A second American Civil War? It Ain't gonna happen.

[Cyrano]

I've seen posts in various threads that either imply or outright state that we need another Civil War to wipe out the crazies. While I can fully understand the emotion, another Civil War is impossible.

The Civil War we had in the 19th century had geographic boundaries. Battle lines were defined by state lines. That's not true today.

The only way we're ever going to defeat the crazy bastards in this country is through the ballot box. And that is going to be difficult enough given gerrymandered districts, voter suppression and "lost" or uncounted votes.

Forget about a shooting war. It ain't gonna happen.

And for those who desperately want one, please explain how you are going to decide who you plan to shoot at.

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Chenoweth & Stephan

Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict (Columbia Studies in Terrorism and Irregular Warfare)

http://www.amazon.com/Why-Civil-Resistance-Works-ebook/dp/B005SZEEXQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380633473&sr=1-1&keywords=Erika+Chenoweth+revolutions

There is an alternative to both ballots & bullets.

Though it defies consensus, between 1900 and 2006, campaigns of nonviolent resistance were more than twice as effective as their violent counterparts. Attracting impressive support from citizens that helps separate regimes from their main sources of power, these campaigns have produced remarkable results, even in the contexts of Iran, the Palestinian Territories, the Philippines, and Burma.

Combining statistical analysis with case studies of these specific countries and territories, Erica Chenoweth and Maria J. Stephen detail the factors enabling such campaigns to succeed-and, at times, causing them to fail. They find that nonviolent resistance presents fewer obstacles to moral and physical involvement, information and education, and participator commitment. Higher levels of participation then contribute to enhanced resilience, a greater probability of tactical innovation, increased opportunity for civic disruption (and therefore less incentive for the regime to maintain the status quo), and shifts in loyalty among opponents' erstwhile supporters, including members of the military establishment. They find successful nonviolent resistance movements usher in more durable and internally peaceful democracies, which are less likely to regress into civil war. Presenting a rich, evidentiary argument, this book originally and systematically compares violent and nonviolent outcomes in different historical periods and geographical contexts, debunking the myth that violence occurs because of structural and environmental factors and is necessary to achieve certain political goals. Instead, Chenoweth and Stephan find violent insurgency is rarely justifiable on strategic grounds.

[Huntress32]

12. Anything is possible

To answer your question if we default for the first time in our nation's history will bring it on. Most economists say that this will bring an an economic disaster, and republicans having been jerry mandering their districts and they also caused this mess. So look for 17th for your answer it is going to happen.

[gopiscrap]

13. Welcome to DU

[el_bryanto]

2. I don't know about a shooting war

But I find the idea of splitting the nation appealing on some levels. Not workable though.

Bryant

[HockeyMom]

3. The real crazies think WE (DU)

are the crazies,

[Cyrano]

7. Makes sense. We live in parallel universes.

Listening only to Fox "News," and hate radio screws up a brain beyond repair. The "reality" these people inhabit is not the one we live in.

[Dash87]

4. This is the talk of armchair warriors (The 101st Chairborne).

I always ask the "we need a Civil war!" people on both sides how it would happen, and they always have no clue. It's usually another form of sniveling.

That's not to be confused with people who believe a civil war may happen, but are not hoping for one.

[SoutherDem]

5. You are right

But, I am worried this is the beginning of the end of the USA. As long as 20% of 50% of our legislative branch can bring such damage how can we survive?
We may win the battle but with the gerrymandered districts I doubt we win the war. I can tell you from conversations I over hear as I move about in public the crazy right wing Republicans think their Representatives are trying to "save" America from Socialism. If my Representative did find a couple of brain cell and vote for a clean bill he WILL be primaries come 2014.

[Myrina]

6. Disagree.

There are plenty of armed-to-the-teeth knuckleheads running loose in several states, including mine (Indiana) who would be glad to declare 'war' on liberal/progressives & chase us to California and/or New England in an attempt to 'take' the rest of the country.

[Democracyinkind]

8. I understand the argument, but it's very reductionist.

First of all, I agree, there won't be another Civil War.

Then again, the War of the Rebellion, while fought between distinct coalitions, was not as clean cut as popular history books state it. Next to the war on the battlefield there was a guerrilla war of "10,000 nasty incidents" all along the Appalachian mountains - Virginia(s), Carolinas, Georgia. There were Unionists in Tennessee and Louisiana, while Kentucky had an active secessionist insurgency. This schizophrenic and fratricidal aspect of the war is best exemplified by the marginal fronts such as Missouri and Arkansas. Throw in the copperheads and Golden Circle freaks in the border North to complete the picture.

Also, while it is true that a strong coalition of states seceded, that does not mean that the war course itself had the people's blessing - which is true for the North and the South. (See "Apostles of Disunion&quot .

These aspects of the Civil War have only just arrived in the mainstream of historical writing.

This post was not meant to pick apart your post, just some points that came to my mind.

[Shankapotomus]

9. That's why I have

encouraged online people like James Yeager and his merry band of men to put up a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for a main made off shore island or fleet of converted oil tankers where they can live out their dream of no government intervention in international waters without subjecting everyone else to it.

It's a peaceful alternative for them, which I suppose they reject because it interferes with their undiagnosed social Darwinistic impulses.

[Javaman]

10. As I have said to others, we are in the first American Civil Cold War. nt

[Cyrano]

11. In some ways, that's true.

The first one never ended. Only the shooting stopped.