“there has never been…”

Well, there’s always a first time.

Assessing “capacity to apprehend” is subjective, and subjectivity is Obama’s sweet-spot.

He and his supporters are lawless. They care no more for US citizens or their quaint Constitution than the laws of the countries they are adventuring in. Armed hostilities in foreign countries are acts of war and the President does not have the independent authority to do that.

It’s not about law, it’s about power its unimpeded exercise.

Bwahahahaha…..

Cause Them People R sub-human…. dontcha know!

What an EVIL POS!

roflmmfao

And when “Al-Qaeda” is substituted with “Tea Party” after someone somewhere does something stupid we’ll have you to thank.

alchemist19 on February 15, 2013 at 11:41 PM

At that point do you really think that any precedent would matter? If they are intent on starting an internal war then not a God damn thing we say or do is going to change that and no court ruling against the use of drones will be adhered to.

Al-Qaeda deserves to be hunted down until the last of those SOBs have surrendered up, or died. I don’t identify with their ‘plight’, or have the slightest sympathy with them.

I have no problem with the Awlaki strike and I think it was perfectly legitimate. He was Al-Qaeda and that is all it takes.

sharrukin on February 15, 2013 at 6:25 PM

And when “Al-Qaeda” is substituted with “Tea Party” after someone somewhere does something stupid we’ll have you to thank.

unclesmrgol on February 15, 2013 at 9:57 PM

I am no fan of David Koresh, nor what’s his name out at Ruby Ridge, but I am a huge fan of the Rule of Law and our Constitution.

When the federal government can kill any citizen without due process, that creates a problem.

Killing children, innocents, in pursuit of somebody some politician declares a threat…without due process?

Some people are OK with this?

When the federal government can use the armed forces, any part of them, to facilitate, assist, advise or arm local civil authorities without due process and select committee review and approvals, that creates a problem.

The civil war, you cite…in essence, those confederated states, starting with South Carolina, were, in effect, independent nations, and operating as such…as was initiated by the succession of each, legal or not.

To equate individual citizens as rebel states needed to be forced back into compliance with whatever it is that the federal government demands…without due process or having the threat of being blown to bits by some remote control operator in a van sitting at the end of the runway at Kirkland hanging over them…

No.

Each time the Constitution is used as a doormat for some politician or president to use to waltz through the door yet another abrogation of our Rights as citizens, that is a problem.

Thomas Jefferson was right.

So was Franklin.

A little rebellion once in a while to purge government of those who would use it for their own benefit over that of the citizenry…we are long overdue.

And allowing “government” to use every means at its disposal to protect the continuation of a tyranny?

That is why we have the Second Amendment enshrined in our Bill of Rights…to prevent such.

r

by including a blanket rule that armed drones can never, under any circumstances, be used in American airspace.

Because they can’t. Historical precedent indicates that weapons equivalent in strength to armed drones have been used against citizens of the United States in rebellion against our nation. Obama cannot state a blanket prohibition without curtailing his own power to act in cases of rebellion or secession.

The Civil War is a great case in point.

Every nation, faced with an existential threat from some portion of its citizenry, will use every armament in its arsenal to protect its continuation.

Imagine, if you will, Waco with fighter jets, or, if big enough, with tactical nukes. As for me, I don’t view the guys who opposed the Government at Waco as any kind of heroes. I view the Branch Davidians as being similar to the Jonestown people — even worse than Dorner, if you will. The people who cite Waco as being some sort of legitimate exercise in rights — I view themn with the same disdain that I feel for the Dorner-lovers.

Waco.

Washington Nearsider on February 15, 2013 at 6:51 PM

As I recall, the FBI ran the assault with military help. But troops didn’t go in, far as I know. But you may well be right; I don’t like how that whole thing was done at all.

Liam on February 15, 2013 at 6:58 PM

But the ATF was used as the “troops” who stormed WACO. Just like Obama is using EO and federal agencies to enact, eradicate and ruin. It’s simply a substitution of terms, or, more specifically, a substitution of authorities.

(a portion of this article follows but read the whole thing):

…It would be difficult to imagine this administration, with its radical leftwing mindset and agenda, viewing such widespread displays of defiance as anything other than a direct threat to its power, and thus, a perfect motivation for declaring such citizens to be potentially “violent sovereign citizens.”

Citizen militias that are formed to counter the administration’s push to negate Second Amendment protections of unfettered gun rights would also potentially come under the umbrella of “violent extremist groups,” given that these citizens have openly stated that while they would never start a civil war by opening fire on federal agents, they would, in fact, return fire if fired upon first by government forces or law enforcement.

Although the United States itself was born directly from armed and “violent” resistance to government tyranny as represented by the British empire at the time, in today’s climate such ideas are viewed by elitist educators, historians, and politicians as dangerous extremism.

Thomas Jefferson, the nation’s third president, would more than likely be deemed a homegrown terrorist in modern America with his well-publicized view that the federal government needs to be purged every generation or so with an armed insurrection aimed at ridding the government of anyone who undermines individual liberty and the rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.

Modern patriots who adhere to the philosophy of Jefferson represent a clear, direct threat to many within government who view the Constitution and the Bill of Rights as irritating roadblocks to their plans for complete government power over every sector of life.

America, thus, enters into a very dangerous phase of our history as increasingly it is becoming clear that our own government has set its sights against its own citizens.

Lourdes on February 15, 2013 at 6:22 PM

Understood, but to the best of my knowledge, he hasn’t used drones to blow those people up yet.

LukeinNE on February 15, 2013 at 6:24 PM

Like I wrote in comments after 6:22 PM, would any of us know if he had? How would we?

My job is to execute laws that are passed.”

Think about that statement.

Barred on February 15, 2013 at 8:10 PM

I can’t help but wonder exactly what he means by ‘execute’.

The problem is that I’m the president of the United States, I’m not the emperor of the United States. My job is to execute laws that are passed.”

Think about that statement.

our capacity to capture a terrorist inside the United States are very different than in the foothills or mountains of Afghanistan or Pakistan.”

…or California?

Today…includes “law enforcement.”

Training. Advising. Logistics. Supplies and equipment. More.

coldwarrior on February 15, 2013 at 7:22 PM

http://www.northcom.mil/

Training. Advising. Logistics. Supplies and equipment. More.

coldwarrior on February 15, 2013 at 7:22 PM

Too much for my taste, I assure.

Liam on February 15, 2013 at 7:15 PM

Can’t recall the DoD regulation number or whatever it is filed under, but,

Defense Support of Civil Authorities.

It is already here.

Once was the realm of hurricanes, floods, forest fires and such, National Guard, Reserves and even active duty helping out when the chips were down…that sort of thing.

Today…includes “law enforcement.”

Training. Advising. Logistics. Supplies and equipment. More.

Let’s see the rule book then, surely there is a document of some sort which spells out these rules.

Bishop on February 15, 2013 at 7:02 PM

Well…sure there is. All nice and legal and proper.

But you can’t see it. It’s a secret.

And, if we let anyone know the rules…then the terrorists win.

And if lil barry DID decide to use an armed drone against a “domestic terrorist” in the far reaches of the mountains of Idaho, or out in the middle of Montana or the Arizona desert reaches…who’s going to know about it? And who’s going to report it? The lsm obots?
Sure. Alex Jones and the rest of the conspiracy nutters will be all over the “rumors” of a drone strike…and who’ll pay attention?

Solaratov on February 15, 2013 at 7:03 PM

Exactly. Unless someone sees it, catches video/photo evidence, and manages to post it on enough places before the goon squads grab him and/or wipe everywhere he posted to (they will go so far as to nuke entire sites and blame it on hackers), who the h3ll will ever know?

Frankly I think everyone here should know how to upload stuff to the darknet. While the Internet is still operational, it’s a nasty little way to frustrate the feds.

So much to ridicule about the preeezy with the skin thinzzzzeeeey.

“On American soil”

No crap. Drones are used in the air, not on the ground, ya dummy.

drewwerd on February 15, 2013 at 7:12 PM

Well, he is the genius that talked about boats that go underwater.

I’d argue that simply having military advisors on-station is a bridge too far. Hell, it wasn’t a big leap from advising to carpet-bombing in Vietnam.

Washington Nearsider on February 15, 2013 at 7:08 PM

I see your point; advisers could be that hair-splitting point lawyers would bicker about. Erring on the side of caution and liberty, I hope to never see a straight-up military vehicle used in a law enforcement standoff again.

Eric Robert Rudolph.

Them Appalachians are still a good place to hide from “law enforcement.”

coldwarrior on February 15, 2013 at 7:11 PM

My thoughts too. On the other hand, Richard Jewell was very easy to capture.

No crap. Drones are used in the air, not on the ground, ya dummy.