Jade Helm is all the rage. We’ve gotten dozens of emails and messages and links from all fronts. Like the usual message traffic, they range from RFI’s, complaints (from all sides), to moon bat. Well, in today’s OP-ED, Hernandez is here to bring you his insights on the plenary plan. Read up. Mad Duo
Grunts: Plenary
Operation Jade Helm: All Your Texas Are Belong To Us!
Chris Hernandez
Curses! Our sinister plot has been discovered!
Somehow Jade Helm, our “training exercise” [wink wink], has been revealed as a plan to wage war on Texas. We tried to trick the public into believing it was just training, but the sheeple didn’t buy it! Astute internet investigators, none of whom usually have a clue what they’re talking about, nailed this one!
Jade Helm is a ruse, a way for the military to invade Texas. Which sounds weird, since Texas is in America and already has tons of military bases full of military personnel. So, like, if the military wanted to invade and stuff, they could just book a vacation to Dallas or something. But nevermind all that! We were going to invade Texas!
And we would have gotten away with it too, if not for those meddling truthers!
We like to call this a ‘Jade Helmet’
How could our plan have been leaked? Our operatives followed every top-secret, MK-Ultra protocol! They put a public news release on the internet, notified local officials and private citizens in the “training” area, published a Jade Helm PowerPoint presentation, and held a public press conference. But despite all that secrecy, people somehow found out about it!
Alex Jones and his buddies must have seen through our charade. And we were so close! All our TFTDOF (Tools For The Destruction Of Freedom) were in place. We closed Wal-Marts and turned them into FEMA death camps, dug miles of tunnels interconnecting them so we could move Texas patriots to the gas chambers without arousing suspicion, and prepared our Special Forces to confiscate everyone’s guns. It’s all true.
Anyone with a brain might wonder how we managed to dig all the tunnels connecting our closed Wal-Mart FEMA death camps without attracting attention. You’d think a gigantic tunneling project which would require hundreds of vehicles, thousands of workers and the movement of thousands of tons of dirt over a period of months, would have been noticed by someone. But nobody did. Know how we pulled that off? I have no idea! But we must have done it, or multiple morons wouldn’t believe it! Right?
Sure, reasonable people might think Jade Helm really is just training and therefore no big deal. They might believe it’s conceptually the same as the Special Forces Robin Sage exercise that’s been held on public land in North Carolina for decades. They might notice North Carolina somehow isn’t under martial law. They could also point out that our military conducts permissive environment training in public on a regular basis. People with at least two brain cells to rub together might look at these facts and conclude Jade Helm fear is hysterical stupidity.
But they’d be wrong! Unlike Robin Sage, Jade Helm isn’t in North Carolina! The Posse Comitatus Act clearly states, “Any military training held off post that’s not in North Carolina constitutes an illegal invasion of America.” At least, that’s what I think it says. I’ve never actually, you know, read it or anything. But I’m sure Jade Helm violates Posse Comitatus!
If Jade Helm wasn’t really a secret plot to invade Texas – and IT IS – one might say it’s pretty damn stupid for so-called “patriots”, like the ones at the Jade Helm public meeting near Bastrop, Texas, to accuse our military of preparing to commit treason. Especially since that military has been fighting, bleeding and dying to defend America for the last fourteen years. But they’d be wrong again! The brave patriots in Bastrop were absolutely right to cheer a Special Forces spokesman’s military service while simultaneously accusing the military of plotting to invade Texas.
Know why those patriots were right to do that? BECAUSE WE REALLY ARE ABOUT TO INVADE TEXAS! Great job digging up the “truth”, patriots! You’re the smartest conspiracy theorists EVAR!
Now that the death camps and tunnels are ready, we just need to move the Special Forces troops in. We’re bringing over twelve hundred. That’s right, bitches, twelve hundred. For the entire exercise, spread out over seven states. So maybe a couple hundred in Texas. What? You think two hundred Green Berets couldn’t control thirty million Texans, who own millions of guns? You think the 23,000 Texas Army and Air National Guardsmen, which includes a company of Texas’ own Special Forces, might stand up to two hundred SF troops invading Texas? You’ve obviously never read a Tom Clancy novel. Two hundred SF operators can do anything.
Fortunately for you Texans, Governor Alex Jones – I mean, Greg Abbott – called out the only force on earth that could possibly stop the invasion: the dreaded and deadly Texas State Guard.
Now, anyone who actually served in the military would probably say, “If I was going to wage war against Americans, Special Forces are the last guys I would use.” Within the military, Special Operations troops are generally regarded as the most independent, least willing to tolerate stupidity, and most likely to resist government tyranny rather than enforce it. It’s reasonable to assume that only hysterical, frothing-at-the-mouth conspiracy-theorist lunatics would believe Special Forces troops were going to wage war on America. But who knows the military better, people who actually serve in it or obese civilian idiots who type “WAKE UP, SHEEPLE!” from their mothers’ basements? I don’t know about you, but I’d trust the fat idiot in mom’s basement every time.
So the fat idiots found us out. But you know what? It’s too late! Jade Helm is already rolling! Nothing can stop it, not even the elite Texas State Guard! You’re all doomed!
You hear me, Texas? YOU’RE DOOOOOOOMED!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
P.S. One final note to conspiracy theorists: Jade Helm ends September 15th. On the off chance you wake up September 16th and discover you’re not in a Wal-Mart/FEMA death camp and still have all your guns, maybe you should shut your stupid fucking mouths.
Mad Duo, Breach-Bang& CLEAR!
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Chris Hernandez Mad Duo Chris (seen here on patrol in Afghanistan) may just be the crustiest member of the eeeee-LIGHT writin’ team here at Breach-Bang-Clear. He is a veteran of both the Marine Corps and the Army National Guard who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is also a veteran police officer of two decades who spent a long (and eye-opening) deployment as part of a UN police mission in Kosovo. He is the author of White Flags & Dropped Rifles – the Real Truth About Working With the French Army and The Military Within the Military as well as the modern military fiction novels Line in the Valley and Proof of Our Resolve. When he isn’t groaning about a change in the weather and snacking on Osteo Bi-Flex he writes on his own blog, Iron Mike Magazine, Kit Up! and Under the Radar. You can find his author page here on Tactical 16.
If you pick and choose your battles against the Jade Helmet crowd (thank you for this phrase), you might make some inroads. I always start off fighting conspiracy theories with facts. If it becomes clear that logic, evidence, reason, and common sense are useless, I fall back on old reliable. . . scorn. That’s how I got the nickname Scornmeister while I was in the Army. Although the vast majority of discussions end up as heaping scorn on baseless theories, I have had one limited success. A high school classmate now checks with me first before reposting any conspiracy theory story, specially if they have military elements. It kept her from buying into the whole Jade Helm conspiracy. Or maybe she’s just avoiding me posting the facts on her wall by blocking me from seeing certain posts.
Thank you for putting voice to my thoughts more eloquently than I could have. This post and your responses to the comments have been a true brightness in my day.
Thanks bro. And if it means anything, you sound like the kind of Joe I would have wanted on my team in Afghanistan.
*sigh*
Insulting my own state, state military, fellow Texans and Governor all in one fell swoop. I gave BBC another chance after your last pile of derp, but now I’m done.
1) I’m a proud lifetime Texan.
2) I insulted conspiracy theorists, not all Texans.
3) I’ve interacted with the TSG for years. They’re good people with a desire to serve. I think they’d agree they’re not dreaded, deadly or elite.
4) The Governor insulted the entire military, which is comprised of many, many Texans.
5) Now I’m curious. What was my last pile of derp? 🙂
Hey Chris,
I’ll get the second round and the eventual tab. I believe we have much more in common and see the world pretty much in the same way. I appreciate your thoughtful response to my more than long post and I’ll concede most of your points. As I grow older the Libertarian less trusting individual grows stronger as a previous Republican. Certainly I don’t endorse conspiracy type shit but just more accommodating to people speaking their minds even if I do not agree with it. I guess that’s what I was trying to initially address.
In reading blogs I sometimes get the impression that “if you’re not former military” you really don’t know what your talking about and should shut your pie hole.” Maybe that’s accurate, it’s just hard to accept at times. I hear shit on CNN and FOX after a plane crash and launch the TV brick since they’re so uniformed. But of course this stuff were speaking of is important even if debated by a handful of individuals so I’m pretty passionate about it like you. To the degree I spoke out of turn I apologize and I defer to your experience.
At the end of the day I do appreciate your military service and I do appreciate that you chose to protect the public in law enforcement. I also appreciate the honest and straight shooting articles you guys pump out.
All the Best.
Deal!
And since I don’t drink, I’ll be a cheap date! 🙂
Objective doesn’t mean you give equal time to people whose ideas are without merit (and conspiracy theories are most often without merit). It doesn’t mean even handed or anything like that.
What it means is that in a confrontation with the evidence that you’d be willing to abandon your position and take up another. That you continue to subject yourself to that challenge.
Well said Chris, and hilariously so!
All the folks bitching about Chris being unprofessional and refusing to engage in rational conversation with conspiracy theorists seem to be unaware or deliberately ignorant of the fact that he tried that once with Sandy Hook truthers. They then proceeded to flood his blog in mass and accuse him of being a shill for the establishment with the nsa’s hand so far up his ass, that they found a peanut.
So to recap, rational discussion gets him demonized, tongue in cheek satire is considered offensive, and none of his critics ever quite move past the Internet arguing checklist. It’s an unwinnable situation, so it’s hard to begrudge him for having a little fun in the process.
Mr Hernandez,
I think this is some of your best work. I’m Australian, and when I mentioned this in the lunchroom today, half a dozen blokes had heard about the JH “scandal”. None of them have military experience or a great interest in international affairs, so that said a lot to me about how this is being publicised around the world.
I’ve spent a lot of time working a security gig in the Texas Panhandle, and I hold the place and it’s people in high regard (particularly a cop in Garland right now!!), but some Texans are doing themselves no favours in this situation.
And while I’m here, I’d like to say that I love your work. You have a keen and analytical mind, and you write with style and wit. I’ve known university professors who could take lessons from you.
Good on you. Stay safe, and best wishes from the other side of the pond.
Utah, Texas, Nevada etc. all have one thing in common in the summer. They mimic Haji-land.
USSOCOM cannot possibly meet all of our training needs in small areas such as the NSW/CBM desert training complex. I have been out of The Corps for almost thirty years, but rest assured am still in the circle and the people I associate with are the most constitutionally minded military people I know. I am dumbstruck by some of the comments I have received from people in my community here in Montana concerning this training exercise and their fear of it. The young private that was given the choice by a judge of either 4 years in jail or 4 years in the suck worries me WAY more than any professional operator in SOCOM.
TFLDR, but I did suffer the whole video and it’s amazing how that hearing plumbed the depths of crazy.
Well hopefully it’s hyperbole because I don’t think your employer would be impressed reading this particular post. You took the time to cut and paste it so don’t act like you don’t own it. Your the one who said it was “way” close to your actual feelings.
In my profession I’m always aware that I’m a representing my employer so I have to moderate my comments and opinions at times knowing that they can be linked back to me. I fly commercial airplanes for the record…done that???
You are a private citizen on this post so I respect your right to say shit, but you also link yourself you your Military and LEO positions so it not beyond the realm for citizens to become concerned when you go to those special places of dysfunction.
You have now misrepresented my position 2 times. May it be clear I did not nor do I think that Jade Helm 15 is a plot to institute marital law in the United States. You want gloss over that and engage in Ad Hominem attacks which is logical fallacy revealing your not arguing the merits of your position. I am not a JH conspiracy theorist, but I see no need for North Carolina SOF to come to Bastrop county and “dress like the locals” on private land and interact with military counterparts playing the role of locals. The US government owns large swaths of land in the west, go play their. I as an American have every right to not want military activities in my community for 8 weeks even if I’m 100% pro military – it’s my right or at least was until you came along.
I enter full motion simulators every 6 months. Is it close to real. Yes. Is it real. No. Do I benefit. Yes. Do I know it’s not real Yes. I reckon the SOF is just as smart as me and can figure out what is real and what is not when they’re practicing there negotiating skills with other SOF dressed up as whatever. Give me a break on that lame excuse.
Fucking 15 individual landowners in one Texas county independently came to SOF in Eglin and solicited them. Comms training with higher command, really. Snow the snowman. Not me. Is it bad? Is it martial law? No! Was that Col. telling all…survey says – No. Was the Col exasperated by some the stupid shit questions, yes. You’re so concerned for this dude, Sorry Col those conspiracy theorist literally pay your pay check and will fund your pension so pound sand if you don’t like what they’re saying.
My position was simply that your indignation against conspiracy theorists was very harsh. That is what I said in my original post. It also asserted that the elected officials in Texas (of whom I’m also a resident) have every right to say or think what they want. Something you obviously disagree with and are a bit bent out shape for having defended.
Chris at the end of the day you are in a bad place. You need to come to grips with who you are and what your doing in your position. You need to reconcile Americans right to speak freely and disagree in a reasonable manner. It’s open season on cops right now and I fear that your ready to pummel some motherfucker that you don’t agree with with your demise on national television.
Over and Out. We’ve aired a lot of shit and said our peace. I’ll take what I have coming. Blowing the ballasts and officially submerging. I wish you all the best and will look for other great articles by you.
I think the governor stepped on his dick with this one.
I think that most of the opposition to this exercise is misplaced, and should be aimed more at the federal government than at the military. As you know, many people just plain don’t trust the feds to tell the truth about anything.
It may be that this exercise is seen by many as the gov saying “Watch it – we’ve got a Big Fucking Hammer in our toolbox.”. Never mind that if they actually tried to smash down on Americans, the military would, in large part, refuse to be used in this manner.
That’s my take on it anyway – suspicion directed at the wrong target. (I Guess I could have just posted that one sentence, huh ?).
Chris, you are 100% spot on with this. Some opinions and viewpoints are so ridiculous that they do deserve to be mocked. Some beliefs, along with the people who hold them, do deserve nothing more than raw contempt and ridicule.
The conspiracy nuts who believe JH is something sinister will not be convinced otherwise, no matter what. They are delusional, and no amount of rational discussion of facts will alter their world view. Attempting a rational debate with an irrational person is a waste of time.
Top that off with the actions of my Governor, who either believes these nuts are right, or doesn’t have the backbone to call them out on their stupidity, and panders to them by calling up the elite stallions of the TSG. You can’t make this stuff up, folks.
A reasonable and healthy suspicion of governmental over reach is one thing, a paranoid distrust of the US government, the military and LEO is quite another.
I am afraid I have lost my ability to hold back my contempt for Truthers, Birthers, Oathkeepers, III%ers, and other assorted anti-goverment, anti-military, anti-cop conspiracy jerk offs. You can’t reason with them. They hold an irrational world view, and I have gotten to the point where I simply refuse to engage them.
And in case anyone wants to know just who am I, exactly, to have these opinions and say these things, because apparently you have to post your resume` when you make a comment, my background is very close to Chris’: long time member of the military, both active and reserve components, and a long time sworn LEO.
I’d agree with some commenters here that the tone of this piece is so sarcastic as to impede any insight. So I’d agree that this is not insightful writing. It’s factual – yes – but not insightful. At least not for me. And as for it being deliberate sarcasm, again, it doesn’t work for me as sarcasm either. It’s just too crude.
I think the specific problem I have with the piece is the author’s broad-brush stance towards the people he’s angry with. To Mad Duo Chris, at least when he’s in this sort of mood, people who believe in nutty fringe conspiracy theories are (a) “stupid” and (b) deserved to be mocked as a way of showing contempt. And the reason I have a problem with this is the total deficiency of such a stance as a way of explaining why people believe in nutty fringe conspiracy theories in the first place.
To me this is not just idle debate – it is a matter of direct personal interest. My next door neighbor is a conservative Republican who, alas, believes in the FEMA camp conspiracy. He got it off the Internet along with some similar nutty ideas. I can’t discuss it with him rationally because when he brings it up, he gets deeply upset & starts invoking a lot of other crazy stuff that to me is also nonsense. So okay. But I don’t want to dismiss my neighbor as a nonfunctional idiot, as Mad Duo Chris dismisses the people of Bastrop in this piece. Because when he’s not getting himself all worked up about this crazy stuff, he’s a great neighbor to have. He operates our communal snowplow for the four houses on our road each winter; he’s generous; he’s friendly; he loves his kids and his grandkids dearly; etc. In short, yes, he has crazy politics and doesn’t screen information carefully enough, but he is a decent guy. He served in the Marines a couple of decades ago, too, so he is not anti-armed services.
I don’t know why he holds views that to me seem crazy. But I think it’s a complicated matter involving psychology and culture. Not something as simple as him being a stupid jerk who should “shut his fucking mouth,” to borrow Mad Duo Chris’s words.
What I do get from Mad Duo Chris’s article is that he is deeply, deeply hurt by the ignorance & distrust of the armed services being shown by these fringe theorists. Hurt is what lies behind anger, and for there to be this much anger, there has to to be an awful lot of hurt.
Randy,
I can appreciate that criticism. This essay was far different in tone than my previous essays, because it was sparked by something different. I was astounded and exasperated to discover that our Governor actually ordered Texas troops to monitor American soldiers, training in America, because of concerns that they’d violate people’s rights and liberties. To me, that is an amazing affront to our soldiers. I don’t think it was “hurt” that motivated this essay though. It was shock, outrage and anger.
Your story about your neighbor is a good illustration of why these lunatic conspiracy theories need to be publicly ridiculed. When the theories are so widespread, and given legitimacy by elected representatives and celebrities (i.e. Chuck Norris), otherwise-rational people who would normally brush them off as obvious stupidity think “Well, if there wasn’t anything to it, why would Governor Abbott call out the State Guard to monitor it?” And suddenly this obviously ridiculous theory becomes believable.
As with every conspiracy theory, there is literally zero evidence to support the belief that JH is preparation for martial law. There are no secret documents detailing the “real” plan, there are no witnesses who have seen the gigantic tunneling project, there is no leaked information from SF troops admitting what the exercise is “really” about. There is nothing but “well wouldn’t it make sense that this is really preparation for martial law” or “wake up, sheeple!”
In my opinion it’s better to confront people with all the logical flaws in their reasoning in the hopes that they’ll realize just how insane their beliefs are becoming, than to just accept it and let them think you agree. Sometimes people need to be hit, hard, with their own logical fallacies. Look at what happened in Bastrop: LTC Lastoria politely and calmly explained rational truth. He provided facts. He provided historical background. Did it work? Not as far as I can tell. Would a more confrontational approach have worked? Maybe not. But being conciliatory and understand accomplished nothing.
Back when my neighbor first expressed his views – this was last fall – it shook me up. I had just sort of nodded my head as he was ranting, but afterward I wondered if I should respond -specifically, if I should try & point out the gaping holes in the information he had swallowed. I asked a bunch of friends for advice, including a couple who are psychologists who work with all sorts of folks. They advised me to avoid any such attempt, as it would most likely lead to escalation on his part & possibly turn a good relationship into a bad one. So I said nothing & let it pass.
In retrospect I’m glad I did, because things could have so easily gotten much worse. I had another somewhat crazy neighbor about 10 years ago, a guy who had PTSD, apparently dating back to his years of service (I don’t remember which branch), and he was a guy that no amount of rational talk would work with – with him, the more you tried to be rational, the more he escalated. Fortunately for me he moved away. For him there was no escape – he was a lost soul.
I don’t know if this is true about the folks in Bastrop. But I suspect it may be. We’re talking about folks with very little resources, who probably feel disenfranchised for economic and social reasons. They most likely don’t get much respect from people who have it more together, and they sense that. They are willing to believe in conspiracy theories because they themselves are neither well educated nor well-off psychologically.
And it can happen to almost anyone if they run into trouble in life. I remember what a shock it was to discover recently that a woman I had known through work, about 20 years ago, and who at the time had held a decent mid-level corporate position, now believes in “chemtrails.” She was posting on the Internet about it, which was how I found out. I can’t help but think that she went through some bad stuff in her life after I knew her, became troubled, and so is now willing to believe in nutty stuff. It gives her a cause. Another lost soul.
One quick note: I’m very familiar with Bastrop. Camp Swift, the Texas NG’s largest training camp, is just outside Bastrop. I’ve been going to Swift and Bastrop for twenty years. During that time I’ve seen Bastrop grown from a small Texas town to more of an Austin suburb (becoming that way, anyway). Successful businesses have opened and thrived. My perception – and I’m no economist, so I may be wrong – is that Bastrop is not an economically depressed town full of people with few resources. I’ve lived and worked in rural Texas, and the Bastrop residents at the meeting seemed to me to mostly be successful farmers, ranchers and people working in associated fields.
In other words, I don’t think those Bastrop residents reacted the way they did because they are in any way disenfranchised. They reacted that way because these conspiracy theories have become so widespread they’re now affecting otherwise rational people, rather than just fringe idiots they way they used to.
Just my opinion.
As far as the people you described, you have a really good question: what’s the right way to respond to them? If anyone is afraid to challenge them because of the possibility they’ll escalate the situation, then in effect we’re operating under a sort of blackmail. “I’m going to say stupid crap, but you better not point out how stupid it is or I’ll get aggressive.” Granted, that’s a hyperbolic description, but the principle is there.
I don’t see how not challenging people helps. Most of us have spent years smiling and nodding whenever someone spouts ridiculous nonsense. We’ve done that because we didn’t want confrontation. Our reward is a gigantic legion of conspiracy theorists who are now challenging even the most benign activities of regular American citizens.
Our desire not to challenge those conspiracy theorists hasn’t helped.
But you haven’t shown that challenging them helps either. And I’d still say that for all that you do an excellent job marshaling the facts to demonstrate why a particular conspiracy theory is looney, your account of why people believe in this stuff remains inadequate to the situation.
Moreover your description of what I said about persons escalating (“I’m going to say stupid crap, but you better not point out how stupid it is or I’ll get aggressive”) is a total misconstrual of what I said. The persons I’m talking about didn’t say or suggest any such thing as you describe; it was my experience of their behavior, and the comments to me of friends familiar with the psychology of disturbed persons, which suggested that they either did escalate (the fellow I knew years ago) or might escalate (my neighbor).
As skilled a LEO you are and soldier you were, I assume you can see the value of approaching a situation with a disturbed individual in other than a confrontational manner? So what I think is, where you & me disagree is on whether the folks who belief in conspiracy theories are disturbed. We each view the other’s explanation as inadequate. Well, there’s not much we can do in this venue to resolve that disagreement. But let me just quote a few things from that bastion of reliability, Wikipedia. These are snippets reflecting the many different takes on belief in conspiracy theory that have been generated by sociologists and psychologists:
– “A lack of trust can also be regained by belief in a conspiracy theory. This also explains why such theories are more popular with members of the lower social classes: the members of the upper class feel more integrated into prominent social, political and economical structures and are more likely to trust the general information they receive.”
– “Conspiracism serves the needs of diverse political and social groups in America and elsewhere. It identifies elites, blames them for economic and social catastrophes, and assumes that things will be better once popular action can remove them from positions of power. As such, conspiracy theories do not typify a particular epoch or ideology.”
And, you should like this one: “Some scholars argue that conspiracy theories once limited to fringe audiences have become commonplace in mass media, contributing to conspiracism emerging as a cultural phenomenon in the United States of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. According to anthropologists Todd Sanders and Harry G. West, evidence suggests that a broad cross-section] of Americans today gives credence to at least some conspiracy theories. Belief in conspiracy theories has therefore become a topic of interest for sociologists, psychologists and experts in folklore.”
Randy,
I think we’re talking past each other. I didn’t say your friends actually said “don’t disagree with me or I’ll escalate.” I’m saying that’s the principle we non-conspiracy theorists operate under, as if we’re not challenging them because we’re under threat.
And you’re right, challenging conspiracy theorists hasn’t been shown to work. But not challenging then has been proven ineffective. I’ll take my chances challenging them.
Though Chris already replied to your comment, I do think a discussion of how conspiratorial thinking is created and nurtured would be a great topic–especially in a day and age where, “false flag!!” is thrown around almost casually and largely without merit.
I don’t necessarily think that Chris is saying that your neighbor is a bad person, but that certainly there is something illogical going on with his thinking.
It’s impossible to calmly rationalize with the irrational, which explains the tone IMO.
“It’s impossible to calmly rationalize with the irrational.”
Yes – that’s the point I’m trying to make with Chris (but not getting very far with).
First and foremost, not one of you, has EVER, protected me, my family, my friends, my property or my rights from anything. The uniform worship must end! You and You alone chose to put that uniform on under the misled guise of “Duty”, “Honor”, “Freedom”, ETC, whatever you may have been duped with. That is your fault. This defiant demand that we all bow down to you is ridiculous. It is a job that you each CHOSE to do. And, lets face it, the reality is, all you are doing is the bidding of evil men. The sad fact of the matter is I do not think the majority of you understand that. You are no more noble or important than a carpenter, an auto mechanic, an electrician or any other real job/career. Open your damn eyes, the nefarious things that are gong on are so obvious if you do! But, ignorance is bliss. These kinds of things plain and simply should not be happening. “Instead of subjecting the military to the civil power,[a tyrant will make] the civil subordinate to the military. But can [he] thus put down all law under his feet? Can he erect a power superior to that which erected himself? He [can do] it indeed by force, but let him remember that force cannot give right.” –Thomas Jefferson– Now, I know full well this will get a lot of you aflutter, but actually think of my words before you react and are instantaneously butt wounded. If you get off your ass and do some research or, God forbid, some history research, maybe just maybe you would start to understand. Not everyone that is in disaccord with your beliefs is wrong. If we can tell ourselves that, ” There is no “equal time” for lunatic fringe theories-they’re just nutty, nothing more.”, the “terrorists” have already won. “Murrica”! Now lets get the insults and hatred flying.
THANK YOU!
I wish more people who think JH is a conspiracy would just come right out and say “I hate the troops and believe they would wage war on us” (or words to that effect).
The cognitive dissonance that arises when someone says “I love the troops” five seconds before claiming “the troops are preparing to wage war against Americans” is maddening.
At least you’re being consistent.
I never said nor did I imply that I hate soldiers. I also never said that I believe in any conspiracy theory. I disagree with the constant warmongering and the idea that people decided they had to travel around the globe to invade and destroy other countries and people and believe that, in doing so, they are “protecting” me, my way of life, or my freedom.
I am really sick of the idea that because somebody was in the military we have been taught to practically worship them like some sort of demigod. I am sick of your own masters treating veterans like shit when they return from doing their bidding.
We do not need or want war games in our backyards. Police departments do not need to be militarized. We do not need to be continually watched over by “authorities” to try and catch us doing something. This country incarcerates more non-violent offenders than any other developed country because we run a ‘prison for profit’ program. We have too many problems in this world than space to list them.
I agree with you about the cognitive dissonance; however, you are doing the same thing. I understand your tactic is to try and provoke me. We have differing opinions on things; so do a number of people posting here. Calling people names and attacking their intelligence because they disagree with your personal narrative diminishes your credibility.
“Government is not reason; it is not eloquence. It is force. And force like fire, is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.”
George Washington
Understand your points and I apologize for misunderstanding you. I’ll point out that I myself have criticized veteran worship, especially the resistance to calling out veterans who are obviously lying or exaggerating to milk the VA for free money. I pissed off a lot of vets when I wrote an essay about PTSD fakers.
I will also say that your other points regarding militarization of police, while valid, aren’t the subject of this discussion.
Regarding military training on public or private lands, with full permission of public officials and private landowners, I’d have to say that falls into the “it’s a free country” category.
Chris is spending more time responding to criticism than he did writing the article. If whoring pageviews was the goal (I’m guessing it was), then: job well done, shock jock.
It’s a conspiracy to whore pageviews! You caught us!
Sorry, I wasn’t aware that as a writer I should ignore reader comments. Noted.
How about this: you quit commenting, I’ll quit responding to your comments, and this article will get less pageviews. Cool? 🙂
Chris seems to be conveniently forgetting that this article is just a rehash (essentially a copy/paste) of one he published more than half a week earlier at his own site, http://www.chrishernandezauthor.com, where we can only guess that it didn’t receive enough attention for him? 🙂
If Jade Helm 15 has accomplished anything, besides preparing our troops to “blend in to the day-to-day American cultural environment” so rifely available apparently in -foreign- Islamic nations (??) it has been to act as an adjuvant for the civil psyche. Some persons, such a Major General James Jackson, propound that “the price of liberty is eternal vigilance.” Abolitionist Wendell Phillips had later continued: “Power is ever-stealing from the many to the few. The manna of popular liberty must be gathered each day or it is rotten. The hand entrusted with power becomes, either from human depravity or collusion, the necessary enemy of the people. Only by continued oversight can those in office be prevented from hardening into despots; only by unintermitted agitation can a people be sufficiently awake to principle not to let liberty be smothered.”
On one hand we have the admonition that ‘the sentinels on the watch-tower must sleep and slumber not.’ – On the other hand we have an optimism, couched incongruently in enormous stawman venom, which on its best day could only presume that it does not (whether as gullibility or gaslighting) function as the False Reassurance trope of ‘Move Along, Nothing to See Here’.
What a contest.
For the health of a free society (one for which, literally and ostensibly, many have personally oathed and fought) which view, vigilance or presumption, should be civically inculcated?
Which analeptic should we culturally imbibe?
Eternal vigilance, to see if something is wrong? Or the rather naive (if more comforting) conjecture that ‘all is well’?
… “staying in your lane” indeed.
Uh… you obviously didn’t read the post on my blog. It’s written from a different perspective, without the caustic and offensive comments. This essay is a sarcastic view from an imaginary JH conspirator’s eyes. The essay on my blog was just me describing how ridiculously stupid the JH conspiracy theories are.
But sure, whatever. I just cut and pasted.
And by the way bro, I write for a couple different sites. I sometimes write essays on the same topics for those sites. The two essays I wrote about the Ferguson shooting, one for my blog and one for Breach Bang Clear, are good examples. Yes, I certainly did hope those essays got attention.
I’m a writer, bro. That’s what I do.
As far as the rest of your comment, what the hell are you trying to say? “…it has been to act as an adjuvant for the civil psyche”…”On the other hand we have an optimism, couched incongruently in enormous stawman venom”…”For the health of a free society (one for which, literally and ostensibly, many have personally oathed and fought) which view, vigilance or presumption, should be civically inculcated”…”Which analeptic should we culturally imbibe”.
Are you writing that yourself?
If you’re saying citizens need to be vigilant of government overreach, I agree. If you’re saying something else, I don’t understand it.
Using the term “run-riot” was poor choice as I don’t believe that’s what will occur. For the record, I’m nobody. I’m just a plain old civilian, non military, never been there never done that kinda guy. Apparently because of that I should just shut up.
I conceded your point in the beginning that JH was not purposing to institute martial law. Conditioning, well that might be a possibility.
You make the mistake of assuming a person like me is incriminating the actual soldier. I’m not. We’re not. Soldiers do what they are told to the point they are given an unlawful order.
I find it interesting that for many soldiers and cops below the thin veil of humility is actually an egomaniac who somehow thinks he never quite got enough attention for all his exploits. I’m not sure why it is, but it seems to bubble to the surface time and time again.
I thought I was an angry individual, man you seriously need to unwind.
That is funny.
Nobody is making you shut up. In fact, I want conspiracy theorists and their sympathizers to speak loudly and often. Nothing works better against stupidity than letting it show itself.
Being a civilian doesn’t mean you should shut up. But there’s a rule that applies to everyone, military and civilian: if you expect to be taken seriously, you should have some idea of what you’re talking about. In the military we call it “staying in your lane”. By your own admission, you have no military experience. Have you looked up the easily-found information about military training exercises on public land? Have you looked up Robin Sage? Have you read the long and detailed articles on JH written by SF veterans on the Weaponsman and SOFREP sites?
Do you have any responsibility to know what you’re talking about?
And as far as your assertion that you’re not incriminating the soldier, that’s flat out untrue. Who do you believe is going to kick in Texan doors, take guns and force people into FEMA WalMarts? President Obama? Hillary? No, it’ll be the regular soldier. The one you’re saying you aren’t incriminating, while simultaneously suspecting them of plotting to commit treason.
Call me an egomaniac all you want. You asked “Who are you again?” And I answered. Then you have a problem with me laying out the facts of who I am.
Please, mister non-egomaniac, tell me how I must answer in order to please you.
And as far as attention goes, I have a big, loving family so I get plenty. Which makes me happy. But thanks for your concern.
Some of these responses are frightening. Really frightening. There is no “equal time” for lunatic fringe theories– they’re just nutty, nothing more. Why do I feel Chris Kyle is turning over in his grave?
Unless there is another branch of the military that isn’t made up of American citizens ha ha how is this even a issue.
This writer has no clue and his accusations sounds like he’s been watching msnbc. Not at all what governor Abbott called the state guard up for. Do your homework pogue.
Governor Abbott’s tweet about mobilizing the State Guard:
“I’ve ordered the Texas State Guard to monitor Jade Helm 15 to safeguard Texans’ constitutional rights, private property & civil liberties
1:21 PM – 28 Apr 2015″
Governor Abbott’s press release regarding his orders to General Betty, commander of the Texas State Guard:
“Following discussions aimed at ensuring Texans are fully informed on Operation Jade Helm 15, Governor Greg Abbott today met with Major General Gerald “Jake” Betty, Commander of the Texas State Guard, and directed him to monitor the Operation.
Governor Abbott directed General Betty to provide regular updates to the Governor’s Office to ensure that Texans’ ‘safety, constitutional rights, private property rights and civil liberties will not be infringed’ during the eight-week training period from July 2015 – September 2015.”
Link to Governor Abbott’s order to Major General Betty:
http://gov.texas.gov/news/press-release/20805
Abbott specifically stated he was calling out the SG to monitor the exercise in order to protect citizens’ rights and liberty. Which shows that Abbott believed there was a legitimate threat to our citizens’ rights and liberty.
Or did Abbott’s own statements not explain his reasons?
Please tell me the real reason he mobilized the SG.
You ask your question “or did abbots statement not explain his reason”. Then you answer with your own disbelief. Not credible at all. You just don’t believe that the troops couldn’t destroy property or rights as Gov Abbott says he wants to protect. Lost your cred with me bud.
That’s cool. But how about this: is there any evidence previous permissive environment training on public lands has resulted in infringement of civilian rights? Is there any actual, factual reason to believe this training will infringe on Texans’ rights? There is a wealth of historical data, going back decades. Has Robin Sage, or any other off-post exercise, caused civilians to lose rights?
I’m not saying “the military would never do anything bad.” I am saying, “before you suggest the troops are about to commit treason, you should probably have evidence to back that suggestion.” Again, is there any evidence to back that suggestion?
I don’t expect prior service now working as LEO, especially BreachBangClear and minions, to fully comprehend the reality that it is not the military …the People fear. It is the facts to support that LEO will be training with military – most specifically, the 1200 SF you mentioned. I served this country honorably, as I am sure many of your readership have, and I have no preconceived ideas of military training stateside. I after all, am familiar with White Sands, NM and our ADA components. The problem is LEO. There, I said it. And I will assume all shit that will come with it. LEO training with military, acting like military, having military capabilities/support…sorry guys, is unConstitutional. Justify how LEA have not worked their asses off to compete with who they associate themselves to. Justify to me, and the readership, how LEO are protected, provided extended protections and lengths of jurisdiction, lives held in higher regard than the lives they are to serve, the multitude of excessive force (which would never be tolerated in any circumstance if committed by …the People) and the list goes on. There is a reason our founders feared a standing army…I am interested in having an intelligent conversation about this with you, Chris, and have for some time.
Jeb,
The LE involved in JH are, as far as I know, only in a role-playing capacity. Having said that, SF and LE have trained together in the past even if that’s not part of this exercise. I actually do get the concern about that, and have written about it for The Truth About Guns in the past:
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2014/05/daniel-zimmerman/cops-mraps-and-the-heartbreak-of-police-operator-syndrome/
I’ve also written on my blog that we police need to lose the military gear:
http://chrishernandezauthor.com/2014/09/09/healing-the-rift-between-police-and-the-public/
If JH was SF training LE, and much of the public was upset about it, I wouldn’t have an argument. The issue I have is that JH isn’t an LE training exercise, is focused on SF’s traditional mission of conducting unconventional warfare, local forces training and insurgency overseas (exactly what they did at the beginning of the Afghanistan War).
This essay wasn’t about the LE concerns you’ve raised. There is no way to justify some of the things you mentioned: for example, we should never put our lives above the citizens. As an active shooter instructor we always emphasized that our lives aren’t more important than the people we’re sworn to protect. I disagree that LE and SF simply training together is unconstitutional, but I understand the worry.
I get your concerns, but the conversation is for a different essay.
Thanks Jeb. I hope that answered at least some of your questions.
I agree with Neptune. It wasn’t funny and was even less helpful or instructive. You should’ve left this one in the “Man, I sure would like to say this to those morons” file, then written and published the thoughtful and insightful one that we, your readers, rightfully expect from you and thought we were getting here.
Funny is subjective. And I have no responsibility to be helpful or instructive to the irrational. Jade Helm has been the subject of calm, factual reporting from numerous sources. Conspiracy theorists, as expected, ignore that and continue to suggest our own military is plotting treason.
I actually held back quite a bit in this piece. Trust me. I’m a lot madder about this than my essay suggests.
ETA: This essay comes way closer to how I actually feel.
“Let me be blunt, or blunter than I’ve already been: anybody, anybody, who believes President Obama is about to send the United Nations to invade Texas, declare martial law, and herd Texans into FEMA Death Camps Of Death cleverly hidden in a secret network of continent spanning tunnels linking Wal-Marts across the nation, anybody who believes this ridiculous howling bullshit in any way whatsoever should be darted with powerful tranquilizers, netted from black helicopters, pumped full of happy juice before they start eating their own feces, and installed in a dark padded cell where the most dangerous thing they encounter each day is a small plastic cup of institutional butterscotch pudding pushed through a small opening in the bottom of the door with a stick.”
http://www.stonekettle.com/2015/05/jade-helm-insanity-that-ate-texas.html
Well written.
Outstanding.
You appealed to the lowest argument in this debate and you did it in a rather crude way. Not impressed.
Previously I’ve never disagreed with anything published on the is page, but I find this post to be a bit insulting and beneath you. Defending your position is best done with facts and logic, none of which you postulated.
Most of your readers know that JH is not the military preparing to take over the US. But, some citizens are unconvinced that SOF teams need 8 weeks to run riot throughout the southern US conducting extraction exercises. I’m not convinced that SOF warriors are so rusty on their UCW skills that they need to engage in a multi state multi week exercise that couldn’t be accomplished within the confines of a base or at least a city. Please educate me otherwise.
Greg Abbot is the sitting Governor of TX, Louie Gohmert and Ted Cruz are elected officials and they felt the need to speak up. Who exactly are you again?
Can you please post here any time the military used actual state names in exercises?
You’re a cop and former soldier whose laid it on the line and continues to do so. I respect that and thank you. You guy’s are righteous, but those people concerned about an overbearing government in Bastrop have every right to voice their concerns and you don’t look good belittling them.
Regards,
Greg
What do you base your “run riot” claim on? What legitimate source says SF teams are going to “run riot”? As you said, JH is UCW training. That’s SF’s mission. Please, explain what you mean.
And who are YOU to determine SOF’s training needs? What is your basis to determine their training could accomplished elsewhere?
JH training will occur where local officials and private landowners willingly provided training areas. If the military is conducting legal activities on public and private land with full permission of local officials and private citizens, why is there some additional requirement to “convince” you?
I’ve seen real city names used once in an exercise. Using real state names was probably bad form. Was it evidence of conspiracy? Tell me how, please.
As far as your comment about our elected representatives and “who am I again”, how about this: Greg Abbott was a respectable man until he pandered to conspiracy theorists, Louie Gohmert belongs in an insane asylum, and whenever Ted Cruz speaks about military issues he needs to swim to the shallow end of the pool.
As for me, I’m a cop and soldier, have actually participated in several permissive environment training exercises in public areas, am a member of the intelligence community, worked at Texas NG HQ, and actually know something about this kind of training. I’m also an American citizen and Texan who was nearly killed on several occasions while serving my country at war. I’m a military guy who never expected my own fucking governor to call out state militia troops to ensure my brothers and sisters in arms aren’t violating American citizens’ rights. In other words, I’m someone who’s actually done shit for my country, actually knows shit about the military and has every fucking right and responsibility to stand up for the people risking their lives for America.
That’s who I am.
You think I’m belittling the good people of Bastrop? You’re damn right I’m belittling some of them. And it’s in direct response to the group of lunatics in Bastrop accusing our troops of treason.
I think I just heard a mic drop!
Ya know how when a superior has to tell a subordinate “Hey, I’m a (fill in the rank), and you will……”. When that happens the superior has just lost.
You’ve just done the same thing.
Really?
Non-pilot: “Pilots don’t need any training after flight school.”
Pilot: “You don’t know anything about flying, so how can you say that?”
Non-pilot: “Stop pulling rank on me!”
While the over-reaction of many in Texas may be ludicrous, that in modern America a POTUS and Administration can be perceived as so divisive and hateful that this kind of RUMINT takes hold of well-meaning Texans, is a uniquely-American tragedy.
Your usual polished snark and good-hearted condescension is totally lacking in this piece, and the result is both needlessly offensive and caustic.
You had a chance to lead on this issue (or at least defray some fears) and instead dished up an intellectually-hindered Hernandez douche-souffle.
The whole thing is just unfortunate…
I’m out.
Legitimate distrust of the federal government does not relieve anyone of the responsibility to be rational. If the federal government says the sun rises in the east, it still rises in the east. There is no “The government lies so I don’t have to make sense” rule.
Numerous sources have reported on Jade Helm. SF veterans on SOFREP and Weaponsman have written lengthy articles about JH’s (non-nefarious) purpose. USSOCOM even sent a LTC to Bastrop to address a crowd of concerned citizens. The LTC was extremely polite and respectful, and provided factual, reasonable answers to mostly ridiculous questions.
Did any of that work?
Conspiracy theorists don’t operate on reason. History, actual facts or even complete lack of evidence don’t sway them. Being offensive and caustic to people who refuse to follow even the basic rules of logic isn’t such a bad trait in my book.
You took a lot of words to say “Wake Up Sheeple!”
I don’t think it’s fair to lay this at Gov. Abbott’s feet. Having a State Guard liason of sorts makes for a rather benign way of calming down his constituency, unless of course he has them actually handing out red cards for violating the [Constitutional] rules.
Liaison?
Governor Abbott’s tweet about mobilizing the State Guard:
“I’ve ordered the Texas State Guard to monitor Jade Helm 15 to safeguard Texans’ constitutional rights, private property & civil liberties
1:21 PM – 28 Apr 2015″
Governor Abbott’s press release regarding his orders to General Betty, commander of the Texas State Guard:
“Following discussions aimed at ensuring Texans are fully informed on Operation Jade Helm 15, Governor Greg Abbott today met with Major General Gerald “Jake” Betty, Commander of the Texas State Guard, and directed him to monitor the Operation.
Governor Abbott directed General Betty to provide regular updates to the Governor’s Office to ensure that Texans’ ‘safety, constitutional rights, private property rights and civil liberties will not be infringed’ during the eight-week training period from July 2015 – September 2015.”
Link to Governor Abbott’s order to Major General Betty:
http://gov.texas.gov/news/press-release/20805
Abbott specifically talks about protecting Texans’ rights, not about using the SG to communicate with the US military.
The constituency doesn’t need to be “calmed down” by mobilizing troops. If a group of idiots is scared of chemtrails, should Abbott mobilize the SG to calm them down?
Yeah, I read that, as well as the directive itself. You’re right about all that but I still find the governor’s orders to be pretty benign; it’s monitoring and updating the governor’s office which sounds like a liason to me. I just think Abbott isn’t the one lining for flags (the false ones of course). Necessary? Nah. But I still have trouble thinking that the Texas State Guard is going to seriously impinge on Jade Helm. I could be wrong.
In either case, I’m with you on beating back the tin foiled theories. It’s tiring work. But hey have hope – if fluoride can be trusted again, one day perhaps maybe Jade Helm can too. Just maybe paint the damn helicopters something not black.
And yeah, I’m cutting the governor some slack. He seems to be one of the better politicians we have (though I don’t live iN TX so, grain of salt) so I’m willing to give him that.
KP,
I don’t think the SG’s presence will affect the exercise in any way. That’s not my concern. It’s the fact that Abbott ordered them to monitor the exercise as a safeguard against the military infringing on Texans’ rights and liberties. Until he did that, I had no complaint about the man.
I read some of your replies in these comments and I figured out where I misunderstood you. I saw Abbott as making a functionally benign move to alleviate social/media inflammation where I believe you see the move as an insult to the military, which is true and a fair criticism of the man. I can see it also reinforcing the behavior of and appeasing the conspiracists, regardless of whether he truly thinks the guard needs to be deployed if it’s just a throwaway move to calm the crazies. Honestly I hadn’t thought about it that way.
Calling him Alex Jones though? We’re gonna have to keep disagreeing on that one. That’s rough.
Understand your position, thanks KP.
Is it really such a surprise that our government has a contingency plan to keep control of the country during a crisis? Would you feel better if they didn’t? I say in my book that not everyone is cut out to be the lonely hero on the road with their trusty rifle & bug out bag. There are legions of people who can’t afford a year’s supply of dehydrated food or a tricked out assault rifle with 2,000 rounds of ammo. Maybe they can’t raise sheep, rabbits or plant a garden. They know nothing about stacking gold and silver coins and couldn’t afford it if they did.
Maybe, just maybe a FEMA camp is just the thing for them.
And maybe the earth is flat.
If there’s no evidence it’s true, there’s no reason to believe it.
Any major disruption of services will soon become mass chaos and civil strife! There WILL be mass casualty situations and our social structure will largely collapse. We saw the reality of such in post-Katrina Nawlins and post-Sandy Joizee… it was ugly and very dangerous and we were poorly prepared for the scale of the events.We live in a dangerous and unstable world… never too late to “Be prepared” and get a little feel-good in your life.
Who’s the girl in that one picture?
No idea, but I’d guess she lives in Bastrop.
Also:http://www.breachbangclear.com/dialectic-discourse-vs-trolling-tactically/
The article you linked is about listening to other opinions on tactical matters. It is NOT about giving equal weight to all opinions. If someone claims the earth is flat or that the Hi-Point is the best pistol ever, we don’t have to seriously consider the possibility that those opinions are correct.
Said another way:
While everyone has a right to an opinion, not all opinions are created equally.
You call that insight? I call it a waste of time. There are much more constructive ways of having this conversation wit your readers.
lighten up francis
Our readers who suspect our own military of plotting to wage war against the citizens?
ETA: Who among our readers believes JH is a plot to impose martial law on Texas?
But, but, but, you just told us that it’s real! ://////
DUH… do I detect some attempt at HUMOR here? LMAO…. What will all those avant garde patriots do now.. FOR GODS SAKE MAN!!!!
IT’S FUKKIN’ HILARIOUS! I’ve gotten mail from Europe warning me to move to Canada.. SIGH!!!