SEVEN DAYS IN MAY MEETS COME NINIVEH COME TYRE
Apropos of my piece from yesterday about calling out lunacy on the right being necessary, John L. Perry of Newsmax, with exquisite timing, makes me look like a combination genius and soothsayer:
There is a remote, although gaining, possibility America’s military will intervene as a last resort to resolve the “Obama problem.” Don’t dismiss it as unrealistic.
America isn’t the Third World. If a military coup does occur here it will be civilized. That it has never happened doesn’t mean it wont. Describing what may be afoot is not to advocate it.
Ah, the old “civilized coup” in America trick. I guess that’s where the Joint Chiefs are invited to lunch at the White House by the president and they all sit down to a hearty meal of Chateaubriand and scallops with a tasty Cabernet Sauvignon to put just the right edge on what would almost certainly be the most fascinating conversation in American history.
Of course, right wing military coup’s are nothing new - in American literature anyway. I pointed out in a post that commented on a potential coup on the show 24 that there never seems to be any good movies or books about left wing coups. Why?
And while we’re on the subject, can you think of one movie or TV show that ever showed a left wing plot to take over the government? Of course not. That too would never happen in a million years. The plotters would be too busy sitting around arguing about the make up of the post-coup government and could never come to an agreement. Besides, liberals talk too much. All those angst-ridden soliloquies about what they were about to do would put the audience to sleep in about 15 minutes. There would probably be more action in a movie detailing the mating habits of Three Toed Sloths than in a left wing coup film.
On the other hand, the granddaddy of all right wing military coup films, Seven Days in May, based on the bestselling book by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey, had plenty of action and suspense:
The equally engrossing movie starred some of Hollywood’s most prominent liberals at the time; Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, and Frederic March. Lancaster played an Air Force General James Matoon Scott who, angry with the President (played by March) for signing a nuclear arms treaty with the Russians, plots to take over the government with the backing of a shady conservative Senator as well as some other generals. The hero of the movie, Jiggs Casey (Douglas), senior aide to the general, discovers the plot and brings it to the attention of the President who then must counter General Scott, trusting only his Secret Service protection and a drunken Senator marvelously underplayed by Edmond O’Brien.
Complicating matters was General Scott’s mistress, the lovely Ellie Holbrooke, played by the ravishing Ava Gardner. She has in her possession some love letters from Scott that Jiggs is tasked to steal so that the counter-plotters have some ammunition.
Of course, being liberals, they are much too principled to use the damning letters and in the end, the President does what he should have done 5 minutes into the movie; fire General Scott and save the republic. Jiggs, who also thought the President was a loon for trusting the Russkies, ends up getting Ava Gardner in the end so sometimes I guess it pays to be the conservative hero in a liberal movie.
According to Perry, the left doesn’t need the military to take over the government and destroy the Constitution. They get themselves elected:
So, view the following through military eyes:
# Officers swear to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” Unlike enlisted personnel, they do not swear to “obey the orders of the president of the United States.”
# Top military officers can see the Constitution they are sworn to defend being trampled as American institutions and enterprises are nationalized.
# They can see that Americans are increasingly alarmed that this nation, under President Barack Obama, may not even be recognizable as America by the 2012 election, in which he will surely seek continuation in office.
# They can see that the economy — ravaged by deficits, taxes, unemployment, and impending inflation — is financially reliant on foreign lender governments.
# They can see this president waging undeclared war on the intelligence community, without whose rigorous and independent functions the armed services are rendered blind in an ever-more hostile world overseas and at home.
# They can see the dismantling of defenses against missiles targeted at this nation by avowed enemies, even as America’s troop strength is allowed to sag.
# They can see the horror of major warfare erupting simultaneously in two, and possibly three, far-flung theaters before America can react in time.
# They can see the nation’s safety and their own military establishments and honor placed in jeopardy as never before.
The “scenario” fisks itself. Any comments I would make addressing specific portions of this idiocy would only distract from the totality of ignorance, the aggregation of asinine, puerile imbecility demonstrated by the writer.
Perry’s description of America under Obama sounds eerily like the details in the plot of Allen Drury’s overwrought but hugely entertaining Come Niniveh Come Tyre where a Carter-like President faces mounting challenges and incursions from the old Soviet Union. Each time he backs down, he’s cheered on by liberals and the MSM as a man of peace and “vision.” Finally, realizing he’s destroyed Americas position in the world (and after a clumsy effort to remove him by the Joint Chiefs) the Russians come calling. The President commits suicide and the reins are handed over to his Vice President, a Soviet agent.
Joe Biden: Moscow stooge? You might note that Perry never mentions the vice president in his little coup scenario. Such inconveniences never seem to disrupt the ravings of lunatics when they’re on a roll.
Here’s the topper:
Anyone who imagines that those thoughts are not weighing heavily on the intellect and conscience of America’s military leadership is lost in a fool’s fog.
Okay, lemme get this straight: I’m the one “lost in a fool’s fog” because I think the notion that anyone - responsible or irresponsible - in our military who has even had this idea cross their idle minds - say, when sitting on the toilet with the latest edition of Guns and Ammo - is batsh*t crazy with a capital “C”?
Here’s why this fellow should be put in a straitjacket, and locked up in a nice padded room with plenty of stuffed animals so he he can work off his misplaced aggression against President Obama by tearing off their heads with his teeth:
Military intervention is what Obama’s exponentially accelerating agenda for “fundamental change” toward a Marxist state is inviting upon America. A coup is not an ideal option, but Obama’s radical ideal is not acceptable or reversible.
Unthinkable? Then think up an alternative, non-violent solution to the Obama problem. Just don’t shrug and say, “We can always worry about that later.”
Ok - I just shrugged my shoulders and said “We can always worry about that later.” Seems to me the republic is still here. Oh sure, Obama is a pifflehead and he wants to nationalize health care but really now, shouldn’t there be like a, you know, good reason to just toss the election results from last year out the window and put General Fiddle Faddle or Colonel Tootie Frootie in charge? No domestic unrest because of this action? What to do with all those very angry liberals and Democrats? It might be emotionally satisfying for some to see our opponents marched off to those detention camps Haliburton built in Utah and Nevada, but gawd, we’d never hear the end of it.
Perry is an old man - served in the Johnson Administration and his bio says he was one of the first journalists allowed into Russia following the death of Stalin. He has got to be in his mid 80’s. He talks of the military performing what amounts to a “family intervention” to remove the duly elected, constitutionally legitimate, president of the United States.
I think his own family should heed that advice and retire this fellow before he hears the laughter directed his way for being such a monumental ass.
“The plotters would be too busy sitting around arguing about the make up of the post-coup government and could never come to an agreement. Besides, liberals talk too much. All those angst-ridden soliloquies about what they were about to do would put the audience to sleep in about 15 minutes. There would probably be more action in a movie detailing the mating habits of Three Toed Sloths than in a left wing coup film.” LOL!! I’m a proud lefty liberal and I think that’s pretty darn funny!
Less funny: Advocating military coups like this Perry guy is doing (isn’t that illegal to advocate such stuff?). He goes on about the Constitution yet writes about subverting it! This is dangerous talk, and EVERYONE should speak out against it. The aim would be nothing less than to bring down 230+ years of our republic.
Comment by Todd — 9/30/2009 @ 6:36 am
To say that noone in the military has ever thought of such an idea while sitting on the throne during the morning constitutional probably is ludicrous. But anyone raised and trained by the military in that scenario can’t help but ask the obvious follow-on question “Once you grab the power, how do you maintain it?”
At that moment, there would be a short laugh and the attention would revert to the really important aspect of the morning constitutional, the sports pages.
Comment by SShiell — 9/30/2009 @ 7:33 am
Newsmax has scrubbed the column.
Comment by Steve J. — 9/30/2009 @ 9:15 am
[...] Right Wing Nut House, The Jawa Report, Scholars and Rogues, Confederate Yankee, SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: “Why do [...]
Pingback by Why do Conservatives do stupid stuff like this??? | Political Byline — 9/30/2009 @ 9:18 am
The original article was removed from NewMax’s site, but is preserved here:
http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/pdf/newsmax-20090929-perry_coup.pdf
Sedition is an act of terrorism. Arrest him.
Sedition is sedition. What law school did you graduate from?
ed.
Comment by James — 9/30/2009 @ 9:25 am
[...] Rick Moran: Here’s why this fellow should be put in a straitjacket, and locked up in a nice padded room with plenty of stuffed animals so he he can work off his misplaced aggression against President Obama by tearing off their heads with his teeth: [...]
Pingback by The General Flipped At Dawn « Around The Sphere — 9/30/2009 @ 9:38 am
Just wondering could Perry’s comments be satire? Hard to imagine him being serious. I’d like to know how many of you have actually ever visited an existing marxist state. I was in East Germany a couple of times and boy did you notice a leaden fog coming over your every action once you crossed the border. The way you talked politics was indirect like which soccer team they supported, if it was Union Berlin you were better off then when the guy supported Dynamo Berlin. Just to give you a little feel for it and compare that to present day America, hmm.
Rick, I always enjoy your play of words (or avalanche, smile)
Comment by funny man — 9/30/2009 @ 9:53 am
funny man, I was also in the DDR and know exactly what you mean. I now live in Siberia (literally) and see the remnants of the failed attempt at communism around me every day–it makes it all the more infuriating to read garbage from Perry and the like. Very interesting that it was scrubbed from Newsmax…
I don’t agree that sedition is terrorism (very tired of that word thrown about with such ease), but it’s illegal and immoral. Looking at the tea parties and the popularity of Beck and those guys, many people in this country don’t have the capacity to critically analyze situations and come to a thoughtful conclusion. Perry is dangerous and I hope that he faces legal problems as a result of publishing such rhetoric.
Comment by Todd — 9/30/2009 @ 10:10 am
I wrote about Perry’s idiocy also. Insteading of removing the article after it’s been published, it would be nice if Newsmax exercised a minimum of editorial judgment before putting up something like that in the first place.
It’s good to see others on the right condemning the article.
Comment by UNRR — 9/30/2009 @ 10:32 am
Since the unemployment rate for under 25’s is 52%, as reported yesterday, shouldn’t Newsmax be turning it’s eyes to the Left to fret about the coming Civil Defense Force?
Comment by Bob — 9/30/2009 @ 10:43 am
The coming Civil Defense Force? The only place one can find any information about that is on far rightwing blogs. Also, Bob, you should cite sources with such statistics–it would be interesting to know more about this 52% unemployment.
Comment by Todd — 9/30/2009 @ 11:02 am
Todd,
I’m glad at least someone experienced the DDR or other real existing ‘paradises’. Once you came back you knew you were ‘free’ regardless whether the country had a public health care or not.
Don’t envy your winters but boy are there some beautiful Siberian women.
Comment by funny man — 9/30/2009 @ 11:35 am
funny man, I think very few in the DDR or anywhere else in the “communist” bloc were convinced they lived in paradise, at least toward the end. That said, it wasn’t a hell-on-earth giant gulag as so many in the West think. Many people simply went about their lives as we do in the US, minus some of the material comforts we had in the West. Now they have those comforts here but very few can afford them (prices are obscene here and salaries are shocking–I don’t know how they manage). There is a kind of nostalgia in the former DDR as well as former USSR–not for “communism,” per se, but for the simplicity of their lives back then. They acknowledge that Soviet communism was a failed experiment, but they also know that life is more precarious than ever now.
They have free healthcare here (along with private) and while the old soviet clinics are a little…basic…in comparison to the West, people get treatment and they don’t have to wait any longer than in the US. My nephew (privately insured) needs to see a specialist and has been on an appt. waiting list for weeks. I obviously don’t have free healthcare here since I’m not a Russian citizen, but it’s pretty close. Office visits are $10 and last year when I was having back trouble, I got a full spinal x-ray for $6.00. A full course of Augmentin for a sinus infection costs $17.00 here (a fraction of what one pays there). Most things here are more expensive than in the US, but medical care has remained cheap and subsidized because it’s considered a fundamental right. Those who don’t want to use the state clinics are free to go to the private ones.
You’re right about Siberian women. Winters are indeed very cold but surprisingly sunny.
Right–it’s 1am–gonna head to bed. It’s been interesting checking out this blog…
Comment by Todd — 9/30/2009 @ 12:05 pm
I will simply repeat my answer posted at JAWA:
Mind you, that the threat be perceived as a viable option might cause those pushing this nation in a socialist direction to reconsider. Yes, the military option is there. And any who would use it would do so only until the nation could be restored to its rightful intent through free and fair elections. Let us pray that this can, in fact, be settled at the ballot box and those un-Constitutional things foist upon us can be reversed. Otherwise, the “reset” option must be invoked.
Comment by cmblake6 — 9/30/2009 @ 1:01 pm
[...] From “Right Wing Nuthouse” 2009 September 30 by cmblake6 via the Rott, via The JAWA report, comes this gem re: the military option of “reset”. [...]
Pingback by From “Right Wing Nuthouse” « Cmblake6’s Weblog — 9/30/2009 @ 1:13 pm
Every time I hear someone babbling about Obama raising up to take power/guns/round up the right wingers/whatever, I always wonder if these folks really think that the mostly conservative and evengelical military is just going to say “Sure, no problem. We will get right on that” (When I mentioned this to one wacko he suggested that it was fear of the military that was behind Obama sending more troops to Afganistan & Iraq. I was half expecting for him to say that the wars were started by Obama for just that reason).
I don’t think that the military wants to take over the country, nor do I think they would allow anyone to take over the country.
Comment by KenGirard — 9/30/2009 @ 1:24 pm
The Russian and Cuban revolutions make damn good cinema. We radical leftists have our gun toting fantasies too.
Comment by Che — 9/30/2009 @ 1:34 pm
OK…I condemn this article.
But…he covers many points that are very high in the worries of many people in the U.S. some of them already proven true, some speculated at and others that are more worthy of being scare tactics than anything else.
But his premise of the Military being involved in or the method of salvation or revolution is wrong, and wrong-headed.
Now I can see ex-U.S. Military involved in coming back and running for office in their states or even national offices. I can see x-Mil joining organizations such as The Oath Keepers. I can see x-Mil coming back and setting up local militias, and going to Tea Parties and even speaking at them. I can see them going door to door getting out the vote to get Obama and the Democrats out of office.
I can also see as a last resort, mass resignations of Officers in our Military services.
But in the bitter end, if salvation or revolution is needed for the preservation and protection of this Republic, it will fall to each citizen to stand up, load up and march forward to do it.
Against whatever enemy within.
Papa Ray
Central Texas
The Second Amendment is a doomsday provision, one designed for those exceptionally rare circumstances where all other rights have failed - where the government refuses to stand for reelection and silences those who protest; where courts have lost the courage to oppose, or can find no one to enforce their decrees. However improbable these contingencies may seem today, facing them unprepared is a mistake a free people get to make only once.
2009 Judge Alex Kozinski
Comment by Papa Ray — 9/30/2009 @ 2:15 pm
“can you think of one movie or TV show that ever showed a left wing plot to take over the government?”
Valkyrie and The Manchurian Candidate are a couple.
Comment by Aaron — 9/30/2009 @ 2:24 pm
@Rick:
I have never disagreed with you more.
Ava Gardner can NEVER be considered a complication. It violates several laws of physics, I think.
Comment by busboy33 — 9/30/2009 @ 3:13 pm
“Perry is an old man - served in the Johnson Administration and his bio says he was one of the first journalists allowed into Russia following the death of Stalin. He has got to be in his mid 80’s.”
From his photo, I got this distinct impression as well. I’m pretty sure Perry has no idea about what the kids are up to these days. (the under 50 crowd, that is.)
Glad Newsmax took it down, if only so’s the crazies out there don’t get their hands on it.
Comment by Marge Gunderson — 9/30/2009 @ 4:00 pm
[...] read Rick Moran at Rightwing Nuthouse. Good [...]
Pingback by A little idiocy from the Right « The TrogloPundit — 9/30/2009 @ 4:07 pm
@Todd,
I was reading about this previously; can’t find the link, but it was actually 52% EMPLOYMENT rate for Americans 18-24 years old. Which sounds bad until one realizes that the normal part/full-time employment rate for young Americans is usually around 60%, due to many of them being in college full-time! The lower rate of course is due to the recession, but this is still nowhere near as bad as it is being made out to be.
Comment by Surabaya Stew — 9/30/2009 @ 5:42 pm
The only thing sillier that the idea of an American right wing coup is the notion of an American left wing coup. Forget about angst ridden indecision. While the right has neither the will nor the motive to stage a coup, the American left totally lacks the capacity. It would as if a toothless and naked man swimming in an aquarium tank with many large sharks suddenly called for biting.
Comment by George Bruce — 9/30/2009 @ 5:57 pm
A movie that depicted a left-wing takeover of a government?
Sure, that’s easy: Warren Beatty’s magnum opus, “Reds,” which tracked the October 1917 Bolshevik coup from the vantage point of American radical, John Reed. Of course, “Reds,” was sympathetic to the…er…reds.
Comment by John Burke — 9/30/2009 @ 6:04 pm
Cmblake6, you’re obviously as out-there as Perry and I’d watch the seditious rhetoric if I were you. You and your wacko friends do not have the right to determine “rightful intent” and what you are advocating is the very opposite of what America is. Your site deserves it’s own slot as nuthouse example on this blog. I just hope the FBI is keeping an eye on you all.
@Surabaya Stew–yes, thanks. I knew that was a statistic that was bogus in its context, but it’s interesting how people leave out context to further a false idea…
Comment by Todd — 9/30/2009 @ 7:07 pm
Todd,
I agree there was a difference between Stalinist and later years. Punishment was less severe and many people had arranged themselves with the system. You had your Trabbi, spent the weekend on your Datsche, man meets woman, woman meets man etc etc. A lot of people also just talked the talk to make a career. However, once you were at the wrong end of the system, life could be really unpleasant and there was basically no recourse. We could go on now but the topic was….(smile).
Unfortunately, many people (left and right) are totally ignorant about this subject. For example, some on the right might blame FDR for not stopping the Soviets taking Eastern Europe (I have seen all that). What they don’t realize is that despite Stalin being one of the most ruthless, brutal dictators, the Russian fought hard and lost 30 million people in WWII. That is quite a sacrifice but for some it doesn’t seem to sink in, it’s just a number nothing more.
The other astonishing thing for me as a German always was that most Russians forgave us long ago because they knew unhinged, brutal dictatorship and what it does to people. That is why I get furious about these casual, ignorant comments about Obama because it is a real disrespect for the victims of these regimes. I might have disagreements with Obama but I know that I live in a country where there are laws that protect me etc etc.
Have fun in Siberia! Depending where you are there actually could be a lot of sunshine even in three month, Omsk, Novosibirsk?
Comment by funny man — 9/30/2009 @ 10:15 pm
funny man said:
“The other astonishing thing for me as a German always was that most Russians forgave us long ago because they knew unhinged, brutal dictatorship and what it does to people. That is why I get furious about these casual, ignorant comments about Obama because it is a real disrespect for the victims of these regimes. I might have disagreements with Obama but I know that I live in a country where there are laws that protect me etc etc.”
You’re absolutely right: As a matter of fact, Germany and Russia have quite close ties in many spheres. The USA and Germany are supposed to be good friends/allies, yet the GOP uses today’s Germany as an example of what horror we can expect if a public option for health care is passed. I say, bring on the horror! Their conservative government that just got elected would be teabagged to death in the US by gun-toting folks carrying signs with Merkel and Westerwelle made into all sorts of unsavory characters.
Comment by Todd — 9/30/2009 @ 10:35 pm
Todd,
while I agree that Germany (and Russia for that matter) have their strength, I would argue that the United States has some unique strengths that shouldn’t be disposed of to become like let’s say Germany. Germany is a well organized country where people desire safety more than the US (understandable with their history). I always thought one of the strengths in the US was their creative process, was the ability to invest in new and exciting techniques and win (or fail). To make a long story short, all societies bring their history and culture to the table too. Unfortunately, some on the right have become completely unhinged and are just not able to contribute something useful. So be it, life goes on and in the end sober minds will prevail (my opinion). That’s why I like this blog.
BTW, Dostoevsky was always one of my favorite authors. Wasn’t his prison experience called ‘House of the Dead’ and was located near Omsk (that’s 150 years ago now)
Comment by funny man — 9/30/2009 @ 10:56 pm
The comment about a National Defense Force was a joke.
Commenter 23 is wrong. The unemployment rate for under 25’s is 53.4.
See: The Dead End Kids
NY Post 9/27
Comment by Bob — 9/30/2009 @ 11:35 pm
Funny man, I really agree that “one of the strengths in the US was their creative process, was the ability to invest in new and exciting techniques and win (or fail).” That’s why I find myself so discouraged now. That whole aspect of society is being squelched and replaced with suspicion and anger when confronted with new ideas. It seems to me much of the country is not coming into the 21st century very readily, and instead is stuck in very old ways of thinking and operating which don’t serve anyone (including them) well in today’s context.
I’ll be in Omsk in January–I’ll need to see if there’s anything to check out re: House…Dead.
Comment by Todd — 10/1/2009 @ 5:31 am
With the 24/7 right-wing frenzy of talk Beck,Limbaugh,Hannity,Medved,North,Malkin and the list goes on and on and on,what can we expect?The haters are promoted on ClusterFox and Clear Channel and all they have left is their distaste for a democratically elected Democratic President.There are loyal followers,good Germans if you will, by the millions who can’t believe America would elect a black man as president and they will never accept Obama as legitimate.
As for the peaceful overthrow of the president,hello,wake up.It’s only a neocon dream which will quickly turn into a very ugly nightmare if the wingers think this is a acceptable form of dissent in a democracy. Advocating the overthrow of the president is a crime punishable by death.Remember that,General Boykin.
Comment by Sir Real — 10/1/2009 @ 4:45 pm