from willamette week: Portland's easily agitated are in full letter-writing mode over two Homeland Security Department exercises coming to town, dubbed "Top Off” and "Noble Resolve.”
In letters to Mayor Tom Potter, U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, other elected officials, and us, the (very) concerned citizens link the disaster drills to a recent presidential directive that would give the executive new powers during a “catastrophic emergency,” as defined by the Commander Guy.
One Indymedia poster called it “the equivalent of Hitler's Article 48,” and said Noble Resolve “is too dangerous to allow in Oregon.”
“It’s looking more and more like a perfect storm of terror, treason and totalitarianism,” the open letter went on. “Drills like these have a history of going live.”
Really? I’ll bet anyone 50 American dollars that martial law won’t “go live” in Portland during this year's drills.
Don’t get me wrong: Bush’s rule-by-decree style is deeply troubling. The Homeland Security exercises aren’t. At least, they’re not the end of the world—just a practice run for it.
Paranoia is the new black.
from cbs/archive: Narrated by Glenn Ford, this extraordinary CBS Television film shows how civil defence operations would help minimize casualties in a typical city - Portland, Oregon.
'an attack is not taking place' 'this is not an assault'
2 comments:
It's here already! Great post, great blog... I mentioned Resolve in an article I wrote for The Register not long ago. The exercise involves multinational forces coping with a lose nuke, and civil unrest.
Given the exercise's size and scope, it's disgraceful this is not being more widely reported.
Thanks for posting this item.
ps. i am at www.parallelnormal.com
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