The DHS's Latest Toy: "We have Gunports so We can Actually Shoot from Within the Vehicle"

The Department of Homeland Security has acquired an exciting new-ish toy, the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle. See a great video of a proud DHS officer, Robert Whitaker, from El Paso demonstrating his magic mayhem vehicle, paid for by you the taxpayer.

Highlights from his pitch: "Mine resistant….we use to deliver our team to high risk warrant services….if there's an issue…we can shelter in place….10 or 11 operators in here, very tight but we can do it….I'll stand on the MRAP and provide overwatch for team while they are making entry into the house….15 tons is hard to stop so we usually run it on 55 on the freeway….slow taking off but when get going feels like driving a car….even if penetrated by a round the [tires] won't go flat….We have gunports so we can actually shoot from within the vehicle; you may think it's pretty loud but actually it's not too bad…we have gunports there in the back and two on the sides as well."

See former Reason staffer Radley Balko discussing the militarization of police.

Comments

[Bam!]

We have a budget crisis, you say?

[Brutus]

Can you fathom the horror of gunning down 2.3% fewer citizens from the gun ports of this vehicle?

[a better weapon]

Well, 2.3% of the estimated citizen population in 2023 spread out over the next 10 years, to be more precise.

[DJF]

And don't worry that the always claiming to be short of cash US Military will fall behind in the light armored vehicle race. They are planning to buy 55,000 of them even though they had just bought tens of thousands for Iraq and Afghanistan wars

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J.....al_Vehicle

[Drake]

It is replacing the armored Humvee which is pretty well at the end of its service life.

If they had any rains, the Army would buy something far cheaper to get around in when they don't need the armor. Like a stripped down Jeep Cherokee or Compass with some brackets for mounting radios and crap.

But that wold mean not wasting $ millions.

[Brandon]

you may think it's pretty loud but actually it's not too bad

Well good, I'm glad our occupiers are comfortable. Asshole.

[Brandon]

And speaking of assholes, Robert Reich has no shame:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....03771.html

He actually typed this sentence: If Robert Kennedy were alive today he'd condemn the Tea Party Republicans (and the Koch Brother billionaires who fund them) for violating the basic ideal of social justice that's the moral foundation of this nation.

[fish]

And speaking of assholes, Robert Reich has no shame

Weekend thread concerning what a demowhore Reich is!

[Brandon]

I don't do Reason on weekends. My weekends are happy time.

[fish]

I can't fault you there!

Rest assured "The Worlds Littlest Economist" was justifiably and comprehensively mocked over the weekend here at H&R!

[Pro Libertate]

Before going down the shortness road too far, note that Milton Friedman was very short, too.

[fish]

Yeah but he's not nearly as mockable as "4 ft of Fury".

[Way Of The Crane]

Before going down the shortness road too far, note that Milton Friedman was very short, too.

Yeah, but I hear he had really big feet.

[Brutus]

More moral sanctimony and greasy collectivism per inch than anywhere outside the People's Republic of Oz.

[crashland]

Fucking midgets got no reason to live

[itsnotmeitsyou]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NvgLkuEtkA

[Bill]

What could possibly go wrong?

[H. ReardEn]

DHS was created to defend us against terrorists. Since when do we serve warrants on terrorists? Do domestic terrorists protect their domiciles with mines?

Exactly Bill, what could possibly go wrong?

[CatoTheElder]

These are essential to officer safety.

Now the cops won't have to borrow tanks from the military to crash into compounds to toss the "burners".

[MikeP]

I now know 17 people that can be furloughed 5 days a week until September.

[fish]

They like these cop SUV's so much they ordered 2700 more of them!

[hamilton]

2700. Holy Buddha's left nut WTF would a domestic agency do with that many of these goddam things?

[Brett L]

IF they're anything like my local sheriff's office, ride around with hardons in every parade in the county.

[Anonymous Coward]

I want to make some toilet paper with the Posse Comitatus Act printed on it, then sell it to federal government at an inflated price.

[Fist of Etiquette]

WHAT ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT?

[fish]

Hey...if it takes ....err saves one childs life then it's worth it!

[JW]

It gets 40 terrorists to the gallon. What else would you want?

Hybrids would only embolden Al Queda.

[Mark W. Bennett]

"Operators"?!?

[Chris Mallory]

How else can they pay SEAL TEAM USA!! if they don't call themselves "operators"?

[Chris Mallory]

play

[Chris Mallory]

This thing will be next to useless in an urban area. Without infantry clearing the second stories of any nearby buildings this thing is just a giant rolling oven. Toss a couple Molotovs and scoot.

[Virginian]

That's why they're buying 27000 of them.

[a better weapon]

The MRAPV will be fine. The flaming rag of a molotov will light up the sensor camera of every domestic drone in the sky. They'll probably refer to each other as thunder and lightning when they radio for support too. Lots of authoritarian fist bumping will be had.

[Sevo]

"They'll probably refer to each other as thunder and lightning when they radio for support too."

And that would be Lance radioing Moose, right?

[phandaal]

Happens to cost about $500k a pop, not counting maintenance.

[crashland]

Well... freedom isn't free there's a hefty fucking fee

[phandaal]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVkTmnJkAN8

It costs a buck oh' five!

[Drake]

I'm sure it gets great mileage. Is it a hybrid?

[Hyperion]

Our government has officially reached a level of paranoia that will inevitably result in a police state. We are already there, actually. Indefinite detention without trial, militarized goon squads. What are we missing?

[Warty]

I can't wait till you get disappeared, you prick.

[Hyperion]

And here I had recommended you for the vacant pope job. I withdraw my recommendation, asshole!

[Warty]

*disappears Hyperion*

[itsnotmeitsyou]

Assassination of American citizens without due.... Wait, Nevermind.

[Chris Mallory]

Make sure your compound has anti tank ditches.

[bmp1701]

And a couple Kornets.

[Warty]

Cronies must get cronied.

[Brett L]

They didn't spend all that money pitching the MRAP so we could pull out of Iraq before they finished forcing them on the Army and Marines.

[sloopyinca]

Hey, Warty. My ex-wife is taking my kids to Cleveland for spring break to visit some of her husband's family. She asked me what was worth visiting. I told her I-71 and I-77 South were both nice but had nothing else to offer. Any other suggestions?

[db]

Spring Break in Cleveland. Wow, thanks Mom.

[sloopyinca]

I know, right? If they would have stayed with me, they could have spent it slaughtering pigs and shooting guns.

[itsnotmeitsyou]

Can I come down from this hellhole and do that with you? Definately sounds better than spending a week here.

[sloopyinca]

Guests are always welcome. We've got a couple of rooms for anybody that wants to help in killing...or drinking ourselves into a stupor (and then killing).

[ant1sthenes]

You openly admit you're going to be using your guns to slaughter the pigs, eh, mr. bigorati? Welp, see you in the news tomorrow after the raid on your compound.

[itsnotmeitsyou]

She can come look at both of our buildings...

Depending on what the kids are into and age. Our zoo is really nice, as is our new aquarium.

The Rock and Roll hall of fame is always a popular destination for music buffs.

We have a few decent museums in the area if they're looking for educational stuff. The art museum in Cleveland is nice, as is the Natural History Museum or the Western Reserve Historical Society.

[crashland]

Why does your ex hate your kids so much?

The rock n' roll hall of fame is worth checking out if you are already visiting the mistake on the lake.

[sloopyinca]

Why does your ex hate your kids so much?

Not sure. On a positive note, her husband grew up a coupe of doors down from the house in A Christmas Story, and will be staying there, so it's not all lost.

[db]

As I keep saying, it's another way to get a stealth stimulus in the economy.

1. Defense contractors continue to get paid
2. Mechanics leaving the military can get hired by the police to maintain them.
3. Soldiers and Marines will be able to take police jobs in the US rather than come home to a distressingly bad job market.

[The Late P Brooks]

Those will come in handy when they come to audit your firearm permits and inspect your secure storage confiscate your guns.

[bmp1701]

Or when they need to raid Gibson Guitar again. Federal agents never know when they might come up against an opponent who wields the Power of Rock.

[CE]

Or to shut down raw milk distributors.

[The Late P Brooks]

we use to deliver our team to high risk warrant services

Or when the Planning and Zoning Department wants to tear down your kid's tree house.

[Josua]

Platter charge.

[Brendan]

I have this vision of someone on the outside putting a flamethrower to an open gunport.

[Nick Griffin]

Budget issues? Fuck that. They are planning to use that war machine on people here in the USA.