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Frankly I'm surprised more people aren't concerned about a military apparatus controlled by a corporation? Isn't this something that is very real in our time and exactly what the founding fathers were concerned about? Isn't this exactly how military coups occurre in the third world?
I could see this happening in many spots around the globe but not so much in America.
Of course we do have important people that travel in bullet and bomb proof vehicles along with their highly armed security details but it is rare.
I think America is more stable than some of these other places where if you have money you are a target.
I do think that we are more "civilized" in that our elected fight it out with words and subversive techniques such as what we are seeing happening with Trump as the Dems attack him on pretty much everything he thinks of doing while others are constantly calling for his impeachment.
I can't help but think about JFK and the possibility that he was assassinated in a type of coup.
Our Gov. is pretty good at breaking up groups of people that may pose a risk and they cal them "cults" to lessen the concerns of citizens when they go in and dismantle them.
I think under the current system of the Second amendment the American public has the opportunity to arm itself up pretty well. Of course people will say how could a small group of militia possibly stand against the might of the US military? I don't know but lets ask the rebels in the Middle East or the Vietcong.
What I'm nervous about is how insane the Left is and what is going to happen when they take the WH again. They tell us that Trump is Hitler, a dictator that is dangerous and wants to destroy the country yet they would tear up the Second amendment and seize all the guns if they could.
What a weird double message?
I think we are pretty safe in America from a forced coup but it could happen close to us in places like Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela and many more.
Yes, it's definitely something to be concerned about. People are very trusting of their own governments, and I think most are willfully naive of the fact that it could happen at some point, even in the US. It's not fun when people realize their supposed protector can turn on them.
A big problem is that the average person has a cartoonish image of what it would look like. They think it'll be one obviously evil guy with a mustache that has blatant control over the population, hangs evil-looking flags and propaganda everywhere, etc.
The reality is that most people, even under very oppressive regimes, lived somewhat normal lives. If you don't put up resistance, you'll probably be alright statistically. It's usually a gradual transition where people get used to the state's presence in their life, and each generation after can't imagine it being any other way.
The ones who die are the ones who draw a line and push back. I hope that push can be done through ideas, but if people start accepting regulations on speech, things may get ugly...add in an economic crash and the door will be open for the state to lock down on its citizens in the name of "public safety".
It's also important to point out that while governments have no problem killing people living under a claimed territory of other governments they often do the most damage to the folks living under their own claimed territories (Mao, Stalin)
I never figured civillians would have to stand up to the combined forces of the USA war machine, but under the privatization of armed services I could see how a force may attempt a coup and the loyalist forces and the civillians may have to combine forces to stop the coup challenge attempt by a "blackwater" type group. Private mercenary forces within our own boarders is pretty dangerous stuff and we have them now...they are still the minority of armed forces but they are wildly growing now and within our lifetime it's possible that these forces would be operating with different agendas and without a care for any democratic vote. Like I said in my OP, privatization of government services don't really bother people when it's zoos, parks, schools and greenskeepers but the freaking MILITARY!!! Take it from a South African farmer....thats DANGEROUS!!!!
The US has always been a nation owned by economic elites. Elections here are just bread and circuses, and always have been. Nothing new.
Having a cache of weapons is not going to protect you if the elites decide to use “hard power” against you.
Incorrect
A well armed populace can thwart the mightiest military's as has been witnessed throughout history. They may not be able to defeat those armies, but neither can the armies defeat them.
Heck, guerrilla warfare has been successfully against us, the British, etc.
The situation after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans was a bit of a wake-up call in my opinion I can only imagine what would happen if instead of a government of by and for the people we had a corporation with a profit motive in charge of search and rescue law enforcement and public service in that kind of situation things could get really dangerous... frankly I was shocked that they rounded up legal firearms people needed to protect themselves in such a dangerous environment thought that was a bit dodgy....I guess martial law was in effect at that point...
That was definitely an overreaction, there are many things they did wrong after Katrina but pointing to one incident over a decade ago where the population was driven by fear doesn't make you case. Just imagine what South Africa would look like if the entire population was armed to the teeth with military weapons, South Sudan, Darfur, Somalia?
That was definitely an overreaction, there are many things they did wrong after Katrina but pointing to one incident over a decade ago where the population was driven by fear doesn't make you case. Just imagine what South Africa would look like if the entire population was armed to the teeth with military weapons, South Sudan, Darfur, Somalia?
Katrina is just one example but it's a damn good one and I'm pretty sure the countries you just mentioned are armed to the teeth with military grade Firearms LOL but the presence of the firearm does not create the violence it's political instability look at Canada eh' they've got lots of firearms and practically no violence because they have great labor laws and carefully control their government through something called democracy... I think we should get some of that here in the United States.
Thanks for the well thought-out response and you've got a good point with those African countries you named but their political turmoil is massive!
Gorilla warfare is extremely effective hopefully it'll never come to that in the United States but the theory that it might could keep the elites from thinking of rolling over the poor masses at least...
I just wonder how the private mercenary armies controled by the highest bidder changes the debate we've been having in this country... prior to the arrival of these mercenary groups during the second phase of the Iraq War we had a military controlled by a democratically-controlled government...it is surprising to me that this fundamental change doesn't strike more people as dangerous for God sake we are talking about a privately controlled military force here!!!
this is a new thing in modern American history, the fact that not enough people are really picking up on the privatization of armed services as a major threat to American sovereignty is beyond me.
As a caveat an Electoral College win is not democratic!
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