NationStates

I'm watching a TV program, a news special on a show called Amanpour and Co., and they are discussing the chances or risks of a second American civil war. They have on there an author named Barbara Walter, who they are interviewing about the feasibility of preventing a civil war in the United States, based upon her research on civil wars in other countries. Her book is called "How Civil Wars Start." She seems to allege that white, male Christian nationalists are the demographic most likely to instigate another civil war. To be fair, that is also who started the last one in America, if you look at the demographics of the Southern Confederacy.

Still, it would be interesting to hear your perspectives. Try to keep it civil, though, and avoid flaming, trolling, spamming, and flamebaiting. There's going to be a poll, incidentally. We don't want the mods landing on us like a ton of bricks. They're like to ban first and ask questions later, given their track record of undue haste.

If what she says is at all accurate, it is more than a little terrifying. She is outlining a number of scenarios where this might happen. Frankly, though, my own opinion is less that civil war is inevitable, but that societal collapse is all but guaranteed, which would make civil war look like a Sunday School picnic.

Oh my goodness! I'm a white male Christian nationalist! Let's not start another war

The 2020s aren't going to be America's best years but I would doubt that another civil war is on the horizon.

OI! yes. yes it is, cause NOBODY WILL MIND THEIR BUISNESS.

There might be bloody terrorist attacks in the future, but I don't think there is going to be another civil war.

There will be a civil war, but more paramilitaries crashing in the streets daily than state secession or organized frontlines.

My friends, we have been in a civil war for the past 90 years…

Zanderlock wrote:My friends, we have been in a civil war for the past 90 years…

ssshhhh, we're trying to pretend it's not happenin'

Zanderlock wrote:My friends, we have been in a civil war for the past 90 years…

Ah yes, I remember the time when FDR ordered the mass executions of various republican politicians after the 1940 presidential election.

I hope it is, so we can finally nuke Florida. And the south. And the plains./jk.

Yeah, but seriously. No.

This does seem to be what conservatives are angling for, given their ongoing nationwide mission to dismantle any peaceful means of opposing them or removing them from power.

When Trump blubbers about how all the people with guns are on his side, that is the actual mindset of conservatives. They're perfectly happy to rollback legal rights and protections and dismantle democratic institutions because their view is that things breaking out into violence is no big problem, in fact it's ideal. Since 'everybody knows' the right has all the guns and 'real men' they'll finally be able to purge all the minority groups they hate directly, instead of having to pussyfoot around slowly chipping away at them with laws aimed at dehumanizing and disenfranchising them while simultaneously having to coddle all the "moderate" bobbleheads so they don't get spooked and go vote for someone else while that is still an option.

Personally, I think it's extremely unlikely that another civil war will break out in the near future. My bet is that the most realistic worst case scenario for the US is probably something akin to either the Years of Lead in Italy or Turkey during the 1970s, rather than a full-blown civil war.

Yes, I do think we are heading for a second civil war, but lets not delude ourselves here, it will not be the Battle of Gettysburg 2.0: Electric Boogaloo.

It would be more like the never ending bloodbath more akin to the Syrian Civil War that would probably last for well over a decade. Not only that, but it would probably start out as something along the lines of Democrats v. Republicans, but both parties would likely split into multiple other factions. All fighting amongst each other, mainly through disorganized militias.

Establishment figures might fight to keep the status quo intact, but they will likely fail.

I wouldn't really think about it

Dimetrodon Empire wrote:Yes, I do think we are heading for a second civil war, but lets not delude ourselves here, it will not be the Battle of Gettysburg 2.0: Electric Boogaloo.

It would be more like the never ending bloodbath more akin to the Syrian Civil War that would probably last for well over a decade. Not only that, but it would probably start out as something along the lines of Democrats v. Republicans, but both parties would likely split into multiple other factions. All fighting amongst each other, mainly through disorganized militias.

Establishment figures might fight to keep the status quo intact, but they will likely fail.

I’m just waiting for Kaiserreich to happen IRL.

I say no. To me, the current state of America seems almost like a combination of the 1930s' economic situation and 1850s' and 1840s' political polarization. I know that's a bit ironic to say the 1800s, but I seriously doubt anyone wants to actually fight. Most Americans just want a comfortable life, and as an American myself, I am no different to this opinion.

Tl;DR: Civil war is not going to happen because people don't start civil wars just because two parties have been fighting for over 50 years and nobody has bothered to stop them due to the population not caring.

unfortunately, i doubt it. maybe increased polarization and maybe domestic terrorism a la the 1970s (weather underground part 2 electric boogaloo!) but i doubt the US will have another full blown civil war

No there is not going to be another Civil War. I can see the United States having its own version of the The Troubles to a degree.

We already seen an increase in death threats and even had a kidnapping plot against a sitting Governor.

Hispida wrote:unfortunately, i doubt it. maybe increased polarization and maybe domestic terrorism a la the 1970s (weather underground part 2 electric boogaloo!) but i doubt the US will have another full blown civil war

The American far right want another civil war and are dismantling the remnants of American democracy.

So it's either civil war or the emergence of a far-right dictatorship, but the center cannot hold.

Dimetrodon Empire wrote:

Hispida wrote:unfortunately, i doubt it. maybe increased polarization and maybe domestic terrorism a la the 1970s (weather underground part 2 electric boogaloo!) but i doubt the US will have another full blown civil war

The American far right want another civil war and are dismantling the remnants of American democracy.

So it's either civil war or the emergence of a far-right dictatorship, but the center cannot hold.

i mean, everyone thought andrew jackson was gonna create a dictatorship, too. ditto lincoln, ditto FDR, ditto reagan, ditto trump. for all of its flaws, the american government is prettyresilient to making a de jure dictatorship.

Nah

From the looks of it, the US is heading towards balkanisation, national divorce or the succession of the south.

If i had to pick, i'd probably go for balkanisation and have the US reform into a economic and cultural union like the E.U

Hispida wrote:

Dimetrodon Empire wrote:The American far right want another civil war and are dismantling the remnants of American democracy.

So it's either civil war or the emergence of a far-right dictatorship, but the center cannot hold.

i mean, everyone thought andrew jackson was gonna create a dictatorship, too. ditto lincoln, ditto FDR, ditto reagan, ditto trump. for all of its flaws, the american government is prettyresilient to making a de jure dictatorship.

Trump was the first of them to actually attempt to prevent a peaceful transition of power. Also, neither of the others listed wanted to be dictators, except maybe Jackson.

People say It Can't Happen Here, but the thing is, it can happen here, especially when we now have a major movement in this country that seeks to just do that, and it controls one of the two major parties. If Trump cannot form a dictatorship, Ron DeSantis will.

Oh no. Algerstonia is viewing this thread.

The Rio Grande River Basin wrote:Oh no. Algerstonia is viewing this thread.

Lol