JWR’s Recommendation: For anyone who would like a glimpse of what a modern civil war looks like, then look no further than the lengthy VICE News series of Russian Roulette news reports from The Ukraine. If you have enough time, start with Dispatch #1, and watch over the course of these 70 reports how things fall apart, in slow motion: starting with shouting, protests, and flag burning and slowly progressing to tense standoffs and then full-blown civil war. Take this opportunity to closely observe the weapons, field gear, uniforms, commo procedures, and tactics. Some of the bumbling “volunteers” with no military experience look comical, but the situation is deadly serious. It is noteworthy that one of the American reporters for VICE News, who speaks fluent Russian (Simon Ostrovsky), was detained and tortured by the pro-Russian separatists and was greatly in fear for his life. Later revelations of mass executions from the same timeframe confirmed that his fear was well-founded. WARNING: Some of the “gore of war” in these news reports is quite graphic and not suitable for children!
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11 Shocking Facts About America’s Militarized Police Forces. – H.L.
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Here’s an excellent interactive tool showing exactly where the military’s surplus gear is going. You might be surprised to find out how much of it is in the hands of your local law enforcement. The data is broken down by county. Mapping the Spread of the Military’s Surplus Gear. – T.P.
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Homeland Security Predicts Rise of ‘Anti-Government’ Violence – P.M.
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Washington DC Votes to Continue Militarization of American Police. – B.B.