Monday, March 14, 2016

The Winds of War

                                                                       

Four years ago I began writing about the very real possibility of a 2nd Civil War coming to America. In that blog piece I cited the confluence of events, some originating from the evolution of Friedman's "Flattening of the World" (trade inequities, corporate global greed, American jobs being exported), and much of the discontent generated by "The Great Divider", an Obama hell bent on promoting racial and religious divisions and class warfare never seen in our history.

My essay asserted that this "perfect storm" of events has created a level of anger and frustration that, at some point, was bound to evidence itself sooner rather than later.  I thought that anger would erupt when the costs of Obamacare began to be known, the ire ever growing with each one of Obama's Constitution-busting Executive Orders and annual federal budgets totaling obscene numbers.   While my timing was off a bit, I believer the anger generated during this 2016 election cycle is clearly demonstrating the very anger I wrote about four years ago.

I offered that a 2nd Civil War would begin from both ends of the political spectrum; the militant 20 percent from the far right and the far left.  Who could possibly argue against that as we see Bernie's massive socialist army and, from the right, Trump's Stormtroopers....both sides totally unwilling to compromise an inch from their hard positions.

I argued that the agitation and turmoil from the extremists on both left and right, if given "wing space" could eventually draw America's "hard middle" into the vortex.  That too has been prophetic as we seem to be forced to choose these days between having to gag over the Clinton/Sanders' Socialist State, or Trump's third world strongman mentality.  Sadly, that road has been taken in third world Banana Republics across the continents time and again over the centuries.

Should anyone believe that these divisions can be healed by an election,  I say you are harboring unrealistic illusions.  Should Trump win the hard left wing will remain as militant as ever.  In the more likely event that the Clintonista Socialists prevail we'll see an ever growing pushback from the hard right.  Neither party offers an ounce of resolution to this nation's many, complex problems.

And, at a time when we most need an inspirational leader, a uniter, there seems to be no one on the horizon to ride to the rescue.  There are no giants.  There's not a Reagan...to haul in the political independents, nor someone who can recruit those "Blue Dog Democrats".  And, sadly, Obama, so largely responsible for much of our national anger, just this week absolved himself of any responsibility for this anger.  Barry says, with his usual snark, that Republicans brought this all on themselves.

Throughout my recent criticism of Donald Trump I've read what you have to say about my concerns. Sadly, each time I've cited specifics as to why I can't support Trump, I've been accused of promoting a "the sky is falling" fear about where we are as a nation these days...and all the while the Trump supporters have cited nothing as to how Trump would make things better.  Clinton and Sanders are equally laughable answers.

I'm still holding out the slightest wisp of hope that America comes to her senses.  I'm hoping that Cruz or Kasich or Rubio can somehow triumph over yellow-haired Banana Republic banty roosters like Trump and liberal socialist whores like Sanders and Clinton.  

I'm convinced that if we don't begin to listen to the better angels of our nature we'll be doomed to face a 2nd Civil War in America.

Sad.  Damned Sad.






2 comments:

Jerry Carlin said...

Never happen! The average man (or woman) on the street couldn't name 2 Supreme Court Justices, never heard of the "Fifth Estate", couldn't name the Vice President or their own member of Congress. There will Never be a Civil War in this country as long as we have our I phones, video games, McDonalds, Walmart, Air Conditioning and Credit Cards. The "System" has had fifty years to make "Sheeple" of us and they have done a very good job. We just don't give a crap. Historically it is not politics that cause Civil Wars, it is comfort and having that taken away to the point of nothing left to lose. As consumers of 75% of the Earth's resources we are a long way from that!

A Modest Scribler said...

Jerry, if someone had told you two years ago that Donald Trump would be the Republican nominee, what would you have said? Or that a 74 year old Socialist would be giving Hillary the jeebies? My point is "don't be so damned certain about previous truths." Of course it it not "politics" that cause civil wars, it is political issues that do. Our first one was not just slavery, but also industrial versus agrarian..and who would Washington favor. And given the violence and lawfulness engendered by our "pampered classes", don't be sure that folks won't give up their Big Macs and air conditioning for a little recreational maiming and killing. Have a good week, my friend.