.

Well said.

Granted, it has the nasty smell one associates with fascism, in the sense of being unwilling to brook opposing opinions, but I think in this case McCain's campaign just knows it's pretty much licked on this issue and is trying to regroup before it goes for Obama's ankles all over again. Obama isn't buying into it, apparently.

Interestingly, looks like Bush is trying to charge to McCain's rescue with an "unscheduled" press conference the media has been told about in advance. (How unscheduled is "unscheduled" these days?)

Re: Already has

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

...so it's an ultimatum? Tch, tch, tch.

Re: Already has

[sethg]

No, it's a walk-back. The plan is almost done so passage before Friday night is very likely.

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

I'm just assuming that he's lying and/or kidding himself about not campaigning.

I think my spidey sense, such as it is, has been swamped out by an excessive number of possible futures.

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

You are not paranoid.

[feyandstrange.livejournal.com]

You aren't alone in the "I feel like a paranoid lunatic" camp. There are a distressing number of signs that McCain just isn't trying - which is so out of character for him that I can only assume there is Something Up.

[maryling.livejournal.com]

It's not paranoia if you're right.

[angstzeit.livejournal.com]

More outrageous than what they're doing already? Seems to me McCain wants to silence Obama on the most effective democratic issue--the economy. Scrutiny, debate, etc, is the last thing McCain wants. And as McCain shouts "Let's go to Washington to fix things" no one will notice he was bashing Washington just before this.

P S I've been waiting for the government take-over since the mid 80s.

[shipchan.livejournal.com]

All I know is he's called for a delay in the debate coming up, which rings my 'fucked up' bells.

[habiliments.livejournal.com]

It's giving me a weird, bad, heebie-jeebies feeling, too. And for once it doesn't make me feel any better that I'm not the only one.

[sethg]

According to Talking Points Memo, a deal on the bailout is 98% done (the Treasury gave in on almost everything--I guess they really are desperate) and they don't need McCain to help with the last 2%.

[tacky-tramp.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think he's just trying to look leaderish and involved in the economy.

[sethg]

...because nothing demonstrates leadership more than an announcement that you are incapable of handling two problems at once.

[xtricks.livejournal.com]

Ah, I think he's just trying to avoid too much publicity on a topic he's not as strong on as he is on others (recall that Obama is currently the choice for 'economy' while he is 'security'), since any debate now is going to focus heavily on the economy. Pluse, the longer he can keep both himself and Palin from having to actually debate or hold unscripte conversaitons, the better they will both look.

I wouldn't worry about 'suspending the election' paranoid fantasies - if American is going to get facist, we're going to vote it in.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

And you'll call it ant-fascism.

[xtricks.livejournal.com]

Of course, defending freedom and the right to poor credit all the way!

[darthhellokitty.livejournal.com]

Good grief, I didn't know til you posted this. Wow. Off to NYT etc to see what's up.

I'm really pleased, incidentally, that Congress didn't just roll right over and accept the proposed bailout plan.

[beeker121.livejournal.com]

There was a moment in last night's 'Daily Show' with John Oliver as a correspondent saying -
Oliver : You see Bush is concerned about his legacy and realizes that he can't be the best President. But with a lot of hard work and effort in the next few months he could be ...
Stewart: The worst?
Oliver: The last.

But it is too scary to be funny right now.

[magnetgirl.livejournal.com]

That was an amazing bit. I looked at my boyfriend and we both just said "wow...!"

[6-bleen-7.livejournal.com]

I've been uneasy for months now. First a bizarre choice for VP, such an obvious sop to the religious wackos that it almost has to be a diversionary measure, then the financial meltdown, and now all sorts of weird stuff. It feels like things are accelerating toward—what?

[6-bleen-7.livejournal.com]

Forgot to include the obligatory paraphrase: Yes, we're paranoid—but are we paranoid enough?

[kaifoxx.livejournal.com]

Oh you've got lots of company on the feeling like a paranoid loon. I've been there since 2000 myself, frightening thing is, I've been getting joined steadily by others ever since.

What happens if the paranoia is well founded though. Does it still make you looney?

[micheleonelonly.livejournal.com]

yeah... I am awaiting imminent wtfery to befall America

[editrx.livejournal.com]

I think the debate "delay" tactic is just that -- they're not ready for any debates, if they ever will be. The financial crisis is a convenient excuse (though it does make me question just how convenient it is -- which is a silly question, but daaammnn this is quite a coincidence, isn't it?).

The army redeployment is what scares me more. I'm from a military family: this is unprecedented and goes against everything the military stands for -- it's the creation of a private standing army for the Executive Branch, is what it is. Deployed in time for the election.

I've been saying for years now, since Bush's first inauguration, these people are acting as if they're there to stay forever -- and have all the ducks in order to do so, whatsoever they need to do. Yes, I sounded like I was running down the street with my hair on fire screaming about Jesus (to misquote PNH), and I knew it at the time, but my suspicions seems to have somewhat played out.

Have you read Heinlein's For Us, the Living? His description of how the "last president of the U.S." takes over the country, piece by piece, is almost exactly the same pattern, right down to the army deployments and economic meltdown. (It's also a precursor to his "Future History" volumes.) (It's otherwise a rather boring book that's clearly a trunk novel, but worth the read for that alone.) I doubt he knew he was actually predicting someone would use those tactics.

[ithinkitisayit.livejournal.com]

Or was he? Perhaps the Bush administration has read the book and decided to follow it?

Of course, I don't know what year it was published in, and that's really the part that counts in the 'chicken vs. egg' debate.

[anterastilis.livejournal.com]

Not paranoid. I wouldn't put anything past him right now.

[better-late24.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed the suggestion that if the presidential debate was delayed, they should move it to the scheduled date for the vice-presidential debate, so THAT gets bumped up. I think the McCain camp is more afraid of Palin debating Biden than McCain debating Obama. Much as Obama will completely wipe the floor with McCain, Palin will be flat out laughable. And they know it.

I'm all over the news politically these days, as our future is so tied up in this election. Multiple times a day, stories come out that I want to rant about or that I get really nervous about. Honestly, I'm just looking forward to all of this being over. Though, if Obama DOESN'T win this election, I don't know what I'll do. I almost don't want to allow the possibility to enter my mind, as it's so terrifying and really makes me angry with the masses that would put such an idiot in power. You know, like the last 2 elections. But worse. Since we're already completely screwed.

[sethg]

Note that Sarah Palin told Katie Couric that if Congress doesn't pass a bailout then we may have another Great Depression. Which means that if McCain had been planning to vote against the bailout and then position himself as the champion of fiscal responsibility, his own running mate has blown that strategy out of the water.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

Paranoia is the occupational hazard of being well informed.
And I think we can have the lunatic charges tossed.
No worries, you're as rational as one can expect when your country is being run by people whom no one ought to trust.

[humascot97.livejournal.com]

McCain suspending his campaign is making my spidey sense tingle in a really fucked up way.
..and making my Wingnut brain run the line, "Well, this is bad on so many levels," on a loop.

[cwoolard.livejournal.com]

OK, everybody's looking at the financial "crisis". Everybody's stressing about the election, and even worrying a little bit about wheter or not there's going to *be* an election.

So what's going on somewhere else, while the media and politicians are telling you you *must* pay attention to this?

[ithinkitisayit.livejournal.com]

Touche!

[rufus.livejournal.com]

there seem to be a lot of spidey senses tingling. (there are *australians* on my flist floating strange rumors -- I'd link you, but the post is locked. also, you've probably heard them already -- economic emergency to be declared, election postponed, blah blah, from Russia via England.)

this may be the year of october surprise like we have never seen before.

[raaven.livejournal.com]

Forget tingles, man. My spidey senses are jumping up and down on my fucking head.

With spiky boots.