The Next U.S. Civil War?

In 1814, John Adams wrote, “Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There never was a Democracy Yet, that did not commit suicide.”  

That’s the opening of a piece suggesting that right-wing extremism has brought us to the brink of the next U.S. civil war.  It includes:  Is a civil war really possible? One of America’s most pre-eminent scholars on civil wars and how they begin offers this blunt answer: Yes. In fact, we’re closer to one in our country than most Americans think, or are willing to believe.

I think we were closer to an eruption before it became clear that the U.S. justice system means business about prosecuting the January 6th insurrectionists.  705 arrests later (eventually to pass 1000), we have many of the small fish serving jail sentences.  More importantly, it’s beginning to look like the masterminds are soon to be heading up the river for far lengthier stretches.

There was a time that honest Americans were terrified that domestic terrorism was in the process of becoming a permanent feature of our society, and that events like January 6th would be glossed over or forgotten entirely.  Sure doesn’t look that way today.