Protecting Constitutional Government

We are pleased to present this guest editorial from U.S. Army Chaplain Don Zapsic (ret.)

With all the talk about the actions of inappropriate influence in the 2016 election, its interesting to note the role the armed forces would play in the event of domestic action threatening the civilian government.

The prospect of individual or collective military action taken against domestic opposition appears at first glance to be a foreign concept. And yet the specter of that very possibility is raised in the Military Oath of Office as evidenced by the pledge’s obligation “to defend and protect the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic.” The wording of this major tenet was first introduced on Sept. 29, 1789. It evokes not only a commitment to protect life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but also acknowledges the precarious nature of freedom itself.

The time-honored concept of protecting the Constitution seems simple enough especially when it comes to mounting a national defense against any foreign power that seeks to do us harm. The U.S. military in such matters takes center stage as the first line of protection. The duty to defend against domestic enemies on American soil is a much more risky proposition. Like the fabled “Pandora’s box,” initiating military action to restore law and order may have the opposite effect of fueling an already volatile situation.

The required commitment to defend the Constitution regardless of personal cost bears no corresponding responsibility to even marginally understand its many implications. Each member of the Armed Forces regardless of political persuasion would do well to realize that without the U.S. Constitution, most of us would be relegated to serfdom. This founding document has stood the test of time as a tried-and-proven system of governance without equal. History has borne out repeatedly that the American Constitution is the best model for establishing and maintaining a free society under one condition. Its citizens must be willing to make the necessary sacrifices of bearing liberty’s torch.

One of the greatest freedoms afforded by the Constitution lies in the profound dichotomy guaranteeing free speech under the First Amendment. More precisely, the sheer ability to voice one’s contempt against America without fear of retribution underscores the value placed on individual liberty. The implied intent is not that every military member should take a course on constitutional law. Rather, that all should have a proper appreciation for what they have pledged “all” to defend. While I may disagree with what is promoted on the public square, it is encouraging to know that everyone has the same constitutional right to do so. Such speech in a dictatorial regime would most likely result in a beating, prison time, or far worse.

This cialis usa buy gains popularity with regards to the fact that this is a cosmetic procedure. Musli Kaunch capsule offers the effective brand viagra pfizer herbal anti-aging treatment. Students are taught a tadalafil mastercard http://appalachianmagazine.com/2017/11/28/appalachia-on-lookout-for-new-invasive-species-spotted-lanternfly/ variety of topics in their distance learning M. Youthful and moderately aged men might likewise experience the ill effects of ED? Well an prescription levitra absence of blood flow. Three domestic threats against the Constitution that would trigger a military response fall into the following categories: 1) a military coup 2) the overthrow of constitutional government by rogue political operatives and 3) mob rule overtaking the law of the land. Additionally, declaring martial law at a local or national level is a military action initiated by legitimate civil authority. It is invoked with the express purpose of reestablishing rule of law and not to be confused with a military coup. The common thread that runs through all of these cited examples is that the “defend clause” of the Military Oath of Office has real-world applications. As

such, oath-takers should be aware of the grave implications behind what they swore to uphold.

As important as it is to know what ground to defend, equally valuable is the knowledge of where that responsibility ends. The Military Oath has limited jurisdiction and was not intended to undermine the system of checks-and-balances embedded in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. Such an arrangement under America’s democratic republic offers no guarantee that the Constitution will always be interpreted and amended correctly. Nonetheless, military members are tasked with safeguarding the very process that gives us the best opportunity to form a more perfect union. Nothing more; nothing less.

Photo: Army Lt. Col. waves from an M3 armored personnel carrier to attendees of the 59th annual Armed Forces Day Parade in Torrance, Calif., May 19, 2018. Army photo by Spc. Angel Heraldez

Quick Analysis

Russia Expanding Aggression

President Putin is using more than one pathway to enter Europe and undermine the West. While most of the world watches the conflict he initiated in Ukraine, the Russian government is actively pursuing a second front in a little noticed campaign in Cyprus. Although the corrupt Cypriot government ended its issuance of “golden passports” in 2020, Russian intelligence is functioning quietly there to transform this EU country into a Russian beachhead of illicit economic activity aimed at penetrating the capitalist West, according to Paul Goble of the Jamestown Foundation. Cyprus is not a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) nor does it receive as much attention as those countries who are member states. That adds to its allure as a prime location for Russia to attempt to gain a European foothold. Last week a NATO report, cited in the European Daily Monitor, noted that Russian intelligence agents have been plotting to destroy European infrastructure across the continent to disrupt states supporting Ukraine. It further suggests that Putin’s immediate goal is to lay the framework for a future move against the security organization’s members. Hungary, in particular, is another country garnering Moscow’s attention as it opposes the Western response to Russian aggression. Russia is focusing its intelligence efforts on other European, non-NATO member countries in addition to Cyprus, including Austria, Malta, and Ireland. The NATO report suggests that Moscow has had success in disseminating the Russian political narrative in these states to advance its campaign against the West. The island of Cyprus is proving to be a good target for Moscow as it is an ethnically divided island that is part of the EU since 2004. Northern Cyprus, officially called the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a de facto state that is only recognized by Turkey. The division precludes it from joining NATO. As Goble suggests, “it offers Russia troubled waters in which to fish.” Over the last 20 years, he points out, Cyprus’ challenges have opened it to a massive influx of Russian citizens, who now comprise approximately 10 percent of the island state’s population. Over 2,900 residents are Russians who entered until the “golden passport” program that allowed wealthy or well-connected Russians to move to Cyprus. It also provided them with documentation to travel freely throughout Europe! Although less visible on the world’s radar than the war in Ukraine, Moscow is also being helped by Cyprus’ banks opposition to seizing Russian assets and its support in evading Western sanctions. Russia has placed tens of billions of US Dollars there for money laundering. It has been more than two years since a single Russian “diplomat” has been deported and, in fact, the Embassy has grown to over 300 staffers on this tiny island state of only 1.2 million people. The Russian embassy in Nicosia has advanced communications antennae on its roof and opened a consulate on the northern end of the island. Moscow’s Ambassador, Mura Zyazikov, is a lieutenant general in the FSB with no diplomatic experience. The FSB, SVR (Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service), and GRU are actively using the island as a base of operations against NATO Member states, Israel, and other Western allies. Moscow backs pro-Russian political parties who in turn influence Cypriot decisions on education, language, and other issues. “Dmitry Khmelnitsky of the Dossier Center says that its findings should be of concern not only to Cyprus but to the West as a whole. Those who ignore what Moscow is doing because Cyprus does not follow the EU sanctions regime are missing something critical,” says Goble. “Cyprus does not seek to get rid of Russian agents and does not interfere with their work,” Khmelnitsky concludes, “despite the fact that what the Kremlin is doing is so clearly visible.” This has an impact not only on the small island but on the EU, NATO, and the West in general. Earlier this year the Moscow Times reported that when the FBI became more interested in Russian business and oligarchs in Cyprus, at least 10 of the major Russian businesses operating there left. Despite the government of Cyprus’ vow to implement plans for new sanctions against Russia, it continues to ignore Putin’s atrocities in Ukraine and to shield the wealth of the 50,000 wealthy Russian citizens and oligarchs residing there. Daria Novak served in the U.S. State Dept. Illustration: Pixabay