Quote:
Originally Posted by Roguish Lawyer
Under what circumstances, if any, would it be appropriate for American citizens to overthrow the United States government by force?
This is a theoretical discussion only.
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First off, "overthrow" Under what circumstances are we talking about?
A government which no longer functions according to it's bonafide charter or basis of legitimate authority? Ie: has become tyrannical or otherwise destructive to the public?
How has it become so? Infiltration and/or subversion from within via the people ostensibly running it who have a subversive or otherwise destructive agenda?
Removing those people via use of force at the hands of the public, if needed, I don't think fits the criteria for calling it an 'overthrow' of a given government. More so calling it a restoration of legitimate government away from the subversive or destructive agenda that was implemented.
Overthrow of a government I'd associate with a government which is functioning properly within it's charter or it's bonafide basis of legitimate authority or at the very least is more than reasonably close to what it's supposed to be. The closest of that I can think of is the French Revolution, didn't turn out too well, ditto for the russion revolution.
Restoration of proper government, albeit via two different paths, the american revolution as well as the southern war for independence. They did not seek to destroy what they were separating from, only to go thier own path.
In the case of our current government, restoration of it's bonafide authority might be a better way to look at it?