According to Stephen Marche for The Guardian, the political problems of the US today are both "structural and immediate."

Marche reminds us how at the start of the first civil war, the most brilliant citizens of the US failed to expect it and felt it was not imminent enough until Confederate forces bombarded Fort Sumter, quoting Henry Adams as saying "not one man in America wanted the civil war or expected or intended it."

The writer argues that the US is yet again on the verge of civil war, noting how its political system has become overtaken with rage, the legal system becoming increasingly untrustworthy, and Congress approval rates being at 20%. He notes that militias within the country are training and arming themselves for the demise of the nation. 

Capitol police have reported an increase in threats by 107%. 

Internal force

According to Micheal German, a former FBI agent says "The 2015 FBI counter-terrorism guide instructs FBI agents, on white supremacist cases, to not put them on the terrorist watch list as agents normally would do," given that "the police could then look at the watchlist and determine that they are their friends."

The former agent argues that the way authoritarian regimes come into power is the way they authorize a group of political "thugs" to use violence against their political enemies.

According to the Military Time in 2019, 36% of soldiers on duty claimed they saw "white supremacist and racist ideologies in the military."

Incapable of confrontation

Related News

Spanish town ordered to lift ban on religious gatherings

Marine Le Pen accuses EU of advancing planned war project in the East

According to Marche, opposition in the US on the other hand is incapable of confronting what may come, and argues that they "render themselves powerless faster than their enemies can."

They must, he details, abandon fantasies about government institutions because when the right-wing take control it will be too late.

Marche denies any arguments that threats of civil war are exaggerated. He says reality has surpassed all forecasts, adding that the US must not hope that "everything will work out by itself," and says citizens of the US must stop considering their nation an exception.

He concludes by saying Americans need to recognize their system is broken and in order to survive, they must reinvent it. 

Just yesterday, US President Joe Biden was scheduled to address the nation to commemorate the attack on the US Capitol on its first anniversary, with reports saying he would address the "unfinished business" the country has to undertake in order to "strengthen its democracy."

Switching to a rally on January 15 instead, Trump stated he would cancel his conference due to "total bias and dishonesty of the January 6th Unselect Committee of Democrats, two failed Republicans, and the Fake News Media."

Poll: Most Americans say events similar to Jan. 6 likely to happen

An Axios-Momentive poll revealed that 57% of Americans expect the recurrence of deadly incidents such as the January 6 attack on the US Capitol in the upcoming few years.

The poll also showed that about 37% of US citizens have lost faith in US democracy.

When asked if the opposing party’s policies threaten the nation, a majority replied affirmatively. 

Read more: The rise of the radical right

One-third of Americans believe violence against government justified

According to a Washington Post-University of Maryland study, one in every three Americans believes that violence against the government can be justifiable. The findings mark the highest proportion of people who feel this way in polls over two decades.

The majority still believe that violence is never justifiable, but only 62% now hold that belief compared to 90% in the 1990s.

Justifications range from coronavirus restrictions to the marginalization of minority voters.

According to the survey, 44% of Republicans and 41% of independents believe violence against the government is justifiable.