Fast and Furious

[bacpacker]

I just ran across this and thought it worthy of a little conversation. I hadn't really learned much about the aftermath of the case until I read this article. Some how I completely over looked this story.



"The National Border Patrol Council, which represents all 17,000 of the agency’s nonsupervisory agents, called Monday for the resignation of Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. for his role in the botched “Fast and Furious” gunrunning operation that resulted in the death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent.

Council President George E. McCubbin III, a 25-year Border Patrol veteran, described Mr. Holder’s actions in the case as “a slap in the face to all Border Patrol agents who serve this country,” adding that the attorney general showed “an utter failure of leadership at the highest levels of government.”

Two semi-automatic AK-47 assault weapons found at the scene of the Dec. 15, 2010, killing of Border Patrol Agent Brian A. Terry were traced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to “straw buyers” who bought the weapons as part of the Fast and Furious investigation."



Border Patrol group calls for Holder's resignation - Washington Times

[Fatty]

He needs more than a resignation. His actions have been proven intentional.

[The Stig]

While I agree that Holder is a shitbag, how do we tie this back into the day-to-day aspects of prepping and avoid the political aspects?

[realist]

Holder's view is I don't obey the law I am the law......... Stig you are right he is a REAL shitbag.

[ak474u]

Absolute conspiracy to make gun stores and buyers look like crooks... If I had another brother, he'd look like agent Brian Terry.

[Sniper-T]

... how do we tie this back into the day-to-day aspects of prepping and avoid the political aspects?

For one, it shows how a black market system can and does exist here in our polite society. Come SHTF, it is easy to see how it can/will escalate.

For the sheeple who are relying on the good will of the government, and FEMA, and whoever else would do well to have some barter items stockpiled. Not saying everyone is corrupt, or that it is indeed corruption, but a little grease on some palms might make things run a little smoother, or may procure a few 'extras'

[The Stig]

SniperT - excellent reply and great job connecting a national news story to local prepping efforts.

[Grumpy Old Man]

While I agree that Holder is a shitbag, how do we tie this back into the day-to-day aspects of prepping and avoid the political aspects?

I'd like to add to this discussion without getting overly philosophical, yet addressing the aspects of this that are germane to being prepared. What I see this as is a disconnect between various branches and departments within not only the federal but state and local governments as well. Not to mention the factionalization of the general populace. And as Sniper pointed out the corruption that has become rampant within the system. What does this have to do with prepping?

The answer is in the concept of WROL- Without Rule Of Law. When actions are taken to further an agenda without electoral approval, no matter what that agenda is, then they are done WROL. We must take into account what, if any, effects these actions may have on ourselves and make preparations for them. In my recent travels I have noted that tensions are heating up in the cities and that is even spreading to the smaller burgs, without a lot of local LEO "interference". This affects me to the extent that I will only go to one WallyWorld and even then only in the very early morning,~ 6 a.m. I don't get much at WW, but that is my source for skivvies and socks, and sometimes ammo.

All this is , to me, symptomatic in the decline of "moral fabric" in our world. I can no longer expect people to act with politeness and manners, but rather I need to expect the worst may happen. That in itself is sad. But, it also reminds me to be situationally aware, condition yellow, as it were, all the time. Even in my own home. We had a home invasion in a bedroom community about 15 miles from me recently. Fortunately I am still fairly rural so I'm father off the beaten track and don't make as tempting a target. (I have a horse trailer in my front yard and two older trucks in front of my '20s era farmhouse). But I need to be aware that it can happen to me and prepare for that eventuality.

That elected officials may have engaged in unlawful behavior is not the point. The point is that our entire society is grouping into camps on every issue and each camp regards the others with increasing hostility. How to deal with this "us or them" mentality is going to be the challenge for me without letting my baser instincts take over. I need to prepare myself mentally for a society that is becoming more animalistic on a daily basis.

This is a little disjointed, but I hope I've made my point. This isn't about politics or parties; it's about the symptoms of an increasingly self-absorbed and amoral society that doesn't care about much other than satisfying material desires no matter what it takes. That is what I (we?) need to mentally prepare for.

[The Stig]

Totally Kick Ass Post

Well said. Relevant, on point and practical.

You Sir win the internet for the next 20 minutes.

[izzyscout21]

That^^......

is one of the most well thought out posts joining this subject andd prepping I have ever read.

Spot on, Grumpy!