Posted on 12/20/2009 4:14:38 PM PST by LouAvul
Officials and Experts Warn of Crash-Induced Unrest
Numerous high-level officials and experts warn that the economic crisis could lead to unrest world-wide - even in developed countries:
Today, Moody's warned that future tax rises and spending cuts could trigger social unrest in a range of countries from the developing to the developed world, that in the coming years, evidence of social unrest and public tension may become just as important signs of whether a country will be able to adapt as traditional economic metrics, that a fiscal crisis remains a possibility for a leading economy, and that 2010 would be a “tumultuous year for sovereign debt issuers”.
The U.S. Army War College warned in 2008 November warned in a monograph [click on Policypointers’ pdf link to see the report] titled “Known Unknowns: Unconventional ‘Strategic Shocks’ in Defense Strategy Development” of crash-induced unrest: The military must be prepared, the document warned, for a “violent, strategic dislocation inside the United States,” which could be provoked by “unforeseen economic collapse,” “purposeful domestic resistance,” “pervasive public health emergencies” or “loss of functioning political and legal order.”
The “widespread civil violence,” the document said, “would force the defense establishment to reorient priorities in extremis to defend basic domestic order and human security.” “An American government and defense establishment lulled into complacency by a long-secure domestic order would be forced to rapidly divest some or most external security commitments in order to address rapidly expanding human insecurity at home,” it went on.
“Under the most extreme circumstances, this might include use of military force against hostile groups inside the United States. Further, DoD [the Department of Defense] would be, by necessity, an essential enabling hub for the continuity of political authority in a multi-state or nationwide civil conflict or disturbance,” the document read.
Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair said: "The global economic crisis ... already looms as the most serious one in decades, if not in centuries ... Economic crises increase the risk of regime-threatening instability if they are prolonged for a one- or two-year period," said Blair.
"And instability can loosen the fragile hold that many developing countries have on law and order, which can spill out in dangerous ways into the international community."***
"Statistical modeling shows that economic crises increase the risk of regime-threatening instability if they persist over a one-to-two-year period."***
“The crisis has been ongoing for over a year, and economists are divided over whether and when we could hit bottom. Some even fear that the recession could further deepen and reach the level of the Great Depression.
Of course, all of us recall the dramatic political consequences wrought by the economic turmoil of the 1920s and 1930s in Europe, the instability, and high levels of violent extremism.”
Blair made it clear that - while unrest was currently only happening in Europe - he was worried this could happen within the United States.
[See also this].
Former national security director Zbigniew Brzezinski warned "there’s going to be growing conflict between the classes and if people are unemployed and really hurting, hell, there could be even riots."
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff warned the the financial crisis is the highest national security concern for the U.S., and warned that the fallout from the crisis could lead to of "greater instability". Others warning of crash-induced unrest include: The head of the World Trade Organization The head of the International Monetary Fund (and see this) The head of the World Bank Senator Christopher Dodd Congressman Ron Paul (radio interview on March 6, 2009)
Britian's MI5 security agency Leading economic historian Niall Ferguson Leading economist Marc Faber and billionaire investor Jim Rogers Leading economist Nouriel Roubini Leading economist John Williams Top trend researcher Gerald Calente European think tank Leap2020
Great book he wrote too.
By the way, ferfal has made a few posts here recently. Have you seen them? He’s ferfalFAL or something like that.
Don't think I've seen these.
OF CORUSE.
They have been planning for such for decades . . . licking their chops at the prospect of the chaos and blood letting.
Their boss satan loves that stuff.
They think they are doing the planet a favor to reduce the population forcefully.
God have mercy.
FerFAL is FerFAL308 on Free Republic, but I don't think he checks it often. (Yet!)
Americans owe over 11 Trillion dollars in home mortgage debt (that’s just for 1 - 4 family, that does not include multi-family and commercial debt) That home mortgage number was only 2.6 Trillion in 1990, in less than 20 years, it went over 11 Trillion.
AND we owe over 2.5 Trillion in other consumer credit related debt (cars, boats, RV’s, credit cards). That number is up from 800 Billion in 1990.
So, just in home mortgage and consumer related debt, we owe almost 14 Trillion dollars (on assets that are very likely worth less than we paid for them)!
What’s worse, we do not pay the low, low interest rates on our debt that the gov’t pays on its debt.
1 Trillion (just ONE) is $1 per second for 32,000 years, and that’s without interest!
People need to earn more money than ever in order to pay off this unimaginable, monumental debt... and everything that is being proposed kills jobs, instead of creates jobs.
Scary, scary stuff indeed.
Source: U.S. Census bureau.
Home mortgage debt: http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2010/tables/10s1155.pdf
Consumer credit debt:
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2010/tables/10s1153.pdf
“This is making the rounds on a few gun boards and is cause for alarm among some survivalist/anarchist types.”
So you’re an anti-survivalist/statist type?
You know, survivalism and anarchy just go hand in hand. That’s why we prepare, so we can run wild in the streets.
(I know. It makes no sense.)
Thanks. I should have figured out the the FAL didn’t repeat. In my defense, I’m on my last glass from a TJ’s/Unibroue high-abv ale. ;-P
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/trader-joes-vintage-ale-2009/113888/
I have read all three of your novels now, Matt, and your fiction creeps ever closer to reality. Scary.
I hope he starts checkin in here more. His point of view is quite original.
Currently I’m working on a 4th novel, unrelated to the trilogy. It will be shorter, and in first person POV.
I’m reading up on Beirut and Bosnia for research.
I don’t know that one, but it does remind me that I”m due a fresh St. Pauli Girl.
Good deal Matt. I’ll be here.
“You know, survivalism and anarchy just go hand in hand. That’s why we prepare, so we can run wild in the streets.”
Damn! It never occurred to me! After all these years I finally understand. I feel a sense of....Freedom.
They’ve probably punched enough holes in Posse Commitatus over the years that it can be essentially ‘bypassed’ without much of a peep. Witness the LA Riots (Marines/Pendelton) and Waco (Army/Ft. Hood). In both cases the issue of P-C was simply skirted by saying the military had an ‘advisory role’ to law enforcement.
They don’t think much of The Constitution or established law in general!
Soon there will be but two options: comply or die.
Remember Waco? No one should have any illusions as to what a fire fight with the feds would entail....your death.
Better to go out on your feet.
Hi guys, just google “Obama Peron”
The guy is following the right steps... into becoming a benevolent dictator.
Check out this article:Obama as Peron
http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/012791.html
FerFAL
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