Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/06/10/the-pentagon-developed-a-plan.html
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What does it make me think?
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Did anyone in their scenario have a highly virulent disease? It would have been nice to have planned for that.
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It would only be surprising if the conclusion after the gaming was “you know, they have a point.”
But only to a point, because one of the goals is to say “hey politicians, if you don’t start paying attention these might become military threats.” Part scare tactics.
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a “global cyber campaign to expose injustice and corruption and to support causes it deem[s] beneficial.”
How dare they!
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eventually growing into a “Zbellion,” a “global cyber campaign to expose injustice and corruption and to support causes it deem[s] beneficial.”
Yes, that’s definitely something this great capitalist nation must guard against.
I know these Pentagon war games often integrate loony scenarios in the name of “thinking outside the box”, but this one betrays their true concerns.
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That this proposal exists is explicit acknowledgment by leadership that America has rotted to the point that rebellion is now an actionable possibility. Rather than act to reverse the trend, they’re concocting a strategy to put the citizenry down to maintain status quo. Either that or they think so little of civilians that they enjoy coming up with scenarios to pit armed troops against them, e.g. Bill Barr.
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I don’t know what it makes you think, but it makes me think that the “powers that be” understand that the smoke and mirrors that made the American Dream seem real could only last so long before shattering and dissipating.
Do you think they’ve had a scenario where the might of the American military would be called to take down the 1%? I expect not.
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Did they win the game? Or did they get dominated?
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I would think they won the game, but I wonder if they took into account subversion: Gen Z soldiers, breaking ranks and defending the citizens against orders? Assuming they could withstand the indoctrination of boot camp and maintain a clear focus on their real goals.
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Personally I enjoyed reading the report, but I heard the film adaption was nothing to write home about.
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Funny that I think the American dream real and could have worked except pur systematic leadership decided two things long ago
- capitalism and greed were more important
- the dream was fine for the (w)right people.
The dream itself was possible and still would be if we taxed monies equally and fairly, had proper social supports to ensure support for those who need it most, and (this part being the most important) it applies to ALL people fairly and equally.
To be honest I asked because it was an open ended question wherein I get @thomdunneas leading us to a specific answer. Wondering what that is.
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I’m not saying it wasn’t real in the past. I’m saying it was disassembled ages ago (as you mention) and instead, up went the smoke and mirrors, and they knew the smoke and mirrors wouldn’t last when people started looking around themselves and thought, “Wait. What?”
It has been misdirection for a long time now. “Them” pointing to the people “we” should be worried about. As long as attention wasn’t focused on “them” they could continue about their rapacious intent.
But the “look over there” strategy is beginning to slip, especially among the younger generations. And some of us old folks as well.
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For me, nothing. Probably because I doubt this was a wargame in the sense that the military was preparing to suppress a rebellion and more like a series of thought scenarios for people to think of stuff that was up and coming.
Sort of like CONOP 8888
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Still not the worst plan coming from the government concerning civil unrest.
Reagan’s plan to round up largely people of color and put them in concentration camps
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Makes me think “how do I help GenZ succeed in their revolution?”
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This seems like a good premise for a future Cory Doctorow novel.
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did they plan for if millenials, gen x and a fair number of boomers joined in the rebellion? cuz although the current protests skew younger, its not just kids out there by any means.
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DMZ was a more fun revolutionary read, and without zombies.
(I don’t like zombies. So icky 
)
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