The military wing of the Republican Party out-of-control
“Raw Story” and “The Guardian” have put a damper on the conspiracy theory that Homeland Security is arming up for a war on citizens, at the same time right-wing extremists are at war with law enforcement.
From Raw Story:
“The headlines – like “Homeland Security Buys Enough Ammo for a Seven-Year War Against the American People” – seemed to confirm some conservatives’ worst fears about the Obama administration‘s attitude towards the second amendment of the US constitution: that the push for background checks and against assault weapons was really just an elaborate scheme to disarm Americans and install some sort of dictatorship.
(snip)
In March, Alliant Techsystems (also known as ATK), one of America’s biggest defense contractors, announced a contract with the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement to provide .40-caliber hollow-point ammunition (used across the government for training purposes, because it breaks upon impact and thus doesn’t ricochet). The contract, known as an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract, is designed to allow the government flexibility for procurement over time – or to avoid writing multiple contracts as needs change or supply dwindles, since the process is laborious and time-consuming. In the case of this ATK .40-caliber contract, it allows the Department of Homeland Security to purchase up to 450m rounds over up to five years, at its discretion.
Why would the Department of Homeland Security need 450m rounds, let alone for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) alone?
To begin with, DHS houses a number of agencies with armed personnel, including the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, the Transportation Security Administration, the US Secret Service and the Federal Protective Service (which provides security at all federal buildings around the country), in addition to ICE. It also houses the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, which “serves as an inter-agency law enforcement training organization for 91 federal agencies” and has four US sites and one foreign training facility for agents of all those agencies.
The FLETC hosts and does on-site training for nearly any state, local, tribal or campus security force. In fiscal year 2012 alone, 70,000 people were trained by the agency.
But ICE, in particular, is home to the National Firearms Tactical Training Unit, which also provides armory services (that is, guns and ammunition) to the Federal Protective Service, Customs and Border Protection and Federal Air Marshalls – more than 60,000 personnel all told. And contracting data shows that in 2012 alone, the division bought $11.3m-worth of just .40-caliber ammunition off just one similar contract with Federal Cartridge Company – a wholly-owned subsidiary of ATK. In addition, in 2007, ATK signed a five-year contract with DHS worth up to $90m for ammunition for ICE and the US Coast Guard.
Besides those purchases, Glenn Beck‘s the Blaze, which trumpeted the potential conspiracy in its headline, noted that that large ammunition purchases are not unusual for the department – which signed a contract in 2009 with Winchester for 200m rounds of .40-caliber hollow points. And with law enforcement agencies around the country finding it harder to source handgun ammunition like the .40-caliber bullets in the DHS/ICE contract because of increased demand from consumers – which is itself a result of scare-mongering by conservatives concerned that the Obama government is getting ready to take away their guns and ammunition – it only makes sense for large law enforcement consumers to try to lock in their supply, even if signing a new contract for each purchase were a realistic option.”
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So here it is; right-wing fear-mongering suggesting Obama is arming the Feds up for a war on citizens is actually what is causing ammo shortages and high purchase prices. The contracts are for years of training and service, at a fixed price. Makes sense in this age of cost-cutting.
But at the same time, that same militant wing of the national white-peoples party has gone to war with law enforcement. First head of Colorado prisons Tom Clements was shot at his home, then the second Texas District Attorney in a matter of weeks has been assassinated. All indications point to elements of the white supremacist movement as the assassins.
The rise of these groups spiked after the horrible Waco siege at the Branch Dividian compound. I am the first to admit that it was a tragedy conducted by an out-of-control FBI and ATF. Along with the Randy Weaver incedent in Idaho, Waco motivated a resurgence of the militia movement. I met and networked with some of those folks in political meetings in the past, so I have a feel for where they are coming from.
But what is happening now is going to be a self-fulfilled prophesy for the radical right. During Obama’s election and health care forums far-right activists began carrying guns openly in public. Now with the reigns being tightened on military-style weapons there are large turn-outs at State capitals to protest said gun restrictions before they are ever enacted.
Smart move Bozos. Why not just put up your own wanted posters in the Post Office.
Now with the recent killings of law enforcement officials there is certainly going to be a battle, and the right wing is bringing it on themselves.
Bah – the bullet conspiracy is another gun control wedge issue. Same with the whole arming teachers nonsense. What scares me is that the NRA et al will stir up some right wing nut case group.
There was another shooting of an official, however, I can’t seem to find it. I vaguely remember reading it was related to Colorado?
So now that it turns out to be “One of their own” How does the Right /Left Propaganda play out?
Why does it always have to be the Far Right or the Far Left? People are snapping all over the place and none of them have any more agenda then I have of going to the moon!
Who’s the boogie man today?
Indeed…