I would not say “hyperbole”. Yes, millions of Americans believe there was fraud in the election. But the last I looked, there were about 600 right wing militia groups. Even if every one of them has a 100 hard core members who are actually willing to risk their lives to start a civil war, that is only 6000 soldiers, across multiple states. And even if they were, all these groups would have to until together with some sort of plan. Maybe a giant Zoom call LOL. What would that plan be? Random violent attacks around the country, maybe asasinating Gov Whitman or someone like her, that will inspire other Americans to join them? No. Many people who attended MAGA raliles are “mad as hell and say they aren’t going to take it anymore!” and many own guns. They are not going to leave their families to fight a war they cannot win.
I don’t even know how the war would start. The militia groups take over the Governor’s mansion and the legislatures and the Supreme Courts in PA and GA. Then what? I don’t think the US military would even need to be involved, the FBI and the state police and their SWAT teams could deal with it.
Another scenario. A dozen groups around the country all do the same sort of thing. It can’t go anywhere without thousands, nay tens of thousans, of average citizens joining it.
I am not one to say “it can’t happen here.” In probably every country in world history where a a goverment was overthrown militarily, the leaders said the same thing. But when that happens it takes organization and huge numbers of the populace, and usually they are in dire straits. It was basically lack of bread that started the French and Russian revolutions. It is one thing to join a revolution when you are starving, you may as well risk your life, another because you think your vote was stolen.
It is funny talking about a Civil War, because about a year ago I created a thread wondering if COVID might eventually break up the US. I didn’t think it would happen, and I wasn’t thinking about it happening with the military, but in any case no one is talkinig about starting a Civil War because they are pissed about the government’s handling of it. Now if the vaccine doesn’t work, and a million people die in the next 6 months with no end in site, that is a different story. That could lead to absolute chaos.
You did not put a timeline on your scenario. In the short term there may be some acts of violence from these militia groups and they may kill some people. In the longer term, the rhetoric from Trump may lead to larger numbers of people joining these groups, and it could grow over a number of years. But what I suspect will happen, is that 6 months from now when the country is going along as it always does, and Biden has not implemented socialism, and the majority of people’s lives are basically the same as they are now, as happens every time we go from a Republican to a Democratic President, the millons who voted for Trump will continue to be whiny little bitches on Facebook and Twitter complaining about the stolen election, and these militia groups will fade back into the woods waiting for their opportunity to start that war.
I am now thinking about how MAGA protests after Jan 6, if if happens in very large numbers, let’s say 10,000 people in 10 states, could eventually lead to that civil war. Don’t want to think about it too much, but basically those 10,000 draw the same number of counter prostestors, which draws more MAGA hats, which draws more counter protestors, etc.
