How many counries that have been democratic for a generation or more have then been taken over by an authoritarian regime?
Here’s a story of how a democracy can misbehave against its citizens(or in this case-subjects)
In 1980’s here in the UK we had a real bitter strike between the miners and the government,I won’t go into the issues here.
One focal point was at a plant called Orgreave.The strikers would travel from all over to picket this place, so the government gave the police the unprecedented power of denying access to any area by halting traffic and turning people round.(THIS TEMPORARY POWER HAS NOT BEEN WITHDRAWN)No warrants, court orders etc are required.
Mysteriously on one particular day the strikers were allowed through and were even directed to car parking,which was miles from the target,they were then herded to an empty field,as they turned to leave they were charged at by mounted police,many were injured and many were arrested including the strikers leader.
Subsequent T.V footage by the BBC appeared to show the police reacting in self defence in response to attack.
All those arrested were subjected to excusion orders and much later charged, yet, when all these cases came to trial long after the event no reliable evidence could be found ,all the accused were discharged.
Later still the BBC become the subject of an enquiry and it was found that it had falsley edited and misrepresented the events on that day.
Given that the BBC is not independant of government, despite the rhetoric, and the police were undoubtedly used to further the governments political aims I can see how a despotic regime could manipulate public opinion.
Americans are right to be suspicious even in an old democracy we must be watchful.
My attitude to your 2nd amendment is slowly changing.At least I can see it’s merits.
skweels wrote:
Ancient Athens. The Roman Republic.
Oh, you meant modern democracies/republics. Well, from an historical perspective there haven’t been a lot of those until recently. We don’t have a large enough sample to draw conclusions. Time will tell whether our little experiment will succeed.
dont forget hitler… he was voted in by the majority… not only a dictator is a problem but also the majority opressing the minority
Of course not. The orders are illegal because they violate the Constitution. I was not bred to be an Imperial Stormtrooper. For 20 years I took an oath to defend the Constitution and all that it stood for.
In the US military, it is not a suggestion, but a duty to disobey unlawful orders. I don’t care what the domestic or international situation is at the time of your scenario, but it is illegal for the US military to do that.
…send lawyers, guns, and money…
Warren ZevonHear, hear, Bluepony. What would posess a majority of citizens as well as the military and police to reject the constitution and throw their support behind some meglomaniac bent on taking away our rights? Mass education and mass communication have changed society forever. They have given great power to the individual, and we’re not going to organize ourselves for the purpose of giving it up.
Economic collapse. (See my post above.)