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Sigaba - have you read "The Collapse of Complex Societies" by Tainter? It's an interesting theory by a well-respected anthropologist. If nothing else, the language he uses is brilliant.

It occurs to me that martial law might not occur as a result of totalitarian tendencies, but rather as a response to societal breakdown. As such, the troops might not be the target of resentment, but rather a welcome sign of order.

Richard points out that post-Katrina New Orleans may not be replicated elsewhere; however, if we suppose an underlying failure of civil government, then different locations might exhibit divergent symptoms. As one example, we might ask what happens if a city cannot pay the garbage workers. If the trash stacks up, the chances for disease increase. The garbage workers might refuse to work if they were not paid. How, then, does government address the problem? The military might be used in such a manner, although whether it should be is a different matter. Likewise, the proposed civilian service corps might fulfill such functions.

Such a developing tendency toward federalization of formerly local functions might lead to a totalitarian state. However, such a state may not succeed in implementing its aspirations. I have heard it said that logistics is critical; but as civil society weakens, the essentials of logistics - the bullets and beans - become more problematic. The pronouncements of Baghdad Bob are, perhaps, suggestive of such a condition.