There was an attempted coup d'etat by Big Business to overthrow FDR in 1934...
It was exposed by General Smedley Butler, he of the famous "war is a racket" quote.
Those that minimize the present threats might take a second look at what happened in 1934. The names of the businesses and businessmen were never fully publicized to the American people.
Here is a short article that explains some of the machinations and the people involved:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/11/08/18628134.php
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The McCormack-Dickstein Congressional Committee hearings confirmed Gen. Butler's story and swore initially it would question all parties involved. However, the Committee's final report was a whitewash. It called only Gerald MacGuire, a go-between, who possessed neither resources nor connections to organize such a plot. It covered up the involvement and protected the reputation of wealthy conspirators by not determining the source of the large sums MacGuire spent or said higher ups would provide. No prosecutions or further investigations followed.
There is an old maxim which says, "If you want to get to the bottom of a conspiracy, follow the money!" Preserving their wealth and power is the reason US businessmen plotted to overthrow FDR. First and foremost, businessmen like Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller, John and Allen Dulles, Prescott Bush and George Herbert Walker admired Hitler and Mussolini. Although at the point of the gun, fascists used a strong hand protecting business. They were ruthless dealing with labor unions and social unrest, which is what these men wanted in the US.
Next, the Great Depression brought thousands of WWI veterans to Washington, D.C. on July 17, 1932. Led by a former sergeant, Walter W. Waters, they pitched tents around the city and demanded payment of bonuses granted them under the Adjusted Service Certificate Law of 1924. Gen. Butler encouraged them to fight Hoover as though he was the Kaiser to get what they deserved. Hoover refused to meet with them and ordered the US Cavalry to remove them and their campsites. A Republican, Gen. Butler threw his support to Roosevelt for president.
By the end of Roosevelt's "First 100 Days," America's richest businessmen were in a panic. They felt Roosevelt intended to conduct a massive redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor. Gen. Butler's testimony described a plot only powerful men with money could design. First, they planned to create a fascist army, like Italy's Black Shirts and Germany's Brown Shirts, for Butler to lead. MacGuire claimed to have 500,000 war veterans from the American Legion and each man was a leader of 10 others, equaling 5 million men, if needed. A second fascist army was to be recruited from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and financed with $700 million. Arms and equipment would be obtained from the Remington Arms Co. and supplied by the Du Pont family. They would model their forces after the Croix-de-Feu in France, one of several fascists groups MacGuire studied while touring Europe.
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Book Description
Release date: May 20, 2008
With shocking revelations that made headlines in papers across the country, Pulitzer-Prize-winner Tim Weiner gets at the truth behind the CIA and uncovers here why nearly every CIA Director has left the agency in worse shape than when he found it; and how these profound failures jeopardize our national security.
Definitely worth reading.