[ClearCase_guy]

Obama will have all the troops overseas.

A good possibility.

In the past few days as Health Care Reform passed, people have used the term "crossing the Rubicon". Imagine what will happen if Gen. Petraeus decides to marshall his forces and bring them home, to go to war against the BATF?

Now, THAT is crossing the big, wide Rubicon.

[winodog]

We are likely to see some real crazy stuff like that happen.
Just utterly amazing how fast “they” are moving now.

[Nuc1]

This is when you will know the Republic is truly finished. This is the classic decay pattern of a republic. It is possible that the Strong Man will be magnanimous and restore the constitutional foundation of the nation and round up and eliminate its enemies, as did Chile under General Augusto Pinochet. There by giving birth to the Second Republic. Unfortunately the fundamental problem with our nation is its people. Far too many are immoral takers that give too little back in terms of work and wealth generation. This group of people are not capable of self government. They are essentially thieves. So an oligarchy is the more likely outcome IMHO.