“The Florida State Guard will be comprised of Floridians, and it will be assigned to assist and help only Floridians,”***

***Unless those Floridians are gay, trans, in a same-sex marriage, vote Democratic, are Black, ex-convicts, undocumented, straight, but want their kids taught accurate history or enjoy drag shows.

Florida’s Fascist requires his own elite SS army corps.

Shall we speculate on the color of their uniforms?

Hmmm…let’s look at some of the options:
1. I’m guessing the Florida pink flamingo color is out. Nothing pink or with rainbows. ☹️
2. Maybe something that combines camo with cabana-wear
3. Most Nazis like the whole intimidating black color…PLUS it will make the white jackboots (or are they called jillboots) POP. https://uploads.disquscdn.c... Unfortunately, black tends to absorb a lot of heat, so it would be more uncomfortable than the camo-cabana-wear.

Please stop posting that photo. Some people are trying to have breakfast.

Straight out of Hitler's playbook. This is really frightening, especially as he has been going around talking to police departments in other states.

the federal government cannot impose policies or penalties on the Florida State Guard

Except for pesky Federal Law which supercedes State Law.

You expect a Republican running for president to be familiar with laws and constitutions and all that stuff? Heck, Trumpy never got it after four years of being in the job.

While we're at it, maybe you can explain how 32 U.S. Code § 109, subsection c somehow does the opposite of what it says:

https://www.law.cornell.edu...

In case you didn't know it, 22 states have active state defense forces. They answer to the head of their state, not the U.S. government.

I'd like to know which federal statute you believe preempts Florida's state law in this regard. I'm serious.

I didn't say he couldn't form a defense force. I was reacting to the sweeping statement that "the federal government cannot impose policies or penalties on the Florida State Guard". The Florida State Guard is still subject to the US Constitution and Federal law in general, where it applies.

Fair enough. I just get a bit tired of people saying that federal law trumps state law, when the supremacy clause applies to things under federal control, and the Tenth Amendment hasn't been repealed.

Bingo

Details.... DeSantis Details....

Good question. Why does DeSantis need a private army?

What fascist fantasy could he have that needs to be enforced?

Floridians need to vote 'correctly' at polling places. And there's no D in the word 'correctly,' only 2 R's

So, vote twice?

Only if you live in The Villages.

Think boxcars and camps

Well, first of all there's us. First the drag queens, then the rest of the gays, then anyone Republicans don't like...except for the Jews. They still need them to bring on the rapture.

Ron's own little Gestapo. What could possibly go wrong?

Currently, twenty-two states and the territory of Puerto Rico have an active duty State Guard or state defense force that answers only to the governor and remains permanently outside the purview and control of the federal government. This is authorized under Title 32 of the U.S. Code, ensuring that these state defense forces operate separately and distinctly from National Guard units.

The states that currently maintain state defense forces are: Alaska, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

[Bolding mine.]

https://americarenewing.com...

The question isn't whether a state can or should have its own State Guard, i.e. militia, the question is why is Ron DeSantis, a man with clear authoritarian tendencies, doing this now and what will he, specifically, make of it?

Also, from that website you quote:

The next generation of American leaders is growing up in a critical point in history, one which has launched a full assault on the core principles that used to be the bedrock of our nation and long since made America thrive as a global leader. Our Judeo-Christian values, the necessity of human dignity, the importance of law and order for a just society, and the Founders’ vision for the country have all become foreign concepts under a tidal wave of progressive ideologies.

[Bolding mine, for obvious reasons. And beware your sources.]

I'm well aware of the political alignment of the source. The clip I shared is simply factual. I knew plenty of other states have state guards, I needed a list, and that site was the first to pop-up with what I needed.

There's hardly a thing that's "simply factual." But fine, I won't belabor the point that you chose an illiberal source when there were plenty of sources without such a slant, and yet you chose to move people's eyes and clicks there. "Beware your sources" wasn't a comment for you, but for others who may read your comment, which for some reason -- wholly a mystery to me -- bolded the Bluer states.

which for some reason -- wholly a mystery to me -- bolded the Bluer states.

The source didn't bold the blue states. I did, as noted in my original comment.

I know you bolded it and not the source, as evidence by the fact I said:

1. "your comment"

2. I parodied you in my original post by saying, "Bolding mine, for obvious reasons." Your reasons for bolding were obvious and I was pointing it out.

Excellent. So you're no longer mystified, I hope.

I was never mystified. You can be quite literal when it suits you. Thank you, though, for your hope regarding my clarity. I'm sure you were being literal when you said it.

Response to your edited comment: "first to pop up?" I don't know what you searched, but Center for Renewing America was nowhere near the top of my search. Even The Heritage Foundation came up before it, though Wikipedia was first.

Here is what I searched. And the top result. Which Google helpfully excerpted.

https://uploads.disquscdn.c...

When phrased that exact way I get the same result. Still, I always consider my source and what it will say about my intention and I assume the same of others. That said, I appreciate your willingness to allow verifiability.

It appears that not all state guards are the same. The California State Guard is part of the California National Guard.

The California State Guard is a component of the California National Guard. The CSG is a volunteer force that supports the state missions and federal readiness of the Army and Air National Guard. CSG service members come from all branches of the military and are citizens with essential skills.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...

The Massachusetts state guard was de-activated in 2016. The only currently active Massachusetts military units are the Lancers (a ceremonial cavalry unit) and the Ancient & Honorable Company of Artillery (dating to 1638, and really a social club for the state's elite).

Got it. Thanks for the update!

https://uploads.disquscdn.c...
.. ,. .,. ...

Nothing says "authoritarian" like your own personal army.

He's already got the uniform. https://uploads.disquscdn.c...

Does that mean the federal govt. doesn't need to supply any aid next time FL is hit with a massive hurricane?

Why yes. Yes it does!

This means Biden needs to send in the national guard

So if he gets his own army, that helps only Florida, then there will be no need for any assistance from the National Guard in case of a hurricane or any other emergency. He'll spend all his money on his hate, but he'll have his hand out in an instant if anything goes wrong.

He already did. I heard of no federal money (or any other assistance) that was refused after the last hurricane, AND he happily took every penny of federal COVID money, then turned around and sat on most of it instead of spending it on the intended purposes

In fact, at one point, he openly bragged that the money he spent on the Martha's Vineyard stunt came from just the interest alone from the COVID funds sitting in Florida's accounts, and there would have been enough left over for several more such stunts

The building of his own SS troops before Fascism takes over the country. Who needs to go to Argentina to hunt for the good old Nazis when Florida is just right there.

This way, even if he doesn't make it as president, he still gets to be commander in chief of his own little fiefdom.

These forces will be specially trained to round up LGBT+ citizens, camps are coming.

At this point, we need Governor Newsom, Governor Hochul, and Governor Pritzker to form a pact to each do everything Florida does. DeSantis targets Disney? Newsom, Hochul, and Pritzker go after Hobby Lobby and Chick-fil-A. DeSantis tells the College Board they have to bow to his "anti-woke" bullshit or be kicked out of Florida? Newsom and Hochul tell the College Board that if they do, they're banned from California, New York, and Illinois. DeSantis wants a private army in Florida? Looks like California, New York, and Illinois need private armies, too. Make sure the Republicans in the federal government know that if they allow this shit, they're signing off on blue states doing it too. DeSantis is engaging in the social equivalent of unilateral nuclear proliferation. It's time for Democratic elected officials to get M.A.D.

At this point, we need Governor Newsom, Governor Hochul, and Governor Pritzker to form a pact to each do everything Florida does.

California and New York already have state guards.

The California State Guard (CSG) (formerly the California State Military Reserve) is a component of the California National Guard (CNG).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...

This won’t start, continue, or end well