A new report by the U.S. Army War College talks about the possibility
of Pentagon resources and troops being used should the economic crisis
lead to civil unrest, such as protests against businesses and
government or runs on beleaguered banks. “Widespread civil violence
inside the United States would force the defense establishment to
reorient priorities in extremis to defend basic domestic order and
human security,” said the War College report. The study says economic
collapse, terrorism and loss of legal order are among possible domestic
shocks that might require military action within the U.S.
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/Pubs/Display.Cfm?pubID=890
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn
warned Wednesday of economy-related riots and unrest in various global
markets if the financial crisis is not addressed and lower-income
households are hurt by credit constraints and rising unemployment. U.S.
Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., and U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., both
said U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson brought up a worst-case
scenario as he pushed for the Wall Street bailout in September.
Paulson, former Goldman Sachs CEO, said that might even require a
declaration of martial law, the two noted.
http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2008/12/15/daily34.html
"In too many areas of the world, countries have not undergone the
processes fundamental to the creation of a modern nation-state. Many of
these states are comprised of diverse ethnic, religious, and cultural
communities. In the absence of functioning institutions that reflect a
working consensus within these societies, state coercion is relied upon
to maintain the grip on power by the group in control. Even when there
is
voluntary cooperation among and between diverse elements within a
state, this cooperation is vulnerable to stress, no matter what the
source (such as competition for limited resources, environmental
degradation,
corruption, and impunity), and can be the spark that sets off violent
conflict. In both instances, coercive state institutions or voluntary
cooperation, the status quo is vulnerable to complete breakdown."
- Richard McCall, "Building Failed States", in Joseph R. Cerami, Robin
Dorff, Lisa M. Moorman (eds), LEADERSHIP AND NATIONAL SECURITY REFORM:
THE NEXT PRESIDENT’S AGENDA
Colloquium Report, US Army War College, October 2008.
"Following responses to ORB’s earlier work, which was based on survey
work undertaken in primarily urban locations, we have conducted almost
600 additional interviews in rural communities [in Iraq]. By and large
the results are in line with the 'urban results' and we now estimate
that the death toll between March 2003 and August 2007 is likely to
have been of the order of 1,033,000. If one takes into account the
margin of error associated with survey data of this nature then the
estimated range is between 946,000 and 1,120,000."
http://www.opinion.co.uk/Newsroom_details.aspx?NewsId=88