One wonders just what sort of movies he’s been watching.
“Help me, step-sergeant, I’m stuck!”
See the problem here, from an outsider perspective, is assessing whether, in a conflict between the oath to the constitution and an order from high command, the US military will fire on US citizens. The bigger worry and risk of dire escalation is US citizens firing on the US military.
This is what I’ve been wondering about. It seems that US citizens have been told since birth that the Second Amendment (the right to bear arms) is there so that no more kings will rule over the United States. The Second Amendment is there to guard against tyrannical rule by a monarch who is way out of his lane in acting like a dictator (cf. George III).
Now, America has a tyrannical ruler who thinks that he is a king. Are Americans picking up their arms? No? Why not? As Republicans tell us, the Second Amendment is to prevent tyrants from taking over. Now that one is, they are strangely silent. In spite of being patriotic Americans who obey the Constitution; they are in obeisance, fealty, and allegiance to their God, Donald Trump.
I’ll say no more.
See what I’m warning against, re: military coups?:
Don’t think that because you are not Brazil you’d be safe from that mentality taking root.
I wish they were. All too many of them are loudly backing the tyrant.
(I grant that I know a couple — not politicians — who have gone rather quiet on the subject of politics lately. I’m not sure whether they’re rethinking things or have just decided that I’m a lost cause.)
Well, historically there were plenty of safeguards, training, and an inculcated apolitical culture. Trump purged that (to a degree) in 2016, and has now in 2.0 burned all of that the ground, pissed on it’s ashes, and is actively (this whole thread) turning it on it’s head. And whether or not we enter into a warmish Civil War (I’d argue we’re in a cool one already and getting warmer by the second) I am not sure we’ll recover from the damage done anymore. He’s proved it’s far too easy, and there’s going to be plenty to learn all the wrong lessons from this set of events - and control of the military and thus it’s own role as a Kingmaker is likely to be a big part of whatever the future holds for the autocratic-types of the future.
The thing about military coups is that they always end up with military guys in power, and Trump ain’t no military guy. The military may seize power in his name, but he’ll end up a figurehead, if he doesn’t suffer an “accident” first. He’s just not one of them, and never will be.
If only he hadn’t developed those bone spurs on his heels 
.
Yes and the other thing is that military guys are… well guys, humans and thus corruptible (and power…), and humans not particularly well versed in governance and/or economics.
Until they messed up, and were decimated. Then there were only 90…..
It may be that they define “tyrant” as someone who opposes white supremacy. Someone who supports white supremacy, by their definition, is no tyrant. Instead he is the Dear Leader.
They will be told two things: one, that their careers and fortunes depend upon their obeying orders to fire on US citizens. And two, that the US citizens they’re asked to fire on are actually Terrorists.
Yes, even if it’s a troop of Cub Scouts.
And then they messed up again and there were only 81…
And then there were 72.9…uh…
Decimation is not taught in schools anymore. It is hard!
Is there any sign of practical results from the speech?
73 Legionnaires but only 729 fingers.
I read that a commander of some sort quit following the speech, but I apologize, I have zero details about that.
Son-in-law was one dragooned into attendance. Silence was deafening. Most comments amongst members were, ‘What changed?’ PT requirements were the same. Will there be changes in recruit treatment? No, there won’t be any romatisized (by Kegsbreath) beatings of trainees. The rest was rah…rah…shit.
Yeah, it has been pointed out in other sources: the standards ARE the standards. If you changed them so that only the top scoring young males even qualify, you’re going to be washing out a whole damn lot of other males too. Including a lot of his preferred clean-shaven, low-BMI, aggressive boys.