@wgiwf @Waldbrand @judgedread America's problem is less the armament or gun culture but the blind faith in voting. The 'eventual reprisal' problem is because they can't draw a line anywhere that cannot be democratically reversed, but there is nothing that cannot be done with a sufficient majority. This is where race-blindness is the even bigger problem.

That said, perhaps I should find some periodicals (French constitutions) and look more closely at the how and why of their revolutions and coups.