Is a Coup Possible in the US?

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2004-12-13 05:47pm

No, this is not some conspiracy theory bullshit its a question spurred on by watching a movie a while ago about an attempted coup by an Army General. Do you think that it really is possible that a like minded general who is popular enough with the people and his own troops could stage a coup in the US? Or would he simply fail because there's no way the military or the country for that matter would stand for it? Would the military turn on its own like that without some hesitation? What sort of damage would be acceptable to remove the government if it becomes clear through either a conventional struggle or nuclear blackmail that we may lose a few cities in the process to dig them out?

Alex Moon · Post by **Alex Moon** » 2004-12-13 05:53pm

Wouldn't happen. Any general who tried would find a the rest of the military turned on him pretty quick. No state would support him, not would the population for that matter.

Post by **Coyote** » 2004-12-13 05:57pm

The only way something like that could happen would be if a sitting President performed such a horrific and ethically repugnant feat that the morality of the General involved would not be questioned.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2004-12-13 05:59pm

Coyote wrote:The only way something like that could happen would be if a sitting President performed such a horrific and ethically repugnant feat that the morality of the General involved would not be questioned.

You mean like get a blowjob in the Oval Office?

EDIT: On a more serious note - what about the debate we saw during the Earth Civil War in B5. When is it ever the military's place to question policy or turn on their leadership?

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-12-13 05:59pm

Stravo wrote:
Coyote wrote:The only way something like that could happen would be if a sitting President performed such a horrific and ethically repugnant feat that the morality of the General involved would not be questioned.
You mean like get a blowjob in the Oval Office?

More like genocide, or killing children.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2004-12-13 06:02pm

A coup is always possibul given the right situation. It's just unlikely for that situation to exist in the US any time soon. Certainly if a coup was launched right now it would be an utter failure and would probably fall apart in the space of a few days.

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2004-12-13 06:20pm

Military oaths swear their oaths to the constitution and to defend the country against all enemies foreign and domestic, rather than to any particular sitting President. If the President violated the constitution, they would therefore be technically obligated to remove that President under the "domestic" clause of enemies. However, that obligation is generally regarded as a last resort only to be undertaken after the Supreme Court has formally declared an action unconstitutional and the government has persisted in doing it.

Prozac the Robert · Post by **Prozac the Robert** » 2004-12-13 06:43pm

I suspect the popular support would only materialise if something really bad happened to the economy. These sorts of things tend to only happen when everything looks terrible.

irishmick79 · Post by **irishmick79** » 2004-12-13 06:54pm

Nope, can't see a coup happening. But I CAN see the democratic party unraveling in the near future. Groups like moveon.org and actnow have gotten pretty big thanks to their efforts in the last election, and can seriously challenge the leadership of the DNC since most of their followers are democrats.

Chris OFarrell · Post by **Chris OFarrell** » 2004-12-13 06:55pm

And in the B5 situation, Sheriden also states that their oath is to the constitution, not the President. And clark very clearly had violated the EA constitution several times, then happily disolved the Government bodies that disagreed with him like the Senate. All under the guise of some massive alien plot to take over the EA Government.

Trogdor · Post by **Trogdor** » 2004-12-13 07:46pm

A coup in a country like America usually requires two things: that the current government be decaying and falling apart at the seams, and that the leader of said coup be insanely popular.

Look at Caesar, for example. He wouldn't have had a chance in hell of becoming emperor if the Republic weren't crumbling and if he were as charismatic as he was.

Zed Snardbody · Post by **Zed Snardbody** » 2004-12-13 08:37pm

The closest the nantion ever came was when Truman removed MacArthur. Considering the popularity he enjoyed, he might have been able to pull it off, might though. Big long shot, but I belive its the closest that the nation has ever been to one, and it wasnt very close at all.

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2004-12-13 11:07pm

smedley butler (usmc winner of 2 medal of honors) was hired out to do a coup, due to his massive popularity.

he turned them in, with little result.

Post by **Beowulf** » 2004-12-13 11:11pm

Only realistic way it could happen is if the President starts blatantly violating the Constitution. Otherwise, said general is likely to end up shot by some LT.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-12-13 11:47pm

Haven't you read your Stuart Slade?

Coalition · Post by **Coalition** » 2004-12-14 12:31am

Not much of a chance these days at least, as most of the military is in Iraq.

Even with the military, the General needs a lot of support, and that includes the civilian side. Best bet is if the VP, along with most of the rest fo the staff, is supporting him. Essentially, the President has a 'heart attack', and is taken to a military hospital, and there undergoes care. He could be in a chemical coma for all that matters, but essentially he is no longer fit to run the government.

The VP gets sworn in, and the general resigns due to 'personality conflicts' between him and the new cabinet. Because the new President is not going to trust him at all.

You need a general with enough influence and magnetism to get people onto his side, and the willingness to stand down and let people decide who they want. You also need a president who has (as stated above) openly violated the laws of the country repeatedly.

We don't have that yet (and hopefully won't).

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2004-12-14 02:42am

Other than MacArthur, the closest we've come to the Generals saying 'fuck you' to the President was during Vietnam when the Joint Chiefs almost resigned at a body in August 1967 to protest LBJ's handling of the war.

At the last minute General Wheeler convinced the rest of them to stay on because of fears that such an action would undermine the principle of civilian control of the military.