Hijacking of the American Presidency

In the Hijacking of the American Presidency: Terrorists in the White House, when Chuck Chisolm gave his report of the splinter group's intent to assassinate the sitting president and have the vice-president, their hand-picked puppet installed in his stead, the reaction by the agents and policy makers present, was indicative of the view held by many that Americans would always behave according to the rule of law provided in the constitution and a belief system long considered superior to others.
"But...that's like hijacking the presidency of the United States of America," one agent protested, his voice almost cracking in panic.
"And putting terrorists in the White House," another joined the protest.
"This cannot be," the deputy exclaimed. "We are the United States of America, not a Third World country ruled by juntas."
Later when the deputy of the Department of Defense was apprised of the plan, his reaction was similar. "Mother of God, "the Department of Defense deputy shouted. "What you're talking about is madness...madness. Madness! You're talking about hijacking the presidency of the United States. You're talking about overthrowing the constitution of the United States, and you're talking about a coup-de-tat right here in the United States of America. Has everybody gone mad?"
The bottom line is, since the tenets of the constitution and the long held values considered 'American' are no longer considered sacrosanct; one can expect radical changes that mirror even fractious societies. Consequently, our security forces can no longer be merely reactive, but must be placed on a proactive footing with the ability to act preemptively if it becomes necessary.