“American Spring” Will Destroy The Republic It Purports to Preserve

Retired Colonel Harry Riley via Patriots of America has announced “Operation American Spring,” a march on Washington this May intended to oust the Obama administration. I completely understand the desire to overthrow these louts. It’s not just Obama and Democrats, there are a lot of Republican enablers that should go too. I know people are at their wit’s end and searching for bold solutions. The OAS plan, however, is ill-conceived, shows terrible judgment and in all likelihood will not bring about the intended results.  In fact, it will destroy the very Republic we are trying to conserve and discredit conservatives forever.

This is the plan:

“Phase 1 – Field millions, as many as ten million, patriots who will assemble in a non-violent, physically unarmed (Spiritually/Constitutionally armed), display of unswerving loyalty to the US Constitution and against the incumbent government leadership, in Washington, D.C., with the mission to bring down the existing leadership. Go full-bore, no looking back, steadfast in the mission.

Phase 2 – One million or more of the assembled 10 million must be prepared to stay in D.C. as long as it takes to see Obama, Biden, Reid, McConnell, Boehner, Pelosi, and Attorney General Holder removed from office. The senior republican in the US House of Representatives will become Speaker of the House and the US House of Representatives will elect a temporary President and Vice President of the United States. The U.S. Senate will take action to elect a new majority and minority leader.
As required, the U.S. Congress will execute appropriate legislation to convene new elections or U.S. States will appoint replacements for positions vacated consistent with established constitutional requirements.

Phase 3 – Those with the “principles” of a West, Cruz, Dr. Ben Carson, Lee, DeMint, Paul, Gov Walker, Sessions, Gowdy, Jordan, will comprise a tribunal and assume positions of authority to convene investigations, recommend appropriate charges against politicians and government employees to the new U.S. Attorney General appointed by the new President.

*All actions in Phase 2 & 3 will be consistent with the U.S. Constitution.”

The second and third phases show an alarming lack of understanding of our Constitutional Republic (despite the asterisked qualifier) and a terrible lack of foresight.  This by definition is an unconstitutional means of trying to transfer power.  It is more along the lines of insurrection or secession or worse, the French Revolution.  Many might be on board with either or both of those, but that too shows a total lack of foresight and good judgment.  It is very likely that the representatives mentioned in Phase 3 would absolutely oppose these methods.

OAS is laid out as if the whole thing will happen in a vacuum without opposition.  It is highly likely that Obama would use such a protest to his own advantage, and he could do so in all sorts of ways.  He can argue how extreme conservatives are that they would use unconstitutional means to bully duly elected representatives they don’t like out of office (and he’d be right).  He can afford to wait out protesters who will supposedly “stay as long as it takes,” thereby completely undermining their mission.  Then the headlines will be “OAS Fails, Leaders Embarrassed.”  1.8 million may have already signed up, but once the action begins, few of them will actually be willing to lose their jobs, their homes (especially those with families to consider) or to suffer the discomforts of living on the streets of Washington D.C. for a protest that at best will be completely ineffective.  This is not a comment on a Patriot’s resolve, this is a recognition of human nature.  Surely a colonel, of all people, should know how precarious keeping people together and focused on a mission can be, in the best of conditions.  Add in bad living conditions, hunger, conflicting egos, potential violence, and you’ve got a big fat mess that professional military leaders themselves often have a hard time mastering.

Who’s calling the shots here, whether it’s for one or ten million people; Col Riley all by himself?  Who else?  What qualifies them to lead an action like this?  Will they be responsible for the people who, as Riley says, may die in this endeavor?  That is a responsibility true leaders must bear, especially those instigating a rebellion.  If not, it’s every man for himself, a recipe for mayhem.

How exactly will those listed be “removed” from their duly elected offices? This is supposed to be a peaceful and unarmed movement, but such a thing cannot be done without force.  Nor can it be done constitutionally via a sit-in, however long it may be.

How will they deal with and respond to opposition or counter-protest?  Leftist Occupiers are much better at this than conservatives, who are already predisposed with a solid sense of responsibility.  The Obama supporters likely to mobilize are also particularly adept at goading, they are unafraid to use violence, of get hurt or arrested.  It won’t matter that this is supposed to be an unarmed, peaceful protest.  Once something starts, it won’t matter that the conservatives who before have never instigated violence and have left the Mall spotless, didn’t start it.  What will they do if the people, as mobs are apt to do, get out of control?

How will they respond when Obama sends in the troops to clear the city as Hoover did against veterans during the Great Depression?  The protesters will then have instigated a stand-off with the American military which has a grave potential of ending very badly for all.  What if the administration decides to declare martial law because of this “insurrection?”  How will either the protesters, Americans, or our Constitutional Republic benefit?

If OAS gets as far as ousting the administration, how will they (all 1-10 million of them) control what happens next?

• Who is to say that all 534 in the House of Representatives could come to agreement on who the temporary president and vice president should be?
• How will the government not devolve into complete chaos while the administration is being replaced?
• Have they considered the international repercussions of sending our government into complete chaos?
• How will the votes of the newly convened elections be counted and how will voter fraud be avoided and accounted for?
• What will these people do if the votes don’t go the way they think they should?
• What can they do to ensure order and non-violence indefinitely, “as long as it takes”?

If OAS succeeds, it paves the way for this kind of ouster by liberals of conservatives duly elected to office. Conservative patriots fighting to save our country from this administration stomping all over our Republic and the liberties it guarantees would agree, that’s not what we want.

In his (rather badly written) announcement, Col Riley asserts that we are past the point of no return, among other platitudes.  I would argue: not nearly.  Yes, this administration is destroying our country.  Yes, our supposed representatives in Washington D.C. are defying the Constitution and Declaration of Independence and flouting our laws.  Yes, they are tyrannical and corrupt.  But all that, which has been obvious to conservatives since Obama jumped into the running in 2007, is becoming obvious to many, many more Americans.  The administration is being exposed more every day for its corruption, and the people are waking up to the mistakes they have made in voting for this president, Democrats and establishment Republicans.  It’s more than just conservatives who are now seeing through the sham that is political correctness.  America and her citizens are very resilient, just look at Scott Walker’s Wisconsin.  Fomenting a rebellion just when the administration is crumbling on itself is the stupidest thing anyone could do.  This “plan” is no plan at all, and the very people they want on their side and more will turn resolutely against them for it once the dust has settled.

Operation American Spring won’t save the Republic, it will destroy it.  Conservatism will be completely discredited because all conservatives will be lumped in with Col. Riley and his thoughtless, rash cohorts.  This is not pledging lives, fortunes and sacred honor to the cause of liberty, it’s throwing all of those away for confusion and mayhem that has a very high potential for leaving us much worse off afterwards.  Our best avenue to restoring free America is to persuade people to conservatism, to stop voter fraud and win back the country through elections, the peaceful transfer of power.