When a federal government has failed...-Seminar 1

Citizenry Attempts to Rebel against a Tyrannical Government

It has occurred to me that there's really no model agreed upon as to what should happen to a federal government when it has clearly failed--who should take over and what steps should be taken to set it aright for the sake of those who live under it.

Up to now in the history of mankind when a government virtually collapses revolution breaks out, pouring citizens into the streets, clamoring for change.  Sometimes, the matter can be salvaged, as in the recent case in Hongkong, when the students balked over the city's administration's threat to send some detainees to the mainland of China to stand trial.  The matter has been at least temporarily resolved, no Tinamin Square massacre will come about. But there more disastrous situations that call for resolve by reorganizing the entire administrative unit from top down.

I'm thinking of the current crisis in Venezuela that has lasted for months now. The current President simply won't step  down despite his apparent loss in the national election.  Instead, he has declared the victor of the election an enemy of the state!  Meanwhile, the country languishes in  turmoil where he has also refused to accept humanitarian aid from several countries concerned over the well-being of the citizenry.  Various countries are trying to mediate the stalemate, but so far to no avail:  the intransigence of the country's military generals in support of the would-be incumbent President has prevented his leave.  And, the local currency spirals downward to practically being worthless!

What can be done in this situation?

An Ideal Remedy  

In this day and age when nations frequently unite together to seek solutions to crisis situations that have arisen through war or threat of war or even by saber-rattling for the sake of restoring regional tranquility, one might think there is a well-worn path to some conflict resolution short of combat.  True, there is the United Nations that could be appealed to for purposes of discussion and debate, short of imposing a solution. But that body's Security Council cannot even pass a recommended resolve should some permanent member dissent.  If only it had some way to resolve conflicts among nations, but alas it can only lay bare the reasons for conflict in its halls.

Attempts to Mitigate Governmental Conflicts

The continent of Africa has established its African Union, an enforcement agency of recommended remedies to regional strife providing member states assent,  Yet it seems limited in attaining the goals of regional stability in such wars as the Sudan and Somalia.  I am under the impression that it's doing what it can considering the geographical extent of its territory, the entire continent.

Nevertheless, I am of the opinion that history shows us ways are available for resolve short of going to war.

For more than a century, the country of Turkey has made use of the military to step in and provide an interim national government when the civilian government has fallen prey.  It attempted, I guess, recently but the President Lira Erdogan was able to quash it.  The military rebellion may have been caused in large part by Erdogan's move in dramatic fashion to establish the preeminence of the Muslim religion in a state that once was religiously neutral.  On the other hand, Egypt's military was able to oust its civilian government and supplant with a government that enables opposition parties to have a say in governmental policy decisions to an extent not possible in the corrupted government replaced.

The reasons why the military should have a major role in setting up the rules for a popular governance of  the citizenry are that the military is charged with securing the assets of the country as well as defending the homeland and the military is essentially concerned to preserve, protect and be of service in the cause of peace, thereby having the status of being politically neutral.

I see that the Sudan situation is currently fluid: a council is being formed to include military and potentially governing interested parties.

In the next lecture:  how groups can earn the right to declare a region of a country independent from its motherland and fashion a self-sufficient governing unit fir its territory.