[Adwetyren]

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs...73223440307669

Why are the neocons pushing to use military in disasters? Think about it. They want control of disasters using military. Why would they want that? Nothing that comes out of the neocons mouth is on a face-value basis. There is always another agenda.

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The weekend press had some members of the U.S. Army's elite 82nd Airborne saying that they had tortured Iraqi prisoners partly to obtain intelligence and partly to amuse themselves. Although I obviously do not think that to be a great approach to the Geneva Conventions Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, it is also a clear indication of just what kind of work we ask our soldiers overseas to do: Kill to keep from being killed is not humanitarian work; training for the two functions is different.

It is also the case that if the U.S. military were to be given the work of FEMA and Homeland Security, that they would also, quite rightly, seek more money and personnel to carry out the newly assigned tasks. The Department of Defense already receives a percentage of the annual U.S. budget that is out of line with America's priorities. Wars and deployment of forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, Colombia, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Germany, and many other countries require money. But is that how Americans want to spend our money overall?

The tragedy of Katrina clearly revealed that there are many fundamental societal needs that are not being met under the current division of funds provided for by our budget. Put aside the question of whether taxes should be higher to make it possible to pay for butter as well as guns.

The basic problem of giving the U.S. military more control is, however, even more fundamental. The Posse Comitatus Act, the one that keeps the federal government from using federal troops on the population, is 127 years old and is deeply rooted in the basic relationship between the U.S. central government and the states.