I guess my point was that we already have a constitution, unlike Japan at the end of WWII. Having a constitution allowed them, as a people, to continue. Why would we want to suspend ours?
Would Western Civilization come to our aid or dance on our graves if we were hit? If they don't help us, they will be next. Would a military take-over of our government from within be an extreme result of a WMD attack? Couldn't we react without internally tossing out 227 years of constitutional rule on day WMD+1?
And surrendering to the enemy will not preserve our constitutional freedoms, either.
-PJ
Japan did not voluntarily adopt a constitutional form of government. They were defeated in war. It was imposed upon them by the USA.
This country has been through many wars since it's inception and after the adoption of the Constitution. We are still operating (more or less depending on the makeup of the courts)under that document.
Pearl Harbor did not result in a military government. The attack on 9-11 did not result in a military government.
We are fighting a war that is just as critical to our survival as a nation as any of the wars that have preceded this current war. This has not penetrated the minds of many americans. We are currently fighting with our all volunteer military. We are not rationing gasoline or sugar. We are not drafting men for the military (yet). We are not fighting on american soil (yet). We need to be prepared to go it alone if necessary. FEMA would be the agency to manage the aftermath of a WMD attack short of a full thermo-nuclear exchange.
If we surrendered after a WMD attack then there would be a military government but it would not be our military. Short of defeat we will not have a military government.