We live in dangerous times, possibly the most dangerous period in American history since the Civil War.
This time, the threat is not that the country will split, although there are many on the left and right side of the political spectrum who openly wish for that, sans the violence of a civil war.
Now, the threat is arguably worse. The danger is that the United States’ fundamental institutional framework will be eroded and eventually overthrown by military leaders who are allowed to act as if they are not subservient to the nation’s civilian authorities. If high ranking military officers believe the chain of command no longer applies to them—that they, not the commander in chief, decides on foreign policy and possible military action—history indicates we won’t have a Constitutional republic soon.
In the United States, the military serves under and takes direction from civilian authorities, in this case the president of the United States as commander in chief. We’ve yet to have an attempted coup by the military.
While military juntas are common in other countries, and throughout history, in the United States, military officers have largely respected the law and chain of command. Then comes General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who decided his authority was above that of the president of the United States, his civilian commander in chief.