Think the US military won't fire on its citizens? Guess again...

Hello all, I was in the barber shop yesterday waiting my turn, and there just so happened to be a Men's Journal magazine on the chair next to me. Growing bored, I picked it up and began flipping through the pages. I then stumbled upon This Article and it caught my interest.

According the the article:

American soldiers (active soldiers as well as retired) have never been more medicated than they are now: In 2010, more than 213,000 service members (roughly 20 percent of active-duty military) were taking medications the military considered "high risk" – from epilepsy drugs to psychiatric pills like Seroquel. But what's more incredible is that Seroquel and other antipsychotics are expensive (as much as $10 a dose) and not proven to be effective in treating the very conditions for which the military and VA most often prescribe them: insomnia and PTSD. But that didn't prevent their use by the military from increasing tenfold between 2002 and 2009.

How about that? 20% of our military is on mind altering medication and the number is climbing at an alarming rate. I hope this raises some red flags for you guys here on ATS. I've been reading threads about how SSID and other medications raise violent tendencies in their patients, and these military doctors are, to quote the article, "Handing that # out like candy."

So, if you're thinking, "Our military won't fire upon its own citizens, right?," maybe you should be asking yourself, "Would a military in a drug induced stupor fire upon its own citizens?"

Just sayin...

-Foot

Originally posted by Bigfoot12714
"Would a military in a drug induced stupor fire upon its own citizens?"

Never mind it's own citizens, what about the innocent citizens of all the countries they invade?

reply to post by Bigfoot12714


I really think peoples dependance on pharmaceuticals, bad reactions and withdrawal from pharmaceuticals is responsible for many of the problems we see today. Many of the issues we currently blame on things like "society at large" the absence of prayer in schools and even a prevalence of guns are actually drug problems brought on by the fact they prescribe a pill for everything when the problem is organic and needs to be addressed in more constructive ways.


Sure, soldiers might fire on citizens
but immediately after soldiers, and some citizens, will return fire on them.

And that American soldier will die.

People die quite often in circumstances like this.

NOT because they are actually violent, or incurable, or even "bad"

BUT because they are having a bad drug reaction today - and they are armed.

Pretty sad really.

reply to post by nerbot


Nevermind

reply to post by Bigfoot12714


I don't for a minute doubt, there are some active military who would fire on other Americans in a civil conflict. As long as it's not their own relatives, friends, or special inner circle. There are some that are mentally unstable, and some who are just plain old sum beotches who like to shoot people.

That is why it's important for all Americans to continue to have the Constitutional right to bear arms.

Des

If they decide to start killing Americans maybe they should go get a script for pain killers

reply to post by Bigfoot12714

Soldiers returning from combat overseas get into law enforcement all the time. They may no longer be "over there" or medicated, but they are hardened somewhat by their experiences and would have no peoblem enforcing the law if it came to it. The militaristic looking swat teams deployed during Sandy Hook looked like killers all.

Wouldn't want to test their metal...



Its also happened before here in America. During the Watts Riots in LA, the Kent State and other war protests and after Martin Luther King's assassination. People should not be surprised about "calling out the Guard"... then or now.

I replied this to another thread. The police in america, a military organization, kill an unfathomable number of people, people they are entrusted to protect, every single day. They kill their own wards with impunity, with little regret and never any public shame. They are a chain of command organization, just like the army, and they obey orders: kill when kill is appropriate due to rules and regulations laid out by the company of employ.

The police, the coast guard, the army, the air force, and any over DHS company is not a moral or spiritual system of human support, they are guns for hire. They kill others, in case of Mao, Pot, Stalin, the local military killed their own friends, family and countrymen without issue at all, and if they didn't they got whacked by military. There is no reason to believe the Stalin death squads were uniquely Russian, or Mao's systematic killing of his "own people" is an anomaly. In fullerton the cops beat a homeless guy to death because it is in the guidelines to do so: if any police/military/guy with a gun is feeling fearful, he may kill. The same cannot be said for us, the protected, if we feel fearful we'll need to kneel or take a bullet to the head. That's policy, and a good one because no one sees a need to change it.

It has happened, is happening and will happen, as it should. You hire a killer to kill, that's what he is there for. No shame in that.

This is absolutely the most asinine post and article I've read in a while. You can't serve in a combat MOS taking prescriptions other than Ibuprofin 800mg. That is a fact.

Soldiers and Marines may have recreational drug habits (like any other civilian) but service members just don't walk around in a medicated stupor.

Lastly, Soldiers/Marines with PTSD are med boarded almost 9 times out of 10.. taking this article and equating service members like a crack head has absolutely no logic.

reply to post by Bigfoot12714


Dear Bigfoot12714,

I am going to disagree with you in part. I come from a military family. Consider what the typical person is like that becomes an officer. They tend to be conservative, believe strongly in the United States and volunteered. That is important, we have an all volunteer military. Having been offered a commission in the Air Force, I also know the vigorous testing that goes into to even being selected. I don't even think I know a single military or ex-military person who believes in gun control.

On the other hand, it might depend on the situation. Mass terrorist attacks within the United States by so called Patriots with military style weapons (and I am not referring to rifles). It is a fact that members within the so called "Patriot" movement have air to air weapons, cannons, you name it, even tanks. Our military will not shoot on protestors; but, start blowing up building and killing civil servants and would see them respond.

There is too much fear mongering going on. While I eventually became a pacifist, I still have respect for the men and women who join the military to protect this country. If a group of "Patriots" took over a City Hall or state capital and began killing people, you would get a military response and most people would begin to support gun control. They cannot pass laws taking away guns right now because the police and military do not support it and neither does the country. Sandy Hook did not change that.

I've suffured insomnia my whole life and after a near fatal assault I'm prescribed Seroquel.I rarely take it as the side effects are devastating.You don't want to wake up and get out of bed the next day.Your coordination is way off balance as if drunk,memory loss.I can't see anyone functioning normally while under there use much less a soldier.Morphine has less side effects unbelievably.

Training to be a solider, fighting as a soldier, killing as a solider. Such mental anguish.

Originally posted by AgentX09
I've suffured insomnia my whole life and after a near fatal assault I'm prescribed Seroquel.I rarely take it as the side effects are devastating.You don't want to wake up and get out of bed the next day.Your coordination is way off balance as if drunk,memory loss.I can't see anyone functioning normally while under there use much less a soldier.Morphine has less side effects unbelievably.

I pulled myself off it for the same reasons. Now I feel like a Million dollars. Meds are not good.

reply to post by 31Bravo


Sorry for the lack of replies I was on a borrowed computer. Sure these soldiers are no longer able to serve active, but they are are still being given these meds practically no questions asked. Don't you think that puts them in danger as well as those around them?