# Is there any real risk of a right wing coup de etat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 22, 2010, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408 "2010-03-22T23:15:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408/1 "2010-03-22T23:15:42Z")
Due to minor changes to our health insurance system, many right wingers are exploding with rage. So my question is, is there any real risk of a political coup or meaningful domestic terrorism (meaningful implying the development of cells like the weather underground or KKK) as a byproduct of all this rage? I realize this is a polarized issue and I’m not saying terrorism/coups are solely right wing, but as of 2010 I don’t see left wingers calling for domestic terrorism and coups. Back in the 60s and 70s, yes left wingers were calling for coups and terrorism. But I am talking about the situation today. I’m going to say no. If political society survived the 60s and 70s, I’m sure it’ll be fine today. From my understanding when there is a right wing coup due to anger over left wing government policy, it usually comes from within the military or with the support of soldiers and veterans and led by officers. And I hope the military has a good handle on those things. And most of the most angry people seem to be at least 50, and a good majority do not seem like active soldiers or veterans. FTR, there was a near coup in 1933 against FDR. But like the formula I was talking about earlier, it was made up of WW1 veterans in their 30s and supposed to be led by a general. There is no pool of young, healthy veterans to pick from like there was in the aftermath of WW1 (the veterans of Iraq/Afghanistan only make up about 0.2% of the population) and do not seem to be among the ones calling for violence. Many of the ones screaming the loudest right now, again, seem to be geriatric or near it. The average talk radio/fox listener is about 66 years old. So I’m guessing more lone gunmen, more isolated incidents. Maybe a resurgence of militia style attacks. But no real threats to political stability. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408/2 "2010-03-22T23:21:32Z")
Oh abso-freaking-lutely. And after we conquer the pinko-commies, we’re gonna impregnate your women and eat your babies. Because everyone to the right of John-frakking-Lennon is just a mean old horrible person who can’t possibly have any common sense or redeeming qualities. BOOGA-BOOGA. Live in fear, lefties. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408/3 "2010-03-22T23:26:25Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > FTR, there was a near coup in 1933 against FDR. But like the formula I was talking about earlier, it was made up of WW1 veterans in their 30s and supposed to be led by a general. Actually, [it was made of businessmen,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_plot) and it never got so far as to count as a “near coup.” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408/4 "2010-03-22T23:29:25Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > So I’m guessing more lone gunmen, more isolated incidents. Maybe a resurgence of militia style attacks. But no real threats to political stability. Agreed. The only thing that conceivably could threaten political stability in the U.S. in the near future is an even more severe economic meltdown. (If a Peak Oil crisis pokes its head over the horizon, that’s when you should start hoarding ammo and canned goods.) ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408/5 "2010-03-22T23:31:32Z")
No, no, no. A coup is made by people in power, usually the military, who use their positions of power to leverage themselves into a new government through illegal means. The right-wing populist rage is much broader and lower-down than that. Were the right-wing radicals to try to take over the government, we’d call it a revolution, not a coup. Whether _that’s_ likely is a different question. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408/6 "2010-03-22T23:32:21Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Actually, [it was made of businessmen,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_plot) and it never got so far as to count as a “near coup.” It was funded by businessmen, but made up of 500,000 WW1 veterans led by a general who turned on the plotters. They wanted Butler to lead veterans organizations which would give him hundreds of thousands of veterans under his command. Had he been willing to join the plot, and had he taken several hundred thousand veterans to DC under the guise of protesting, he probably could have done something. Either way, even if he did take over the capital I don’t know why the army wouldn’t just take it right back. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408/7 "2010-03-22T23:33:00Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Oh abso-freaking-lutely. And after we conquer the pinko-commies, we’re gonna impregnate your women and eat your babies. Because everyone to the right of John-frakking-Lennon is just a mean old horrible person who can’t possibly have any common sense or redeeming qualities. > > BOOGA-BOOGA. > > Live in fear, lefties. > > :rolleyes: You got the same email that I did! Didn’t you see that we weren’t supposed to tell them yet? That’s Rush’s job. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408/8 "2010-03-22T23:33:15Z")
None. Zero. You won’t see any increase in any attacks whatsoever. I’ll tell you, the left is just as guilty of invoking the bogeyman as the right is. No disaster is going to come to pass as a result of health care reform. Even if it doesn’t work, it’ll just be an expensive mistake. And the right loonies won’t do anything at all no matter what they say they will do, so stop worrying about it. Geez. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408/9 "2010-03-22T23:39:30Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > You got the same email that I did! Didn’t you see that we weren’t supposed to tell them yet? That’s Rush’s job. I’m waiting on approval for my psychological warfare campaign. I plan to use subliminal advertising on PBS/NPR stations to turn liberal elitists into NRA members. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408/10 "2010-03-22T23:41:55Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > And the right loonies won’t do anything at all no matter what they say they will do, so stop worrying about it. Geez. Hello? it’s not like they haven’t threatened, attacked and killed people in the past. Why would they suddenly become more pacifistic? ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408/11 "2010-03-22T23:43:53Z")
My father is a right wing (although socially liberal) retired mechanical engineer who listens to Rush and Beck daily. He also owns several rifles, shotguns, and pistols. I’ve always wanted to be a mole in a burgeoning underground organization! I’ll keep you posted. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408/12 "2010-03-22T23:44:17Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > It was funded by businessmen, but made up of 500,000 WW1 veterans led by a general who turned on the plotters. > > They wanted Butler to lead veterans organizations which would give him hundreds of thousands of veterans under his command. Had he been willing to join the plot, and had he taken several hundred thousand veterans to DC under the guise of protesting, he probably could have done something. > > Either way, even if he did take over the capital I don’t know why the army wouldn’t just take it right back. Considering what had quite recently happened to the [Bonus Army,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonus_Army) I wonder why anyone thought otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408/13 "2010-03-22T23:44:29Z")
I wouldn’t call requiring everyone to buy health insurance to be a minor change. That said, you don’t have enough of a real impact on the majority of people to create the groundswell needed for a coup or revolution. I agree - it will take a much larger economic meltdown for people to revolt. You will also need the right people to be feeling pain. ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408/14 "2010-03-22T23:46:24Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > is there any real risk of a political coup? The thing is, we already have an established mechanism in place for political coups. Happens every two years in the House of Representatives, to a third of the Senators every two years, and to the Presidency every four years. That tends to take the steam out of the more violent kind of coup. I will concede that we did have a civil war once, but that was a special case. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408/15 "2010-03-22T23:46:27Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > He also owns several rifles, shotguns, and pistols. You mean he **USED TO** , before the tragic boating accident I’m sure he meant to tell you about… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408/16 "2010-03-22T23:48:01Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Hello? it’s not like they haven’t threatened, attacked and killed people in the past. Why would they suddenly become more pacifistic? So have left wing loonies. Maybe we oughta lock them up, just to be safe. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408/17 "2010-03-22T23:49:38Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > You mean he **USED TO** , before the tragic boating accident I’m sure he meant to tell you about… > 😉 Well, I guess it’s hard to have a revolution if Obama takes away all the guns first. Damn, they’ve thought of everything! ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408/18 "2010-03-22T23:52:21Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > So I’m guessing more lone gunmen, more isolated incidents. Maybe a resurgence of militia style attacks. It wouldn’t surprise me if more guys do stuff like that prick that crashed his plane into an IRS building last month. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408/19 "2010-03-22T23:53:57Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > So have left wing loonies. Maybe we oughta lock them up, just to be safe. Don’t be silly. First, I didn’t call for anyone to be locked up. And second,there’s a rather large difference between violence by fringe leftists that went on before most people now alive were born, and between right wing violence in recent history or ongoing by people who are if not the right wing mainstream, very close to it. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408/20 "2010-03-23T00:00:37Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Don’t be silly. First, I didn’t call for anyone to be locked up. And second,there’s a rather large difference between violence by fringe leftists that went on before most people now alive were born, and between right wing violence in recent history or ongoing by people who are if not the right wing mainstream, very close to it. Right. Just like I pointed out in post#2. Anybody to the right of John Lennon is **EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVUUUUULLLLLLL**. No lefty anywhere has ever done or said anything close to being wrong. Even when eeeeeeeevvvvuuuuullll persons to the right of Lennon claim that a lefty did something wrong, it wasn’t really wrong and doesn’t matter. Because people to the right of Lennon are eeeeeeevvvvvuuuuuulllll. Now gimme a drumstick off that baby. Yum-yum. :rolleyes: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-risk-of-a-right-wing-coup-de-etat/533408.md?page=2)