An Amerikan Coup is now highly likely

It seems the gloves are off. 

Today General Mattis, former commander of the Marine Corps and former Secretary of Defence, declared President Trump a Nazi, and all-but called for a coup d'état in the United States of Amerika. 

If there is any lesson that dictators around the world learn, it is that you keep the military on-side, no matter what. If you mess with the interests of the military and the generals, then you risk being replaced, peacefully or otherwise. Time and again, coups find their genesis in infringement of or denigration of the military. Even in Fiji, the South Pacific Paradise, denigration of the military resulted in a coup in 1987.

There is no reason that the United States of Amerika should be any different. Well, okay, there are lots of reasons, the most obvious being 240 years of an apolitical military whose highest-ranking member is a civilian. Also, there has yet to be a documented successful military coup in the United States. 

But I will suggest that one is very possible now.

President Trump has acted with impunity for over three years, has insulted every institution and any individual who disagrees with him. Himself a draft-dodger (and a coward), he famously said that he prefers heroes who were not captured, and reviled the memory of that hero on his death. He publically insulted a Gold Star family (a family that has lost a son or daughter in the defence of the nation). Trump's policies in relation to allies and treaty obligations have been appalling. The betrayal of such an ally led to General Mattis' resignation as SECDEF.

In a time of national unrest that is a direct result of his calling publically for police to use more violence, he has placed the US military on the streets of Washington DC.

Trump has now alienated the US military. That is dangerous.

After first suggesting that he supports Trump's call for military intervention at the state level, Mark Esper, the current SECDEF, walks back his statements and says that he does not support the use of Amerikan troops on the ground inside the US. This after being recorded saying that Governors must “control the battlespace”. So Amerikan cities are now the “battlespace”. I can only guess that in the waning days of the Trump administration, even those that are on board for ideology are beginning to understand the personal cost that they will bear. Esper took the job as a logical stepping stone from industry to the top of government. Now he finds himself part of propping up a failed administration, at the same time trying to defend the US. 

General Mattis, former Secretary of Defence and retired Marine 4-star general, one of the most respected military leaders of the past decade, has finally fully broken with Trump and his administration. He has all-but called for a coup. Some of his comments include:

“When I joined the military, some 50 years ago, I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Never did I dream that troops taking that same oath would be ordered under any circumstance to violate the Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens—much less to provide a bizarre photo op for the elected commander-in-chief, with military leadership standing alongside.”

The then invokes the struggles against Nazism and the invasion of Europe:

“Instructions given by the military departments to our troops before the Normandy invasion reminded soldiers that "The Nazi slogan for destroying us...was 'Divide and Conquer.' Our American answer is 'In Union there is Strength.'" We must summon that unity to surmount this crisis—confident that we are better than our politics.”  

And then caps that by saying in his next paragraph:

“Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people—does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort.”

General Mattis has just called President Trump a Nazi, worthy of violent overthrow. Make no mistake, General Mattis knows exactly what he just said, and he has said it in such a way that he can never be accused of saying “overthrow the government” even though that is what he means. He has called on members of the armed forces to “Protect the Constitution” from a “Domestic Enemy”. 

General Mattis is retired and can say what he wants. He has remained largely silent since resigning/being fired for not agreeing with Trump's betrayal of allies in Northern Syria. While I did not and do not agree with the US intervention in Syria, when you make allies, you stand by them unless it becomes impossible; you do not discard them. You especially do not discard them to the direct benefit of your primary stated adversary.

General Mike Mullen, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff also commented:

"It sickened me yesterday to see security personnel—including members of the National Guard—forcibly and violently clear a path through Lafayette Square to accommodate the president's visit outside St. John's Church. I have to date been reticent to speak out on issues surrounding President Trump's leadership, but we are at an inflection point, and the events of the past few weeks have made it impossible to remain silent."

"Whatever Trump's goal in conducting his visit, he laid bare his disdain for the rights of peaceful protest in this country, gave succor to the leaders of other countries who take comfort in our domestic strife, and risked further politicizing the men and women of our armed forces."

Yet his most damning statement comes later in his comments:

"Furthermore, I am deeply worried that as they execute their orders, the members of our military will be co-opted for political purposes."

These are the words of two of the most respected members of the US defence fraternity. They cannot speak without those that currently serve listening to them. They also can say what serving officers are unable to say, even if they think it. 

The next few days may well see the resignation of Trump as president. That will be better than seeing the assassination of Trump by one of his personal guards, and the resulting internal turmoil that will result. But Trump is finished. He has lost the Republicans who are not sycophants, he is losing the moderate Christians who at least saw him as a promoter of Christianity against pure secularism (though he will never lose the “Christians” who seek preachers who will use the Bible to find passages to justify their racism, homophobia and misogynies). Now he has alienated the elderly (let them die for the economy) who are natural conservative voters, and finally, he has alienated the military, a naturally conservative force within society. Republican Governors are turning on him. 

Soon I expect we see the Senate begin to turn, the die-hard Republicans who see that they are in real danger of losing their seats in November (those that are up for re-election this cycle).

If there is a coup, no one will see it. There will be no Muammar Gaddafi moment, no sudden arrests and the taking over of the news outlets. No general will stand in front of a microphone. But this will be a coup none the less. 

For once Trump might be right.

But this coming week will be pivotal. Trump may suffer a deadly heart attack, or he may resign. Or he may survive and push through. If Trump should suffer such a heart attack, you can bet that the official autopsy will demonstrate that it was from natural causes. 

If he survives this, the US will be weaker, and his only hope to retain power past January will be through massive voter fraud and suppression. If he survives.