come the revolution

Come the revolution, the Department of Homeland Security will apparently be prepared.

A quick Google search today neither confirmed nor denied the factuality of a report that DHS had purchased 2,717 light tanks (Mine Resistant Armor Protected Vehicles) as a means of ... ummm... protecting American citizens. These tanks are capable of carrying SWAT teams, spewing gas and, of course, shooting cannons.

This DHS protection is said to be supplemented with the stockpiling of 1.6 billion bullets.

Republic Steel strike 1937

During the rise of labor unions in the early to middle part of the 20th century, American politicians employed the police as a means of subduing those who had been poorly treated and had banded together to seek better conditions. Employers were viewed as a large part of the peaceful status quo by those who deployed armed proxies. Hence, to beat and jail those who disagreed with the status quo was defended as keeping an accepted and patriotic peace.

From the protesters' point of view, the facts did not square up with the rhetoric and they decided to do something about it after encountering ears that were deaf to mere words.

Nowadays, the word 'union' has been skilfully demeaned and shoved into a corner. But whether it's called a "union" or not, still there is a waxing sense of agreement in America that the facts and the rhetoric do not square up. The rise of the Tea Party and the appearance of the Occupy Movement both point to a mounting dis-ease and an unwillingness to toe the rhetorical mark. A union of minds seems to be building.

And those who create the rhetoric appear to see the handwriting on the wall. It's one thing to call their rhetoric of patriotism and the American Dream bullshit. But when the sense of bullshit flares up and expresses itself physically ... well, those hoping to keep their rhetorical and financial paddocks intact will be prepared ....

As, for example, with 2,717 light tanks, 1.6 billion bullets and who knows what other armaments that will protect the American citizens who imagined the government they elected might actually protect them.

Soon, perhaps, the word "terrorism" will take on a whole new Department-of-Homeland-Security meaning.

And you thought the "Arab Spring" was just for a bunch of brown people in the Middle East.