There is no “us and them”.
So you are walking down the street with an empty gas can trying to get a gallon or two to put in your rig, parked a quarter mile behind you.
You have a sidearm.
You see a person approaching you.
Is he an “us” or is he a “them”?
How do you know? How do you react? Do you honestly think you will be able to carry on a civil discussion about who exactly he voted for last time, then just dust him away if he says he voted for Obama?
There is no “us” and no “them”.
The person you see will do one of two things:
Help you or
Try to kill you.
I’d be very interested in any thoughts on the matter. But no matter how much I think about it, I can’t come up with a solution.
Without a clear definition of “us” and “them”, it soon devolves to just killing people on sight or be killed yourself.
Yes, friend or foe? That's a tough one to figure, many times impossible, and yet another aspect of this sort of conflict which makes it especially hellish.
Many mistakes are made. Many 'friendly fire' incidents.
If you're looking for a clear-cut answer, guess what? There isn't one.
Which is why this is to be avoided if at all possible. But as I stated previously, we will not be the ones who attack first, rendering any such sentiments moot.