The Civil War ranks as the most costly of US wars, with 625,000 deaths and a comparable number of injuries. Now the Republican Party is stoking the fires of insurrection and for thousands of right-wing zealots a new civil war seems a political necessity. As increasing numbers of Democratic politicians are threatened, how long will it be before domestic terrorists use their weapons?
The first Civil War was precipitated by a dispute regarding slavery and states' rights. It was inflamed by volatile rhetoric and widespread use of guns.
The looming civil war reincarnates the debate about states' rights. Immediately after President Obama signed health care reform into law, several state Attorney Generals filed lawsuits arguing the Federal government violated the Constitution.
Rather than slavery, the new civil war is being waged over the necessity to guarantee human rights for all Americans -- whether or not every citizen deserves health care. Many Republicans feel this is not a legitimate use of government power, that it infringes on the sacred "free market."
In the run up to the first Civil War, passions were inflamed by fiery rhetoric from secessionist politicians such as Jefferson Davis. The impending civil war is being fed by mass-media personalities, such as Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, who routinely feed their listeners blatant falsehoods. The success of these demagogues was revealed in a March 23rd Louis Harris poll of Republicans: 67 percent "believe that Obama is a socialist." 57 percent "believe that Obama is a Muslim." 45 percent believe that Obama "was not born in the United States and so is not eligible to be president." 38 percent of Republicans say the President is "doing many of the things that Hitler did." And, 24 percent believe Obama "may be the Antichrist."
Coupled with these skewed beliefs is increasingly strident rhetoric from Republican leaders. House minority leader John Boehner compared health care reform to "Armageddon" and declared the GOP to the Party of "Hell no." This refrain was picked up by Senator John McCain and former Governor Sarah Palin, who added, "Freedom is a god-given right worth fighting for."
There's little doubt that the use of inflammatory language has increased the ratings of the Fox News Channel, which is now the highest rated cable channel, and "the highest rated basic channel in primetime." Fox commentators such as Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly regularly contend the US "is headed into socialism" and compare President Obama to Hitler. On March 23rd, prominent conservative David Frum, a former George W. Bush speechwriter, appearing on ABC Nightline observed, "Republicans originally thought that Fox worked for us and now we're discovering we work for Fox."
Beck and his new Fox News associate, Sarah Palin, have appropriated the rhetoric used by the militia movement, language that suggests violence may be required to "save" America. Since Barack Obama became President there has been an unprecedented run on guns fomented by a right-wing rumor that Obama was going to restrict gun ownership. As documented in the Spring Report of the Southern Poverty Law Center, there has also been an explosive growth of hate and militia groups. "An astonishing 363 new Patriot groups appeared in 2009 -- a 244% jump." (On March 29th, nine members of one of these groups, the Hutaree, were charged with conspiring to kill police officers.)
The Republican Party's embrace of militant extremism follows a grim logic. The GOP is losing members; a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll found that only 24 percent of respondents self-identified as Republicans -- versus 34 percent for Democrats and 38 percent for Independents. Grasping for support, the GOP has abandoned traditional conservative ideology and allowed its message to be highjacked.
Unfortunately, the Republican Party lacks a leader with the gravitas to speak out against the escalating violence of its supporters. Elected Republicans such as Boehner, McCain, McConnell, and Steele are much less influential than are conservative media figures such as Beck, Limbaugh, O'Reilly, and Palin. As a result, as Fox News becomes even more outrageous, and violence against Democrats escalates, GOP leaders either claim to be powerless to stop it or argue the mainstream media has exaggerated the problem.
Meanwhile, a second civil war is brewing. Considering the volatile mixture of inflammatory rhetoric, weapons usage, and growth of militia groups, it appears likely there will be a tragic event: an assault on a Democratic politician, the burning of a congressional office, or another bombing of a Federal office building.
In 1860, the onset of the Civil War could have been averted. Dispassionate observers saw that the Confederacy did not have the resources required to defeat the Union. In 2010, the impending Civil War should be averted. Right-wing zealots are a minority and do not have the resources to commandeer America. Nonetheless, they can cause needless bloodshed.
What will it take for voices of reason to rise up within the Republican Party? How long will it be before a major Republican leader speaks out against domestic terrorism and urges the GOP to return to reason and reconciliation?
The "constitution hanging by a thread", the great coming 'civil war' are all part of the White Horse prophecy, the basis of belief in the LDS community will usher in LDS governmental control of the U.S. And what non-Mormon attending Cleon's (Mark Skousen's uncle - Mark who is closely tied to the Heritage Foundation) ---- Freeman's Foundation, whose name was later changed to the Freedom Foundation, didn't know is they were getting a big dose of Mormon prophesy. What is scary about this? What is scary about this is leading Conservatives as well as many militia leaders when through Cleon's program.
Cleon became tied to radical Mormon leaders of militias in the west. Some promoting shooting government politicians they did not agree with on policies. Some of the militias taking on the name Freemen’s (Freemen is a term out of a Book of Mormon story). Cleon then changed the Freemen’s Foundation, to the Freedom Foundation. Cleon began his program on the heels’ of working at Brigham Young University
Beck get's a lot of his material from Cleon's books and thinking. Even wrote a intro to a reprint of one of Cleon's books, which Mark Skousen was on his show over joyed about.
One has not been around talk of a great 'civil war' coming, until one has been around these guys, And the rhetoric is getting intense. This groups talk of the up and coming great 'civil war' has scared the heck out of a few.
“In his bid for the U.S. presidency in 2000, Utah Senator Orrin Hatch made reference to the prophecy while complaining about the Democrats tolerating everything that is bad. Said Hatch, “I've never seen it worse than this, where the Constitution literally is hanging by a thread” (“Did Hatch Allude To LDS Prophecy?” Salt Lake Tribune, Nov. 11, 1999). More recently, Susan Easton Black, a BYU professor of church history and doctrine, reportedly said that “the prophecy as a whole is false” (“White Horse in the White House,” www.opinionjournal.com, November 3, 2006). Black’s blanket denial seems incredibly inconsistent in light of the above statements. If LDS leaders felt the prophecy “as a whole” is false, why refer to any of it?”
http://www.mrm.org/white-horse-prophecy
Obviously in your eyes we aren't the greatest nation in the world. i agree when i read columns like this i doubt our ability to stay great. Bigotry and stupidity comes in all shapes and sizes.
I'm guessing you've never been to far out of the area you live in. if you would do any travel outside of the u.s. you would find yourself, even with all of our trials and tribulations, rushing to get back home.
try spending time in any nation that would have you and see their 360 lifestyle compared to any state of the union and i am sure you would rather go there than most nations i am aware of.
even your ability to write in columns like this are severely limited in many places.
In any event, have a good day while you can.
Had the Union merely cut them loose and let them live in bliss with God, Guns, and the Stars-N-Bars the United States of America might've been the greatest country on earth.
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I certainly hope not. The reaction to such an event would have implications far beyond the mere capture and prosecution of those involved in the attack - it would result in another incremental step towards the increase of police powers and presence in everyday life. Just look at how police presence has been expanded on our commuter rail systems in response to the Moscow bombings.
LMAO! Ya Think
Fox is simply the propaganda arm of the Right Wing Aristocracy. Like any good, modern televangelist they sell fear and salvation and take a cut while doing it. As long as you are willing to put your eyeballs on their advertising platform they will tell you everything you want to hear. You're not a bigot because minorities really are the cause of all your problems. You're not a homophobe because gays really are the cause of all your problems. You're not a corporate tool because Government really is the cause of all your problems. You're not a failure in life because the Liberals really have destroyed you. You do not have to critically think because we have done that for you. Fox is like crack to a tweeker. You always have to reinforce the high no matter how destructive it is to you personally.
Many, many of their stories and propaganda are fed to them through right wing think tanks and movements like the Heritage Foundation, AEI, Club for Growth, Taxpayers United, etc. Fox simply dresses them up as a populous message. Limbaugh and his ilk do the same. And who funds these think tanks? Large right wing donors many of whom inherited their money. In the end its all about getting tax breaks and deregulating their corporations. The rest is smoke and mirrors.
Mr. Burnett sees Civil War as the inevitable outcome of hyperbolic, victimization rhetoric and moral complacency of conservatives, and he very well could be right if this country had an actual right-left split. In practice, it is a one-party system with two right wings. No body stands to benefit from ending that.
Just as it only took a few bullets and a couple of bodies at Kent State to send the make-believe lefties of the Viet Nam era back to hugging trees, finding Jesus or whatever; a firepower confrontation with the Army will just as quickly send the Baggers indoors to whine 'bout the g'vrnmint and rage at minorities. It very well could happen April 19th in DC.
That is great, hadn't seen that particular quote...in my view, let em form their own country and then we can see how all those common sense conservative ideas work out. I pledge allegiance to Fox News and to the republic for which it stands....etc. Elect Rush and install the rest as cabinet officers. Wheeeeeee!
These elections are going to be a lot worse than 2008. It's time to clean house and get as many Repubs out as possible. I think there will be more people voting this year than we have seen in mid-terms in the past. About 80% of the country wants to get rid of Republicans, their obstruction and criminal violence behaviour.