What if martial law is declared?

[Cascadian]

What do you think is going to happen if martial law IS declared in America folowing a terrorist attack? How will the people react?

[impeach the gop]

1. Mexico looks good

n/t

[Cascadian]

2. I really think I would leave the country.

The only trouble is I fear many people would be arrested or shot attempting to do so. I really do.

John

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

4. IF it were declared good luck getting there since it means

they could control all roads, other forms of transportation etc.

[Cascadian]

7. They almost do.

The right wing has it's hands on nearly every damn thing in this society. They took over the AARP didn't they?

John

[sleepyhead]

5. Canada looks better

nt

[theorist]

6. Prediction...

Mexico and Canada would both be invaded within weeks of martial law in the US.

[liberalhistorian]

8. I don't think either country would

tolerate that, and neither would the international community. Good God, listen to me, I sound like a stuffy "international relations" professor!

[theorist]

11. What makes you think that would stop anything?

(no sarcasm here, by the way.)

[liberalhistorian]

16. Good point!

eom

[Cascadian]

9. You really think so?

If that happened, the U.S. would be more of pariah than it ever was before. I guess there is always Holland.


John

[Maple]

10. Not a chance

The US has invaded Canada several times now.

But the border remains where it is. :D

[Muddleoftheroad]

17. Not exactly true

Despite some lame attempts of invasion, the U.S. has never (and should never) mount a serious invasion -- both in the revolution and after the Civil War (Irish supporters trying to free Ireland). Besides, I think corporate America has already done it.

[Some Moran]

23. For all his corruption, Chrétien reasonably well to keep it at bay...

Martin will probably be a different story. :(

But as long as we as a people are smart enough to not trust American hype, the battle can be won.

[theorist]

3. Sheep and other things...

I have a hard time believing that an all out civil war would be possible, but we would see "normal-looking" Americans committing terrorist acts against unfortified buildings. By this I mean that the image the average Bush follower has of a terrorist would be destroyed as soon as Joe Sixpack's son blows himself up in a car bomb after he crashes through the front doors of his town's Wal-Mart instead of being sent off to die in whatever "War of the Week" we happened to be fighting. (long sentence; I know...)

I think Orwell was only 20 years off. Not too shabby, huh?

[Big_AJ]

12. You forgot ....

that martial law might actually be necessary to defend the US as a choice.

[Cascadian]

13. WHAT????

You mean you would advocate a dictatorship??? Why on earth would you???? No time in this country have we ever had a dictatorhsip or junta. This is suppose to be America not Argentina!!!!


John

[maveric]

14. Defend against who??

What other nation or nations would try to invade the US?

[Cascadian]

19. You know that may bring up a good point.

If Bush and his cohorts carry on like this worldwide, I can really see China and Russia getting together with some other countries to call for an invasion of America to turn the tables on us. They could claim that we pose a threat to world peace and stability and we have weapons of mass destruction and roll into our country. I won't be surprised if it happen in a few more years should Bush get another four years.

John

[theorist]

21. China could take the US single handedly (countriedly?)...

How strange would that be? I know some of us would be cheering in the streets as they goose stepped to the nation's capital. That is, until they put their own lackey into the Oval Office.

[Cascadian]

22. This is something I would not want.

But think about it for a minute. Nobody thought Bush would be given the White House without winning the election. Nobody thought the WTC would be destroyed by terrorists by using airplanes as cruise missles.

Nothing surprises me anymore. The prospect of Chinese and Russian troops rolling into America just chills me. :scared:


John

[AntiCoup2K4]

41. And based on the precedent this Fraudministration set by invading Iraq....

They would be totally justified in doing so. Talk about a lose-lose situation.... There would either be all out nuclear war, or foreign troops occupying American soil. I don't like either option.:scared:

We have to get those criminal fucking bastards out of the White House.

[theorist]

15. Never in history

(except for maybe Roman/Greek folk tales) has a dictatorship been established by the will of the people in response to emergency then to have been dismantled at the hands of the dictator.

Are you promoting a "give me liberty or give me safety" doctrine?

on edit: grammatical error

[Cascadian]

20. Words to live by!

"He who gives up essential liberty
for a little temporary security deserves neither liberty nor security..." Ben Franklin

Remember those words!

[newyawker99]

39. Hi Big_AJ!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[JailBush]

18. My Opinion

I agree that Americans aren't capable of revolting. They're FAR too lazy, spineless and stupid. It would take a few years of privation to get them properly riled, and then they'd probably need at least a couple years just to do their homework.

I also agree, that martial law would make the U.S. an even greater pariah. Foreigners would and should be very afraid to step foot on our soil. I also suspect the stock market would have a strong reaction to martial law. In fact, that might be a major argument for NOT imposing martial law - the Republicans and Vichy Democrats might get more than they bargained for.

Saying that martial law might be necessary for self preservation is similar to saying we need to drill the Arctic National Widlife Refuge for fossil fuels. We haven't even begun to explore the options. Go back to September 11 and recall how those bastards didn't lift a finger to stop the terrorists.

We should be imposing martial law on THEM.

[Hippo_Tron]

24. Bush doesn't need martial law...

He has his own personal congress.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

25. Martial law = I'm outta here.

Maybe I could apply for political asylum in France.

[JaySherman]

28. And just how do you plan on doing that?

Once the hammer comes down, forget it. Good luck getting to the grocery store, let alone across a state line or out of the country. Just which locked-down major port or airport were you hoping to slip out of? Sorry, but if martial law is declared no one is going anywhere. Word in my home state is that in the event of martial law, police have the right to consider anyone on the roads an "enemy combatant." This actually reached wire reports last year (don't ask for a link. I don't have one handy now). Martial law = total lockdown, suspension of the Constitution, restriction of all civil rights. If you're thinking of getting out, do it now. Once it comes, it'll be too late.

[Cascadian]

30. What about boats?

I live about three hours away from the Canadian border. I could hire somebody with a boat and under cover of darkness, cross through the San Juan Straits and into Canada. Does anybody think if they attempt to cross into Canada or Mexico they will get caught? Honestly I do but I would attempt it. I would rather die than not be free.


John

[JaySherman]

32. As I said...

which locked down seaport were you planning on slipping out of? What ship captain are you going to hire to risk his life so he bail your ass out? Hope you're rich, because you're going to have to pay someone ALOT of money. Unless you're fortunate enough to have a friend with access to a boat and a similar mindset to yours. How do you plan on getting to the border to slip out since the highways would all be patrolled by military, police, air patrols, all probably with shoot-to-kill orders? If you value your freedom that much, and you're convinced enough martial law is going to happen, I suggest getting out now.

[Cascadian]

36. Not a ship.

A boat from a marina. However, there are other ways. I would take a few days to walk from Seattle to the border. Stop at some safe houses along the way and within a mile or two from the border go under the cover of darkness. Just avoid the major roads rely on the rural routes cross, through some forests, and then I will be home free. I am not the only one who's going to do attempt this once the crackdown begins.


John

[JaySherman]

37. And you think the military won't know that as well?

If you have good survival skills, practice at concealing yourself while moving about, and a reliable network of contacts (that won't turn you in), I'm sure it can be done. The other thing is, who knows if Canada will even have their borders open at that point? They've already toughened up the draft asylum laws at behest of the U.S. government.

Not trying to pick on you, just being a realist about this.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

35. Well, they have martial law in Iraq

And it seems like people are still able to do things the authorities don't like. People escaped from Stalinist Russia, Nazi Germany, etc. People manage to sneak into Israel from the West Bank, even from the Gaza strip sometimes. And those borders are a lot more heavily patrolled, and a lot shorter, than the US-Canadian border.

Maybe I wouldn't make it, who knows. But if I lived in a place like that, even if it were here, I would try to leave.

And yeah, you're right, if I was convinced martial law was going to happen, I should get out now. But I'm not.

[soothsayer]

26. well be as complacent as when the election was stolen

hardly a peep (ok, i exaggerate, but it all went down pretty smoothly for these criminals)

[populistmom]

27. It's chilling

And unfortunately not all that unplausable, especially if his poll numbers are low 10 months from now.

[fabius]

29. Much as I hate to suggest it,

I would make common cause with the Freepers. Second Amendment.

Don't try this at home guys. I'm a middle aged guy with accomplishments under my belt and no kids. What's to lose.

The wife is way ahead of me on this one.

[maggrwaggr]

31. I've lived under martial law for a few days.

after the LA riots in 92.

I really hope to never see that again. There was a curfew. There were tanks, and a lot of guys with guns. They shot a car once, killed the driver, when they were worried it wasn't gonna stop.

I deliberately disobeyed the curfew one night and was headed for my home in the Hollywood Hills. I was driving up Vine St. and realized it was completely dark. All the lights had been destroyed in the riots, that and the power was (I suppose) completely out. I decided to take a turn onto Hollywood Blvd and check it out, just to see Hollywood Blvd in the pitch black. (okay, I'd had a few drinks with friends at dinner).

A streetlight was working. It was red, so I stopped. Felt ridiculous stopping, because there were no other cars anywhere. I realized there was the shape of a man on the bench next to me. I thought "oh, the homeless are still here". Then I realized the guy was carrying an M-16. He was a soldier. As I looked around in the darkness, I realized there were a whole LOT of guys with M-16's in the dark. Many of them looking my way. I decided I'd better get the hell home. So I turned up a street and realized I was headed right toward a phylanx of jeeps and a tank. Soldiers swarmed around. They all saw me coming and headed my way, flashlights in my face, guns in their hands.

I realized I'd just better stop, put my hands in view on the wheel, and stick my big white face into the windshield so they could see me. They surrounded me and gave me the third degree for a while.

I quickly made up a story about having gone to Santa Barbara that day and forgetting about the curfew. I was just trying to get home. They finally let me go.

It was not a fun thing to see. My own military occupying my own home. And myself in danger from my own military.

And I grew up in the military as an Army brat. I'm used to seeing tanks and guys with guns. But this was very very different.

[Silverhair]

42. That wasn't martial law. It was military enforcement of

existing law. There is a HUGE difference. You still had all of your rights. Under real martial law, the court system changes - dramatically.

[LawDem]

33. It's not one or the other

I don't think it's one option or the other. I think it's one before the other. At first, assuming something massive happened, like a dirty bomb, people would support marshal law. But, although I know a lot of you don't agree, I don't think that would last very long. Bit by bit, dissatisfaction and resistance would rise and ultimately maintaining an overt dictatorship would prove impossible. The bottom line is that people will give up a lot of freedom in this country so long as they believe, rightly or wrongly, that this is still essentially a free nation. But if it got to the point where they could no longer cling to that illusion, people's viewpoints would change very quickly.

[JaySherman]

34. I agree, but I would amend that...

People will give up freedom as long as I doesn't affect them in some negative way. Once Joe/Jane middle class Republican starts getting randomly searched, manhandled my police, arrested without cause, etc., they'll change their tune really quick. I think many Americans have no idea what giving up freedom really means. That's why they let it happen.

[alphafemale]

38. Depends. As long as it doesn't interfere with their Pro Sports viewing

Most people wouldn't notice the difference.

When school kids have to hit the ground under the point of a gun how is it not martial law already?

How different would it be?

[parkia00]

40. DU would be banned.

Don't really know what woud happen but DU would be one of the first things to be banned.

[LeftPeopleFinishFirst]

43. I will make sure to have some extra gloves

I hear Canada's a bit chillier than upstate new york.

Of course, in response to your poll question-
As we saw when China declared martial law in Beijing in 1989, there would obviously be a mass insurgence especially of the younger liberal set- a lot of people would not stand for it, and would fight it.

But there would be the set of people who just sit back and watch it happen, as there is in any situation.