Original story published on the Internet
David Sadler For Congress (2002) 12th CD/Illinois

What if:There was a domestic military coup in the US?
by David Sadler
www.david-sadler.org
Published Thursday, July 31, 2003
Revised: Thursday, August 1, 2003

The caution James Parsons puts forth in his email below is valid. On the other side of national revolution is uncertainty at best. We are no longer an isolated continent with a common dream and agenda. Chaos, derision and battles for power would rule the day. We are the world now, and the world engages in perpetual violent overthrow, civil war and regional war.

We can no longer simply fear the results of a coup to dethrone 'elected' tyrants. Our military has morphed, notwithstanding civilian control. If the tyrants control the military, and if the military has become Eisenhower's dreaded Military Industrial Complex, then, it is already out of control and presents a threat to the American people.

There are plenty of news sources reporting on the Pentagon's efforts to surveil, track and identify every person in the US. Couple this with the other police state organs being birthed on a monthly basis. One is compelled to question our destiny as a free nation. Just what are our options when it comes to preserving our individual liberty and national sovereignty under the US Constitution should the ballot box continue to prove futile in turning out the system?

DO NOT FORGET, that in the 1960s or 1970s, the military was asking on certain forms if a recruit or candidate would hesitate to fire upon American citizens if they refused to give up their weapons. This was big news at the time. Remember?

We are now 30 years +/- down the road from the beginning of that screening and selection process. We have both military and militarized law enforcement units who murdered American citizens at Waco. We have a sniper that shot an unarmed American woman in the head while she was holding her baby at Ruby Ridge. We have SWAT units that know full well there is the possibility they could have the wrong drug house who go in anyway with guns blazing.

We now have entire units of military, intelligence and law enforcement who view the American people as the enemy!

When I view the big picture of our current situation, I don't see individual American GIs serving their country. I see brainwashed products of the public indoctrination centers who know nothing about the US Constitution and our Founders' philosophies of individual liberty, limited government and aversion to foreign entanglements. To a very large extent, today's GIs represent a threat to America and each and every individual American and visitor to America. They might as well be Russian or Chinese invading soldiers. The result would be the same, if certain units were ordered to 'pacify' American citizens.

Has anyone asked themselves where does the military get all these volunteers willing to invade nations not threatening them and after three days in the desert viewing the innocent people as 'cancer' and our military as the 'cure?' Ever wonder why new recruits can't remember anything about the fallacies, forgeries, false pretexts and uselessness of the 'last' war? Give a test on the constitution and our founding fathers' aversion to foreign entanglements to new recruits. Has anyone seen Jay Leno's segment, 'Jay Walking?'

This is a broad generalization, to be sure. Of course, there are individual military personnel, even in the highest ranks, who are informed and true patriots and who honor the US constitution. In a time of such crisis, they undoubtedly would refuse unconstitutional orders and defend the American people from a tyrant or coup intending harm upon the American populous.

In summary: Anyone who thinks national armed revolution is the solution is concentrating on the opening instead of the end game. The results are unknowable. However, one can look overseas to see that world history offers many cases-in-point to such societal collapse. On the other hand, there are many lessons available to the observer to show that when tyranny comes to a nation, the military is often coopted by the tyrants to impose their tyranny on the people. One can no longer count on civilian control of the military to protect the American people from oppression by its own government.

It is not a pretty picture with a happy ending. America is a terrible situation, and I frankly can not see the end game to restore us to our prior state of bliss.

David Sadler



----- Original Message -----
From: "Parsons, James B." jparsons@rose.edu
Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2003 2:59 PM
Subject: Re: [GOP-Liberty] what if?

When considering whether individual servicemen or women should be held accountable, keep in mind something that most Americans take for granted - the concept of civilian control of the military.

When I was in, I used to think about it a lot. It's not just a matter of following immediate orders. Frankly, it's a matter of what poses the greater danger to liberty, following an order that makes the service person uncomfortable or being part of a military that disregards that concept of civilian control of the military.

Most of the nations around the world that were once European colonies became military dictatorships at one point or another in their history. We, and a few others, didn't. There are reasons for that.

I remember those cutsy days of the 60s and 70s and all I can say is we should consider ourselves fortunate that American military personnel don't routinely disregard the wishes of the civilians in charge. The problem is with the civilian authorities; not the personnel of the armed forces under their control.

Not to say that there won't times when individuals in the military should say no, and refuse to carry out orders. But no one should advocate that it be done lightly and without serious consideration. If that ever happens, the people who advocate service people refusing to follow orders may get what they want - and may not like it.


Revision Notes

2003.08.01: Credited James Parsons with his first name. Credited President Eisenhower with the term Military Industrial Complex and linked to his famous speech. Added google search for Pentagon efforts to track and spy on American citizens.