I have always liked the Marine Corps.
The thing is, I never saw them as cops, so I find reports like this more than a little disturbing:
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) — The Marine Corps has created its first law enforcement battalions – a lean, specialized force of military police officers that it hopes can quickly deploy worldwide to help investigate crimes from terrorism to drug trafficking and train fledgling security forces in allied nations.
The Corps activated three such battalions last month. Each is made up of roughly 500 military police officers and dozens of dogs. The Marine Corps has had police battalions off and on since World War II but they were primarily focused on providing security, such as accompanying fuel convoys or guarding generals on visits to dangerous areas, said Maj. Jan Durham, commander of the 1st Law Enforcement Battalion at Camp Pendleton.
The idea behind the law enforcement battalions is to consolidate the military police and capitalize on their investigative skills and police training, he said. The new additions come as every branch in the military is trying to show its flexibility and resourcefulness amid defense cuts.
“Flexibility” and “resourcefulness” be damned. If they keep blurring the distinction between the military and law enforcement, people will lose all respect for both.
I think this is being done deliberately.
Bureaucratic bastards.
At least during Prohibition the armed forces were still kept separate from law enforcement.
I’d say “what happened to the Constitution?” except I’d sound like a broken record.
This used to be a wonderful country. (Etc.)
MORE: I am rethinking my failure to support Ron Paul.
Yes, it is that bad.
MORE: Maybe some commenters will attempt to reassure me that the military cannot be used for civilian law enforcement. Right. Might as well say that Obamacare is unconstitutional. Or that the Fourth Amendment still exists.
Comments
6 responses to “There went the Marines”
Just to add to your worry, as I understand it the old Posse Comitatus Act only prohibits use of the US Army in domestic law enforcement. So the US Navy, USMC, USAF etc. are free for use.
But more seriously, I am not worried much about US military forces being misused for domestic law enforcement. I think the militarization of existing Federal, State and Local police forces is the real threat to American freedom.
I am an old Marine and I don’t like it at all. Partially because I have no love for MP’s. More importantly, the Corps has a very low manpower ceiling – something like 186,000. These glorified cops are replacing real combat Marines.
[…] the drug war may be seen as a acceptable way to keep military appropriations flowing. (Hence the degradation of the proud Marine Corps into an unconstitutional police […]
I didn’t see a reference (perhaps I missed it) to their use within the US. In a post-war situation in a foriegn country, especially where the indigenous local police worked closely with the local military and intelligence agencies, you need some form of police work to be done by trusted entities. My father did as much in Korea immediately following the Japanese surrender and he was not in the MPs. Seems it would help if there was some outfit trained in police procedures and tactics for the transitional period. Though I agree that training Marine units to do this seems like over-kill.
[…] There went the Marines […]
Yes, Virginia, the fourth amendment still exists. It’s just being ignored.
(Difference between mending a damaged house and building a new one after letting the old one rot.)
Need to get on with the mending.