Once you start expecting the generals save the republic, theres no telling where it leads

[riversedge]

I have been thinking of this a lot--of how so many generals and military have surrounded Trump and Trump reaches out to the military of photo ops so often (for example-he will stop at a military base before his ego rally in Phoenix tomorrow). And it is true, esp. since Bannon left--the msm has hyped up the idea that -well at least the Generals seem to have Trump in control. So much can go wrong with depending on the Military to hold trump in place.



Don't pin your hopes on military generals saving the world from Trump



https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/21/dont-expect-generals-save-you-donald-trump-white-house




Joe McLean

Defiance of an elected president would spark a constitutional crisis. Once you start expecting the generals save the republic, there’s no telling where it leads
‘Civilian control of the military is one of the defining innovations and bedrock values of American democracy.’
‘Civilian control of the military is one of the defining innovations and bedrock values of American democracy.’ Photograph: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images



Monday 21 August 2017 11.52 EDT
Last modified on Monday 21 August 2017 13.21 EDT

Chaos continues to reign at the White House, with Steve Bannon its latest casualty. Despite the best efforts of the new chief of staff, John Kelly – a retired United States Marine Corps general – to impose order, the real source of the chaos is the president himself.

That’s bad enough for domestic politics, but given the deteriorating situations in Afghanistan and on the Korean peninsula, there’s a wholly reasonable fear that our thin-skinned, egomaniac commander-in-chief just might tweet us into a major shooting war.


In the face of these fears, there has arisen around the White House and among the “wise men” of Washington the comforting idea that responsible grownups are firmly at the helm of America’s national security.



Over the weekend, the former homeland security secretary Jeh Johnson made this striking assertion: “Frankly, if ... my friend John Kelly or my friend Jim Mattis came to me and said I’m thinking about resigning from this White House, I’d say, ‘Absolutely not. You have to stay,’” Johnson said. “We need people like John Kelly, Jim Mattis, HR McMaster to right the ship.”

Many experienced hands in Washington now believe the Pentagon brass won’t let the president do anything stupid, nor would they follow a suicidal order to launch attacks. After all, they’ve already ignored Trump’s ridiculous “trans-ban”, right? There’s actually talk among establishment insiders about an unofficial “Committee to Save America” made up of the generals, Trump’s New York cabal and a few Republican senators.


What’s wrong with this picture?

Civilian control of the military is one of the defining innovations and bedrock values of American democracy. Ours was the first country since Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon to reject juntas by charismatic generals.

When George Washington resigned his commission as commander of the Continental army, nobody around the world could believe it. They fully expected him to declare himself king. When informed, no less than King George III exclaimed: “If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world.” And so he was.

But Donald Trump is no George Washington. ................................


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So before you start hoping the generals will deliver us from that guy in the White House, be careful what you wish for.