Surtout vers la fin

[if..fish..had..wings]

Exactly one year ago today I wrote the following in my blog. Armed people, in violation of a lawful order for public safety, stormed my state's government building. The governor did not respond. The conservatives decided to sue the governor. The president praised the armed militants.

A year ago...

For those of us who have never experienced one first hand, one wonders how a coup actually takes place. Most would have no idea, or worse, an incorrect idea.

Coups occasionally involve weapons, but not always. Violence is usually present, but violence by whom towards whom is the question. The people vs the police? The military vs the politicians? The police vs the people?

What if someone gets into leadership, say the presidency, and simply refuses to leave. Refuses to respond to the other branches of government. What if they just sit there and dare people to remove them?

It’s a coup, but would anyone actually stop them? How many aspects of normal political behavior can one ignore and remain in power? How many laws can one break and not be arrested? If one is, say, president can one do anything one wants with impunity? Would there be anyone to stop them?

History shows us that coups are recognized afterwards as often as they are recognized during. Hitler’s rise to dictatorship took 6 months to accomplish and no one realized it was happening until it was over and too late.

If the courts are on your side and the military is on your side you can do as you wish. Do not for a moment think it cannot happen. It has happened in virtually every country in the world.

It doesn’t matter if you want the leader to break all the rules and fix everything or if you are violently opposed to the concept, you put an ego-maniacal narcissist in power and they may never leave.

A coup by omission.

I'm sure the election will be fine and we will win.

[Newest Reality]

1. Sturmabteilung