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This Marine believes the US Military would essentially be canceled out by violent division and mass defection within their own ranks.

You bring up an interesting point. We could see military units loyal to the president fighting units loyal to the Constitution. We could see racial divides within units with mutinities galore. We could see the Army versus the Navy -- and I'm not referring to football.

But there would be enough military men loyal to the man who pays them to make this Marine's statements a reality, unless of course the US dollar becomes as worthless as the Zimbabwe dollar.

In other words we outnumber them in the vicinity of 200:1.

But the use of WMD's could equalize that. Lincoln had only two WMD's at his disposal -- Grant and Sherman -- and he used them both.

Something else comes to mind. You may have noticed that at the Capitol rally the Capitol police had assault weapons on open display. Had the Tea Party members attempted to storm the Capitol, I have no doubt those weapons would have been turned on the demonstrators. I suspect they had a shoot-to-kill order if things got openly violent. I also suspect that Pelosi's walk with her gavel was intended to provoke that violence.

I'd be willing to bet that there were army units on alert at various bases outside DC, and those troops had been briefed that morning with the words, "Gentlemen, today you may be called upon to kill American citizens." As one who was an army officer from '71 to '73, I know those troops would have followed those orders.

I remember all too well, at Ruby Ridge and Waco, what happened to people who dared to raise their hands in defiance to the federal government. Upon receiving resistance, it is government policy to escalate and escalate until the government wins. Ever since 1865, the federal government has insisted on the last word in the use of violence, and I don't see that changing.

To all

“....You may have noticed that at the Capitol rally the Capitol police had assault weapons on open display.....”

I am amazed there wasn't more outrage about that!
If I was Boehner I would make sure I had plans to bureaucratically get the Capital Police commander's scalp when I got speakership. Particularly if he did not put a MFR into his file protesting the order as being blatantly and unnecessarily provocative.

As one who was an army officer from '71 to '73, I know those troops would have followed those orders.

My husband was medically retired from the Army in 1970 for wounds he received in Vietnam. We had many friends still in the military in the 1970s and had you issued such orders- or if it had even seemed you might situation wise- many of those we knew had plans in place to bug-out with their families and join the other side. Many men in the Army at that time actually had passwords with their wives so they could meet up at a predetermined location if things went South. I do believe most would follow orders in the situations discussed in this thread- but I know for a fact that not all would.