Following the violent uprisings at the U.S Capitol last year and the more recent outcry by retired generals of the U.S Army, stableness of political administration in The States seems to be heading towards a precarious position. Talks of a military coup, a domestic crisis, and an ultimate power tussle are gathering like dark clouds over a country that prides itself as the undisputed global leader. This raises a very pertinent question; what is really going on in the United States of America?
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Precisely, three Generals who retired from the United States Army have openly disclosed their fears for what could happen in the country after the 2024 Presidential elections. The generals with over 30 active years of service each, described the possibility for the US military to be divided into opposing factions in such a way that the age-long civilian rule could be ousted by military opposers of an elected president.
While this might come off as unfounded to some persons, it is important to emphasize that the events that unfolded on Jan 6, 2021, where the sacredness of governance was scarred by Capitol protestors involved veterans and military officials in active duty. The arrests that followed the riots revealed that more than 1 in 10 of the people charged had a service record in the military. Again, the “Flag Officers 4 America,” a group of 124 retired military officials released a letter that questioned the results of the 2020 Presidential elections which were not in favour of Donald Trump. This mirrors a breeding fraction of military officials who are united in beliefs that may not reflect a truly united state.
“We are chilled to our bones at the thought of a coup succeeding next time,” the Generals said in a recent op-ed in The Washington Post. They were identified as Paul D. Eaton, a retired U.S. Army major general and a senior adviser to VoteVets; Antonio M. Taguba, a retired Army major general with 34 years of active-duty service; and Steven M. Anderson, a retired brigadier general who served in the U.S. Army for 31 years. These high-ranking officials went on to highlight that Americans could be facing a severe risk by 2024.
More recently, the commanding general of the Oklahoma National Guard, Brig. Gen. Thomas Mancino refused an order from Present Biden that mandated the vaccination of all National Guard members. The refusal was based on the assertion that the Republican State Governor, Kevin Stitt, was the commander-in-chief and not President Biden; a position which is both wrong and outrageous. Evidently, the possibility of a breakdown in the command chain as a result of political differences is no longer totally improbable, and in the confusion of where alliance lies; individual sentiments of serving members can effectively birth a fractioned army which might lead to a putsch.
The US Military currently ranks as one of the best in the world. If somehow, the loyalty of serving members become disputed, an ample opportunity for external forces to infiltrate the military is presented, and the end of such a path is irreparable devastation.
To avert such unsavory eventualities, the Generals advocated some measures that could help prepare the military ahead of time.” We’re interested in seeing mitigating measures applied to make sure that our military is better prepared for a contested election, should that happen in 2024,” they said. Other solutions they proffered include identifying and tackling mutineers in the military, wargaming the possibility of a post-election coup, and enforcing a stricter unity of command in the military.
With all these on the horizon, there remains a possibility that Donald Trump will be back in 2024 to contest the Presidential elections. In his final minutes at the White House, the former president gave an inkling to his return plans in his speech. “I will be back…” he said. A possible return of the controversial former President to the political front will surely awaken his large contingent of followers who are still loyal to his agenda.
The sophisticated nature of administering the country, the ever-present complex nature of its security and economic matters, the intrigues of the possibility of heightened political tension with Russia and China, availability of large numbers of disgruntled citizens who are unsatisfied with the current Presidency, the latent threat of domestic military insurrection and other factors yet to be fully identified are attracting eyes to Washington where administrators will definitely postulate to the public that talks of political crisis in 2024 are premature; but behind closed doors; the reality that such events are indeed within the scope of possibility will definitely not be totally lost on them.