https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2023/07/14/florida-state-guard-desantis-national-guard-training/
One retired Marine Corps officer called the police on instructors, alleging abuse.
We live in hell, people.
Weeks into that inaugural June training, one volunteer, a disabled retired Marine Corps captain, called the local sheriff’s office to report he was battered by Florida National Guard instructors when they forcibly shoved him into a van after he questioned the program and its leadership.
[...]
In a statement, Haas said the State Guard was a “military organization” that will be used not just for emergencies but for “aiding law enforcement with riots and illegal immigration.”
[...]
On the first day of training, Newhouse said he was escorted off the base after lodging several complaints, including that the National Guard’s schedule required training on Sundays, instead of allowing members to use those days for religious services and personal time, as was the original plan.
Edit: Oh my god, it gets worse:
That month, state lawmakers and the governor revealed that they wanted to assign the State Guard $89 million to buy boats, planes and helicopters. They wanted a specialized unit within the guard to have police powers and the ability to carry weapons.
And they wanted to boost the State Guard to 1,500 members. Instead of being activated only during emergencies within Florida, they could be sent to any state to “protect and defend the people of Florida from threats to public safety.”
[...]
DeSantis, a presidential candidate, has sent Florida National Guard members and state law enforcement officers to the Texas border, and has said he is willing to work with like-minded Republican governors and sheriffs to do more state-led efforts at the southern border.
“I think states need to be more aggressive,” DeSantis said in terms of taking action on federal immigration enforcement.
This is incredibly fascist and illegal, right? If DeSantis becomes president, we are going to have a civil war.
There's no "if" about this. Win or lose, this direction shows no signs of slowing. It's just a matter of when.
But if it's related to an election, it would happen if DeSantis lost, not won. The south didn't secede until Lincoln won.
Not a bad opinion, but I would just like to say that just because that's how it happened once doesn't mean every civil war will be like that (clearly)
And also, prepare for violence if he gets into power.
Study riot tactics and logistics points to hit, like rail. Organize with other antifascists.
Get armed if you can.
It's all above board probably in the most literal sense. The State Guard would have to be called up and do something really heinous for any legal action to happen I think.
It's quite fascist though. All his actions as governor come straight out of the 1930s.
If Georgia goes Blue in the next election, clearly there's voter fraud that Florida will need to investigate for the sake of the Union.
Nothing funny about the Governors commitment to democracy here.
S/ just because there are really stupid people who actually believe that shit.
Sure, just let a republiccan government with republican judges and reps come up with laws that truly make it illegal. That'll happen right?
This is all normal for State National Guard units. Training is on the weekends and two weeks out of the year. Religious activities are allowed if they don’t interfere with the mission, which comes first. Lots of States sent National guardsman to the southern border. None of this is new or alarming.
Uh...proposing sending a state guard to another state to enforce federal immigration law is VERY new.
This isn't a state national guard, it's a state guard. According to the legislation that created it, the United States federal government has no jurisdiction over the new state guard and cannot nationalize it, meaning they are unable to control it like they can with a state national guard.
That's fascinating. I wonder if it's unconstitutional, though. It seems like this is the type of set up the 2nd Amendment was actually talking about rather than Bobby Boy in the woods with an M1 tank because why not.
"Not alarming" is relative to experience— to how naive or cynical you are so far. I haven't been keeping up with these kinds of politics. I live in MN, a trans-refuge state. Wanted to keep my ears as far away from anything Florida-related as possible.
Definitely feels like DeSantis just wants an army of henchmen, even if it’s only for the threat of it.
He wants his own Schutzstaffel. These guys are really looking at nazi history like it's a how-to guide.
Anyone that hasn't read "It can't happen here" needs to go do so right now. While it was responding to the wave of fascism in America during the 1930's, it's remarkably prophetic about what we face now.
I made an attempt a few years ago, but the way this book was written really hasn’t aged well. I found it dull and patronizing and gave up.
Philip Roth’s “The Plot Against America” is a much better book if you ask me, dealing with similar themes but written more recently.
It definitely took me a bit to get into, but the scathing indictment of the upper middle class liberal pearl clutching in the face of fascist violence eventually hooked me.
I'll give "The Plot Against America" a try.
So a fascist governor is trying to train a militia that answers only to him? Brownshirts anyone?
Disgusting. DeSantis is obviously trying to create armed forces loyal only to him to do his bidding, which can only have disastrous consequences. The damage he would do to American institutions as president would be incalculable, and he would probably destroy foreign relations between the United States and every other country.
These people supporting him always are happy about it
"He's going after our enemies!" Is how they think
Not realizing that being a normal, non elite citizen or not one who bribes the governor, or not a corporation, you'll eventually be on that enemies list
Instead of being activated only during emergencies within Florida, they could be sent to any state to “protect and defend the people of Florida from threats to public safety.”
At best, it'll be used to terrorize people fleeing Florida for it's draconian laws. At worst it can be used in a military coup.