By Doc Anderson
Co-Editor-in-Chief
The divide between the political left and right is bigger than it has been in recent history. In fact, mainstream journalists are starting to think we are in a modern day civil war.
MSNBC¡¯s Tiffany Cross, The Cross Connection, said, ¡°These days, it feels like we are not just at the brink of a civil war, but that one has already begun.¡±
At first, I believed Cross was being hyperbolic, but now, I¡¯m not so sure. The use of political violence is slowly becoming more acceptable amongst the politically initiated. Where once politicians condemned any violence in the name of party affiliation now there¡¯s silence. Especially if the violence is committed is considered ¡°righteous.¡±
The country I grew up in is vastly different from the one I stumble through today. Debate has become a form of violence. If a person raises concerns with a piece of legislation or even gives a negative review of a tv show, they are quick to be branded as racist, homophobic, etc. The dehumanization of political adversaries has become commonplace.
It is no longer enough to beat a political opponent in a democratic election. Now, long after the elections have ended, political operatives set out to destroy or imprison their bested foes. This behavior isn¡¯t isolated to our corrupt and irreparable government. The fomenting of political hacks has trickled down to the American people. The people I love and took an oath to protect are being tricked. Under the guise of ¡°reunification¡± and ¡°building back¡± the current administration has shifted to divide and conquer.
Karine Jean-Pierre, White House press secretary said, ¡°When you are not where the majority of Americans are, then you know, that is extreme.¡±
President Joe Biden ran a campaign based on unity and now he gives sinister Stalin like speeches with U.S. Marines looming in the wings.
Biden has given up on being the President of the United States and is content being the President of the people who voted for him. It almost seems like Biden wants the American people to hate each other. It’s easier to control a population if you make half of them believe the other half is out to get them.
Former President Donald Trump wasn¡¯t much better at bringing the country together. He rallied his base, argued with everyone on Twitter at 2 a.m. and was content with being half the population’s President. President Biden had a real chance at rebuilding the nation. Instead he took a page from Trump¡¯s playbook and widened the divide between the left and right.
Journalists tasked with delivering the American people with true information have been co-opted by political activists. You no longer have to be factually correct; you just need to be first.
A July 2022 Gallup poll shows the American people have little to no trust in us. ¡°Sixteen percent of Americans have a great deal/quite a lot of confidence in newspapers. Eleven percent have some degree of confidence in television news.¡±
Our politicians want us at each other¡¯s throats so they can enrich themselves and our media is aiding them in their journey. The only ingredient for civil war we are missing is major conflict. Or are we?
The riots in 2020 often referred to as ¡°The Summer of Love, coupled with the increase in violent crimes constitute conflict. After the raid of Trump¡¯s Mar-a-Lago home, a 42-year-old man, Ricky W. Shiffer, attempted to attack the Cincinnati field office of the FBI. Political violence is on the rise and is becoming acceptable on both sides of the isle.
All of the turmoil and unprecedented infighting is leading us down a dangerous path. Pundits on the right and left have championed a peaceful divorce over a civil war. But how would the country be divided? The major cities cannot survive without the heartland. Food comes from the fly-over states. Would the red states break off and become allied with the blue states? Why would a state align with a nation they fought to leave?
These questions have no genuine answers. Those of us who have seen and fought wars on foreign soil do not want to see it replicated in the US. We are all Americans and America is still the land of milk and honey. We just need to replace our current quart as it has spoiled.