4 ms·

Why, because of the protests? If the protests had the potential to overthrow the government by force, they would be met with bombs and bullets. Civil wars are f

Why, because of the protests? If the protests had the potential to overthrow the government by force, they would be met with bombs and bullets. Civil wars are fought by armies and the US military is completely unified behind the preservation of the US government.

pjc50 6y ago
Yes, but in the event of a highly disputed election, which government? (I don't think all the stuff above is very likely, because I think the Trump hold on power is a lot shallower than most, but I do think there's going to be polling station violence in some places, continuing conflict between federal and state law enforcement, and a lot of lawsuits after the election contesting individual vote counts, far more so than Bush vs Gore. Especially over postal ballots.)
donw 6y ago
> Civil wars are fought by armies May I direct your attention to the Cultural Revolution? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Revolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Revolution The possibility is there. > The US military is completely unified behind the preservation of the US government. I agree! But what happens if the question of "Who is the commander-in-chief" becomes unclear? That is the possibility that's on the table. If there's an absolutely clear victory in the next election and the loser steps down, then we're in way better shape. Posse Comitatus remains intact, and factional violence is left in the hands of domestic law enforcement (whatever that looks like at the time). Which is what I'm seriously hoping for. But if not... once again, I'm amazed to even be considering that possibility, but it's there.
- peacefulhat 6y ago
  Cultural Revolution was not a civil war, and also...how would that possibly happen in America?As for who is the president, they would just defer to SCOTUS like in 2000.
  - donw 6y ago
    > Cultural Revolution was not a civil war That's splitting hairs. Mao's Red Guards -- student revolutionaries and young adults -- effected a drastic shift in power, from a more liberal government to Mao (a strong authoritarian), and something on the order of three million people died as a direct consequence. Moreover, China lost an unbelievable amount of its history, as revolutionaries purged the "Four Olds" (customs, culture, habits, and ideas).
    - 082349872349872 6y ago
      Pedantically, it's not splitting hairs when we do (at least did, last century) have an internationally accepted definition of a civil war: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23880237 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23880237
baybal2 6y ago
> Civil wars are fought by armies and the US military is completely unified behind the preservation of the US government. Let me give you an examples of a Lebanese civil war Second, it's not that US potential adversaries have ever cease attempts to recruit 5th column in the general staff. A big double digit percentage of civil wars in 20th century were foreign power assisted, if not staged, and triggered by them. US generals with extreme right political views are ripe for taking for a country that seemed to ace recruiting rightist elements for its cause. You know what country I am talking about.
- pjc50 6y ago
  The US generals seem to the left of, or at least nonplussed by, the Trump faction. The removal of the captain of the Theodore Roosevelt didn't help his support either. It's the patchwork of law enforcement who are more willing to cause street-level trouble. We've already seen one protest which involved people bringing guns to a state legislature. What if there was another one, in response to an "abolish the police" candidate winning locally, and the police backed the occupiers over the legitimate state government?

pjc50 6y ago

Yes, but in the event of a highly disputed election, which government? (I don't think all the stuff above is very likely, because I think the Trump hold on power is a lot shallower than most, but I do think there's going to be polling station violence in some places, continuing conflict between federal and state law enforcement, and a lot of lawsuits after the election contesting individual vote counts, far more so than Bush vs Gore. Especially over postal ballots.)

donw 6y ago

> Civil wars are fought by armies May I direct your attention to the Cultural Revolution? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Revolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Revolution The possibility is there. > The US military is completely unified behind the preservation of the US government. I agree! But what happens if the question of "Who is the commander-in-chief" becomes unclear? That is the possibility that's on the table. If there's an absolutely clear victory in the next election and the loser steps down, then we're in way better shape. Posse Comitatus remains intact, and factional violence is left in the hands of domestic law enforcement (whatever that looks like at the time). Which is what I'm seriously hoping for. But if not... once again, I'm amazed to even be considering that possibility, but it's there.

peacefulhat 6y ago
Cultural Revolution was not a civil war, and also...how would that possibly happen in America?As for who is the president, they would just defer to SCOTUS like in 2000.
- donw 6y ago
  > Cultural Revolution was not a civil war That's splitting hairs. Mao's Red Guards -- student revolutionaries and young adults -- effected a drastic shift in power, from a more liberal government to Mao (a strong authoritarian), and something on the order of three million people died as a direct consequence. Moreover, China lost an unbelievable amount of its history, as revolutionaries purged the "Four Olds" (customs, culture, habits, and ideas).
  - 082349872349872 6y ago
    Pedantically, it's not splitting hairs when we do (at least did, last century) have an internationally accepted definition of a civil war: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23880237 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23880237

baybal2 6y ago

> Civil wars are fought by armies and the US military is completely unified behind the preservation of the US government. Let me give you an examples of a Lebanese civil war Second, it's not that US potential adversaries have ever cease attempts to recruit 5th column in the general staff. A big double digit percentage of civil wars in 20th century were foreign power assisted, if not staged, and triggered by them. US generals with extreme right political views are ripe for taking for a country that seemed to ace recruiting rightist elements for its cause. You know what country I am talking about.

pjc50 6y ago
The US generals seem to the left of, or at least nonplussed by, the Trump faction. The removal of the captain of the Theodore Roosevelt didn't help his support either. It's the patchwork of law enforcement who are more willing to cause street-level trouble. We've already seen one protest which involved people bringing guns to a state legislature. What if there was another one, in response to an "abolish the police" candidate winning locally, and the police backed the occupiers over the legitimate state government?