Private Miltias debate.

Yossarian

Forum Resistance Leader
The topic here is simple, this thread is a simple debate on the community's views on private militias in Western Society.

Particularly the type of militias that have sprang up in a rapid fashion throughout countries like the U.S. in recent years.

All I am looking for is some honest opinions, whatever they maybe on the matter in your own words, not links to news articles.

I will start with mine:

I feel that the U.S. media has done great strides to demonize private militias forming all around the U.S. And that Congress has scoffed at the idea dispite the rise in the forming of militias.

Furthermore, I also see that many of the miltias seemed to be composed of individuals who really don't have any clear purpose, and that the mere participation in a militia seems to be almost for a recreational purpose.

Thus Far I also notice that many of the privately started militias are really, at least in my experiance with them, just harmless, composed mainly if not in some rare cases entirely of ex military or law enforcement personel, who for the most part take no interest in disrupting our society or in any acts of violence. And really seem and often state that they just wish to help better their communities, participate in preaching and spreading awareness of the rights given by the U.S. Constitution in a nonvoilent fashion.


HOWEVER,

Another more alarming trend I have noticed in the expolsion of private militas in my country at least, is that a very small number does seek out and encourage armed confrontation with government on almost any level, and a number of these "3 percenters" are based off racial or ethnic hatred for their core values.

It's these small number of radicals that not only seems to put the idea (which actually is cemented into law since the founding of this country) of a private civilian militia in the unnessary and negative media and government spotlight. But seems to jepordize many rights we now enjoy via the protection offered by the U.S. Constitution.


Any thoughts on the matter of armed private militas in Western Soceity?

Also note by private, I do not mean corporate sponsored, or in anyway affiliated with a business, I mean by average citizens who are not or no longer assosiated with traditional military or law enforcment services.
 
Last edited:
All I am looking for is some honest opinions, whatever they maybe on the matter in your own words, not links to news articles.
Opinions count for nothing other than your own self satisfaction. Unless you include facts the whole discussion is pointless. also are you just talking of those ratbag groups who operate within the US playing at being soldiers on weekends, or are you talking of all private militias?

Anyway,... As far as I know, some private militias such as Blackwater, Sandline etc., contravene Article 47 Sections (a) (b)(c) and (e) of the Geneva protocols
(a) is especially recruited locally or abroad in order to fight in an armed conflict;
(b) does, in fact, take a direct part in the hostilities;
(c) is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a Party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar ranks and functions in the armed forces of that Party;
(e) is not a member of the armed forces of a Party to the conflict;

This puts them in legal no man's land if captured. The US has already made several rulings on militias in relation to such forces as "The Mahdi army" etc. All I can say is, "What is good for the Goose,...."

Also in the US, there is the matter of The Anti-Pinkerton Act.
The Anti-Pinkerton Act of 1893 (5 U.S.C. § 3108) forbade the U.S. Government from using Pinkerton National Detective Agency employees, or similar private police companies. In 1977, the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals interpreted this statute as forbidding the US Government's employing companies offering mercenary, quasi-military forces for hire.
 
Last edited:
It's butchery of my threads like that , where I can at least walk away from it learning something new, now when some local commander appears on C Span again I have a legal historical basis to anaylize this more recent phenomon on militia groups.

As for fighting for gain, I really feel a large number of these groups are people who just basically don't have a clear group goal or stated purpose and make very little impact on their social surroundings, and pretty much just want to either relive some military past service glory days or just want to get out the house with a new hobby.

That conclusion for the exsistance for many of the groups is logical in thought.

As for that first bit on opinions, I am trying to say this without sinking my own thread, but I agree there as well, but it is almost impossible in any human interaction to avoid the influence of opinions no matter how big or small of a influence upon judegment they would make, especially in a debate like this.
 
Unfortunately, it is the private militias that give legitimate state militias, or state guards, a bad wrap. When I first joined the Virginia Defense Force, I had a hard time convincing my friends that I was not joining a politically radical group but was enlisting in an organization sanctioned by State Code (Title 44, Section 75 in Virginia) and Federal Code (Title 32, Section 109). If a group of individuals wishes to serve their country and their state but in a limited fashion, they should join a Federally recognized state militia.
As for fighting for gain, I really feel a large number of these groups are people who just basically don't have a clear group goal or stated purpose and make very little impact on their social surroundings, and pretty much just want to either relive some military past service glory days or just want to get out the house with a new hobby.
Which is essentially what the core of most state militias are made up of. The majority of the officer ranks and senior NCO/warrant ranks in the VDF are made up of men and women who served actively in the armed forces, left for whatever reason but still felt a desire to serve. Private militia's are wholly unnecessary, especially when so many states have militias of their own.
 
Back
Top