Will the military really protect us from authoritarianism and uphold the constitution?

[AJT]

Service Members Pictured Wearing Donald Trump-Themed patches

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-patches-memorial-day_n_5cecdb9ae4b00356fc26b996

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. Airmen onboard the USS WASP wearing patches on their jumpsuits that read "Make Aircrew Great Again."

Airmen onboard the USS WASP wearing patches on their jumpsuits that read “Make Aircrew Great Again.” The patches include an image in the center in the likeness of President Trump.

Link to tweet

[winetourdriver01]

2. Will they?

Short answer: No. Long answer, it depends on the Joint Chiefs and it's Chairman. If they make it clear when it's crunch time that the constitution is paramount, then we have a chance. Remember though, if one third of the population leans Fascist, which they do, that means a corresponding number of servicemen/women also lean Fascist, maybe a bit more. So it does fall to the military leadership.

[NewDayOranges]

3. The Army was full of racist chauvinists when I

Left active duty in 1991, almost 30 years ago!

Things have only gotten worse over the years, according to the one younger woman in the National Guard/Reserves that I ran into Abt a month ago...

[atreides1]

4. NO!!!!!!!!

The duty of the US military is to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, they failed in that duty with the passage of the Patriot Act, which violates the 1st and 4th Amendments of the Constitution!!!

So, no the US military will end up being just like the Wehrmacht and the Waffen SS...they will follow orders...because the US military, much like so many others, only pay lip service to the Constitution!!!

[lagomorph777]

6. You think the military should have moved in when Congress voted for the (un)Patriot Act?

Yikes.

[qazplm135]

5. WTF thread is this I just stumbled into?

1. Yes, the military will uphold the constitution.
2. No, the military will not do a coup or solve the stupidity of voters when they vote for stupid choices in Congress or the White House

So, if Trump loses in 2020, he's out in January. The military is not going to back him up.
If he wins in 2020, then he gets four more years barring impeachment. The military is not going to usurp him.
Yes, just like a large chunk of Americans, members of the military support the President.

And yes, just like another large chunk of Americans, other members of the military do not. I'm one of them. I am by far not alone.

So all of the BS talk in this thread about the military is pretty offensive and just plain wrong.

[AJT]

9. Sending troops to the border and funneling money to the wall

has been allowed by the military leadership. That's just dipping a toe in the water.

[qazplm135]

10. has been allowed?

As if they have the ability or power to say no to either of those things.

[KPN]

16. I agree re: if he loses the 2020 election,

casts no doubt about its results and steps down as President via the normal transition between Presidents.

If those things don’t happen, I’m not currently 100% convinced we can count on our military leadership to support the Constitution and the people over this megalomaniac. The Navy taking a hard stance against these airmen wearing these patches would possibly help me have my faith in our military’s allegiance to the Constitution rather than the men restored. Possibly ... depending on what that “hard stance” looks like. These airmen look not a lot different from the some of the photos of the neo-Nazi marchers in last year’s Unite the Right Rally to me. I know where their allegiances lie.

[qazplm135]

18. you are dead wrong

those airmen are young kids. young kids do all sorts of silly things. comparing them to neo-Nazi marchers is pretty ridiculous.

[lark]

7. Hell no, the military always always sides with the Commander in Chief, unless they are taking power.

Unless there's a coup, it won't happen here. There will be no coup here because they are trained to follow commands, no thinking, just doing and are generally rw. There has not been one time in American history where the military refused a command from CIC and they will even honor any commands from this treasonous thief because he has the title and their bosses will say fire and they will fire - just like they did at Kent State. The military will be our enemy if Cheetolini so orders - you can count on it.

[mitch96]

8. When you get sweared in ...

“will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic” and that they “will bear true faith and allegiance to the same.”

m

[sinkingfeeling]

11. No, they will not.

[Freelancer]

12. The opposite would be true...

Particularly if Pence became president suddenly, if you get my drift, and the apparent choice for the military was between upholding an unconstitutional crackdown ordered by him -- that they would tell themselves was "temporary" -- or the threat of chaos, which FAUX and its even worse ilk would be trumpeting 24/7.

[msongs]

13. the military will do what bloats its power and budget. freedom and all that whooey is just baloney n

[Nitram]

14. I believe they will.

[Ford_Prefect]

15. Unlikely as long as FOX News is included on Armed forces media channels.

[KPN]

17. We may find out. That in itself is scary. ... The

Navy needs to crack down hard on these displays that ultimately serve to create justifiable doubt amongst the American people about your question. I’m quite sure many view this photo of these airmen as not unlike what they have viewed in photos of neo-Nazi groups routinely over the past two-plus years. This photo of these airmen certainly causes real doubt in my mind. It reflects on all current servicemen and women in that it reflects on the military as a whole.

How the Navy responds will be the proof in the pudding.