Who would be leader of military coup d'etat in the US if shutdown cant be resolved?

[ErikJ]

In worst case scenario and the civilian govt cant function, who would be the leader of a military coup and govt?

[Sanity Claws]

1. Two generals were removed this week

In the back of my mind, I was wondering if there was more to it than the official stories. Then I dismissed the thought because coups are usually led by colonels. They have the loyalty of the rank and file necessary for a military coup.

[JHB]

23. When that happens it usually involves a much smaller military than ours.

The US military has somewhere in the ballpark of 900 generals and admirals, and about 11,500 colonels and naval captains.

Assuming an officer is such a Mr. Popularity with units under his command that they'd follow him in carrying out a coup, it's still mathematically a very small percentage who would have this tight loyalty. Plenty of people who don't.

[wingzeroday]

2. an idiot

Someone who would be taken out pretty damn quick.

[Junkdrawer]

3. First you'd need Martial law. That would require hunger...say shutting down the EBT system...

never happen.

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2013/10/12/computer-upgrade-blamed-for-nationwide-ebt-system-shutdown-on-saturday/

[grasswire]

4. worst case: Keith Alexander

The Emperor.

He already has military forces at his disposal and is more powerful than the President.

[ErikJ]

5. Maybe thats the reason for his 'Information Dominance Center'

Last edited Sat Oct 12, 2013, 09:22 PM - Edit history (1)

that he built at the NSA

?w=741

[xfundy]

18. And the bastard kicked out Uhura and Sulu, duh!

And Loves him some Checkov, and wishes 'Murrikkka was just like Russia."

And they all burned happily ever after.

[grasswire]

19. and built a Star Wars command center.

REally and truly.

[Lurks Often]

11. Not Alexander

He has very few armed troops at his disposal and I doubt those in the combat branches would follow someone from the NSA or CIA or any of the other alphabet intelligence agencies.

[Warren Stupidity]

6. Alexander Haig. Nt.

[TomClash]

7. He would be Dead Man Walking. Nt

[Journeyman]

8. I'm certain it will be someone with our "Precious Bodily Fluids" foremost in mind. . .

someone with the "Purity of Essence" girding his loins.

[Lurks Often]

9. While I think a military coup is extremely, extremely unlikely,

It would probably originate at the Army Corps Commander level or the Marine equivalent, although the US Army is moving away for the Corps structure (2 or more divisions under a Lt-General). Basically a senior general with troops directly under his command, not once or twice removed, such as an Army commander or someone on the Joint Chiefs.

It would have to start in either the Army or the Marines as the Air Force & Navy have no significant combat ground troops of their own.

And for those of you paranoid enough to think a military coup could occur, look at where all the major Army & Marine combat ground forces are located. I'll give everybody a hint, mostly in the red states.

Although that is more due to available land or where army bases have been for more then 100 years.

[ErikJ]

15. Legacy of the Civil War

They had to occupy the South after the war. If the military gets tired of IOU's they might just go get it themselves after the coup.

[hobbit709]

10. nobody I would support.

[BluegrassStateBlues]

12. Someone whose head should quickly be put on a spike if they are that fucking stupid,

but I won't disclose how I really feel.

[Auntie Bush]

13. Sec. of State Hagel?

[Auntie Bush]

14. Patrick Leahy (Pro Tem)

[Coyotl]

16. John Boehner is number three in line within the Constitution.

Coincidence?

[xfundy]

17. Pat Robertson, slurping protein shakes, protected by the hounds of Hell.

"Onward Christian Soldiers" would become the official pledge.

Benny Hinn would be second in command, and any who refuse to or can't "get up out of that wheelchair and WALK!" would be shot immediately for not b'leevin' enough.

Benny would have to wrestle "the button" of nuclear annihilation away from Pat, whose mental faculties, long gone, have eroded into inexistence thanks to leftover "Demoncrat" demons, because, heck, there's still a lot of money to be taken from idiots worldwide.

And then we'd all bow to an ancient Buddhist symbol that has been flopped, or turned backward. Cause that never happened before.

[quinnox]

20. Let's not even go there

[hootinholler]

21. DUDE!

It's customary to pass the bong.

Da fuck are you talking about?

[Spider Jerusalem]

22. No-one, it wouldn't happen

long-term stable democracies with no history or traditions of military rule don't have coups d'etat. (Look at Belgium which went without a government for over a year because there was no party with a parliamentary majority and no coalition agreement.) If the shutdown couldn't be resolved the executive can issue orders for the continued functioning of the government (as has been done before in time of national emergency, actually; see the Civil War); such executive orders might include, for instance, sale of gold reserves held by the Treasury Department/Federal Reserve to provide emergency funding for essential functions absent spending authorisation from Congress.