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7 Forces Driving America Toward Civil War
Townhall.com ^ | April 21, 2018 | John Hawkins

Posted on 04/21/2018 5:19:30 AM PDT by Kaslin

I was interviewed by a mainstream media reporter yesterday. I thought he wanted to talk tech issues, but we actually spent almost the entire conversation discussing the feeling that many conservatives have that America has gone off the tracks and is headed toward dissolution or alternately, a civil war one day. Obviously, this would be a terrible thing and ironically, twenty years ago, it would have been laughable. Today, the joke isn’t so funny because we are a deeply unhealthy society with a dysfunctional government and for all our money, success and storied history, we seem to be on an increasingly dangerous trajectory. 

1) A Post-Constitutional Era: Liberals don’t believe in the Constitution. Typically they deny this, but that’s exactly what a “living” Constitution means. You make it up as you go along. The Founders foresaw the instability and danger that would be created by this approach, which is why they wanted us to be a constitutional republic, not a democracy. Unfortunately, America has in many ways already become a post-constitutional democracy and we’re one liberal judge away from abandoning the Constitution altogether. Once we get to that point, America just becomes the representation of that old saying, “Democracy is two wolves and a sheep deciding what to have for dinner.” Of course people are not lambs and when large numbers of them believe they aren’t being treated fairly, they do have the option of getting away from the wolves. 

2) Tribalism: The “you only have to listen to people you already agree with” nature of social media has dramatically ramped up the level of tribalism in the United States. The Right has gotten much more tribal since Donald Trump rose to prominence and the Left has taken tribalism into hyper-drive. Increasingly, liberals treat a range of opinion between Elizabeth Warren and Hillary Clinton as legitimate while everyone else is viewed as a white supremacist Nazi primitive that must be driven down into the gutter for society to move forward. This makes any sort of dialogue or cooperation nearly impossible. When every issue is a zero sum war where one tribe must win or lose, a lot of people quite understandably ask, “What do we gain by staying allied to this other tribe?” 

3) Federal Government Too PowerfulFederalism is a safety valve on the American pressure cooker. As long as people in San Francisco can, for the most part, live the way they want to live while the people in rural North Carolina can, for the most part, live the way they want to live, it’s much easier for everyone to get along. When people are unnecessarily forced to live under rules they find abhorrent because the federal government has become an octopus that has inserted its tentacles into every minute crevice of American life, it creates discontent on a wide scale. If most Americans wanted to live like people in San Francisco, they’d live in San Francisco. 

4) Moral Decline: As Samuel Adams once noted, “A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy. While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue then will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader.”

A large number of Americans HAVE LOST their principles, manners and virtue and it shows through from the sort of politicians they elect, to their rudeness online, to the sort of shallow hedonism and fame whoring they find appealing. Americans are increasingly becoming a soft and decadent people which is problematic because the challenges may change, but we can be certain that Americans will face future challenges every bit as difficult as the ones past generations had to tackle. This is frightening because if you look at the “principles, manners and virtue” of Americans today, they don’t seem capable of dealing with monumental events like the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Depression or World War II. Most people in their twenties probably couldn’t tell you why all those events were such challenges in the first place. When America faces a challenge bigger than we can handle because of ineffective politicians and our “amusing ourselves to death” population, there are no guarantees our republic will survive.  

5) The Debt: America is a freight train heading toward a cliff, but because we’re not moving toward the edge at lightning speed, no one seems all that concerned. However, the fact of the matter is that a reckoning is coming. At some point, probably within the next decade or two, we will face a debt-driven economic collapse; borrowed money will stop flowing into the United States and Medicare/Social Security as we know it will fall apart because we will not have the money to pay it. If and when we get to that point, all bets are off because if regions of the country see an advantage to splitting off from the United States at that point, they will do it. 

6) Lack Of A Shared Culture: There has never been a time when American culture was more fragmented than it is today. By that, I mean that there are legions of people with millions of fans or followers on the Internet that the vast majority of Americans have never heard of in their lives. We don’t have that shared love of anybody or for that matter, anything. Conservatives and liberals disagree on economics (capitalist/socialist), religion (friendly to Christianity/hostile to Christianity), the Constitution (support/believe in a living Constitution i.e. no Constitution), etc., on and on. The average conservative and the average liberal disagree on 95% of the issues and in the few limited cases where they do look at things the same, they won’t support a proposal by the other out of sheer tribalism. Over the long haul, there has be something more to hold a country together than, “We wear Nikes, like pop music and play golf.” 

7) Gun Grabbing:  Liberals have fallen in love with the idea of ignoring the 2nd Amendment and confiscating all firearms. The logistics of doing this in a nation with hundreds of millions of guns (many of which are off the books) when many police departments and tens of millions of Americans would not cooperate is seldom discussed. Another thing that seldom seems brought up is that large numbers of conservatives would see this as a prelude to the government’s use of force against the citizenry. When it is discussed on the Left, there seems to be an assumption that lone resisters might get into firefights with dozens of police or soldiers, as opposed to ganging up with other formerly law-abiding Americans to waylay gun confiscators, politicians and anti-gun activists at THEIR HOMES in guerrilla actions that would be silently applauded and supported by hundreds of millions of Americans concerned about their freedom. Confiscating guns is a dangerous and stupid idea that could in and of itself end our republic if a serious attempt were ever made to implement it. 



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: 2ndamendment; america; banglist; civilwar2; culturewar; cwii; cwiiping; elizabethwarren; fauxahontas; incometaxes; massachusetts; mediawingofthednc; nra; partisanmediashills; presstitutes; secession; secondamendment; slingingbull; smearmachine; taxcutsandjobsact; taxreform; tcja
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To: Kaslin
. . . if you look at the “principles, manners and virtue” of Americans today, they don’t seem capable of dealing with monumental events like the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Depression or World War II. Most people in their twenties probably couldn’t tell you why all those events were such challenges in the first place.

Far too many of our young people can't even figure out which restroom to use or which pronoun applies to another person. I suspect this is what they call "first-world problems". What they don't realize is that means they have no real problems, so they create artificial problems out of a psychotic need to feel important.

"I'm going to save the world by not exhaling toxic CO2!"

"I'm going to save the world by ignoring science and genetics so that people can choose what sex to call themselves."

"I'm going to save the world by disarming all law-abiding people so that criminals won't have guns."

41 posted on 04/21/2018 6:53:35 AM PDT by Pollster1 ("Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed")
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To: usconservative

I’m not optimistic either. I think we’re making our way to a socialist, communist takeover. Half our country thinks overthrowing an election is cool. A third have no idea what Auschwitz is. Sometimes you have to find out things the hard way.


42 posted on 04/21/2018 6:58:45 AM PDT by nobamanomore
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To: CodeToad

“Sundown at Coffin Rock”

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/772851/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2183354/posts


43 posted on 04/21/2018 7:01:43 AM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: ReaganGeneration2

I would add, Needed changes, or complete loss of Medicare, and Medicaid benefits.


44 posted on 04/21/2018 7:02:58 AM PDT by wita (Always and forever, under oath in defense of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.)
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To: Kaslin

To me, number 4 should be number 1. It’s the most important.
With a moral populous, the locus of control is internal (God see all, knows all, and will judge all, Though there is at present forgiveness - if we come his way. Fear him above men and there is life, personally and nationally). Yes, God is still merciful but I do not see national repentance looming on the horizon. Perhaps hard times may bring it.

With an immoral populous, the locus of control must be external. A surveillance culture. A cop and camera on every corner or in every home. Centralized authoritarian control. N. Korea here we come - if not Auschwiz.

We could not possibly fight a world war today and have any hope of winning it. There are just too many willing to sell us out to the enemy for 30 pieces of silver. Most of them are in Congress.

We spend little time in our public discourse after a tragedy discussing the real problems of the human heart and our fallen, sinful nature - the root of mankind’s problems.

It’s so late in this game that it is hard to be optimistic when we have become such a lawless nation. We have Iranian sleeper cells within and Hezbollah mixing it up with the drug cartels south of the border bidding their time.

An excellent read at Adina Kutnicki’s site. Article entitled:
Blow-Back: Obama’s Shield To Islamic Regimes Primed To Erupt

https://adinakutnicki.com/2018/04/14/blow-back-obamas-shield-to-islamic-regimes-primed-to-erupt-homeland-entity-report-april-2018-commentary-by-adina-kutnicki/

On that same page is a link towards the bottom entitled:
“House of Bribes: How the United States led the way to a Nuclear Iran.”

The last is a bit tedious to read but extremely informative though very discouraging to see how entrenched the enemy is within and how both Dems and Repubs are on the take from these enemies of liberty and for how long.

When baby killing and sodomizing are celebrated and protected how can we believe that there’s a bright future ahead for our nation?


45 posted on 04/21/2018 7:04:19 AM PDT by Lake Living
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To: Kaslin

*


46 posted on 04/21/2018 7:04:37 AM PDT by Kudsman (I'm normnal.)
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To: Kaslin

Hawkins makes a pretty good case. No matter what happens, it’s going to be a wild ride.


47 posted on 04/21/2018 7:06:04 AM PDT by Crucial
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To: Kaslin
When it is discussed on the Left, there seems to be an assumption that lone resisters might get into firefights with dozens of police or soldiers, as opposed to ganging up with other formerly law-abiding Americans to waylay gun confiscators, politicians and anti-gun activists at THEIR HOMES in guerrilla actions that would be silently applauded and supported by hundreds of millions of Americans concerned about their freedom.

Without being arrested for issuing death threats, what a "friendly" way to strongly advise Leftists and Journalists that this is a very likely outcome that does not favor them at all?

48 posted on 04/21/2018 7:06:38 AM PDT by Alas Babylon! (If white privilege is real, why do we have millions of poor white people?)
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To: Kaslin

There appears to be no way around it. Sooner or later, the left will not be the only ones resorting to violence. It is long past time to react when a leftie tries throwing something, punching someone, or damaging things.

That reaction should rightfully include pain for the leftie.
As said in the Princess Bride, “To the pain.”


49 posted on 04/21/2018 7:07:37 AM PDT by Da Coyote
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To: Nicojones

A “cold” civil war, you say? Congressman Sinise begs to differ.


50 posted on 04/21/2018 7:08:31 AM PDT by Noumenon (It isn't racist if it's true, is it?)
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To: ealgeone

You left out Woodrow Wilson.

http://thefederalist.com/2018/04/17/moralizing-in-america/


51 posted on 04/21/2018 7:10:40 AM PDT by Lake Living
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To: Soul of the South
This 2016 Presidential Election map by County illustrates the problems.

There are strongholds of liberalism in the red states. In the south a lot of the blue areas are heavy African American.

Southeast Florida is heavy Hispanic and retired northerners.

Southern Texas, NM and AZ is heavy Hispanic.

Three tribes to deal with right there.

This doesn't even begin to address the most basic of all issues: Food and Power.

Whether we like it or not a lot of our food is grown in CA. In a CW, that goes away for the Red States. All those blue counties in the south....a lot of food is grown there as well.

2016 US Presidential Election Map By County & Vote Share

Think electricity is going to continue to flow in a CW?


52 posted on 04/21/2018 7:13:33 AM PDT by ealgeone
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To: Kaslin

Three reasons why I think we are pretty far away from any sort of widespread sustained civil unrest, at least while things remain like they are:

Everyone is fatter, if not healthier. The poorest are actually the most likely to be obese, something that hasn’t ever happened before. Hard to imagine many choosing the uncomfortable hardship sustained civil unrest would bring while the poorest are so well fed.

We are the most passively entertained people ever. I just think this brings a high level of disengagement with actual real-life society while providing an outlet for outrage in the virtual world. Look out if the internet gets turned off, I imagine rotund zombies in the street howling for their smart phones to turn back on.

The number of eligible people who choose not to vote have outnumbered any single political party for 100+ years. We haven’t had even 65% eligible voter turnout since 1908. You would think more would deign to try voting if things are so bad before they take to the streets. I think those who care about politics and culture, at least enough to vote about it, regularly overestimate the number of people who care like they do.

Freegards


53 posted on 04/21/2018 7:14:29 AM PDT by Ransomed
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To: Lake Living

Yes! The list is not all inclusive by any means. But you’re right...he was the first.


54 posted on 04/21/2018 7:14:55 AM PDT by ealgeone
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To: Alas Babylon!
Here's one way. Millions of gun-owning, never break-the-law, normal citizens go outside and shout:

If only we had a way to be activists, out amongst the world, being proud and defiant of who we are and why this country is great, instead of like-minded fellows discussing the future on an Internet forum...

55 posted on 04/21/2018 7:15:47 AM PDT by Alas Babylon! (If white privilege is real, why do we have millions of poor white people?)
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To: ClearCase_guy

Fantasy is a wonderful thing. This article has pretty much hit it on the head. The US is divided right down the middle. We are never going to reunite unless some significant event like invasion by a common enemy of the New Madrid fault of Yelowstone erupting.

Civil war is on the way. Trump may stave it off for 8 years but at this point I am doubtful even that will happen.


56 posted on 04/21/2018 7:17:14 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: unread

Actually there is a lot of research that millenials, (and I see it in my millennial age children), aside from dumb social media practices (not wholesale and they’re changing, too, due to Facebook type privacy issues) are actually eschewing the debt/credit debacle many of us (I’m a young baby boomer) witnessed as we were in our 20’s-40’s. My millennial kids are minimalists and not “wanting it all”. They’re happy with smaller houses, cheaper vehicles, spending time with their children and saving money. My daughter and son-in-Law are able to make it on one salary (well, she is a stay-at-home mom doing free lance consultant type work as time permits) and are building their first home...a modest one at that. They have very limited consumer debt and work hard at putting money away on a modest income. My other millennial daughter and her husband have limited debt and exist on his Navy salary...she’s a stay at home mom, too. I see a bright future for them.


57 posted on 04/21/2018 7:18:59 AM PDT by ripnbang ("An armed man is a citizen, an unarmed man, a subject.")
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To: Kaslin

Bttt.

5.56mm


58 posted on 04/21/2018 7:21:59 AM PDT by M Kehoe (THIS SPACE FOR RENT)
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To: McBuff

If it’s a God or no God principal, then accepatane of normalization of abortion is the issue. It is complicated further by its core belief (the acceptance of normalization of birth control).

People think they can have a good relationship with God and still reject the sanctity of life.

This is what makes conservatives wimpy when defending the country on a local level. They know they are in the wrong so they resist being bold.


59 posted on 04/21/2018 7:28:06 AM PDT by stanne
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To: ClearCase_guy

That’s pretty profound!
I really pray you are right!


60 posted on 04/21/2018 7:33:01 AM PDT by Roman_War_Criminal (This country & world is living on borrowed time (Luke 17:26-27))
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