January 2021
Can You Be Fired For Being Conservative?
John Hinderaker, Powerline Blog - January 28
It appears a woman was recently fired from her job simply for having social media accounts on Parler and GAB. Some say that we are now engaged in a cold civil war. Sadly, I think there is some truth to that characterization.
Can we teach our way out of political polarization?
Sarah Garland, The Hichinger Report - January 25
The events of January 6th prove that not enough is being done to educate Americans about actual injustice in American history. Those people were motivated by delusions of the sort that Trump's 1776 project attempted to put forward as a response to the 1619 Project. Bill Bigelow, co-director of the Zinn Education Project, argues that schools must do more than present an uplifting version of American history...
The fight for truth: How misinformation and disinformation can lead to ‘chaos, civil war’
Michael Paluska, ABC ActionNews - January 25
The speed with which false information can be shared in today's world makes it almost impossible to avoid perpetual civil strife. In other countries, this kind of instability often leads to civil war. Will ours be next?
Biggest hedge-fund manager ‘thrilled’ with Biden but still believes US on ‘brink of a terrible civil war’
Shawn Langlois, MarketWatch - January 24
"I believe we are on the brink of a terrible civil war,” Ray Dalio, the billionaire founder of Bridgewater Associates, wrote. “We are at an inflection point between entering a type of hell of fighting or pulling back to work together for peace and prosperity that addresses the big wealth, values, and opportunity gaps we’re now seeing.” Here is his entire tweetstorm.
FBI arrests man who warned of ‘Civil War’ for storming U.S. Capitol; tipped by family member
John Caniglia, Cleveland.com - January 25
Ten days after the insurrection, the FBI received a tip from an unidentified member of Stephen Ayres’ family. The relative confirmed Ayres’ identity and mentioned Facebook posts in which Ayres claimed that a "Civil War will ensue!" if Trump were to lose the election.
The Inauguration of Hope and the end to the Uncivil War
Ira Rabois, Ira Rabois - January 20
Biden's inauguration promises so much hope for our country. May this be a new America. May we win the new Civil War or, as President Biden put it, Uncivil War, even better, may we defeat the impulse to go to war, to go to hate, to go to self-serving greed.
Boogaloo members increase their presence in protests around nation
Caleb Jones, AP News - January 23
People following a violent movement that promotes a second U.S. civil war or the breakdown of modern society have been showing up at recent protests across the nation armed and wearing tactical gear. The shirts are being worn by militant followers of the boogaloo philosophy. The name is a reference to a slang term for a sequel -- in this case, a second civil war.
How Trumpism Is Becoming America’s New “Lost Cause”
Zack Stanton, Politico - January 21
When the Confederate battle flag was carried into the Capitol on January 6th, it established Trumpism as the new 'Lost Cause' that could become memorialized as a powerful narrative for future resistance to progressive government. What is needed, in fact, is for Democrats to impose a kind of Reconstruction upon the Trump-supporting areas of the country, for unless there is real justice brought about, healing simply cannot happen.
English civil war in 1600s reveals the unintended consequences of insurrections
Samuel Fullerton, Tennessean - January 22
The Jan. 6 events at the U.S. Capitol building are unprecedented in American history. On the other hand, they bear a striking resemblance to a little-known episode of the bloody civil wars that engulfed Britain and Ireland during the mid-17th century. It is a lesson all of us must heed carefully. Failure to put an end to Trumpism now – once and for all – might otherwise lead to terrifying, albeit certainly unintended...
Thinking about what divides us
Wade Wofford, Daily Hampshire Gazette - January 21
Our country is broken, and we need to find a way to bring the chasm that’s divided us closer together before it leads to another Civil War. In reality, the number of Trump supporters who qualify as domestic terrorists is quite low; most Trump supporters can be reasoned with, and it is they whom we must try to win over. The others are beyond the pale.
A 'cold civil war' is brewing in America
Jennifer Harper, The Washington Times - January 21
According to a new report by the communication firm Edelman, anxiety about politics, misleading media coverage and continued partisan discord is a global phenomenon. “We’ve been lied to by those in charge, and media sources are seen as politicized and biased... 57% of Americans find the political and ideological polarization so extreme that they believe the U.S. is in the midst of a cold civil war,” said Edelman's CEO.
Biden's unique opportunity: End the political civil war
KT McFarland, The Hill - January 21
Americans are weary of this political civil war. Both sides have their grievances, and they’re substantial. But we’re all exhausted and demoralized by the constant fighting. We all want this to end, so we can move on. But that means we all have to allow our grievances to remain in the past. If Biden allows the Democrats in Congress to satiate their blood lust for Donald Trump, Biden's words of unity will seem farcical.
U.S. civil war not as far off as you might think
Glenn Harris, The Telegram - January 22
There is a very real potential for an all-out civil war in the U.S. My admittedly apocalyptic view is that we may eventually see the Epiphany Uprising (or Trump’s Sedition) as the opening skirmish of the Second American Civil War. Here are two likely triggers for such a war.
Trump Inflamed the American "War of Sections." What Comes Next?
Steve Suitts, History News Network - January 24
There are great divisions in this country, and, while the definition of what is southern is shifting westward, the white south in today’s war-like presidential politics continues to provide the primary foot soldiers and lieutenants in support of their leader, who is not a southern planter, but ironically a New York plutocrat more familiar with how they pour concrete in New Jersey than how they still coon hunt in lower Alabama.
An Argument From The Start: From Colonists to The Constitution to Gettysburg to Today (p. 54)
William J. Olson, 360Review - January 22
What has been described a cold civil war appears to be heating up -- just as in the 1850s. Unfolding currently is a process that is eerily reminiscent of the collapse of the shared commitment to principle that led to the Civil War. At stake is whether a government of, for and by the people can long endure. Are we slouching to Gettysburg?
Biden's Presidency Will Be A Catalyst For Secession – And Perhaps Civil War
Brandon Smith, Alt-Market - January 20
What we are witnessing right now is the final phase of a political and economic collapse scenario that was more than a decade in the making, and Biden is about to help finish the job. There is an obvious outcome and I don’t think it’s far fetched to suggest that conservative counties and states will demand secession. At the very least, conservatives are going to continue to relocate to red states and red counties...
Mainstream Media claims Biden inherited Cold War, Civil War, Great Depression, & pandemic
David Rutz, Fox News - January 22
Voices from the mainstream media push a narrative that Biden is somehow facing conditions similar to all the darkest days in American history including the Civil War, the Great Depression, and the Cold War. Are things really that bad today?
How a second U.S. Civil War was prevented
Tracy Smith, ABC4 News - January 19
The Presidential election between Joe Biden and Donald Trump is more familiar for the U.S. than you might think. Still, because of the last century’s outward civility, Americans were caught off guard by the violence over the election results. Despite the tests, our Democracy and the structure we rely on continue to hold.
New book is a citizen's guide to healing 'The Second Civil War'
editors, EIN News - January 20
Montoya offers "The Second Civil War: a Citizen’s Guide to Healing Our Fractured Nation" as a practical guide, to help anyone not only understand what must change, but also how. Part study, part guidebook, "The Second Civil War" seeks not only to uncover how we got ourselves into our current national crisis, but how we can get ourselves out.
Second GOP state leader wants to secede because Trump lost election
Josh Israel, The American Independent - January 19
Earlier this month, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) warned that a second civil war was imminent if Democrats won a pair of Senate runoff elections. Now the chair of the Wyoming Republican Party called for secession in a recent podcast with Donald Trump's indicted former campaign chief.
Biden's inauguration doesn't end our cold civil war
Joseph Ax, Maria Caspani, Reuters - January 19
Bob Hoyt, a financial adviser from Marina del Rey, California, said he was “dumbfounded” that Trump got nearly 75 million votes. Biden's inauguration provided little consolation. “There’s nothing to celebrate, because we’re in a civil war,” Hoyt, 70, said. “It’s a cold civil war, but we’re deluding ourselves if we think we can get the yolk back into the egg after we crack it.”
'Is US on brink of civil war?’ Biden calls for unity, but some worry moment recalls run-up to Civil War
Douglas Perry, The Oregonian - January 20
Abraham Lincoln’s famous second inaugural address has been cited time and again in recent days: “With malice toward none, with charity for all.” But some Americans believe it might be more apt to make comparisons to Lincoln’s first inaugural, coming as it did as momentum built to the opening salvo of the Civil War. Americans on both sides of the political divide are increasingly worried that the country is approaching civil war.
The man who started a civil war
Peter Gay, The Sun Chronicle - January 18
Trump's supporters praise him for being the first president since Jimmy Carter not to have started a war while in office, but this isn't exactly true. Trump did, in fact, start a domestic civil war against his own country.
Civil War won't be Democrats vs. GOP
Barbara Minich, Herald & Review - January 18
There isn’t going to be a civil war in America that pits Republican citizens against Democratic citizens. Democrats are not armed to the teeth and they are not insanely wired up with wild conspiracy theories or motivated by a misguided idea of patriotism. If there is a war, it will be between the foot soldiers of the political right and well-trained and well-equipped government forces.
'They Were Planning a Civil War’: Feds Charge Men Bringing Weapons into U.S. Capitol During Siege
Aaron Keller, Law & Crime - January 19
Two Texas men are under arrest on federal charges after allegedly bringing deadly and/or dangerous weapons to the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol by documented supporters of President Donald Trump. "They were planning a civil war,” according to an unnamed witness who scanned the men’s social media pages quoted in federal court papers.
Dave Bautista Responds to Mike Pence: You Started a Civil War
Jude Terror, Bleeding Cool - January 19
Mike Pence claims that a lack of new wars started in the last four years is a hallmark accomplishment of the Trump administration. According to Dave Bautista, though, Pence and others in the Trump administration are indeed responsible for starting a war: a civil war.
Trump leaves America at its most divided since the Civil War
Ronald Brownstein, CNN Politics - January 19
Few experts anticipate a repeat of the Civil War: a formal attempt at dissolving the nation accompanied by widespread armed conflict. As one commentator claimed, "we are a long way from outright civil war: We're not Yugoslavia; we're not Spain, but we are definitely in danger of a kind of a lower-level violence, decentralized because that's our country's middle name, constant outbreaks, for years to come." ...
The Second American Civil War Began on January 6th
Gabrielle Gurley, Prospect - January 18
On January 6th, our Second Civil War began with an insurrection the likes of which haven’t been seen since the last war on American soil. That white members of Congress indulge those who want to bring about a Trump dictatorship is chilling, but not a revelation to anyone paying attention. In her short impeachment speech, Rep. Maxine Waters of California said that Trump could start a civil war. She was mistaken. It's already under way.
Biden’s challenge: A speech for the Cold Civil War
Matt Bai, The Washington Post - January 18
President Biden will inherit a country in a cold civil war. Like Lincoln, Biden faces imminent disunion. The secession this time isn't institutional, though; it's a secession of the mind. In his Inaugural speech, Biden needs to find a way to bring the country back together from splitting apart.
Some Republicans call for second Civil War: ‘Citizens take arms!’
The Associated Press, AL.com - January 18
War-like imagery has begun spreading in Republican circles after the attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters, with some elected officials and party leaders rejecting pleas to tone down rhetoric calling for a second civil war.
A New Civil War Test Case
Rod Dreher, The American Conservative - January 18
Rod Dreher notes a similarity between Michael Vlahos's recent blog post about possible civil war in the US and Dreher's own argument in his recent book about living in an increasingly totalitarian regime. One example is Simon & Schuster's recent decision to cancel their book deal with Sen. Josh Hawley.
Pulitzer winner believes we are now fighting the Second American Civil War
David Cay Johnston, RawStory - January 16
Don't make the mistake of thinking there is no Second Civil War just because all is peaceful where you are. We are in fact at war, and as we prosecute this war on Trump's militias and half-organized renegade insurgents, we must give no quarter in terms of criminal prosecution. Trump's mob will not win this civil war.
Scenes from the Second Civil War
Jason Kottke, Kottke - January 15
Soon after the attack on the Capitol on January 6th, it seemed a bunch of Trump supporters lost their way home from the rally and thought it would be fun to take selfies in the Capitol. We know now, though, that attack was coordinated, planned, and conducted with the intent to kidnap members of Congress. Here are several accounts from police who were at the scene.
Ahead of Biden’s Inauguration, Extremists Trade Bomb Making Instructions and Tactics Guides
Ali Breland, Mother Jones - January 16
Ahead of an Inauguration that experts and federal officials have warned could culminate in violence, extremists are trading tactics in fringe online platforms on how to carry out deadly attacks. Here are what some of them are saying to each other.
Small Protests Form Outside State Capitols, End Without Violence
Beth Dalbey, Patch - January 15
As small groups of armed protesters approached some state capitols across the country on Sunday, the nation remains on high alert in the days ahead of the inauguration and in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. capitol. Now the FBI is reporting that more armed protests are planned in capitals all over the country on Jan. 20. Here are what states are doing to prepare for the worst.
The worst-case scenario for America's immediate future
Damon Linker, The Week - January 15
January 6th was proof that Americans are in fact still capable of the spiritedness necessary to start a civil war. We must all recognize this fact and not be naive about how fragile our political order is. Here are several scenarios for how that order could continue to break down. Let us face these with clear perspective, neither with alarm nor naivety.
20,000 soldiers at US Capitol. No, it isn’t Civil War, but the Trump effect
Todd Shields and Keith Lang, The Print - January 14
Soldiers took up positions in the U.S. Capitol in a scene reminiscent of Civil War deployments as Washington braced for the inauguration of a new president and a vote to impeach the current one.
Fears of 'civil war' in the United States are on the rise
Jay Reeves and Julie Carr Smyth, PBS and the Associated Press - January 16
War-like imagery has begun spreading in Republican circles after the attack on the U.S. Capitol, with some elected officials and party leaders rejecting pleas to tone down rhetoric calling for a second civil war. Some leftists have used similar language, though, which Republicans have likened to advocating a new civil war. There are, in fact, parallels between now and the run-up to the Civil War
The Left Is Further Dividing Us and Stoking Civil War
Selwyn Duke, The New American - January 11
Americans were already separating into two camps at an alarming rate, but now social media companies are increasing the divide by isolating conservatives from major platorms.
Shock poll: 79% of Americans now agree the nation is 'falling apart'
Jennifer Harper, The Washingtom Times - January 15
It is grim news in troubled times. A new Axios-Ipsos poll reveals that the public fears the nation is in dire straits. “Fourth-fifths of Americans — both Republicans and Democrats — say America is falling apart,” Axios said in an analysis of the poll, which was conducted Monday through Wednesday.
The Boogaloo Bois Prepare for Civil War
Michael J. Mooney, The Atlantic - January 15
For the past year, boogaloo bois all over the United States have been cheering on the country’s breakdown, waiting for the moment when their anarchist memes would come to life and the country would devolve into bloody chaos. That day could be January 20th, or it could just all be one big joke. We ought not be surprised, though, if it turns out to be true and not at all funny.
Don’t push America towards a civil war
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, Weekly Blitz - January 15
Clearly there is madness in the political field of the US. among both Democrats and Republicans. Unitedly they are pushing America towards an inevitable civil war. Will good sense prevail?
Will authorities crack down if armed militia groups show up at state capitals next week?
Will Carless, USA Today - January 14
Privately run, armed militia groups like the Three Percenters are illegal. All 50 state constitutions forbid the existence of private groups that act in public like authorized security forces but aren't under the control of the governor.
America is at war with itself
David Phillips, Tulsa World - January 15
America is at war with itself. President-elect Joe Biden faces one of the deepest divides in this nation's history since those facing Abraham Lincoln. Let there be no doubt, we are now engaged in a civil war.
Another Civil War, is that what we really want?
Barbara Anderson, News and Tribune - January 12
People stormed our U.S. Capitol. Another Civil War, is that what we really want? I don’t think so. We need to be strong, we need to be respectful, and we need to move forward with a new resolve to be a United States of America, not a divided State of America.
Was the Trump mob attack the end or the start of something?
Scott Martelle, Los Angeles Times - January 13
Despite Trump telling supporters two days after the invasion that “we have just been through an intense election and emotions are high, but now tempers must be cooled and calm restored,” they are planning more actions in the federal and state capitals from Jan. 17 through Inauguration Day itself, Jan. 20. That raises the concern that the attack on the Capitol, rather than being the culmination of something, was instead a step.
Recruiting an Army for a Civil War
Peter Isackson, Fair Observer - January 13
The FBI has now warned that thousands of Trump supporters and election deniers are currently organizing armed protests across the nation, seeking to make a furious show of force before Joe Biden’s inauguration. But they don’t see it as a one-time event. The movement will continue and possibly grow in the coming months. Its participants share a mentality of civil war.
In this new civil war, there is no middle ground
Tom Fulks, The Tribune - January 13
Our Second Civil War is here, out in the open. The first shot in CW2 was the sacking of our Capitol Building – the Fort Sumter of our time. Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, will be America’s 21st century Second Battle of Bull Run. Whose side are you on, Trump’s or America’s? There is no middle ground.
Impeachment could reinvigorate the Trump faithful in America's 'ideological civil war'
Greg Milam, SkyNews - January 14
Some Trump fans believe the decision to impeach is motivated not by a desire for justice but by hate."Without doubt we are now in what I call an ideological civil war," said Allen West.
A majority of Americans surveyed believe the US is in the midst of a 'cold' civil war
Grace Kay, Business Insider - January 13
Over half of Americans believe the US is in the midst of a cold civil war. Following the Capitol Riots, people called for companies like Twitter, Amazon, and Facebook to take action.Ultimately the only way to regain the public's trust is to guard the quality of information, something that online companies and platforms have struggled with for years.
Trump term ends with nearly 8 of 10 fearing ‘civil war’
Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - January 13
As President Trump packs up to retire to Florida after being impeached a second time, partisan division in the nation has reached a modern-day high, with nearly 8 in 10 fearing the outbreak of civil war.
Americans fear what Capitol riot portends
Annie Gowen, Jenna Johnson, and Holly Bailey, Bennington Banner - January 12
As authorities raise alarms about the potential for more extremist violence in the wake of the storming of the U.S. Capitol, Americans across the political spectrum are also bracing for more and grappling with the realization that Jan. 20 — Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day — may not be the end of the Trump era, but the beginning of a new dark chapter in American history. Civil war? Perhaps.
Michigan Rep. Matt Maddock, wife join conservative Facebook group discussing possibility of civil war
Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press - January 12
Michigan state Rep. Matt Maddock, R-Milford, and his wife, Meshawn Maddock, who is poised to become the next co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party, have joined a Facebook group where members have discussed the possibility of a civil war, decried a ban on open carry inside the state Capitol and hope for a "big cleanup" of elected leaders.
Will you know when the civil war has begun?
Phil Kadner, Chicago Sun Times - January 12
There are some people who believe we are nearing a civil war in this country. I think it may have begun. How do you know such a thing? People whom I respect defend the assault on the Capitol, comparing it to Black Lives Matter demonstrations. But make no mistake — the attack on the Capitol was an attempt to overthrow our government.
Don’t Impeach Trump: Treat Him Like a Civil War Traitor
Cristian Farias, Intelligencer - January 12
Trump should not simply be removed from office; he should be permanently disbarred from ever holding public office again. There is a provission in the Constituiton, used against Confederate would-be office-holders who had taken up arms against the United States. Congress should use this constitutional provision against Donald Trump to keep him from ever thinking of running for president again.
Experts Predict New Era of Extremist Violence After Assault on Capitol
TCR Staff, The Crime Report - January 11
Experts say the deadly insurrection at the Capitol marks the start of a new era of violent extremism and should serve as a wakeup call to those who have ignored the warnings. We could easily be headed toward a new civil war.
Trumpism: A second American civil war?
Richard Heydarian, Inquirer.net - January 12
American is not a Weimar Republic. Yet, one can’t fully discount the prospect of a “second civil war” in a country with a long history of civil strife; not to mention, notorious levels of gun violence and heavily armed far-right militia groups, who recently descended on Washington, DC.
Majority of Biden supporters see civil war in the US
Bob Unruh, Weekly Blitz - January 12
"The controversy over the disputed election outcome is crystallizing the view that a new Civil War is coming. Trump supporters view the election not as the end point, now, but as a phase line in a war that has already begun,” accorting to Anne Sorock Segal of the Frontier Center.
FBI: Armed protests planned in DC, all 50 state capitals
The Associated Press, Alabama - January 11
The FBI is warning of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington, D.C., in the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, stoking fears of more bloodshed after last week’s deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol.
Capitol riot, if not dealt with swiftly, is beginning of Civil War II
Ken Epperson, Sr, Shreveport Times - January 11
What happened on Jan. 6, 2021, in our nation's Capitol, if it is not dealt with swiftly, severely, and to the full extent of the law for all participants, and all held accountable for their actions against this nation ... I see this as the beginning of CIVIL WAR II in America!
Democrats Push Civil War-Era ‘Insurrection’ Law To Bar GOPers From Office
Kate Riga, TalkingPointsMemo - January 11
Democratic congressmen have unearthed Section Three of the 14th Amendment, a relic of the Civil War, in order to keep those who have engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” against the United States from holding office on both the federal and state level. Back when it was written, it was, of course, referring to the rebels of the Confederacy, but Democrats want to use it against Trump now, to keep him from ever running for office again.
Former Trump official Fiona Hill: 'President's actions have put us on the brink of civil war'
Justine Coleman, The Hill - January 11
"As in the case of other coup attempts, the president’s actions have put us on the brink of civil war,” Hill claimed. “Trump did not overturn the election results, but, just as he intended, he disrupted the peaceful democratic transition of executive power.”
Is America on the Verge of Civil War?
Michael Laitman, The Times of Israel - January 9
The storming of the U.S. Capitol activated the alarms of a possible civil war. There are many stakeholders in the world that would rejoice if war erupts in the United States.
The ghost of the civil war is hovering, as ‘patriots’ talk of secession again
Sarah Baxter, The Sunday Times - January 10
To claim America is polarised is an understatement after the storming of the Capitol. Its divisions are so much worse, according to a group of conservative intellectuals. The nation could descend into a second civil war unless the “two Americas” separate, warns “Rebecca” — a pen name once adopted by Abraham Lincoln.
'A springboard for civil war': How the far-right used social media to orchestrate the Capitol riots
Laurence Dodds, Sydney Morning Herald - January 8
On mainstream social networks, such discussions rarely appeared to feature calls for violence, but on smaller fringe services, seasoned extremist groups plotted to use the protests as a springboard for civil war. We'd better start paying attention to these fringe networks now.
US Capitol invasion: the second instalment of the American Civil War
John Wight, Medium - January 9
Trump has made racists comfortable in their racism, turned all that was solid into air, and ascribed to thuggery and violence — both white militia and police — a virtue nobility consonant with fascism. The genie is now well and truly out of the box. Where it ends, who knows? That it is destined to end in blood is almost now guaranteed.
America’s 2nd Civil War — from 1865 to present
Allen J. Davis and Tom Weiner, Daily Hampshire Gazette - January 8
The past 155 years since the end of the 1st American Civil War, America has seen a 2nd Civil War between those supporting justice and equality for African Americans and those fearing the loss of power that characterizes white supremacy. All those 72 million people who voted for Donald Trump in 2020 stand opposed to the equality of black people, and we must never stop fighting until they all recognize what we already see.
Politics as Civil War
Ira Rabois, The Good Men Project - January 8
Clausewitz said “War is merely the continuation of politics by other means.” After 4 years of Trump treating politics as a slow coup, as a way to seize power for himself alone, his words and actions descended into blatant incitement to violence and close to Civil War. Can we afford to let him stay in office a day longer?
Resist the urge to start the next Civil War
Editorial Board, HistoricCity News - January 9
In the context of the violence we witnessed in the United States Capitol this week, I urge everyone to resist the urge to start the next Civil War. Here is a list of things the Republican Party must continue to do in the post-Trump era.
A Day That Will Live in Infamy
Kevin Williams, WOBM News - January 7
It's true we live in chaotic times but I find it hard to imagine that most of us are okay with what happened at the Capitol. I know we share very different opinions on many issues but do we really think another Civil War is the answer because that is the path we are on?
What China is saying about the pro-Trump insurrection at the US Capitol
Jane Li & Mary Hui, Quartz - January 7
It is a familiar tactic for Beijing to utilize flashpoints in democracies to justify its own approach to governance. Now it is comparing the storming of the US Capitol with the Hong Kong democracy movement; both, China claims, are instances of illegitimate sedition.
The second American Civil War
Dominic Sandbrook, Daily Mail - January 8
Optimists maintain that Wednesday’s violence is the end of something, the moment the Trump movement imploded. But what if it isn’t? What if it is, in fact, the beginning of something — a warm-up for greater conflicts in the recession-scarred years ahead? To me, the mood feels worryingly like Germany in the 1920s, Spain in the 1930s or the USA itself in the 1850s, the storm clouds of civil war looming.
How to start a civil war
Debra J. Saunders, Las Vegas Review-Journal - January 8
What would have happened if the mob intimidated Congress to proclaim Trump the 2020 victor? What would have happened if Vice President Mike Pence had declared Trump the victor? The answer: civil war. The majority of Americans who voted for Biden would fight back. Capitals would become war zones and innocent people would die.
Capitol assault echoes Civil War-era insurrections
Laura Oren, Houston Chronicle - January 8
This kind of assault on the Capitol is rightly called an “insurrection.” It reminds me of what happened in the South after the Civil War. It was a final attempt to hold on to racist policies that disenfranchised entire portions of the population. This is what Trump was tyring to do.
Maxine Waters: Trump 'trying to create a civil war' and must be stopped 'dead in his tracks'
Anna Giaritelli, Washington Examiner - January 8
Senior House Democrat Maxine Waters blamed President Trump for inciting a riot at the U.S. Capitol earlier this week and called on Congress to remove him from office absent action from Vice President Mike Pence.
Poll: ‘Civil War’ expectations reach new high, 71% of Trump voters
Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - January 8
According to a new survey, a record high 71% of President Trump's supporters believe the country is headed toward civil war.
"Sedition’: A Complicated History
Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times - January 7
As a mob stormed the Capitol, the word “sedition” was on many people’s lips. Its force is clear; it implies civil war. But its echoes across American history are more complex and ambiguous.
Turmoil on the Menu
Jeff Davidson, Townhall - January 7
The cold civil war has been brewing for months. Has the hot civil war begun? If not already so, it will become increasingly apparent to everyone that we cannot continue in this mode. We must find some way to achieve some semblance of national unity, or we are doomed. Abraham Lincoln said it best, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
Is the USA entering a new Civil War? Inside the Capitol protests
Carmen Macbeth, Life Daily - January 6
New social issues are causing giant rifts in political discourse in the USA, to the point where some pundits have remarked that America is more divided now than it has been during the Civil War.
US on brink of civil war as Trump supporters storm capitol
Leith van Onselen, MacroBusiness - January 7
There’s been crazy scenes overnight and this morning in the US, where thousands of unmasked pro-Trump supporters have stormed Capitol Hill demanding Trump remain US President
Impeach Trump Again
Yoni Appelbaum, The Atlantic - January 6
Congress must now act, not just to remove Trump—but to ensure that no president ever risks behaving in this way again. Impeachment is the constitutional mechanism for holding a president accountable, a defiant emphasis upon the rule of law in the face of mob violence, a reassertion of the primacy of American institutions over the rule of passions.
Is MAGA’s Storming of the Capitol an Omen of Coming Civil War?
Luis Miguel, The New American - January 6
The storming of the Capitol further highlights the looming possibility of civil war or a similarly existential conflict enveloping America in the near future. When a significant portion of the people, whether on the Right or Left, no longer sees their government as legitimate — whether that belief is correct or not — they will seek to break the bands that tie them to that government.
Trump has spurred an insurrection in the nation’s capital
Herb Boyd, Amsterdam News - January 6
The insurrection in the nation’s capital is reminiscent of the reaction following the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and the subsequent firing on Fort Sumter and states seceding from the union. Suddenly, the U.S. was embroiled in a bloody Civil War that left thousands lifeless on battlefields.
"Civil War” trends on Twitter as Trump supporters storm US Capitol
Alyssa Therrien, DHNews - January 6
Washington, DC, is currently on lockdown, pro-Trump protesters are breaching the Capitol Building, and #CivilWar is trending on Twitter.
Neo-Nazi Accelerationists Celebrating Attack on Congress As Start of Civil War
Ben Makuch and Mack Lamoureux, Vice - January 6
As far-right rioters stormed Capitol Hill, neo-Nazi accelerationists are celebrating the current moment as the beginning of the end of the U.S. and the start of a “Second Civil War.”
Remove Trump Tonight
David Frum, The Atlantic - January 6
Trump has already incited a would-be revolution, and he could still cause more damage. It is time for a saving remnant of Republican senators to emulate the integrity that was embodied last time around only by Senator Mitt Romney. Only then can we save our republic from civil war.
Spike in calls for 'civil war' to avenge elections
Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - January 5
The apparent election of two Georgia Democrats to the Senate, which would give the party unified control of the government, has been followed by a spike in calls for “civil war.” This danger seems all the more imminent after the raucus Trump demonstration in DC on Wednesday.
Texas Congressman Warns ‘Cold Civil War’ Could Heat Up If Republican Senators Lose In Georgia
Elizabeth Ruiz, KTSA - January 5
"If we have a Democratically-controlled Senate, we are basically at full-scale hot conflict in this country , whereas right now, we’re at a cold Civil War,” Roy told Tucker Carlson on Fox News.
Winning the election is not enough: Perpetrators of sedition must be tried & punished
Wayne Besen, LGBTQ Nation - January 5
Republicans who support Donald Trump's coup attempt can’t be worked with after this and should be treated with the contempt they have earned. They should bear the Scarlet “T” (for treason), for the remainder of their shameful, ignominious careers. Same goes for the Proud Boys. Further If certain police officers are sympathetic to the cause of sedition, or the race-based Civil War promoted by hate groups...
'Could Be a Civil War’: MAGAites Refuse to Accept Biden Will Be Inaugurated President
David Badash, New Civil Rights Movement - January 5
One maskless Trump supporter told a CNN reporter "There could be a civil war, you never know,” claimed the devout Trump supporter, standing next to a woman with a “Stop the Steal” sign. "You don’t actually want a civil war, do you?” the reporter pressed. “I don’t,” he claimed. “Show us the voting machines, show us the ballots. Show us that this was a fair election, or we’ll never accept a vote again, ever,”...
Trump says he'll 'fight like hell' to hold on to presidency
Lisa Mascaro and Mary Clare Jalonick and Kevin Freking, AOL - January 5
So far, Trump has enlisted support from a dozen Republican senators and up to 100 House Republicans to challenge Biden’s 306-232 Electoral College win. Trump's challenge to the presidential election is on a scale unseen since the aftermath of the Civil War.
GOP Rep. Warns Of ‘Full-Scale Hot Conflict’ If Republicans Lose Senate
Lee Moran, Huffington Post - January 5
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) scaremongered Monday about the possibility of Republicans losing control of the U.S. Senate, claiming the United States would endure a “full-scale hot conflict” as a result.
Trump Supporters Refuse to Accept Biden Presidency: ‘Could Be a Civil War, You Never Know’
Colby Hall, Mediaite - January 5
One Trump supporters, who said he would not accept Biden as president, suggested, “There could be a civil war, you never know. Show us the voting machines, show us the ballots. Show us this was a fair election, or we’ll never accept a vote again, ever.”
Louie Gohmert’s talk of violence and civil war is despicable
Quin Hillyer, Washington Examiner - January 4
Texas Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert has made inflamatory comments that could easily be interpreted as inciting violence and civil war. These are dangerous water to swim in. At a December rally of Trump supporters, one prominent speaker seemed eager for a new civil war because, he said, his side is “the ones with all the guns.”
Ex-Pentagon chiefs say military must stay out of election: Is America headed for another civil war?
Editors, Business Recorder - January 5
US military leaders have assured the nation that the military will not be involved in the process. If the military were to get involved, the nation could easily fall into civil war.
Rep. Chip Roy: If Democrats control Senate, country will face 'full-scale hot conflict'
Yael Halon, Fox News - January 5
"If we have a Democratically-controlled Senate, we are now basically at full-scale hot conflict in this country, whereas right now we’re at a cold Civil War," Roy told "Tucker Carlson Tonight."
The Globalist’s Plan if Trump Stays in Office— Social Unrest, Civil War, Another Pandemic
Survival Dan, Survival Dan 101 - January 3
There have been many who have said that we’re heading into another civil war. I’ve written on it myself. But I’ll have to say, what we’re going to see isn’t what people are thinking. It’s not going to be like the last civil war. Rather, it’s going to be more like gang warfare on the streets; coming and going, with no clear battle line and no clear boundaries
DC mayor calls in National Guard ahead of pro-Trump protests
Ashraf Khalil and Lolita C. Baldor, St. Louis Post-Dispatch - January 4
Bracing for possible violence, the nation's capital has mobilized the National Guard ahead of planned protests by President Donald Trump's supporters in connection with the congressional vote expected Wednesday to affirm Joe Biden's election victory.
The Confederacy won (or thinks it can)
Kevin Cullen, Boston Globe - January 4
Republicans who support Trump are following in the footsteps of the Confederates who turned traitor to the Constitution. It is no coincidence that most of the Republicans who fall into this category hail from southern states. These GOP leaders are acting as if the South won the war... or they are trying to finish it.
Trump's Republicans have dumped Lincoln – they're the Confederacy now
Lloyd Green, The Guardian - January 4
By opposing the election of Joe Biden, Republicans have become the Party, not of Lincoln, but of the Confederacy, refusing to acknowledge the duly elected president, one whose vice president happens to be black... no coincidence. Yes, the GOP is basically the party of John C. Calhoun now.
Republicans condemn ‘scheme’ to undo election for Trump
Lisa Mascaro and Mary Clare Jalonick, Huffington Post - January 3
Many former and current GOP leaders are condemning the effort to undo the 2020 election results for Trump. The unusual challenge to the presidential election, on a scale unseen since the aftermath of the Civil War, clouded the opening of the new Congress and is set to consume its first days.
D.C. is becoming a protest battle ground
Marissa J. Lang, Washington Post - January 1
Traditionally, west coast cities receive the brunt of political violence, but that is changing. Now, the nationa's capital, Washington D.C. is the center of violence between Left and Right groups.
At least 11 Republican senators will reject Electoral College tally on Jan. 6
Lisa Mascaro and Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press - January 2
A growing number of Republican lawmakers are joining President Donald Trump’s extraordinary effort to overturn the election. Their challenges, and those from House Republicans, represent the most sweeping effort to undo a presidential election outcome since the Civil War.
On Parler, Talks of 'Civil War' Follow Ted Cruz-Led Plan to Challenge Electoral Votes
Christina Zhao, Newsweek - January 2
Talks of "civil war" broke out Saturday on Parler—the "free speech" social media platform—after a group of GOP senators led by Ted Cruz plans to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election.