What Would Happen IF...

All,

I'd like some background opinions, maybe from those in the know, or just from the average guy/girl with an opinion.

Based on This Thread, what would happen in the event that the Military actually protected the citizens...i have a few questions that to be honest I'm pretty stumped on.

1. Do the military personnel have to wait for the order to protect or are they obliged to protect?
2. If they need to wait for the order, can it come from a CO or does it have to be approved by the government?
3. In the event that the military opted to protect the citizens in their military attire etc, and in a "sort of combat" strategy way...would the police be able to arrest the military personnel?
4. Where does the law stand on this? Example being, the citizens are being "illegally arrested and abused" by the police, the military step in, would the military allow themselves to be arrested or would the engage in a sort of "non-hurting" war against the police force to protect the citizens?

I'm super confused about "what" might actually go down with this scenario...

Anyone with legal knowledge or a pretty sure opinion want to or care to answer my questions?

An interesting query and one I’ve entertained myself, though no matter what the law of the land, I would hope that morality would outweigh legaility.

~FugitiveSoul

Good questions..
Theoretically .. A Commanding Officer could make such a decision.
As to what would happen .. Standard rules of engagement would apply were the military to do what they're supposed to and defend the people and the constitution..
In reality it would get ugly fast with a large bodycount on all sides leaving the country in a shambles..

reply to post by jrmcleod


I'm not even close to being an expert, so I fit into the very-average guy/girl category. Here is my answer:

I think that if the armed forces began protecting citizens during a riot instead of attacking them, it would be 100% on human-decency grounds (stuff that constitutions are based on). Except they wouldn't just be humans who are standing up against injustice and tyranny, they'd also have guns, ammo, and gear

That's powerful, considering the average joe doesn't have anything of the sort, including skills on how to use weaponry. The opposite is kinda scary - think what happens when the armed forces DON'T fight for their neighbors, shopkeepers, children's schoolteachers, priests, students, kid's friends, and instead just dehumanize everyone they interact with on their days-off, in order to follow top-down orders to control/hurt/kill the people.

Thanks for the answers so far. I've just watched some videos of the whole OWS thing. The video regarding the Sergeant is especially moving. The abuse that is being witnessed by police is ridiculous. What is The POTUS doing?

There are so many people out there who are unarmed and being abused it makes me upset to think about it when all they are fighting for is liberty from slavery by the 1%.

I hope the US military step in here, i would like to see the very army of people who are charged with the protection of the US and its people actually do that. If there was ever a time that your country needed you it was now.

The military need to choose a side.

I have a strong feeling that if the military showed up just dressed in their outfit with NO weapons and surrounded the protesters giving them freedom of speech, the police force with their batons and horses would be SHI*TING themselves.

The very presence of the US Marines would make most of the cops retire early...

How to win the election? Send in the Military without weapons to protect the citizens....

So who would you choose to protect if there was a riot? That's the question...

The rioters? or the people's property that is being destroyed?

The rioters? or the people who are being mob beaten?

The rioters? or the people who are trying to demonstrate peacefully?

Sorry, but rioters are scum and should NOT be protected in any way...

Demonstrators should be permitted to demonstrate as long as they don't break any laws... Break the law and then you go to jail!

Plain and simple!

Originally posted by Magnum007
So who would you choose to protect if there was a riot? That's the question...

The rioters? or the people's property that is being destroyed?

The rioters? or the people who are being mob beaten?

The rioters? or the people who are trying to demonstrate peacefully?

Sorry, but rioters are scum and should NOT be protected in any way...

Demonstrators should be permitted to demonstrate as long as they don't break any laws... Break the law and then you go to jail!

Plain and simple!

I didn't say protect the rioters, i said protect the people...