THREAD: What would civil war really look like in the US?
Obvsly the only place to look for answers is dystopian sci-fi comic literature and one in particular has eerie parallels w today. DMZ which envisioned 100's of militia groups rising up against a gov loathe to fight them
Obvsly the only place to look for answers is dystopian sci-fi comic literature and one in particular has eerie parallels w today. DMZ which envisioned 100's of militia groups rising up against a gov loathe to fight them
In a State of extreme political and social polarization created by endless wars, conflicts over elections and public sentiment against a federal government viewed as authoritarian, an idea arose, "The Free States", more a social movement than an armed and organized force
When these 100s of indy movements rose up against their local governments, the hands of the federal government were tied. Many of these groups had ties to law-enforcement, armed forces, served in the National Guard etc
The State couldn't simply kill them w/o losing moral ground
The State couldn't simply kill them w/o losing moral ground
But would US military forces actually fire on them even if ordered to? Protests swelled, local governments were overthrown and these militias gained more ground than they ever thought possible: sometimes even joined by the federal units sent to contain them
Plausible? I think so
Plausible? I think so
The idea spread, and the revolution became more violent. Finally, the US Federal government decided they would engage militarily. A battle was fought!! Where? Allentown PA of course. Where else would the primary battle of the US civil war take place?
It did not go well
It did not go well
By this point the Free States had been joined by elements of the US National Guard and US Army deserters tired of endless wars and government they viewed as tyrannical. A BATTLE! Some said the Free States won, but it didn't matter really
because the US gov bombed it own citizens
because the US gov bombed it own citizens
Sound familiar a little? It should, it's loosely based on when law enforcement bombed Philly to kill MOVE activists. At any rate, this was a turning point. Citizens that were undecided watched on live television as the US dropped bombs on Allentown: and the UN was PISSED
After the Battle of Allentown, the conflict devolved into an irregular guerrilla war rather than traditional full military confrontation. Lines evolved into a sort of stalemate. And New York City became contested territory: Brooklyn held by the US, Jersey by the Free States
Could something like this happen in the US? I mean *could* is very much different than *likely to*, but it's not impossible to imagine. Armed groups have plotted to assassinate governors, multiple RW militia groups have attacked Law enforcement and protesters hoping to spark war
But the coolest thing about DMZ, is that this wasnt a simple conflict between Blue Staters and "Hillbillies from the sticks." Both sides had very diverse support, and both sides committed horrible atrocities. If civil war evolved in the US, it would very likely not be B&W
I'm not going to spoil the end of the comic, which I highly recommend you read, but it points out a very interesting truth to me:
Civil War in the US isn't impossible to imagine. There would be no "good guys" and it likely wouldn't be resolvable thru a military solution
Civil War in the US isn't impossible to imagine. There would be no "good guys" and it likely wouldn't be resolvable thru a military solution
In modern history, civil wars very very rarely have military solutions (just look at Colombia) and they are NEVER simple good vs evil conflicts. If civil war ever happened in the States, it would very likely be similar in those respects
Sorry for the spooky thread! Go vote!! END
Sorry for the spooky thread! Go vote!! END