Detention Camp Jitters

In 1984, the Rex-84 readiness exercise program was conducted by 34 federal departments and agencies, reportedly as an exercise to handle an influx of illegal aliens crossing the Mexican/U.S. border. Brought to Americans' attention during the Iran-contra hearings, the exercise, which was conducted alongside another drill, "Night Train 84," also tested military readiness to round up and detain citizens in case of massive civil unrest.

None of that ever happened, of course, and in many respects, it seems silly to even mention it. After all, other Reagan-era initiatives, like the Armageddon exercises Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld participated in, are far more interesting. Then, too, despite a brief moment of sunlight in the 1970s (when Congress, according to former President and CIA director George H.W. Bush, "unleashed a bunch of untutored little jerks out there"), emergency detention plans had been in place since the 1950s, without incident. Americans have not been herded into camps since World War II, so why worry about it now?

More in link below

http://www.buzzflash.com/farrell/06/02/far06003.html

we've got much more to worry about and work on. Sometimes I think we just enjoy painting the worst scenario.

...nothing to worry about...it'll pass.

I didn't say there was nothing to worry about, or keep track of. And guess what it's not 1938 Germany. It's debatable whether even parallels to 1933 Germany are accurate. My argument is that in order to prevent things from getting to such a desperate place, we need to focus on such matters as getting control of Congress. Wringing our hands and moaning about how we're all about to be thrown into detention camps and martial law is nigh, is self-indulgent and useless. It's not ignoring the dangers to point out that we have more immediate concerns to tackle.

being built.