I just paid a little attention to this at first, but now it seems to be taking on a life of its own. The military conducts training exercises all the time. But right or wrong, the distrust of the US government has gotten so pervasive that the backlash has actually gotten the military to respond defensively to rumors that it’s a precursor to martial law.
That which we perceive as real is real in its consequences.
There was a thread a year ago or so about the exercises by SOCOM and JSOC in US cities. Day and night time, one even included an MH-6 Little Bird from the 160th SOAR firing blanks over a congested freeway. Some of our own SME confirmed that this happens on a regular basis and nothing to be overly alarmed about. With that said, with the current administration at the helm and the various EO’s and COG plans on the books I understand the concern and agree with it.
If the US Gov’t is trying to subdue a right-wing insurrection using USASOC forces, they are going about things the wrong way.
It would be the equivalent of the British sending Paul Revere out to warn them of an impending Colonial attack.
Source: Personal experience with USASOC
Agree with you on the personnel, ever hear of The Resister? Guy’s like Barry cause civil wars and military coups d’état.
Just googled it. Very interesting, and it makes me glad to see folks that “get it”.
Where’s my tinfoil hat!!!
Talk about people reaching that conclusion not having a single clue…
Read it for years.
How would you know? You’re not even on the same continent! 
FWIW, I participated in the largest amphibious landing in Europe since WWII back in 1986, in Norway. Spent hours on the beach talking to Norwegians who thought it was awesome we were doing it. Then proceeded to my assigned position and set up a SAM site, in a farmer’s back yard. Rather than getting read the riot act, my team was offered a hot meal and use of their bathroom. I’ve been to 18 countries and the hospitality I received in Norway is unmatched. I highly doubt that would happen in the U.S, but I could be wrong.
The biggest issue we have is how often our government distrusts it’s citizens, which makes it pretty tough to trust them. It has nothing to do with what those USASOC guys are doing. It has everything to do with the civilian government that wields them. 
^^That
So do people raise as big of a when the “enemy” in these exercises are left wing and environmental groups!
Does that ever happen? Serious question.
I listen to shortwave, and Alex Jones has been getting a lot, and I mean a lot of mileage out of this… He’s been ranting and raving about it for a week now, I’ll have to admit, as long as you take what you hear from him with a huge grain of salt, He can be entertaining…
I agree. I certainly don’t believe a lot of what he says.
The point is not whether this exercise is a precursor to martial law, but that the distrust of the government has become so pervasive that more and more people believe it is.
This subject was actually covered on the Kelly File on Fox last night. That’s unprecedented. Normally the rantings of the tinfoil hat conspiracy fringe don’t even get an acknowledgement from mainstream news sources.
Something has changed. Things have gotten so mucked up that even wild fears of a military takeover are being discussed.
My contention is that it doesn’t matter if the actual event is a “false flag” or whatever term they’re using; my contention is that the perception may turn all of this into a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Government misreads level of public anxiety and proceeds with military exercise–public becomes even more paranoid and there’s a backlash–government attempts to deny/explain/negate the paranoia–government denials make some people even more paranoid–“Bubba” fringe elements decide to “fight back” a la the standoff over the ranch in Nevada–government ends up taking actions which seem to foment the original paranoia, etc.
And you have what is called a “vicious circle”–all because things have gotten so tense that this country is a powder keg waiting to explode over–nothing.
Yep. We just had some exercises happen in the area that dealt with hostile environmental groups. IME groups from both sides of the fence are used though people only seem to complain when it’s right wing groups
Even if left wing groups are also made the subject of training exercises it will just make the conspiracy theorists expand their paranoia by saying that “all” citizens are being targeted. The “us versus them” aspect is the key to it all, and only makes the conspiracy theory broader.
We are in dangerous times where people are looking for an excuse to light the fuse.
People in the government should be smart enough to realize this and not prick the paranoia by naming ANY domestic group as “the enemy.”
Well, the root cause of all this tension needs to be examined… IMO the gov’t created most of this tension… Mass spying on our citizens, a lawless thug shitstain of a president. a bumbling, incompetent corrupt congress, a lying media who will say anything to protect said shitstain no matter how ridiculous it is. There’s not a lot there to be hopeful or trusting about. Our gov’t has shown that it prefers to be influenced not by the people of this country, but with money from large corporations,(after all, SCOTUS said they’re “people” too) and with money from other country’s, and the super wealthy… In short, it’s for sale, and it’s gotten so blatent they don’t even try to hide it anymore. So, it’s no wonder people think like this. How can you trust your gov’t when it has shown over and over again, that it’s willing to shove one up your ass, and snap it off the first chance it gets. A good example of this is obamacare… As far as a self fulfilling prophecy, yes, you’re right, it could easily turn into just that. And people like Alex Jones are fanning the flames of paranoia into a bonfire…
This has been going on since the 90s (that I know of).
For any major military exercise conducted in Norway, often with foreign nations participating, a fictional scenario is created where the local communities are used as the exercise area.
The areas are given fictional names, scenario history is developed to provide the backdrop for the exercise, role players/military personnel assume the roles of everything from local population, community leaders, militias, insurgents, military forces and so forth.
The scenario briefs are made using real maps, with the overlay including the fictional names of the locations.
If someone actually believed that this was not an exercise, but a real assessment of the current situation, and plan to handle it, I would suggest that people thinking this has issues. It is not a rational conclusion to reach.
Most of us don’t frequent the places where the leftists congregate. Do they ever get incensed about it on D.U. or Daily Kos, etc.?