Third Army / U.S. Army Central (ARCENT) / the Combined Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC) operates the Army's Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System (DVIDS). DVIDS describes itself on its FAQ page:

The Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System (DVIDS) is provided as a public service operated by Third Army/U.S. Army Central (ARCENT) on behalf of the Department of the Army in support of all branches of the U.S. military and its Coalition partners serving in the U.S. Forces Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility. . . .

In short, DVIDS is an official public affairs outlet of the Army and the Department of Defense.



DVIDS recently published an article titled “Veterans take up new ‘occupation’,” and the first two paragraphs read as follows:

SAN DIEGO -- “You see people waving the flag, but you never see anyone waving the Constitution,” said Muhammed Abdullah, an Occupy San Diego protester and Marine Corps Persian Gulf War veteran.

Amid the boldly scrawled signs calling for change, Guy Fawkes masks and curious onlookers, camouflage uniform items and brightly-printed hats recalling military service dotted the scene at the San Diego Civic Center, Nov. 8...

Thus, a component of the U.S. Department of Defense has issued a friendly press release on the Occupy Wall Street insurgency and all that it stands for, going so far as to note the anarchist masks of Guy Fawkes and not batting an eye about it or all the purported former and current servicemembers supporting this extremist group.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, though. After all, the U.S. government-funded Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) regularly run friendly pieces on the #OWS insurgency.

RFE/RL: “In United States, ‘Occupy Wall Street’ Movement Gains Supporters” (Oct. 5)

RFE/RL: “Protesters March Globally Against Corporate Greed” (Oct. 16)

RFE/RL: “New York Police Raid ‘Occupy Wall Street’ Camp” (Nov. 15)

VOA: “‘Occupy Wall Street’ Movement Gains Size, Support” (Oct. 17)

VOA: “Grassroots, Labor Support for ‘Occupy Wall Street’” (Oct. 19)

VOA: “Muslim Groups Back Occupy Wall Street Protesters” (Oct. 22)

VOA: “Occupy Wall Street Protesters Reflect US Diversity” (Oct. 28)

VOA: “Minority Groups Show Solidarity With ‘Occupy’ Protest Movement” (Nov. 8 )

VOA: “Faith Plays Role in Occupy Wall Street Sense of Morality” (Nov. 15)

Even when VOA runs a story with a headline that might indicate that it’s revealing the true nature of the #OWS insurgency (“Occupy Wall Street Neighbors: ‘We’re Under Siege’”), the actual story makes sure to counterpoint those who object to #OWS.

What this all means is that the U.S. Armed Forces and government apparently see nothing wrong with an avowed group of anarchists and communists who have openly aligned with the Arab Spring (HT: Big Government), the Middle Eastern movement that has violently toppled governments. The U.S. government apparently sees nothing wrong with an avowed group of anarchists and communists who are openly supported by those who run Islamic theocracies overseas, who are mass criminals, and who have stated that they want violence and wish to overthrow the Constitution so they can replace it with absolute tyranny. [Follow the link to AR 600-20 (“Army Command Policy”) and go to section, “4-12. Extremist organizations and activities,” and then consider how the #OWS insurgency relates to this regulation.]

All this is good to know, of course. After all, I now no longer need to worry that anything I write might be used against me because I have never come anywhere close to suggesting or endorsing the overthrow of the U.S. government. But then again, maybe I do need to worry, because it is people such as me who play by the rules, abide by the law, and who never resort to violence or illegality no matter what is done to us who end up being demonized and persecuted precisely because of this—because leftists know that we are not lawless or violent and thus will allow them to do anything they want to us without fear of retribution or consequence to them.

Robert Spencer wrote a column called “Useful Idiots’ Stockholm Syndrome” in which he rightfully criticized the American hikers freed from Iran. But while one normally thinks of Stockholm Syndrome as being induced by the hostage takers, as Spencer hints (but does not explicitly say), it was leftist Americans that induced the Stockholm Syndrome of the hikers. In fact, the left has induced Stockholm Syndrome in the entire nation (thus the Democratic Party remains a viable and legitimate political party). And a nation that has Stockholm Syndrome is indeed a nation in trouble.

One final thought for any real servicemembers (that’s an intentional lowercase “s”) who support #OWS—this group of anti-foundational-American creeps who hate you and want to destroy you. Why don’t you go join Code Pink too and help yet another group that hates you, one that is actively and openly working to defeat, maim, and kill you? Think this is absurd to suggest? Not at all. After all, Code Pink supports #OWS.