# "Half of Americans anticipate a U.S. civil war soon, survey finds" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 21, 2022, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314 "2022-07-21T12:49:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314/21 "2022-07-21T18:37:02Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > a few measly whack jobs How many did it take to blow up the OKC federal building? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314/22 "2022-07-21T18:39:22Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > SFW? I’m talking about the people at large and you’re talking about a few measly whack jobs compared to the rest of the population. Who voted in the tens of millions for an openly fascist game show host. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314/23 "2022-07-21T18:39:37Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > SFW? I’m talking about the people at large and you’re talking about a few measly whack jobs compared to the rest of the population. I’m talking about the people who are trying to get a civil war started in our country, and pointing out that even though they had fairly decent lives, they still went out and assaulted the Capitol in an attempt to overthrow the government. > [@pkbites](#): > > No matter how much they blather no way will a significant portion of the population trade having their own homes, their family, a middle class income, a full belly every night with cupboards full of food, 1000 channels of TV, regular sex, drugs, vacations, etc, to go out and commit terroristic acts and acts of war. No one, other than your strawman, is saying that a significant portion of the public will go out and commit terroristic acts. It doesn’t require a significant portion of the population to start things off. Some assaults on state Capitols, some destruction of critical infrastructure, some school shootings and bombings, and quite quickly, a substantial portion of the populace no longer going to bed feeling safe in their homes with a full belly. > [@pkbites](#): > > Now, start taking that stuff away and I’ll buy the argument. A horrific depression where more than a third lose their homes. Food shortages where a significant amount of men, women, and children are literally starving. And that’s my point, it doesn’t require a significant portion of the public to take away those things _from_ a significant portion of the public. > [@pkbites](#): > > Americans, and I mean all if us including you and me, have grown fat, drunk, and stupid on the everyday luxuries we take for granted. We’re soft and a significant number of soft people are not going to start a civil war as long as they still have their soft lifestyle. Never said they would start it, only that they would be forced into living in a country with one ongoing. > [@pkbites](#): > > Until then, it’s a small percentage that are of any concern to me and everyone else is just full of shit. What are you saying they are full of shit? They aren’t saying, “We want a civil war” or “we look forward to being in a civil war.” They are saying, “We fear that a civil war is going to break out.” How do you call them full of shit for that fear? ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314/24 "2022-07-21T18:42:00Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > > [@pkbites](#): > > > > a few measly whack jobs > > How many did it take to blow up the OKC federal building? That was an act of isolated terrorism, not a civil war. Now, a whole lot of people doing that all over the country repeatedly and repeatedly, that may be a civil war. But I don’t see a whole lot of people doing that anytime soon. And if a bunch of whacks do it I don’t see a lot of John Q Publics joining in at this time. The majority of people have too much to lose at this time. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314/25 "2022-07-21T18:42:58Z")
I don’t see it possible unless the military takes to revolting, and I understand that firearms are kept under lock and key when not being trained with. Of course, the military supports the Constitution, not a person. ---
**Author:** ![Dogginit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogginit/32/16920_2.png) [@Dogginit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogginit)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314/26 "2022-07-21T18:52:10Z")
Recently read a fiction book that seems strikingly prophetic when it was published - Orson Scott Card’s “Empire”, published in 2006, and it’s sequel, “Hidden Empire”. Rather eerie how he seemed to see all this developing, and how plausible some of the ideas he put forth are today. ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314/27 "2022-07-21T18:53:22Z")
I’m just not sure where the battle lines are. Plus, I’m not sure there’s really that much division. It’s mainly in online forums (here) and Twitter, Facebook, other places. When you talk to people face to face there’s generally more agreement, or at least less open aggression. Plus, I think things are generally pretty good in the US. Not for everybody, but through, Clinton/Bush/Obama/Trump/Biden. . . things have been not too bad. Things would have to get a lot worse for a Civil War. I do think the next couple of elections could spark some elevated unrest though and take us closer to Civil War. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314/28 "2022-07-21T19:02:54Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > No matter how much they blather no way will a significant portion of the population trade having their own homes, their family, a middle class income, a full belly every night with cupboards full of food, 1000 channels of TV, regular sex, drugs, vacations, etc, to go out and commit terroristic acts and acts of war. > > Now, start taking that stuff away and I’ll buy the argument. You mean, like families headed by homosexuals being told their marriages are no longer legal? Their adopted kids being taken away? Or hetero couples having to buy black market birth control? Or millions of voters seeing their votes ignored? Stuff like that? ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314/29 "2022-07-21T19:03:35Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > The thing I find possible and scary is a more successful January 6 type event, where now two different commander-in-chiefs are issuing orders to the military, and the military is in the position of deciding who to follow. Of course the military is made up of people, and some of those people will choose different sides. Leaving us in the position of one faction of the military under some general following one commander-in-chief, and a different faction under some other general following the other commander-in-chief. That could very easily lead to a shooting war. It could, but my guess is that most of the military, especially the officers, would follow whoever appears to factually be the real winner of the election. Let’s say 1/6/2021 had succeeded for Trump, and the insurrectionists killed enough Democratic members of congress to tip the counting of the electoral college vote to Trump. My guess is that come 1/20/2021 at noon, General Milley would have announced that despite what the rump Congress had declared, that the military would now recognize Biden as the rightful commander in chief. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314/30 "2022-07-21T19:30:59Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > the military supports the Constitution, not a person My point is, and I didn’t come up with this on my own, is that individuals in the military must make a decision as to what actions they take to support the constitution. For every comment here, there is an evil mirror message board where the inverse is believed. _Why can’t those idiots see that the election was stolen? Obviously the way to defend the constitution is to remove those traitors from office._ Anybody who genuinely thinks the election was stolen would fight to put Trump in office. > [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > My guess is that come 1/20/2021 at noon, General Milley would have announced that despite what the rump Congress had declared, that the military would now recognize Biden as the rightful commander in chief. I really do hope that there are many rational leaders in the military who can put aside their personal political beliefs and follow the evidence. I’m not sure that is a bet I want to take, though. > [@pkbites](#): > > a whole lot of people doing that all over the country repeatedly and repeatedly, that may be a civil war. But I don’t see a whole lot of people doing that anytime soon This has happened before where bands of regular people got together to use terror to make sure certain races stayed in their place. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314/31 "2022-07-21T19:32:32Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > Let’s say 1/6/2021 had succeeded for Trump, and the insurrectionists killed enough Democratic members of congress to tip the counting of the electoral college vote to Trump But what if they just delayed the counting, so it wasn’t done on the mandated by the Constitution, and the election was then “lawfully” sent to the House for determination? Or if Pence said the disputed states couldn’t be included? Trump “wins.” What does the military do then? ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314/32 "2022-07-21T19:38:15Z")
> [@tullsterx](#): > > Things would have to get a lot worse for a Civil war. This is what I’m saying. Isolated acts of terrorism, as horrific as they are, do not a civil war make. One of my neighbors has blathered on for decades how they’ll get his guns bullets first and then when they pry it from his cold dead hands. He was quick to melt down his bump stock when they were banned. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314/33 "2022-07-21T19:38:31Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > No matter how much they blather no way will a significant portion of the population trade having their own homes, their family, a middle class income, a full belly every night with cupboards full of food, 1000 channels of TV, regular sex, drugs, vacations, etc, to go out and commit terroristic acts and acts of war. I see where you’re coming from, and I’m largely in agreement. This is the same thing I’ve said to my leftist friends who want to tear down the government and capitalism and start from scratch. As long as most of us have jobs, can eat, be entertained, and have some access to health care, you’re going to have a hard time mustering a popular uprising to smash the state and defeat capitalism. Good luck. But I do predict more terrorist activites. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314/34 "2022-07-21T19:44:02Z")
I read the article and it is a bit alarming, altho it(unlike other articles on the same study) is more about gun violence. However, I checked four articles about that study, but I did not find a single link to the actual study? Is there one I did not notice? How did the study, for example- define “civil war” for example? Was it limited to a mass armed insurrection? Or did it include non-violent mass protests or more Jan 6 crap? Civil Terrorism? The devil is in the details. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314/35 "2022-07-21T19:50:09Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > Let’s say 1/6/2021 had succeeded for Trump, and the insurrectionists killed enough Democratic members of congress to tip the counting of the electoral college vote to Trump. My guess is that come 1/20/2021 at noon, General Milley would have announced that despite what the rump Congress had declared, that the military would now recognize Biden as the rightful commander in chief. And then we would have civil war. ---
**Author:** ![Ziberian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/919ad9/32.png) [@Ziberian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ziberian)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314/36 "2022-07-21T20:36:59Z")
> [@tullsterx](#): > > I’m just not sure where the battle lines are. Plus, I’m not sure there’s really that much division. It’s mainly in online forums (here) and Twitter, Facebook, other places. When you talk to people face to face there’s generally more agreement, or at least less open aggression. This is an important point. So far those who want to start a Civil War haven’t found a central cause to pull together their troops and draw battle lines. Jan 6th was close, but obviously not close enough, and that cause is over. And even most Trumpers didn’t endorse the Capitol attack. The trucker convoy tried, but they couldn’t find a theme & despite the financial & moral support they received, they didn’t attract very many bodies. Probably because the people who don’t have it good are not the same people fomenting revolution. Trumpers, in general, are financially comfortable & there’s a lot of distance between wanting Trump back as president & giving up your pension, home & annual beach vacation to get there. And those being, or about to be, persecuted – women, gays, minorities, etc – aren’t a cohesive group or likely to try violence to retrieve their rights. Though there will be future attempts, bombings of liberal targets, state capitol attacks, etc, I don’t see a path from those incidents to nationwide civil war. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314/37 "2022-07-21T20:47:12Z")
Pft. I don’t think January 6th lives up to the Whiskey Rebellion, never mind full-blown civil war. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314/38 "2022-07-21T21:01:15Z")
No. Major acts of Terrorism? Yes. Domestic Terrorism. Perhaps on a 9/11 scale. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314/39 "2022-07-21T21:03:01Z")
And Charlottesville, and Dylan Root, and the Olympics bombing, and January 6, and the Buffalo shooting? Isolated incidents all. > **[5,000 toy soldiers of the coming Civil War, order today | Boing Boing](https://boingboing.net/2021/10/13/5000-toy-soldiers-of-the-coming-civil-war-order-today.html)** > > TWO brand new Tom the Dancing Bug books are coming out next month: Tom the Dancing Bug Awakens; and Tom the Dancing Bug, Without the Bad Ones! Reserve your copies ordering today! RIG… ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314/40 "2022-07-21T21:07:05Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > The US is becoming distinctly less democratic. I’d argue that it’s becoming distinctly _more_ democratic, which is why the framers were trying to [avoid democracy](https://www.ranker.com/list/founding-fathers-anti-democracy-quotes/melissa-sartore). When you empower the majority and the majority is organized sufficiently to see the potential for success over others, they’ll start to bear down on winning. Whereas, when you have legislators going off, hiding in a room, and doing things without any apparent concern for what others think, the majority feels powerless, and stays out of politics. Presuming that those legislators were reasonable and forward thinking people, you get fairly good government. It’s the political equivalent of [Jevon’s Paradox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox). Granting people more power just increases the desire for more power, it doesn’t satisfy it. Or, the more [well-known rule of life](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dalberg-Acton,_1st_Baron_Acton#Notable_quotations), “absolute power corrupts absolutely”. It’s similar to winning the lottery. Nearly everyone, when they win, will destroy themselves with the unreleased freedom. People who earned similar amounts of money, through their skill with finance, have no similar issues. Some people are able to bear power in a somewhat diligent and reasonable manner. You need to recruit and empower those, not just randomly throw it on anyone. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-americans-anticipate-a-u-s-civil-war-soon-survey-finds/968314.md?page=3)