Why the Military Will Not Save American Democracy
As Republican politicians across the country continue their plot to undo our democracy by rigging elections in their favor, some people are still clinging to the idea that some powerful institution will come to our rescue. Sadly though, congress seems unlikely to do much of anything to stop this, and the Supreme Court has already been too corrupted by Republicans for it to either.
People's minds often turn to the military as a force which may put this new Republican coup attempt to an end, others envision them being immediately deployed by the coup government to swiftly stamp out any resistance, however both scenarios are unrealistic. The full force of the military is very unlikely to be deployed in such a conflict for quite a while, even in the event of widespread civil unrest.
It would be blatantly unconstitutional for the military to be deployed against American civilians in such a manner. As recent research has shown, mass defection and disobedience would be likely if the government attempted this. Particularly due to that factor, Republicans would be highly hesitant to use this option, instead relying on federal security forces to crack down on those resisting their illegitimate rule.
The idea that the military could gradually be corrupted by Republicans in power is not out of the question, however this process would take years. Those fighting for democracy in America can mitigate the risk of a large-scale military deployment against them by making a consistent effort to appeal to servicemen, spreading their message through military ranks and encouraging officers to disobey unlawful orders to attack citizens if they are given these at a later date.
While it is comforting to think that the military would come to our rescue, it is simply not the case. This is likely for the best, as a military asserting its control over even an undemocratically elected government in such a way could pave the road for future abuses of power. Historically nonviolent movements, not military force have a much higher chance to result in the creation of healthy democracies.
The prospect that the American people will need to take mass political action to restore American democracy in the years ahead is certainly frightening, but this is likely the best chance we have if we do not wish to live under Republican authoritarian rule. The article below describes what such a movement may look like.
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