Participants were also asked: “Looking ahead to the next 10 years, how likely do you think it is that there will be a civil war in this country?”
Among all US citizens, 43% said civil war was at least somewhat likely. Among strong Democrats and independents that figure was 40%. But among strong Republicans, 54% said civil war was at least somewhat likely.
More than 40% of Americans think civil war likely within a decade
Is that a thought/fear/expectation that people here on the forum have as well, that it might turn out that way?
Personally, I have only just heard about it, I knew that things between people in the US weren't good after the whole Trump/Biden thing, but didn't know that it was so bad as many seen to suggest.
I suppose there may be enough anger and polarization for one, but I can't speculate as to what that would look like in actuality. Any kind of organized secession of states of the kind that preceded the Civil War is extremely unlikely to happen. Plus, the U.S. military is far more powerful and has greater resources than any state government would be able to put together, or even a group of state governments. In any case, it would take time for any kind of secessionist or rebellious government to organize and train a military force.
What could happen (although still unlikely) is that the military itself could polarize and divide, in which case they'd fight each other using weapons and munitions already available to the U.S. military.
Militarists and law-and-order types tend to be right-wing, which in turn is usually very friendly to the interests of military and law enforcement. That could also be problematic.
There's also a bit of regionalism, which may be a factor. The right-wing areas of the country tend to be in rural areas and in the heartland, while the liberal/left areas tend to be in the cities and on the coasts. So, in a hypothetical civil war situation, the right-wing would be in a key position to disrupt transport and communication between cities, which could create chaos in the cities and keep the liberal coastal areas cut off from each other. "Flyover country" could turn into a "No fly zone."
But this is all hypothetical. Right now, despite whatever hostility there might be out there, it hasn't really gotten to the point of civil war. The only thing that could escalate the possibility is if the powers that be in this country (both in government and business) can't turn the economy around and bring the standard of living up to an acceptable level for all Americans. But if we keep having inflation, supply chain issues, lack of affordable housing, and other socioeconomic maladies, then all bets are off.
That's why focusing on the economy is the most important issue right now. There is absolutely nothing more important than that, because if the economy goes, there goes the whole ballgame.