Second American Civil War Could Be Psychological Conflict

By: Carlo Barbieri

Thanks to Civil War History Preservation, we now know that the Civil War that pitted the North and the South against each other during the early 1860s was, without doubt, a bloody encounter, with brother fighting brother over the barrel of a rifle or amid the cannon fire of a battlefield.  The bitter irony of that conflict was the fact that a single major issue – the fate of slavery – was the overriding reason for the bloody fighting.

If there is a second American Civil War – and this column has previously speculated on that possibility– it is likely to be a psychological conflict and not a war with guns and bombs.  Still, even psychological warfare can have a traumatic impact on this nation.

America hoped that the November 2012 election would give some glimmer of a brighter future and even an eventual end to the terrible economic troubles that have stricken this nation since at least 2007.  The re-election of Barack Obama by a couple of percentage points over Mitt Romney leaves many in the US wondering if the next four years will simply be a repeat of the past four.

This is where some of the psychological aspects come in.  During his campaign, and in his recent inaugural address, President Obama addressed some of the questions that have plagued various segments of the population.  But we wonder if those questions have been answered to the best of his ability – and to the liking of the American people. In other words, are their minds secure in what he predicts for the future?

Barely two months have passed since Mr. Obama won re-election, and yet he has done little to bring peace to the minds of many, particularly those in the middle class, the ones he promised during his election not to hurt.

The protracted discussion and lengthy period of inaction over the so-called “fiscal cliff” brought nothing but continuing angst to the entire population.  The wealthy wondered if they would be hammered with much higher taxes. But even the middle class, it appeared, was going to be stricken with new and heavy taxes – on top of the sacrifices they have made during the past few years.

The argument over the fiscal cliff ended with a false sense of security when federal legislators and Mr. Obama announced a temporary settlement around the time of the New Year.  Still, despite the huzzahs and the back-slapping among official Washington, the middle-class didn’t get away unscathed.  With the new year came a new tax – a higher payroll tax.  So the promise that the middle class would not be hurt was breeched.

Like citizens, businesses also wonder what 2013 and the President’s new term will bring. As Mr. Obama inflicts his own brand of psychological warfare on them – leaving them in the dark about his plans for the future – they will not hasten to create jobs or start hiring until they know how their financial coffers will be affected. In essence, both the people of America and the businesses of the USA are both being held hostage as 2013 continues into its second month.

The current administration seems to be heaping insecurity and uncertainty on top of class warfare that began during the past few years.  We have spoken about how President Obama has created a “nanny” state made up of people dependent on government doles to survive.  This includes the so-called “cradle to grave” assistance that substitutes welfare for the American dream.

This “subservient” class likely has or will soon have what the middle class has worked and sacrificed to get. At the same time, the Obama White House has declared its own “war” on the rich, declaring that they owe more of their “share” in money to US coffers.  In the same breath, success has been declared to be bad and initiative is frowned upon. So where is the middle class to turn?

In a fictional essay published in Small Wars Journal magazine, a team of experts bring forth an argument that ongoing economic unrest and political division within the US population could cause a civil war to erupt in the United States in only a few years’ time. The essay, “Full Spectrum Operations in the Homeland: A ‘Vision’ of the Future,” is in no way represented as a piece of pure truth, but its writers suggest that a civil war could happen much sooner than Americans may think if certain conditions occurring in the country today persist into the next few years.

This also brings Mr. Obama to a crossroads.  Will he allow the status quo to continue, endangering the nation’s peace of mind? Or will he show leadership and finally work with Republicans for the good of all people, and all classes?

The solution is squarely on Mr. Obama’s shoulders.