Cyberspace was all abuzz a few years ago when a certain self-described time traveler by the name of John Titor began to post on several sites. Although he was careful not to predict the future, he did reveal why he was here: to retrieve a certain IBM computer that was needed in the future.Perhaps wittingly or unwittingly, he revealed a few other things that we will have the opportunity to confirm over time.
One of those things was his insistence that this country will embroil itself in a civil war:
"The civil war in the United States will start in 2004. I would describe it as having a Waco type event every month that steadily gets worse. The conflict will consume everyone in the US by 2012 and end in 2015 with a very short WWIII."
He said other things that were born out, but we're still waiting to see if Titor's civil war prediction will become a reality.
Now, I'm not saying that I believe Titor's predictions of a civil war, as it might have occurred on his worldline, instead of ours, if you believe him at all.
I bring up Titor because of the current hint of a civil war in the air since Obama became president. The volume on it is slowly increasing, and at the rate it's growing, especially with the recession and the possibility that we might descend into the quicksand of a depression, Titor's prediction is beginning to take on the brilliant sharpness of reality.
Certain people are peddling some rather dangerous language. Consider the following:
"Controversial Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) said this weekend that she wants residents of her state "armed and dangerous" over President Barack Obama's plan to reduce global warming 'because we need to fight back.'
"Asked about the White House-backed cap-and-trade proposal to reduce carbon emissions, Bachmann told WWTC 1280 AM, "I want people in Minnesota armed and dangerous on this issue of the energy tax because we need to fight back. Thomas Jefferson told us 'having a revolution every now and then is a good thing,' and the people -- we the people -- are going to have to fight back hard if we're not going to lose our country. And I think this has the potential of changing the dynamic of freedom forever in the United States."
FoxNews, and in particular Sean Hannity, and Glenn Beck, are seemingly operating as vanguards for this civil war, and, by so doing, are doing the country a disservice and possibly stirring a pot of discontent that could spill over into something that could be dangerous for the democracy that we have carefully crafted in this country. More here.
Even the actor, Chuck Norris, has gotten in on the act:
"How much more will Americans take? When will enough be enough? And, when that time comes, will our leaders finally listen or will history need to record a second American Revolution? We the people have the authority according to America's Declaration of Independence...."
Glenn Greenwald has written for salon.com an intriguing article looking at this new American phenomenon.
Now whether republicans wish to have a real civil war is immaterial. That they would bring up the possibility at all speaks volumes. Are they telling us that a two-party system is bad for America? Are they saying that only conservatives should be in charge of the government?
Why are they using such inflammatory and un-American rhetoric as a "civil war" in their talking points regarding their proposed take back of the country?
For many these are scary times. And scared people can be talked into doing some rather desperate things.
What is needed is calm, not talk of "civil war," nor talk of not following the leadership of the commander-in-chief, and other such self-destructive and divisive talk.
Obama ran his presidential campaign on the theme of One America. Some republicans are seeking to destroy this new-found American unity--racially, and socially--by exploiting what divides us, and throwing in the ultimate act of civil disobedience, which we call a civil war, or a coup.
When historians look back on these times, they will undoubtedly speak glowingly of a country that grew up enough to elect a black president, and not so glowingly of a certain segment of the country that chooses to meet that adult progress with juvenile behavior--if we can't win by using the rules in place (the U.S. Constitution, and the rule of law), let's do away with the rules, and take by force what we can't take through fair play.
John Titor may or may not be real. He may or may not have seen a civil war for this country. But a war of the magnitude he predicted is still being waged in the hearts and minds of many in our midst and that's a shame.
Let's hope that the war remains in the realm of fantasy, and not in the alleyways of our nation.
9 comments:
It doesn't make sense for a liberal to label inflammatory and un-American the "civil war" rhetoric. Inflammatory and Un-American compared to what?
"G-ddamn Amerikkka" Rev. Wright
"I bowl like the Special Olympics" President Obama
It seems your problem starts with failing to acknowledge how radically at odds Barack Obama is with the traditions of America. Just his liberalism alone is an affront and repudiation of the essence of America.
You make the mistake of contrasting him with other liberals within Republican ranks and conclude he's rather centrist. But demand politics was and never will be centrist.
And demand politics, fully enveloped by liberalism, necessitates the reaction you are now lamenting. You do not want to take responsibility for pushing greaters numbers to the brink.
Why do you fail to take account of the consequences of your political beliefs?
You're hilarious and entertaining.
"Inflammatory and Un-American compared to what?
The direction the country now finds itself forging.
Are you in favor of this rhetoric?
If so, then I suppose that for you it's neither inflammatory nor un-American, but quintessentially patriotic.
Lest you forget, we're nation of laws. Is that, too, passé?
Should we, for the sake of maintaining so-called conservative principles, and for the repudiation of liberal excesses (although the electorate has spoken), wipe our feet with the constitution and the rule of law just to adhere to what you call "the traditions of America"?
And what "traditions" would those be?: the government of the people by the people for the people.
It was the people, I'm reminded, that formed a "more perfect union," and not the "union" the people.
"It seems your problem starts with failing to acknowledge how radically at odds Barack Obama is with the traditions of America. Just his liberalism alone is an affront and repudiation of the essence of America."
I had to quote you in your entirety. Your statement is too laughable to abridge it.
Yes, I can see how you arrived at that conviction.
First, Barack Obama is black. That in itself contradicts that "tradition" you hold so dear.
Further, liberalism has been in the fabric of American politics and governance for many years.
It appears that those canonical traditions of which you speak have been long abandoned by the people.
Isn't it curious that only now we see this call for the overthrow of this liberal anathema?
What I hear you saying is this: this country is only big enough for one political ideology (that position alone seems to contradict both the letter and the spirit of that which binds this nation--our Constitution), and that liberalism must be stopped at all cost--it violates some unspecified building blocks of our Republic, which you refer to vaguely as our nation's "essence."
That to me is not only un-American, it's unpatriotic at best, and treasonous at worst.
Let me respond to all your innuendoes:
"G-ddamn Amerikkka" Rev. Wright.
Look around you: Rev. Wright's Jeremiads are quickly becoming this country's daily lamentations.
From Katrina to our present-day economic woes, Rev. Wright's predictions are not only eerily on target, but have become his vindication.
You can't know the man, nor his position, by listening to FoxNews' 24-7 video snippets, taken out of context, and seeking to regurgitate it here as some kind of drive-by approach to establishing some nebulous position of your own. Tsk! Tsk!
You should have left Rev. Wright to the annals of history, and the reflection of historians, and not attempt to use him in the manner that you did.
"I bowl like the Special Olympics" President Obama
And he probably does, which is surely an accurate assessment of his bowling prowess, but in this age of "gothca politics," and excessive PC minders, you throw out this Molotov cocktail of a statement for some indeterminate reason.
I suppose you believed that you could use it to make a point without making a point.
That's intellectually lazy, and fraudulent.
"You make the mistake of contrasting him [President Obama] with other liberals within Republican ranks and conclude he's rather centrist. But demand politics was and never will be centrist."
I made no such comparison, nor was President Obama the object of my blog entry, but the foolishness, and wanton disregard for the rule of law that some Republicans are resorting to for the purpose of "taking back the country."
What inherent violence resides in that statement: "taking back the country," as though it's been hijacked by some rogue element of the government.
The only "rogue elements" that I see seeking to undermine our constitution (for now, with fiery rhetoric, but tomorrow, who knows) in order to "take back" the government are those power-mongers on the Right, who are now choking on sour grapes.
I'm afraid that you appear to be one of them.
"And demand politics, fully enveloped by liberalism, necessitates the reaction you are now lamenting. You do not want to take responsibility for pushing greaters numbers to the brink."
My God, man. Take responsibility for your own actions. You remind me of the wife abuser who says the "little woman" made him do it--hit her, knock out teeth, break ribs, and land her in the hospital.
At least man up and admit that conservative ideology has failed us miserably during the last eight year of a Republican presidency, and six year where Republicans held monopolies in both houses of congress.
If you're being "pushed to the brink," you created both: the inevitable brink and the force pushing you toward it.
And your only answer, is "civil war"?
How politically childish! How ideologically immature.
"Why do you fail to take account of the consequences of your political beliefs?"
I did.
I voted for the best man for the job, the best man for this nation's future, the best man to help us overcome the disastrous policies of the last eight years of Republican rule--Barack Obama.
I hope you stick around. I haven't laughed this hard in days.
Amen! You wrote a masterpiece. The majority of people voted for President Obama for the same reasons as you stated was why you voted for him. That's why I voted for him too.
There are a small minority like Bachmann's, Norris, Hannity, and Beck who are twisted in their thinking. Strange how they got rid of Cythnia McKinney for being too outspoken, but Bachmann's speeches are straight up treasonous and no is trying to rein her in up in the Congress.
Even Hillary is more happier with her position, you can see it in her face. She's more relaxed.
Did you read that article on Jack and Jill? Go and read it when you get a chance if you haven't already. It was about the President and his wife spending their own money to redecorate the White House. Some of the Republicans are raising a fit about that and trying to make something out of nothing. One woman made a statement that was straight up racist in its tone.
They are really going too far with all of the demeaning, slanderous, and degrading comments lately and they might keep pressing the wrong buttons and it is going to be an explosion, but it won't turn out like they think and want it to.
Granny, thanks for stopping by.
The Repubs are a scared bunch these days.
They know that we know what George Bush, and Republican leadership have done to this country during the last 8 years.
And now they're taking refuge behind their "core values," values that's somehow been on holiday, or hiatus, or behind bars, and are now resorting to fighting fire with fire (the appointment of Michael Steele as GOP head), and the blaming of Obama for everything they've perpetrated on the country, including the recession.
When you're running scared, the first thing that falls victim to fear is the truth.
If they could, they'd blame Dick Cheney's bad aim on Obama.
Sadly, the Repubs believe that they can fail there way to success.
It can't be done, but, by God, they're going to try, anyway.
They believe that by resurrecting a "failed ideology," and attacking this nation's first black president it's going to somehow magically transform them into a party that the people crave, and entice greater numbers of black to desert liberalism for their dubious brand of governance.
It's a childish naiveté, and without adult supervision to disabuse them of this sure-to-be disastrous approach to "taking back the country," it's doomed to failure.
I saw Hillary at President Obama's last presser, and she looked content, and fulfilled by her position as Madame Secretary.
I will take a look at Jack and Jill. That's a piece of news that's escaped me. Thanks for cluing me in.
"They are really going too far with all of the demeaning, slanderous, and degrading comments lately...."
Like I said earlier: I'm sure it's going to bring in for them a lot of votes during the next presidential election. NOT!
But don't tell them. It's fun watching them self-destruct. They're a clueless bunch, without a leader they all respect, a party in total disarray, and running scared, to boot.
That's not a recipe for success.
Diaspora:
When you gone change the topic? Granny been sitting here waiting patiently twiddling my thumbs and patting my feet. (smile
Granny, you've been my staunchest supporter, and for that I will be forever grateful.
I'm thinking now that I might roll up the blog for a time.
It takes a great deal of time to do one justice, and as you've seen I've been away from the blogosphere for several days, neither blogging nor posting.
Perhaps when I can free up more time, I'll roll out the ol' blog and go at it again.
I will, however, continue to post in the usual places.
I will remember you in my prayers.
Black Diaspora
Hah hah, I'm just catching up on the old posts. You smite that troglodyte to the ground and then left nothing of him but a greasy spot. I noticed he did not return for more. LOL.
No, Ernesto, he headed for the hills. But he's still around, but pestering people on other blogs. Cowards have no stomach for the truth, or a no-holds-barred fight.
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!
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