When The Music Stops – How America’s Cities May Explode In Violence

Western Rifle Shooters Association ^ | September 4, 2012 | Matt Bracken

[ChildOfThe60s]

Our power grids and communication grids are highly centralized. More so than most imagine.

I would guess that a large scale blackout of all wireless (and probably wired) communications in a specific geographic area would be the approach a panicky city or state government would use.

I have a relative who has been with Duke Power for 25 years and he told me recently that it frightens him how centralized the power grid is. Kind of like a Warner Bros cartoon where someone plugs in a hair dryer, blows a fuse and shuts down several states.

At the risk of sounding paranoid, I half think that the feds have been encouraging an over centralized power grid so they would have the capability of large scale blackouts in the event of significant civil disorder. OTOH, I have a friend that is far more plugged in to DHS & TSA and he thinks that it’s more incompetence than maliciousness. That was a while back, he may be rethinking that in light of the things that have been coming out more recently.

[Nailbiter]

ping

[Kartographer]

"But that does not mean that the same has happened to its parallel systems."

[archy]

*Sniper Alley*, [Snajperska aleja] Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, 1993.

[Kartographer]

"But that does not mean that the same has happened to its parallel systems."

But it doesn't mean that it's parallel systems are teeming either. Also those parallel systems are pretty much in private hands, which means what's in them have just as much or possibly more of being sold to China rather then to feed Americans. When strip out one system, combine it with massive sales to other countries and a drought you are head for trouble. I like to see figures that show these parallel systems having the capacity to make up for the lack of of CCC strategic.

Besides this is all not on subject. My response was to your your claim that there was that there was this large CCC Strategic Grain Storage and the truth is there isn't any more.

[Lurker]

I worked for a County OEM for about 3 years a few years ago, post 9-11. We were perhaps one of the best equipped and trained such office in the Midwest, perhaps in the nation. I participatd in all phases of planning and response for everything from table top to full scale exercises.

So I can say with some authority that if anyone thinks the EMA types at ANY level have any inkling of how to deal with a scenario like this they are crazy. The people manning the State, county, and municipal comm centers will vanish like a cool breeze in less than a week. Its not that they are cowards, tho some may be. It’s just that they aren’t trained to deal with widespread civil disorder and violence.

Your local EMA spends 90% of their time planning for and dealing with weather events simply because that’s what most disasters in America are caused by. Once the lead starts flying these people are going to go home to try and protect their families and property.

[esquirette]

How to know when it’s time to move to the farm ping.

[OKSooner]

" Let’s return to our hypothetical Florence and Normandie intersection, but this time with hundreds of rioters per city block, instead of mere dozens. Among the mobs are thugs armed with pistols and perhaps even AK-47s equipped with standard iron sights, and except in rare cases, these rifles have never been “zeroed in” on a target range. In other words, past a medium distance of fifty to a hundred yards, these MUY shooters will have little idea where their fired bullets will strike—nor will they care. Typically, most of the rioters armed with a pistol, shotgun or an iron-sighted rifle could not hit a mailbox at a hundred yards unless by luck. Inside that distance, any non-MUY could be at immediate risk of brutal death at the hands of an enraged mob, but beyond that range, the mob will pose much less danger. "

Travis, gotta love your candor in pointing out how little will change in the way these kinda guys operate - in such a hypothetical scenario, mind you.

Gonna have to read "Enemies", and make time to go warm up the Garand a time or two now that fall's getting here.

[djf]

Been alot of chatter lately on the various financial boards about major defaults and breakdowns coming soon. Maybe Morgan Stanley, maybe JPM, maybe Citibank, but whatever it is, it’s huge...

[PapaBear3625]

Your local EMA spends 90% of their time planning for and dealing with weather events simply because that’s what most disasters in America are caused by. Once the lead starts flying these people are going to go home to try and protect their families and property.

As happened with the New Orleans PD during Katrina. I would think that non-police bureaucrats would cut and run even faster.

The thing that made me a gun owner was watching the "Rodney King" LA Riots on TV, and seeing how the LAPD turned and ran rather than confronting the rioters.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

I don’t believe I specifically said grain, as grain would be the least efficient agricultural product to store. That is, we have a vast amount *available* to us if we want it; it takes up a huge amount of space; and it is of low relative value.

Yes, I’ll admit that this government storage system has likely been depleted as such, but that doesn’t mean the storage is either lost, nor in the hands of ruthless capitalists who will sell out America in an instant for even a tiny increase in their filthy profits.

That is, for example, Americold, which provides a vast amount of refrigerated storage all over the US, both to private corporations, and by government contract. So, technically, the government isn’t storing the surplus in government warehouses, but it makes little difference.

Agribusiness as a whole is oriented to a “push” system by which farmers sell to commodities brokers, who in turn sell to retailers, very carefully calculating market demand ahead of time, so that farmers do not over or under produce. And while this can be fouled somewhat that the broker level by speculators or weather, or in retail transport, the end result is reasonable stability in prices.

So how much reserve is prudent? Good question.

The original assertion was a potential breakdown in the EBT system leading to food riots. Unlikely.

[Gilbo_3]

The original assertion was a potential breakdown in the EBT system leading to food riots. Unlikely.

in fairness, the original was but *a* potential beginning...

really doesnt matter how it starts, once the urban areas go feral, the food/supply trucks wont wade into the cities, so it really wont matter how much is warehoused...

[djf]

I think you are correct, and the trucks would not roll.

My impression is that if riots broke out and were larger than say 3 city blocks (pick a number, this is a guess on my part), that law enforcement would switch from being in an active intercession mode to being in a lock down and contain mode, being ready to go in and do cleanup when/if things settle down.

Of course resources would be dedicated to protecting valuable infrastructure things like hospitals, power units, etc.

[LearsFool]

That was a very good post.

[ßuddaßudd]

ßookmark

[Travis McGee]

Could you command a force if you could only communicate with 10% of it?

A flash mob is not about commanding a force, but just spreading the word through a crowd.

[Kartographer]

"Yes, I’ll admit that this government storage system has likely been depleted as such, but that doesn’t mean the storage is either lost, nor in the hands of ruthless capitalists who will sell out America in an instant for even a tiny increase in their filthy profits."

Doesn't mean it isn't either. I showed that the stocks you talked about do not exist any longer you merely eluded to other stocks as being available. Even if there are other stocks they could actually be owned by foreign holding companies (Say China)and wouldn't be anywhere near as large as the former Government reserves. As far as profits and ruthless capitalists, would someone be ruthless merely because they choose to say sell for gold verses selling for worthless paper? I can't fault them if they choose to sell for something of worth, verse a promise. China is hoarding gold now that combined with the debt we owe could easily place them in the 'buyers seat' I for one doubt there is very much in the way of surpluses as the numbers of grain crop failures around the world over the last few years and the 'jit' mentality that rules our systems now combined with cost cutting have driven safety stocks in all commodities to bare minimums that's the way the systems work today.

[Travis McGee]

No, I understand, and I’m always seeking to be educated where my knowledge is lacking.

[Travis McGee]

Interesting link to food “expropriations” in Spain. Leave it to FerFal to find those stories!

[SaraJohnson]

The mobs will get away with blocking traffic and dragging people out to murder them for only so long. Once drivers realize the game, they will open fire on the mob.

Black mobs are show off clowns and derive their bossiness from the vantage point of overwhelming force in large numbers. When they see a bunch of rioters drop around them, it won't be fun anymore. They are not heroes who are going to storm at the shooter. The hardcore black racists (gangs) are few and far between in the scheme of things.

No one in my family, both sides, would sit in the car and wait for a mob to block and/or murder them or anyone else in this scenario. They would be prepared for this environment and open fire on the mob. Everyone in my neighborhood would be the same way.

Black mobs only work when there is one victim knocked out with an unexpected punch and then a swarm. Store owners (of all races) could put a stop to the swarming if they were armed, situated and ready to knock off the knock out kings. Like the Koreans in LA, store owners would do this in the chaos scenario you present. That news would spread fast among the gimme girls.

The government will side with the criminals no matter if Romney or Obama is in power in an effort to win their loyalty and to infiltrate. The government has already officially named normal people and vets, (not Islamists gangs and communists) domestic terrorists. That has “war” lasted since the Clinton administration, so it is structural and institutionalized now.

The government's media will try to manipulate people into not defending themselves, to no avail. The liberals will try to scare the middle class with race war rattles and that will not work, either. There won't have to be meetings among units of Americans to decide whether or not they are going to sit as ordered by the government and media elitists. White militas will be identified and picked off by the government fast - like they are now.

The self defense card trumps the race hate card and Americans won't have to be organized into militias to take out any trash that attacks them. Self defense is a right and it is American-American cultural, across race lines. The middle and upper class targets are ready like they are ready for today's home invaders...or not.