Is The United States Heading Towards A Civil War?

Carol, writing at No Sheeples Here as a very thoughtful piece titled Is America A Paralyzed Nation? in which she reviews Jon Voight's interview in The Washington Times. In the interview, Mr. Voight said:

"Do not let the Obama administration fool you with all their cunning Alinsky methods. And if you don't know what that method is, I implore you to get the book 'Rules for Radicals,' by Saul Alinsky. Mr. Obama is very well trained in these methods," he continues, citing a television campaign critical of the Republican Party and contentious town-hall meetings about health care reform.

"The real truth is that the Obama administration is professional at bullying, as we have witnessed with ACORN at work during the presidential campaign. It seems to me they are sending down their bullies to create fist fights among average American citizens who don't want a government-run health care plan forced upon them," Mr. Voight says. "So I ask again. Is President Obama creating a civil war in our own country?"

Jimmie at The Sundries Shack gives his answer to the question of whether we are heading toward a civil war:

Here are my real fears about the United States heading into a civil war:

1. There is a clear distinction between those who want a more authoritarian/socialist nation versus those who want to preserve the capitalist/democratic America we live in.
2. There is a clear distinction between those who understand the principles and guidance and importance of the representative legislative process versus those who hide behind the Constitution as an excuse to create laws from the bench.
3. There is a clear distinction between those who favor strong national security vs. those who want a borderless, global government.
4. There is a clear distinction between those who hold US Constitutional principles dear (1st, 2nd, 10th Amendments in particular) and those who are ignorant or want to subvert those principles.
5. There is a clear distinction between those who want to maintain a sensible fiscal policy versus those statists in Washington who spend our tax money with reckless abandon.
6. There is a clear distinction between those who see themselves as Americans first versus those who want to segregate themselves into communities and ignore the national identity.
7. Despite his promises, surveys show that Americans have elected one of the most divisive Presidents since Richard Nixon.

These are serious issues that fundamentally challenge the formation of the Republic itself. Don’t buy into the childish arguments that every criticism of the Federal Government is based in racism. That is ignorant and simple-minded talk.

He goes on to say:

Here’s why I say that. In our democratic system, if people are displeased with what one party is doing, they generally have had another party running in the opposite direction to which they can turn. The hallmark of the two-party system is that each was different enough from the other to provide real alternatives. If the parties aren’t all that different, or the voters don’t see the parties as all that different, then the voters get stuck looking for another option. That state of being stuck builds tension until, at some point, it finds a release.



That paragraph struck a chord with me. How much difference is there between the two parties? Granted, the Republican party is united against ObamaCare, but that aside, what do conservatives have? Did my party represent me on Cap and Trade or did it pass solely because enough of "my guys" crossed the aisle? When my party had the White House and the the majority, were they by any stretch of the imagination conservative?



The anger that is surfacing is the result of politicians acting in their own best interests rather than the interests of their constituents. Our Constitution clearly states the powers given to the federal government. Neither party seems willing to allow the Constitution to limit their powers.



Too many people feel like their vote is wasted, not because their guy didn't get in, but because once in, politicians do whatever they damn well please. Our system needs a major overall and most of all, we need to get back to basics.