By: Terresa Monroe-Hamilton and Garry Hamilton

Last week we were discussing the story that surfaced about Bush thinking of sending the military into NY in 2002 against terrorists; that it was being used as a form of manipulation by the media and that Obama would use that excuse to consider doing the same thing only for real. Just call us a modern-day Cassandra…

Cue the run-down boot heels of the Walking Dude in The Stand. Captain Tripps is supposedly on the way and we must, quick do something! Well, that something would be using the military to supplement FEMA in major population areas to help ‘deal with’ the H1N1 flu outbreak on the way this fall. From CNN:

The U.S. military wants to establish regional teams of military personnel to assist civilian authorities in the event of a significant outbreak of the H1N1 virus this fall, according to Defense Department officials.

The proposal is awaiting final approval from Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

The officials would not be identified because the proposal from U.S. Northern Command’s Gen. Victor Renuart has not been approved by the secretary.

The plan calls for military task forces to work in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. There is no final decision on how the military effort would be manned, but one source said it would likely include personnel from all branches of the military.

If we heard correctly, we heard a doctor on Fox News say this morning something to the effect of, “What are they (the military and government) going to do? Shoot people as they leave buildings after being quarantined?” Not an exact quote I’m sure, but you get the drift…

From another list and discussion this morning:

Garry Hamiliton:

Swine Flu.

Because a “medical emergency” is a plausible justification for getting the military involved.

You wouldn’t suggest “civil unrest” as a reason, because, y’know, Posse Comitatus and all that. Don’t want to suggest “terrorism” ‘cuz that opens a whole ‘nother can-o-worms. Well, let me think, . . . hmmm . . . oh, wait! A medical emergency. That would work! No one but a lunatic would believe we were actually preparing to deal with a civil unrest emergency. It ain’t perfect, but it’ll have to do.

So, even though the CDC has pretty much written off the swine flu as a real threat, it’s still the most plausible medical emergency. We’ll use that.

I guess I’m just a lunatic. I’m the kind of paranoid idiot who wouldn’t put ANYTHING past these assholes.

But then, what would I know? Everyone knows that anyone who doesn’t trust the prez is crazy.

Yeah. Well, I’ve got yer “trust” right here.

Our take on this is one of de-sensitization.

Find plausible reasons to get the military involved. Get the people used to seeing the military in “benign” involvement scenarios. Be careful not to set off the Posse Comitatus alarm. “Hey, we’re just here to help the FEMA guys.”

Once people are used to seeing the military “help out” in various contexts they will be far less likely to freak out at our having the military “help out” during other kinds of “civil infrastructure failures.”

These folks are masters of incrementalism.

There are other scenarios, some involving the “necessity” of a federal police force to wade in and “keep order” under circumstances where the government has “clearly established” the need for the federal hand of intervention, but where the military would be “inappropriate.”

Use the military in benign settings to establish federal intervention as the norm, then make a big show of not wanting to violate the Constitution and therefore instituting a national police force. Naturally, these federal personnel would report directly to the executive branch.

We could be way off base…

It could be that they’re just too dumb to figure out some other way, and all they can think of is, “hey, let’s call out the Army” to help out.

Or, they could be all about incrementalism.

Look at it this way: if the idea is just too over-the-top, and nothing of the sort we describe ever comes of it, we can always use it as the plot line for a work of fiction. Which no one will buy, ‘cuz it’s just too implausible. But if we are right, we’ll be dancing with Captain Tripps come flu season and you will see all sorts of fun scenarios arise – martial law being tops on that list.

Update: Military Prepares for Swine Flu Pandemic Pandemonium w/ FEMA

Military Poised to Help FEMA Battle Swine Flu Outbreak

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