Another article here that I tried to stall, refusing to publish a blog entry or even write too much, as I focused on my miniature World Cup vacation on "The Charbor Chronicles."
However, it felt like it was time to publish this, especially since, funnily enough, my mom and I were recently discussing this very thing. We both agreed that something major will happen here in the United States - something bad - before Trump leaves office. Whether it is like this articles suggests, a civil war breaking out, or something else, it cannot be said with certainty. It could indeed be a civil war, or it could be a bigger war that he gets us involved with (probably starts, quite frankly), or perhaps some kind of second great depression, or he finally loses any pretense of civility and establishes an actual dictatorship following some kind of emergency. After all, is this not the man who escalates literally every situation into a crisis?
We both agreed that something will happen before Trump leaves office, one way or the other. There were plenty of presidents who completely turned me off before - Reagan, both Bushes, Clinton, and to some degree, even Obama, who felt more like a poser than anything else to me - but none of them made me fear that he would refuse to leave office without some kind of serious resistance. This guy, though, I do not see peacefully giving up power. He will raise Hell, with a firestorm of ridiculous tweets to raise the ire of his loyal, blind supporters, and he will make news headlines in any way possible, trying to divide the country as much as possible, just like he has done since before he was even ever elected to the White House. He was a very bad omen for the country, and both my mom and I agreed that there will be a price to pay, and a big one, at that.
Apparently, quite a few people agree with that rather dire prognosis, according to a recent poll which USA Today reports on.
There were times when I was younger when some of the things that people suggested could happen in the future seemed really unlikely. Yet somehow, as the years have passed, they seemed downright prophetic. Such was the case, for example, with when Jello Biafra, the former frontman for the punk band Dead Kennedys, suggested that there was not much of a difference between the two major parties, that they agreed with each other far too often, and that they were both very much playing the game of corruption. He also mentioned something else that, I think it is fair to say, has come to pass, predicting that the United States was being made into a dictatorship, essentially, and that this time, the erosion of democracy would be a patient process, over the course of 30 to 40 years. Indeed, our democracy has been corrupted and attacked relentlessly, to the point where some people are already saying that our democracy is no more, and no one is laughing or casually waving them off or dismissing them any longer.
Well, he was hardly the only person making predictions, although a lot of what he predicted, as it turns out, seems remarkably accurate in retrospect. There were other predictions though, and these also seemed a bit out there. The nation seemed unified, albeit now, that unity seems to have been exposed as mostly a superficial kind of national unity.
I remember when I was younger and more impressionable, seeing several references that people had made referring to the possibility that a second American revolution and/or a second civil war might be coming. At the time, it seemed far-fetched, because things appeared decidedly calmer than they do now.
However, it felt like it was time to publish this, especially since, funnily enough, my mom and I were recently discussing this very thing. We both agreed that something major will happen here in the United States - something bad - before Trump leaves office. Whether it is like this articles suggests, a civil war breaking out, or something else, it cannot be said with certainty. It could indeed be a civil war, or it could be a bigger war that he gets us involved with (probably starts, quite frankly), or perhaps some kind of second great depression, or he finally loses any pretense of civility and establishes an actual dictatorship following some kind of emergency. After all, is this not the man who escalates literally every situation into a crisis?
We both agreed that something will happen before Trump leaves office, one way or the other. There were plenty of presidents who completely turned me off before - Reagan, both Bushes, Clinton, and to some degree, even Obama, who felt more like a poser than anything else to me - but none of them made me fear that he would refuse to leave office without some kind of serious resistance. This guy, though, I do not see peacefully giving up power. He will raise Hell, with a firestorm of ridiculous tweets to raise the ire of his loyal, blind supporters, and he will make news headlines in any way possible, trying to divide the country as much as possible, just like he has done since before he was even ever elected to the White House. He was a very bad omen for the country, and both my mom and I agreed that there will be a price to pay, and a big one, at that.
Apparently, quite a few people agree with that rather dire prognosis, according to a recent poll which USA Today reports on.
There were times when I was younger when some of the things that people suggested could happen in the future seemed really unlikely. Yet somehow, as the years have passed, they seemed downright prophetic. Such was the case, for example, with when Jello Biafra, the former frontman for the punk band Dead Kennedys, suggested that there was not much of a difference between the two major parties, that they agreed with each other far too often, and that they were both very much playing the game of corruption. He also mentioned something else that, I think it is fair to say, has come to pass, predicting that the United States was being made into a dictatorship, essentially, and that this time, the erosion of democracy would be a patient process, over the course of 30 to 40 years. Indeed, our democracy has been corrupted and attacked relentlessly, to the point where some people are already saying that our democracy is no more, and no one is laughing or casually waving them off or dismissing them any longer.
Well, he was hardly the only person making predictions, although a lot of what he predicted, as it turns out, seems remarkably accurate in retrospect. There were other predictions though, and these also seemed a bit out there. The nation seemed unified, albeit now, that unity seems to have been exposed as mostly a superficial kind of national unity.
I remember when I was younger and more impressionable, seeing several references that people had made referring to the possibility that a second American revolution and/or a second civil war might be coming. At the time, it seemed far-fetched, because things appeared decidedly calmer than they do now.
These days, however, one would have to be willfully stupid or blind not to see the level of division that is tearing the fabric of the nation apart. It seems to be coming from several angles, for that matter. Just take a look at the 2016 presidential election as an example. Of course, you had the two conventional parties, the Democrats and the Republicans. Yet within each, you had rebellions of sorts. Sure, you had the mainstream candidates on each. Hillary Clinton for the Democrats, and Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio for the Republicans. But you had Bernie Sanders ripping Clinton apart on many issues, and seriously cutting into her lead, to the point that Clinton asked for help (illegally) from the Democratic leadership, who should have known better than to take sides. It undermined faith in the party, for both progressives and conservatives, even if mainstream Hillary supporters remained willfully blind to their own hypocrisy. Then, you had the rebels within the Republicans, most obviously Donald Trump, who would go on to win the White House, obviously. But you also had Ted Cruz, who was an unconventional and, in many respects, a rebellious candidate in his own right.
In other words, 2016 was, at least politically, the year of the rebel. I heard somewhere, though, that it wound up being the wrong rebel who won. Indeed, if Bernie Sanders was a rebel with a cause, then Donald Trump was the rebel without a clue. Some had the audacity to suggest that they were very similar when, in fact, they could not have been more different. Sanders focused on issues, while Trump focused on idiocy. What does it say about America in 2018 that the classless idiocy won?
In other words, 2016 was, at least politically, the year of the rebel. I heard somewhere, though, that it wound up being the wrong rebel who won. Indeed, if Bernie Sanders was a rebel with a cause, then Donald Trump was the rebel without a clue. Some had the audacity to suggest that they were very similar when, in fact, they could not have been more different. Sanders focused on issues, while Trump focused on idiocy. What does it say about America in 2018 that the classless idiocy won?
We hear a lot of talk these days about America's cultural wars. Mostly, this is a figure of speech, although we appear to be getting closer to the point when this might no longer be the case anymore.
In a recent poll, one-third of likely American voters apparently believe that we are heading towards a second civil war in this country.
Frankly, can you blame them for believing that? When you see the increasingly violent rhetoric and the divisions being stoked by opportunistic, narcissistic, and excessively selfish politicians with narrow minds and even narrower agendas, and the huge crowds of enthusiastic supporters that they garner (and never mind that these people certainly appear to be voting against their own best interests), it becomes a whole lot easier to believe that, yes, we are indeed heading towards something seriously tragic.
Perhaps that is why a rather stunning number - one-third of Americans - believe that a second civil war will likely happen at some point. Who knows when, although seeing the vehement divisions in this country presently, it might be assumed that it could break out sooner rather than later.
When, specifically? Well, within the next five years. The wording of the poll was whether "it's likely that the United States will experience a second civil war sometime in the next five years."
Of course, maybe this should not be taken too seriously, as a similar poll taken during the Obama years found that roughly 53 percent of voters believed that those opposed to Obama might start a civil war, but that did not happen. But then again, Trump is unique among presidents, including Obama, and I would not argue that this is in any good way. He just has a way of grating on people's nerves, although that same style gives him the loyal, unwavering support of his fans.
Go figure.
Here is the link to the article on how roughly a third of Americans believe that a second civil war is approaching:
Poll: Almost a third of US voters think a second civil war is coming soon Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY Published 11:09 p.m. ET June 27, 2018
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/06/27/civil-war-likely-voters-say-rasmussen-poll/740731002/In a recent poll, one-third of likely American voters apparently believe that we are heading towards a second civil war in this country.
Frankly, can you blame them for believing that? When you see the increasingly violent rhetoric and the divisions being stoked by opportunistic, narcissistic, and excessively selfish politicians with narrow minds and even narrower agendas, and the huge crowds of enthusiastic supporters that they garner (and never mind that these people certainly appear to be voting against their own best interests), it becomes a whole lot easier to believe that, yes, we are indeed heading towards something seriously tragic.
Perhaps that is why a rather stunning number - one-third of Americans - believe that a second civil war will likely happen at some point. Who knows when, although seeing the vehement divisions in this country presently, it might be assumed that it could break out sooner rather than later.
When, specifically? Well, within the next five years. The wording of the poll was whether "it's likely that the United States will experience a second civil war sometime in the next five years."
Of course, maybe this should not be taken too seriously, as a similar poll taken during the Obama years found that roughly 53 percent of voters believed that those opposed to Obama might start a civil war, but that did not happen. But then again, Trump is unique among presidents, including Obama, and I would not argue that this is in any good way. He just has a way of grating on people's nerves, although that same style gives him the loyal, unwavering support of his fans.
Go figure.
Here is the link to the article on how roughly a third of Americans believe that a second civil war is approaching:
Poll: Almost a third of US voters think a second civil war is coming soon Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY Published 11:09 p.m. ET June 27, 2018
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