Could A Military Coup Happen Here? Most Republicans Would Welcome One

[TexasTowelie]

CNN released a new poll yesterday, but there were no questions about the presidential primaries per se. Question #34 was: "Do you happen to know what religion Barack Obama is? Is he Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Mormon, Muslim, something else, or not religious?" Although it was a plurality, only 39% got it right-- Obama is Protestant/Christian. The second biggest answer-- at 29%-- was Muslim. Among Democrats, 61% said Protestant/Christian and only 15% said Muslim. Among Republicans, the plurality was 43% and it was that the president is a Muslim. Only 28% of Republicans got the correct answer.

Is that because they are brainwashed and stupid? Many of them are, of course. Or is it because they are brainwashed and driven more by ideology than by reality?

The next question, #35, was: "On another subject, where was Barack Obama born, as far as you know?" The majority of respondents got it right. 59% said Honolulu or Hawaii. Another 16% said America. But 12% said he was born abroad (which would mean he was not eligible to be president). It probably won't surprise you to know that 85% of Democrats knew the right answer (Hawaii or USA). Even 68% of Republicans knew the correct answer. But 19% of Republicans said he was born in Africa or Kenya or Indonesia or some other country. Regionally, the area with the most profound ignorance was the South, and among teabaggers the percentage insisting Obama was born abroad was 24%. (22% of the teabaggers said they had "solid evidence" the president was born abroad. 14% said it was just a suspicion.)

Last week another polling organization, YouGov, did a completely different kind of poll, but one that is disturbingly related. Basically, they wanted to know how many Americans were willing to abandon democracy and support a military coup. Question #14 was: "Is there any situation in which you could imagine yourself supporting the U.S. military taking over the powers of federal government? " 29% of Americans said YES. Who were they? Well, you can probably guess.

• 43% of Republicans
• 32% of whites (about 10 points higher than blacks or Hispanics)

See more at: http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2015/09/could-military-coup-happen-here-most.html#sthash.VLqhIJCb.dpuf

[underthematrix]

1. Now this is the kind of mocking we need to see everywhere. The MSM will follow suit

once they realize the people are not buying hate this political season.

[underthematrix]

2. I wanted to respond to the other information in your post.

This was also posted at the Obama Diary.

This question is interesting because it makes an assumption about the relationship between the federal government and the military.

Last week another polling organization, YouGov, did a completely different kind of poll, but one that is disturbingly related. Basically, they wanted to know how many Americans were willing to abandon democracy and support a military coup. Question #14 was: "Is there any situation in which you could imagine yourself supporting the U.S. military taking over the powers of federal government? " 29% of Americans said YES. Who were they? Well, you can probably guess.

The military is under the Department of Defense. The Secretary of Defense is a member the President's cabinet. The President is the Commander in Chief, a civilian and not a current member of the military.

Nixon was so disturbed and desperate to maintain control over the Watergate investigation that the secretary of Defense told Nixon's Chief of Staff that all of Nixon's military orders had to go through him and the Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. So a military coup in the US gov't would be an extremely remote possibility. Now there is a much stronger possibility that if TRUMP were elected we would have civil war. The evidence of this is the creis of white power at his rallies and more disturbing, the aggressive behavior of his followers toward Latino Americans, including the Univision journalists.

White supremacist, NAZI, anti-government groups are the most dangerous.

[Hortensis]

3. IMO, the most dangerous group is mainstream social conservatives

who are always disaffected and angered by a free society and are convinced that our Government for Which We Stand has been destroyed by enemies whenever they don't control it.

Most are religious, and large numbers believe their religion trumps the constitution. They also believe anything they want trumps the constitution, religion or no.

As a group they are characterized by authoritarian willingness to do virtually ANYTHING a leader of their choice tells them to, including murdering fellow citizens; hostility toward everyone who doesn't agree with them; aggression toward everyone who doesn't agree with them; and a conviction that it is their right and duty to force others to conform to their notions of what is proper.

They are at any time approximately a quarter or more of our population, but sympathy with their views can rise to half or so under the wrong circumstances, such as a terrorist attack.

Not that there's anything all that new here, because they are always with us. They are a part of us. What changes are the leaders we elect and, CRITICALLY, the strength of the bulwark of freedom provided by the rest of We the People.

[pampango]

4. They prefer "stability/law-and-order" to "rights/freedoms" both in the US and abroad.

"Stability" is better for making money and preserving white male dominance that is otherwise fading over time. Not surprising that the party of white males would look more kindly on a military coup.

Sometimes "rights" (civil/union/worker) get in the way of making a buck and can empower the 'wrong' groups - women, minorities, workers, etc. in the US. And repressive governments in other countries produce the "stability" that makes them more attractive to big companies. That is always a plus for republicans.

[Gothmog]

5. The polling on this is scary