A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a column questioning why it was necessary for
our federal government to be constructing internment camps all over America.
I felt it was time for someone such as me to publicly broach the subject.
Needless to say, the response was overwhelming. Even more interesting is the
fact that the web link to the National Guard Military Occupational Specialty
(MOS) of "Internment/Resettlement Specialist" that I included in my column
was removed shortly after the column was published. Was this a coincidence?
Of course, the U.S. Army still has their web site soliciting recruitment for
"Internment/Resettlement Specialist" online. See it at
http://www.goarmy.com/JobDetail.do?id=292
Readers might also want to familiarize themselves with this story out of
Fort Leavenworth:
http://www.ftleavenworthlamp.com/articles/2009/04/16/news/news1.txt
Predictably, I heard from a sizeable number of readers who expressed concern
about my "credibility." Some were more direct: descriptions such as
"conspiracy nut," "lunatic," "fringe," etc., popped up quite often. Several
readers dismissed the entire proposition on the basis that, apparently, the
link I provided to a photo of one such camp that was reported in the Idaho
Observer as a FEMA camp was actually constructed in another country. Which,
if true, changes nothing, of course. Others pointed to a very shallow
"exposé" published in Popular Mechanics that attempted (lamely) to debunk
the whole notion of internment camps. (This was the same source Glenn Beck
used to dismiss the idea.) See the report at
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military_law/4312850.html
Criticism and name-calling aside, after reading the responses from hundreds
of readers (and examining the evidence they submitted), I am more convinced
than ever that our federal government is, indeed, constructing large numbers
of internment camps. And as one might expect, I heard from a large number of
military and law enforcement personnel, which made the evidence even more
compelling.
One statement from a retired Air Force colonel (who is still active in
military associations and stays well-informed on military issues) was
especially telling. He said, "The Indiana plant is an AMTRAK repair
area--there are probably similar reasons for other facilities. [Which is, no
doubt, true.] I was a primary member of 'Continuity of Operations' planning
in my second tour in the Pentagon in the 1960s--such planning has continued
apace! This country was--and to a large extent still is--totally unprepared
for the after effects of nuclear exchange.
The millions of casualties of humans and animals--notwithstanding the almost total loss of communications
and government infrastructure like police, fire, emergency response, etc.
THERE ARE AND SHOULD BE PLANS TO DECLARE MARTIAL LAW to keep order, to
provide assistance for food, shelter, medical, etc. FEMA was designed to do
this work to fill the terrible losses in continuity of operations, which
would keep this country viable. Katrina is a tiny example of how an
emergency can destroy an entire geographical area--and Katrina is just a
minor example of where we would be as a result of a nuclear exchange. As
with all things military you plan for the worst and hope for the best.
"We remain vulnerable to massive catastrophes in this country--natural or
man-caused. We need to be prepared and FEMA with all its faults--BACKED BY
THE MILITARY--is charged with this job." (Emphasis added.)
(To learn more about "Continuity of Operations," to which the good colonel
referred, start with these web sites:
http://www.nextgov.com/the_basics/tb_20080623_2687.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuity_of_Operations_Plan
http://fas.org/irp/offdocs/pdd/fpc-65.htm )
Notice that the retired colonel did not challenge the existence of
internment camps, but rather linked them, and military-backed FEMA, with
martial law--and he saw nothing wrong with that. (Please note: the colonel
brought up martial law; I did not. Plus, the colonel was not adversarial
with me, but on the contrary, expressed familiarity and favor toward me.)
Several military men who wrote me shared the colonel's sentiment. Some of
them expressed concern about the impact these plans will have on freedom and
constitutional government, while others seemed completely unconcerned
regarding any potential encroachment that plans of military action against
American citizens might have upon the Bill of Rights. What is enlightening,
however, is the fact that, regardless of the personal position taken, none
of the military personnel who wrote me discounted the existence of
internment camps.
Since the colonel brought up martial law, U.S. Congressman Paul Broun (R-GA)
recently indicated that he believed the U.S. government was intending to do
just that. See his comments at
http://tinyurl.com/pandemic-martial-law
And last year, the San Francisco Chronicle published a major story regarding
the potential for the federal government to suspend the Constitution and
institute martial law. See the story at
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/04/ED5OUPQJ7.DTL
In addition, is it a coincidence that a bill was recently introduced in the
U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 645) called the National Emergency
Centers Establishment Act, which directs the Secretary of Homeland Security
to establish "not fewer than 6 national emergency centers on military
installations"? See the report at
http://tinyurl.com/cong-to-auth-fema-camps
Is all of this information simply to be discarded as hysteria?
On the other hand, several readers chided me for being "late" to discuss the
subject. And to be sure, some of these folks have done quite a bit of
personal research and have amassed a large amount of data on the subject.
For example, readers supplied me with a plethora of material to substantiate
the existence of large numbers of internment camps throughout the United
States. I invite readers to peruse some of the information provided below
and draw their own conclusions:
http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/cgi-bin/blogs/voices.php/2008/08/11/p27662
http://www.bing.com/search?q=fema+camps
http://tinyurl.com/locate-fema-camps1 (This site requires JavaScript to be
enabled.)
Of course, the above is merely a sample of the scores of resources that were
forwarded to me by readers. I encourage people to do their own research.
Even Mr. Skeptoid himself, Brian Dunning, grudgingly acknowledges the
probability of the existence of internment camps on U.S. soil. As with the
retired Air Force colonel referred to above, Dunning senses nothing sinister
about the existence of the camps, and he doesn't address the numbers part of
the story, but he does admit the plausibility of their existence.
Dunning wrote, "When I first heard the FEMA Prison Camp conspiracy story, it
seemed ridiculous and paranoid at face value. But when I finally dug in to
research it, I started by searching for the origins of the rumors, and found
to my surprise that nearly all of the legal foundation and precedent for
such a plan does in fact exist."
(See Dunning's blog at
http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4145 )
As I was mulling over all this information, I remembered reading an
interview that radio talk show host Geoff Metcalf had with author Ted Flynn
regarding Flynn's (then) new book, "Hope of the Wicked: The Master Plan to
Rule the World." According to Metcalf, "Flynn's book provides a strong
historical basis to show that there is a global elite working to end the
sovereignty of nations and to place every person on earth under the
authority of the United Nations." This interview was conducted back in 2001,
by the way.
In the interview, Metcalf asked Flynn, "Please explain what FEMA is. What is
their authority and what is their job?"
Flynn replied, "The Federal Emergency Management Agency is probably going to
be the enforcement arm of the New-World Order. Very few people could tell
you that it is actually a cabinet position. By and large, a great percentage
of their budget is 'black ops.' It's really not on the books. You only hear
of them a little bit when there are disasters. But there is a great agenda
to gather information for the government in stealth."
Metcalf then said, "I found it significant when Rep. Henry Gonzalez,
D-Texas, clarified the question of the existence of civilian detention
camps. In an interview a few years ago, he said, 'the truth is yes--you do
have these standby provisions, and the plans are here . . . whereby you
could, in the name of stopping terrorism . . . evoke the military and arrest
Americans and put them in detention camps.' They DO exist."
Flynn replied, "They do."
(See the interview at
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=8853 )
Again, that our federal government has built large numbers of internment
camps seems undeniable. What has not been determined is the purpose for
which these facilities have been constructed. No one wants to believe that
our government is planning evil designs upon us. Then again, neither did
German Jews want to believe that their government was up to no good.
America's founders believed that a central government could not be trusted,
which is why they tried to fence it in with the U.S. Constitution and Bill
of Rights. Neither should citizens today trust the federal government. As
President George Washington put it, "Government is not reason; it is not
eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful
master."
Therefore, keep a wary eye out for anything that the federal government
could use to encroach upon our liberties and freedoms--even reports of
internment camps. If the reports are bogus, you've lost nothing; but if they
are real, you could end up losing your liberty.
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(c) Chuck Baldwin
