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EarlG

(23,192 posts)
1. Sure do
Mon Jul 28, 2025, 03:43 PM
Jul 28

This one wasn't FEMA specific, but it's likely to ring some bells given what's been happening recently:

The Jade Helm 15 conspiracy theories were based on the Jade Helm 15 United States military training exercise, which took place in multiple U.S. states between July 15 and September 15, 2015. The exercise, which involved 1,200 personnel from four of the five branches of the U.S. military, was designed to train soldiers in skills needed to operate in overseas combat environments, including maneuvering through civilian populations. The announcements of these training exercises raised concerns and generated conspiracy theories, mostly from Alex Jones, that the exercise was a hostile military takeover.

(snip)

The conspiracy theories seem to emanate from the map shown here from the U.S. Army Special Operations Command which divides the region into four colors, with two "hostile" states, two "permissive" states, two states leaning one way or the other, and California divided. Jim Shea of the Hartford Courant wrote that the conspiracy theories included: a "psychological operation aimed at getting people used to seeing military forces on the streets" ...

(snip)

On April 28, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Texas State Guard to monitor the operation, writing: "During the training operation, it is important that Texans know (that) their safety, constitutional rights, private property rights and civil liberties will not be infringed", and requesting "regular updates on the progress and safety of the Operation". Abbott received significant bipartisan criticism. One critic was Republican state representative Todd Smith, who said Abbott was "pandering to idiots" at taxpayers' expense.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade_Helm_15_conspiracy_theories

Fast forward ten years...

Speaking at a press conference in Los Angeles on Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the Trump administration will “liberate this city” from its democratically elected leaders.

Noem’s remarks come as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents continue to carry out raids in Los Angeles, where President Donald Trump has deployed 4,000 National Guardsmen and 700 Marines over the objection of Governor Gavin Newsom and other state and city leaders.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/kristi-noem-declares-we-are-here-to-liberate-los-angeles-from-burdensome-leadership/ar-AA1GBZSv

Turns out a lot of this conspiracy theory stuff was actually a playbook for the RW's darkest desires.

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