American coup d'etat?

[Guest Sheri-bi]

In the next 20 years, I expect to see an American coup d'etat. The economy will continue to generate mostly low paying jobs. The safety net will continue to shrink. The gap between the rich and poor will continue to grow and the middle class will get smaller. A charismatic progressive will win a presidential election and attempt to tax the rich at high rates. The rich will turn to the military (by then an even more extreme right wing organization) and depose the president. The American experiment in democracy will be over.

Too bleak?

[VickySGV]

Not bleak, but a good plot for your first novel.

Not all the rich are that right wing, and the idea of the rich being the source of all evil has been disproved many times during my life time. You actually sound more than a little 60's with that analysis, which was common before the time of JFK. Oh well, the joys of my youth.

[JJ]

You forget that America was started by rich liberals in an era of haves and have nots with precious little middle class, If ever there was going to be an end to democracy here it would have been during the great depression or in the riots of the 60s I believe,

As a person who grew up in a wealthy liberal household with heavy political involvement and a degree I could have separated in to two when I graduated (Changes in the my university policy my last semester) one of which was Political Science I believe that in many ways we are more actually democratic than at any time in our history..

I also believe the cultural context of the American people would prevent any sort of coup d'etat. Nor is our military of the mindset that would lend itself to that.

I'm not saying that democracy will last forever or that we can't crumble from within but we are a much tougher and more resiliant people than most realize.

It could and has happened elsewhere with a dufferent cultural and political heritage but not here. Just doesn't fit the American psyche.

Johnny

Johnny

[Guest ~Brenda~]

My worry is for the world at large. I doubt that a coup will appear here in the US limited by only American concerns.

If a coup was ever contemplated it would be the result of radicals or the desperation of those who lost everything because the world shifted dramatically.

We are all headed for a world wide economic collapse far greater than ever seen before in the history of human kind. It wont be in the next 20 years, it will happen in less than five.

When the Euro falls so will all other economies.

The real fundamental issue is this...

All current economies are structured from a time where the thought that economic growth is infinite so betting on the future was the norm. This has led us into a futures and debt driven world economy. The reality is the the world is a closed environment wit limitations. What this means is that world economic growth has a limit. It is not infinite. Consequently, the futures betting will have to stop and the current worldwide debt will default. This is inevitable as the world adjusts to a a finite growth economy.

Unfortunately, this fundamental shift in economy and governments will be painful to the scale of a worldwide revolution in thought.

Brenda

[Guest MsGsptlsnz]

In the past I have argued in favor of a military coup followed by the establishment of a monarchy composed of the families of retired Generals and Admirals. Dispensing with the facade of democracy and cutting the averge person out of politics. The idea has it's good points. No more elections means no more money in politics. No more elections means an end to the divisive nature of the right vs left spectrum. If it was clear to everyone that their views would never have any effect on the governing of the nation then people wouldn't bother with hating their poltical opposites. If anything it would clean up the AM band of the radio real quick!

I don't see much of a down side to such a plan, after all most americans don't vote with their heads, they vote with thier hearts for candidates that move them emotionaly. Which creates a government that is trying to make people feel good. No one is willing to make hard choices because they don't want to lose their jobs. They got elected on promices based on our emotional desires.

How would this affect our issues? Well, by and large politicians ignore us now because we don't have the billions to buy thier votes. I doubt that would change much if elections went away. So at least it wouldn't be worse. Who knows, if we weren't perceived as a voting block for one side of the aisle maybe the other side wouldn't bother hating us so much. Things could improve. Also judging by our numbers in the military and former military community we might get the first out of the closet cross dresser in the White House. That would be nifty.

[Carolyn Marie]

Meh, that is the least of our worries. One third of the country, including all of the eastern seabord, will be under water in 20 years anyway. if I lived in Florida, I'd be selling my property cheap.

Me, I'm going to start a houseboat business.

HUGS

Carolyn Marie

[Guest Sheri-bi]

Things have changed greatly since the 60's. America use to be ruled by a coalition of Democrats and moderate Republicans. They both accepted (in varying degrees) Social Security, Medicare and labor unions. (Dwight Eisenhower in 1955: "The Public Health Service, the Children's Bureau of the Social Security Administration, and the Food and Drug Administration are skilled and vigilant guardians of our nation's health." What a socialist!) Conservative Republicans, like Barry Goldwater, although noisy, had little power. That's all changed. Conservatives pushed out the moderate Republicans and have attacked the foundations of the previous consensus. Conservatives want to return to a mythical past where each community took care of the poor, lame, blind and elderly; where unfettered job creators grew the economy and all benefited; where the gold standard prevented inflation and made the economy pure; and religious values preempted things like homosexuality and abortion. Conservatives have also pushed the notion of America's exceptionalism which justifies the neocon strategy of military intervention to reshape the world.

The military has also changed. Until recently, there was a course for military officers at Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Va. which portrayed the US as at war with Islam. It suggested that the US might have to destroy the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia without regard for civilian deaths, following World War II precedents of the nuclear attack on Hiroshima, Japan, or the allied firebombing of Dresden, Germany. When the course became public knowledge, it was shut down and repudiated. However, shutting down the course doesn't mean that the officer corps, especially the younger officers, don't think like this. I've talked to young officers who think exactly like this. I believe that the military has begun to reflect the conservative rejection of multiculturalism and sees the federal government as a force for socialism.

Although there are a lot of rich "liberals" like Soros who are active in politics, they do not have the fire in the belly and the zeal of the Koch Brothers and Sheldon Adelson. Rich conservatives are contributing to Republican superpacs at much higher numbers. Rich liberals think that superpacs are influencing politics too much. They are correct, but rich conservatives don't care about democracy--money is free speech and corporations are people. If negative ads can win elections, then they want to make sure they run the most ads. The end justifies the means. Also it makes good financial sense. Romney is promising to lower corporate taxes and abolish capital gains and inheritance taxes. That more than justifies huge contributions.

Would rich conservatives go so far as to stage a coup d'etat? Maybe not today, but we are moving in that direction. Would the military join them? Maybe not today, but we are moving in that direction. Although theses scenarios are the stuff of novels and Hollywood films, they are also the stuff of history.

[Guest]

Hi Sheri,

I do have to applaud your thoughts. Thank you.

A few years ago, a Russian premier predicted the fall and breakup of the US in about 10 years. And with the shrill language between the reds and the blues, and the states they control, it's highly concievable.

Yup! It could be a bumpy ride. Good Luck to us all!

Love, Megan