Elvis Costello said "I used to be disgusted, but now I try to be amused." For me, it is the opposite. I used to hear people say that another Civil War was coming. I found that amusing. Tin-foil hat stuff, you know?
But now I think it is inevitable. Probably in my lifetime. The slavery issue was present from the very beginning of our country, but it really got hot and heavy from the Compromise of 1820 thru the Compromise of 1850 and the Dredd Scott decision of 1855. It took 40 years for people to abandon the political process and resort to guns.
It will happen again.
I see The New American Revolution looming on the not to distant horizon myself. We pay property taxes till we bleed...then the Government says that anyone with a larger bankroll than you can come along and take your land for the lamest of reasons. What would the State and Federal Gov'ts do if everyone just flat out stopped paying their property taxes? It would shut them down, period!
I used to think that it would be way cool if I could afford to pay my property taxes in advance for life, but now consider that being in arears might be the best couse after all...
Taxation without true representation and Government protection has finally shown it's ugly head!