Why does the army support crazy presidents and dictators?

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doc_steward	because they are commanders in chief. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

questionistheanswer	THE ARE FOLLOWING ORDERS THATS ALL Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Bob H	They promise the army more power than they would otherwise have. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

tuba	Acording to the Constitution the military executes but the civilian government decides what orders to give. So the "Army" doesn't support dictators, the executive branch does. In other countries in some instances the President is subordinate to the Army - that's the case in Zimbabwe where the Army ordered the President to run for election while they murdered members of the opposition. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

flazatty	Way to go Alex, I agree 100% Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

SK	first obey then complaint is the rule of Army. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Eric S	What army are you talking about? The Zimbabwe Army does it out of money, fear, power and reward. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

waeyeaw	The military is a government organization and they have to. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

NSA	The army of Zimbabwe? Fear. And due to the harsh economic situation, money. They have a job and can support their families. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Mary & Mike	SIMPLE, because it's them who write their paychecks. PS - Want to really trip out, rent the CD with Tom Hanks & Julia Roberts, titled "CHARLIE WILSON's WAR" & listen close. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Don't Peak	crazy President is the Army's boss Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Bill R	dumb question Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Barcadcadacada	Your question does not state what army you are refering to here. Some people are taking this as the US army. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

dadseimaj	Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. Sun Tzu 400BC It might be damage limitation of a sort because the successor is going to be even worse. The best victory is when the opponent surrenders of its own accord before there are any actual hostilities...It is best to win without fighting. Or maybe they are waiting for the right moment to get him Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

jeffsd28	fear Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

devildawg367	I can only speak for the US services. When I was becoming a Marine, we were taught history along with values. I think you will find more Marines who honor the constitution than other branches. I don't know what they teach in the US Army but, from what I have seen, it is to follow blindly. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

kd3223	most crazy presidents/dictators are army men Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

fight obama's lies	The French came up with GREAT way to instill Loyalty in their troops circa WW1 ---- Shoot 1 in 10 on the troops. Me I call that instilling wholesale FEAR and committing MURDER but then they were the French. Since Mugabe's Zimbabwe has recently thrown off (Stupidly, though I would say) all remnants of Civilized behavior, why wouldn't HIS military be as barbaric as the LEADER???? Me, I would be for organizing a CIA trained Sniper mission for that psychopathic SOB... but that's me! (I never was PC) And PLEASE since you are in the English section, please be MORE specific about WHOSE Military is supporting "crazy presidents and dictators"; I came in here Swinging!!!! Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

bardmere	In this country the army answers to the President who answers to the people. Congress or the Supreme Court can arrest the President for treason. If some part of the army supports the President in an act of treason, the remainder of the armed forces are under control of the VP or Speaker of the House. The president of Zimbabwe has made the army leaders rich and their loyalty is subject to his ongoing purchasing power. He has tied his ability to bribe the army to the human basics in his country like food and water. Doesn't explain why somebody hasn't dropped in and assisinated him but then the question is how do you guarantee the next guy isn't just as bad. How often do you do that sort of thing before all governments become subject to overthrow on somebody's whim? So if you don't operate on the basis of some kind of law, you revert to anarchy. Point is that it's much easier to be careful on the front end about whom you elect. Doesn't mean you have a warranty against electing a loser but at least you don't get a nut case. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Thad Tacoma	fear of death? Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Alexander S	If we are speaking about Zimbabwe, it is because the military there is as corrupt as Mugabe. The Army always benefits first, so keep that in mind in case you are tempted to send "humanitarian" aid to that country. You are merely propping up the dictator and his army. Also, bear in mind that they overthrew the democratic government of Rhodesia on the ground that it was "oppressing" them, and crazy left-wing liberals went along with that, and now the country is in ruins. I say let them be, and just make sure that they are not a threat to the United States. If, as the question indicates, he is "killing his own people," then "his own people" need to do something about it. If they will not, it is because, at some level, they are happy with him. Wallowing in filth and ignorance, and now deprived of the civilizing effects of the Rhodesian government, they probably know no better. Reply to Justin Case (below): It is not necessarily the pay, but in a place like Zimbabwe, the Army is the only place where a person is going to get fed regularly. I think it was Napoleon who said, "an Army fights on its stomach." Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Ramblin Rose	The Army, and America in general, help people all over the world; outwardly and anonymously. Just because you don't read about it on the front page, doesn't mean things aren't going on behind the scenes. Google AFRICOM, and you will learn about the Army's contributions in Africa. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

charles.young580	To read your question, it seems as though your referring to our president. If your referring to Africa's situation, your looking at a totally different culture of people that have fought for many years. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

mischievous	Because his military leaders are rewarded with huge gifts, and the lower ranks receive property stolen from non-supporters. Of course if none of these people help Mugabe stay in power, they either disappear or are murdered by his thugs. They also have the support of their African neighbours some of whom would secretly like to install the same system of government. I find it strange that all those lefty anti-apartheid supporters are not once again crawling out of the woodwork. Perhaps they only do that for countries not already having left wing regimes. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Brad A	Pretty much kill or be killed. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

DUBAI 1	money money money . Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

stonehudson2002	Read Sun Tzu's Art of War. A "dictator" will see that his police and soldiers are feed and paid. Their children will be educated; their women will be taken of. A "dictator" surrounds himself with members of his ethnic group, from his neighborhood, family as Saddam did and Tito, Nicolae Ceauşescu, Duvalier, Castro, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Hirohito have done. You must think as they do in the "Third World" to understand how Mugabe and others like him have been in power for so long. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

GunnyC	The army is handpicked from his supporters and hid tribal members as the other groups were excluded from being in it after the fall of the white Rhodesian government. When he was first elected that was one of the things he did that caused friction between him and the other "freedom fighter" groups and allows him to control the country. The leadership is given special privileges and pampered and loyalty has been awarded well with grants of land as the large productive but white owned farmland was "redistributed" to his friends and allies which is one reason Zimbabwe has gone from a food exporter with surplus food to a starving nation dependent on food imports and relief supplies from pther countries. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Emily D	They will support whoever benifits them the most. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Jeffrey F	fear for own life and family! eventually, push WILL come to shove and the people will revolt and start a civil war. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

wichitaor1	Much of Zimbabwe's military descend from Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA), the armed wing of his Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU). Those members have been loyal to Mugabe since he led them in an insurgency against the white dominated Rhodesian government. The violence that Mugabe visits on the people of Zimbabwe is through his old ZANU/ZANLA allies. >ZANU/ZANLU put Mugabe in power and they maintain that power for him. There were not the only insurgent movement during the Rhodesian regime, but Mugabe has suppressed the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) and other groups. ZAPU's leader Joseph Nkomo was driven out of the country. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No