I’m a writer, so I have to be an observer of human behavior. The latter’s description must contain psychology as well as history. Admittedly, I’m an amateur in both (we authors are amateurs in a lot of areas in order to write our stories), but I’d once concluded that there were only two periods in US history when the psychological moment was appropriate for civil war: the original war between North and South, a war between those who wanted to abolish slavery and those who didn’t; and the almost-war a hundred years later between North and South over civil rights, between those against segregation (i.e. American apartheid) and those for it, the vestigial remains of the South from that first war.
Now US opinions have shifted and become rigid as they morph into the 21st century cultural wars, but a lot remains the same. We have the group of red states, led by the Good Ole Piranhas, their political party of choice, and their wannabe fuehrer, Donald J. Chump, a group that is far-right, racist, and fascist; and the blue states, progressive, often far-left, diverse, and humanistic. The solidification into these two camps isn’t just around social issues either. The Piranhas are out to destroy the world by ignoring climate change, widening the gap between the rich and poor, and turning the US into a fascist worldwide power. Greed and power are what motivate them.
I see this situation as another moment in US history where a civil war is likely to occur. If it does, the “South” will lose this time…hopefully completely and once and for all. The economies of the red states can’t compete with those of the blue states. Where they could once eke out some advantage, companies are now fleeing their oppressive fascism, from manufacturing to sports teams. If only via a population advantage, the blue states will win. For example, a redneck SOB in the middle of Texas might be the worst fascist and most violent soldier in the world, but he can’t fight off a hundred diverse soldiers from California.
There’s no guessing about who will win this civil war when it occurs. Certainly it will be the culmination of and worse than the other two. The second didn’t occur because LBJ, another redneck Texan, saw history’s hand writing on the wall about what that second civil war might lead to. I don’t see another LBJ lurking among the Piranhas, though, so, of all my predicted civil wars, this one in the 21st century might occur. And Donald J. Chump might be the main cause.
I’m afraid that the only way out of a third civil war (the fight over segregation was close enough to be called one) is to convict the Donald for treason and lock him up for the rest of his life. But that might also be a trigger.
So, be prepared. War is ugly. I’ll probably have to fight, and so will you. We can’t let fascism win in the US, or all will be lost.
Right now we just have to fight with angry words and raised fists, though, and hope enough of the other side’s fascist leaders come to their damned senses.