This is a question I've had as well -- but since I can't think of any examples of this happening in any country ever, despite the timelessness of the plight, my

This is a question I've had as well -- but since I can't think of any examples of this happening in any country ever, despite the timelessness of the plight, my hunch has always been that it's essentially impossible for some reason that's not readily apparent. (My money's on the impossibility of mustering political will to do something so destructive that reeks so much of defeat and desperation). Maybe submit this to xkcd's 'what-if'?