This forum seems to have kind of slipped away. I mean how is shooting trespassers related to rebuilding after the fall?

I would like to suggest a look at the goings on in E. Timor as an example of post 1/1/00 US. Sorry about making this UScentric but it's what I know.

1. Martial Law, with military units that seem to have a political agenda and only loosly controlled from Jakarta. Could this happen here in the US? If not why not. If so how would you suggest it be dealt with?

2. So called militias spreading terror. This is a little more complicated than it looks. These may be military units in civilian clothes or agent provacateaurs (sp?). There are many groups in the US that would love to take advantage of the possible chaos or even foment chaos. Would this (small terror groups)happen in the US? Would so called militias be to busy just staying alive to be effective at fomenting chaos? Is the US population to well armed for small groups to effectively terrorize the population? Is the US population to well armed for the military to control using similar methods? What methods would be effective in the US? How should we respond or not respond?

3. The movement of large numbers of refugees. In E. Timor the weather is warm. January in the US is cold for at least half the coutry. Will there be refugees from the cities? Only from the warm cities? Only from the cold cities? Will they all just be trapped, or will a small number escape? How would you suggest that be handled?

4. Dili the major city in E. Timor is now a ghost town. If the cities are dead do we repopulate them? If the cities are burned hulks do we attempt to rebuild? (Hint: most cities are at crossroads of commerce. Will the crossroads still be in the same places?)

5. Motor transportation is almost impossible due to lack of fuel imports into E. Timor. How do you rebuild if you can't move things easily? Is a river bank a good place to locate as it's an easy way to move goods (at least one way!) Where else is it easy to move goods and services? (See 4. above)

Just questions no answers.

-- LM (latemarch@usa.net), September 11, 1999

Answers

Anything that can happen there can happen here.

American's are not used to evacuations...besides, to where will people evacuate?

By the way, I noticed that your post deals a lot with the potential for violence in cities...you probably live near or in one.

Folks out in the country feel safe because they are out of harms way, but for them, reviewing the legality and ethics of shooting a trespasser on their own land seems to fit right in with city folk contemplating scenarios with martial law.

-- Thom Gilligan (thomgill@eznet.net), September 11, 1999.

-- Thom Gilligan wrote: ****Anything that can happen there can happen here. American's are not used to evacuations...besides, to where will people evacuate?*******

Anywhere away from a burning city?

******By the way, I noticed that your post deals a lot with the potential for violence in cities...you probably live near or in one. ******

Nope. But within a tank of gas of one, you probably are too. Are you really safe from a refugee problem?

*****Folks out in the country feel safe because they are out of harms way, but for them, reviewing the legality and ethics of shooting a trespasser on their own land seems to fit right in with city folk contemplating scenarios with martial law.******

The legality and ethics of shooting trespasser belongs on the tby2k forum. This one is supposed to be about putting Humpty Dumpty back together again. Funny I don't feel that safe.

You can go a long way on a tank of gas.

-- Thom Gilligan (thomgill@eznet.net), September 11, 1999

-- LM (latemarch@usa.net), September 11, 1999.

I can't get anything right.... of course it's the TB2000 forum not the tby2k forum.....

Time for this old man to go to bed.

-- LM (latemarch@usa.net), September 11, 1999.

The question of how much we feel we can trust government troops would be on track... These are Americans...but will they be fed, paid, and well led? If not, they could be part of the problem.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), September 13, 1999.