National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2012
A controversial provision of the act is contained in subsections 1021–1022 of Title X, Subtitle D, which is entitled “Counter-Terrorism”, which authorizes the indefinite military detention of persons the government suspects of involvement in terrorism, including U.S. citizens arrested on American soil (Gpo.Gov, 2011).
This article is not about whether the government can impose Martial Law, it can. The government can essentially detain anyone they see fit by using laws that have been on the books for decades.
The NDAA is not new and will likely be signed by every president going forward. No point in delving into the specifics of the law. Everyone has his or her own interpretation of it. Some are convinced they know when it might happen, and some are even convinced it has happened already and only a few know it has happened. It could be a slow process, let everyone become used to the idea so that over time the tentacles wrapped around everyone’s neck are not noticed, or no one cares.
The Question is about Control
How would the government control over 300 million citizens? The short answer is they do not have enough personnel to control the entire population by physical force. The federal government would have to enlist the local police forces and essentially militarize them. This would be a daunting task. The local police would be asked to police themselves, because they too are citizens in the communities, civilians in the minds of the military.
The government could control the population by denying them goods and services. Commercial flights would be halted, Amtrak trains would not run, and government checks would be stopped as a means of controlling the population to some extent.
The Internet would be controlled or access denied all together. Other technology would be controlled, and you would not have access to new technology in most cases. Food supplies would be limited, there may be water rationing, they would limit fuel for vehicles, and health care would be rationed and then doled out to those that conform. This is how the government could essentially control the masses, by denying them things and then setting up a system so people can only get essentials from the government. Everyone would become a ward of the government and thus would be controlled. Some say we are already there, are we?
There Is Only One Answer
The answer is to be prepared so you do not have to rely on anyone, or any institution for your existence. This is not something you can prepare for a few days in advance of Martial law or any version of it. No one knows if, or when it would happen, so you would have to be prepared for it at all times.
Some of the services you may now receive from the government include food inspections, clean water, commercial airlines, certain transportation systems, and communication networks to include the Internet and cellular services. The government regulates or outright controls many things in our lives, some of which you are not aware are being controlled.
It would be difficult for some and impossible for others to live totally free of the government. If the road in front of your house washes out, who will repair it if not the government and under Martial law the local government is the military. Who would you call if you could not fix it yourself? The power lines are down, the city water supply has been stopped, and public transportation is halted. Help is no longer a phone call away.
Some people, very few however, could live free of the government now, and others would have to learn to live without if something were to happen, while many would simply perish or be commandeered as workers and would essentially work for their subsistence.
You would have to become Self-Sufficient
Self-sufficient means you would need renewable sources of food and water. You would have to develop your own systems that would sustain you essentially forever. In some if not most cases it would take years to get to this point, and many people would not have enough supplies on hand to be able to do this.
You would have to raise your own food and dig your own well (s). Wells plural because one could run dry or become contaminated. You would need to administer medical care to yourself and possibly others, this takes training and supplies. It would not be long before you would have to seek the help of others, others with special skills that you do not possess.
Some believe the government is tracking Preppers so if something does happen the government can swoop in and take their supplies to pass out to the less prepared, or take control of the Preppers for whatever reason.
Some estimates have it at 3 million people who self-describe as survivalist/Preppers. Compared to the 315 million people in this country 3 million represents a very small percentage, so how much in the way of supplies would the government really expect to seize. Every individual or family whether they call themselves a Prepper or not would be expected to have a certain amount of food, water and other supplies in their homes at any one time.
Whether you believe Jade Helm is something more that what the military says it is does not take away from the fact that you need to be prepared. The most sensible way to survive Martial Law is to be self-sustaining. If you have to wander the streets and highways looking for supplies or help, you will get caught up in whatever is going on. Anyone out roaming the streets would be considered part of the problem. Round them all up and let someone else sort it out would be the thinking of most federal troops on the ground.
You cannot prevent Martial Law, you cannot stop training exercises, and you cannot get the government out of your life until you can sustain your own life without the government. You would have to learn to live within the restraints set forth and you can do this and still live under the radar if only you are prepared to do so.
Gpo.Gov. (2011). Retrieved 2015, from http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-112publ81/pdf/PLAW-112publ81.pdf