Violent Crime in America

 

The recent murders of Charlie Kirk, Iryna Zarutska, Dr. Julia Gard Schnuelle and subsequent sympathy for their murderers is unreal. In the case of Charlie Kirk, it has included celebrating in the streets, defacing memorials, attacks on mourners, and remarks so vile that many have been fired from their jobs. Even talk show host, Jimmy Kimmel wasn't immune. Since when do Americans celebrate the death of someone over a difference of opinions? 

The glorification of violence and disregard for human life has once again underscored the vast and deep divide between the Left and Right in this country. It has also brought to the national forefront once more the growth of violence in this country, with some calling for confiscating firearms (all though two of the murders involved the use of a knife).

Along with this rise violence has been the dramatic increase in vitriol anti-White rhetoric. Black on white crime is at a all time high, with Black assailants and White victims accounting for  63.9% of robberies, 58.6% of the rapes, and 51.8% of assaults. By contrast, Blacks are the victims in crimes involving robbery where the perpetrator was White just 8.3% of the time, and in 2.7% of assaults, and 5.5% of the rapes.

Hispanics also face a far disproportional rate of victimhood when it comes to murder, rape, assault, and robbery. They are more likely to be the victim of a violent crime 65% more often than someone who was White and 54% more likely than a Black  individual. Asians too are facing higher rates of violent crime. What is happening in America?

According to FBI statistics from 2019, the latest available, 51.3% of those arrested for murder were Black. 45.7% were White, while 1.83% were Hispanic and 1.1% were Asians. When it came to aggravated assault,  Whites were responsible for 62.2%. Blacks committed 32.7%. Native Americans were 2.2%. Asians made up just 1.8% of those convicted on aggravated assault charges. Note these are raw numbers and not based on their percentage of the population

Another form of assault is rape. In 2019, there were some 13,799 reported cases. Whites were reported as the offender in nearly 70% of the cases. Blacks were reported as the perpetrators in 26.8% of the incidents. Asians were arrested in 1.7% of the attacks while Native Americans accounted for 1.5% of the reported rapes.

Note that many cases of rape are not reported or the charges are withdrawn for various reasons. As of 2024, there are an estimated 225,000 unprocessed rape test kits currently lagging in storage areas. While the judicial system does consider rape a serious issue, many jurisdictions lack the funding or staff to process the kits timely.

A ScienceDirect Study from 2020 reported that from 2016 and 2018, there were approximately 300,000 to 400,000 untested kits awaiting processing. A 2022 Congressional Study reported an estimated backlog of anywhere from 90,000 to a staggering 400,000 untested kits were still pending. Some of the worse offenders are West Virginia, Louisiana, Oregon, and North Carolina.  

One of the states with the worse record is Kentucky. It received a test kit on January 7, 1993 and didn’t finalized the results until 28 years later, on September 27, 2021! But if you think that’s bad, consider Washington State. It received a test kit on January 14, 1984 and didn’t return the results until October 3, 2022, some 38 years later! While there should have been repercussions, it should also be noted that the there is no federal law mandating the tracking, processing, and reporting on rape test kits, which is obviously unacceptable on any level.

When it came to robbery, the FBI report indicated that in 2019 there were 104,595 reports. Of those apprehended, Whites made up the overwhelming majority at 69.8%. Blacks were 27.3% while Native Americans were 1.4% and Asians were 1.2%. Hispanics were 18, 584 of those arrested and convicted.

Unlawful weapon possession is another serious crime the FBI keeps track of. Their data shows there were 97,466 reported arrests made in 2019. Of those busted, 54,167 were White. 40,827 were Black. 18,756 were Hispanic. 1,073 were Asian, and just 988 were Native American, which brings up to another topic—gun violence.

Despite the rantings of a few, the prospects of any political or government agency actually seizing America’s guns are highly unlikely. Based on 2024 data, there are approximately 107 gun owning Americans, or roughly 32% of the adult population of the United States. In all likelihood, that number is higher. Much higher. There are approximately 120 guns per every 100 individuals. In addition, roughly 40% of the U.S. population live in a household where is at least one firearm present.

Guns in the United States are as much a part of the culture as the Old West and the Declaration of Independence. They were written into our Bill of Rights, to be used as a tool to protect us from government overreach and tyranny. They were as any essential tool in the exploration and settlement of this country. We still use them to hunt and for sport. Guns are as much as part of the American character as our belief in individualism and our sense of freedom.

In terms of the demographics of gun ownership, it should come as no surprise that males own 40% of the firearms compared to women who own about 25%. Those living in the country or in rural locations comprise 47% of gun owners. Those who live in suburbia make up some 30% while those living in urban areas are about 20%.

When it comes to age, older Americans, those 50 and up, are the mostly likely to own a firearm at 46% followed by those 30 to 49 at 42%.  The least likely was those individuals between 18 and 29. Only around 32% of them own any sort of firearm. The number one reason for gun ownership---72%---was for personal protection. An average of 31% said it was for hunting and target shooting. 15% said they were simply gun collectors, and just 7% said it was required as part of their job.

Academically, 47% of those with at least some college are most likely to have a gun. Next are those education extends up to high school. About 43% of them own a firearm of some sort. About 40% of college graduates are gunowners while just 30% of those with post graduate degrees are.

When it comes to race, the majority of gun owners---38%---are White. 24% are Black while 20% are Hispanic, and 10% are of Asian heritage. No data was available for Native Americans or Pacific Islanders. Another interesting statistic is political registration.

According to the survey, 45% of Republicans own at least one firearm while just 20% of Democrats own one or more guns. The survey, conducted by Pew, ignores Independents, the nations largest political demographic, so it has to be “presumed” that the 35% difference between Republican and Democrat ownership must be Independents. Unfortunately, a rare case of poor statistics gathering by Pew.

In 2023 there were over 46,000 deaths due to gun violence. Contrary to popular opinion, most of these weren’t the result of a crime, but rather the result of suicide or other self-inflicted injury (there were 26,700 gun related suicides in 2023). Gun related deaths are the leading cause of children ages 1 through 17, largely to a failure to properly secure the weapons and in the case of older kids, a lack of adequate gun safety training. The graphic violence is often portrayed and glorified in video games and in movie are also a significant factor. Unfortunately, there’s no reset button to push in real life.

In terms of gun safety, 58% of those surveyed said they supported tighter gun safety laws. 26% said that the current level of gun laws were about right and 15% thought they were too strict. 88% of Republicans and 89% of Democrats support restrictions on those with known mental illnesses from owning a firearm. 69% of Republicans would like to see the age requirement to own a gun of any sort raised to 21 across the board. 90% of Democrats agree. Mandatory gun safety and care training is also strongly recommended.

So where are the gun related deaths the worse? According to a 2022 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), which keeps track of these figures, Texas had the most gun related deaths at 4,630. California had 3,484, while Florida was next with 3,232 deaths. Georgia had 2,163. Other states with a high number of gun related deaths included Pennsylvania with 1,941, Illinois at 1,798, and North Carolina reporting 1,831, matching Ohio.

Indiana had 1,211 gun related deaths with the majority being in Gary and Indianapolis. Tennessee had 1,480, mostly stemming from Memphis and Nashville. Kentucky had 840 with Louisville leading the way. The District of Columbia, the nation’s capital, had 154. Meanwhile, Vermont experienced only 84 deaths. Hawaii had 66, and in  Rhode Island there were only 37 gun related deaths.  

It bears mentioning that while the United States is usually portrayed as the gun related death capitol of the world, there are countries far worse than the U.S.  According to a report by World Population Review for 2025, the overall death rate by gun in the United States is 4.42 deaths per 100,000, but first, who are among the lowest?  

In Jordon, despite being surrounded by violence coming from neighboring Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Iraq, the number of civilian gun related deaths is just 0.3 per 100k. In Australia, it’s 0.09 and 0.02 in Oman.  In Spain and Algeria, the figure is 0.11. In Switzerland where gun ownership is mandatory, gun deaths are only 0.14 per 100,000. As impressive as those numbers are, the nation with the lowest number of gun related fatalities is African nation of Zimbabwe which reported a remarkable 0.01 deaths by firearm.  

The countries with the highest deaths rates due to firearms include Ecuador, where it’s 39.5 per 100k, nearly ten times higher than the U.S. In neighboring, Mexico it’s 17.2% despite all the drug cartel reported killings. Nevertheless, the nation at the top of the corpse strewn mound is Jamacia. Once known for its tourism, Jamacia now has the dubious honor of having the most gun related deaths with a whooping 42 per 100k.

Will stricter laws reduce the number of violence crimes by gun? Perhaps. It will certainly make it tougher for law abiding citizens. Criminals, of course, will have no difficulty getting their hands on gun any time they want, but that doesn’t account for knife attacks with are on the rise.

Knives, not guns, were what took the lives of Iryna Zarutska and Dr. Julia Gard Schnuelle for instance. They were the third most often used weapon in 2023. Random attacks, particularly involving “sucker punches” (aka “coward punches”) are responsible for many of the assaults on the elderly and handicapped along with weapons of opportunity.

So, are we going to impose bans on knives or other sharp objects along with guns? What about bricks, rocks, or pointy sticks? Then too, how do we combat the rise in race based attacks, often brought on by vile racist rhetoric which serves only to promote the violence without violating the 1^st Amendment? Unless civility can be restored, the violence will only continue and grow. We are facing dangerous times not seen since the late 1850’s. We are at the point where any act, no matter how benign or unintentional, could potentially be the spark to set this nation on fire and neither side, regardless of the bravado, is prepared for the consequences. 

 

 Thank you for reading "Another Opinion", the Op/Ed blog page for the "militant middle".  Here at "A/O" we truly value our readers. At A/O we seek the facts as they exist, not partisan talking points.  We hope you find our articles informative and engaging. Comments are welcome, provided they are not vulgar, insulting or demeaning.  Another Opinion is offered without charge and is directed toward all independent and free-thinking individuals. We ask, however, that you "like" us on whatever platform you found us on in order to keep our articles available for free to others. Lastly, in order to keep costs down, we depend on passive marketing, and therefore, depend on our readers to please forward our posts along. Below you will find links to the sources we used in writing this article. Thank you. 

 

How many rape kits are awaiting testing in the US? See databy state.

America tested 100,000 forgotten rape kits. But justiceremains elusive.

End The Rape Kit Backlog

FBI: 2019 Crime in the United States

WPR: Gun Deaths per Country 2025

Gun deaths and violence in the United States by state

 

The State of Our Democracy Heading Into The November Elections

Political violence was always what some piss-ant third world nation faced during elections. It was typically some backwater place where the United Nations would send political observers who at least pretended to keep elections (mostly) above board.  In reality, they really couldn't do much against some drug kingpin, zealot mullah, or local war lord. But, that seems to have all changed in the one country which was suppose to be about all that. The United States.

Since the failed assassination attempt of Republican nominee Donald Trump,  threats of political violence has increased. Congress has experienced a ten-fold increase in threats of violence (including assassination) over the last decade. The New York Times published a survey where 10% of respondents said that use of force should be used to prevent Donald Trump from becoming the next president. Meanwhile, 7% said the force should be use to restore Trump to the White House. What's happening to America?

Political scientists and others who delve into this kind of data,  mostly agree that the U.S. is divided to its core. Many have said for decades that, as a nation, we are deeply divided along more areas than at any time since the American Civil War, which remains the bloodiest in our history and resulted in more American deaths than any war since---combined.

A poll conducted by Reuters/Ipsos in May this year found that two-thirds of Americans across the political spectrum are seriously worried about this November's presidential election. 68%  acknowledged being concerned about possible acts of violence from either or both sides.

On Trump's inauguration day in 2014, the Radical Left, lead by Antifa and Black Lives Matter (BLM) launched a series of mass protests across the U.S. which typically devolved into looting, arson, destruction of property (even police cars overturned and set on fire). There was reports of assaults on innocent bystanders. Could something like that happen again? Many Americans seem to think so.

Among Republicans, 65% of respondents said they were fearful of possible violence should Kamala Harris lose. Among Democrats, 83% said they were worried about widespread violence in the event "The Donald" doesn't win similar to January 6, 2021 but only larger and more widespread. Meanwhile 89% of the nation's largest voting bloc--- Independents---were worried about violence regardless of who won!

A related poll from Bloomberg/Morning Consult asked voters in seven swing states---Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania---if they were worried about possible violence pre or post election. Bloomberg reported that almost half---49%---of respondents across partisan lines admitted they were concerned about possible violence.

Voters in those states also said that the economy was "on the wrong track" by a margin of 68% to 32%. It should be noted as well that 52% had a "very unfavorable" to "somewhat unfavorable" opinion of Kamala Harris.  However, Republicans shouldn't gloat.  53% of respondents either "strongly" or "somewhat strongly" didn't care for Trump either. 40% didn't care for the Independent, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 19% had no opinion and 5% never heard of him! 

Additionally, 49% of respondents had a negative opinion about Democrats in Congress while 53% felt the same way about Congressional Republicans. Overall, Congress has a negative approval rating of 65.5%. Just 19.3% of Americans think they are doing a good or adequate job. When applied globally, these are the kind of numbers that make revolutions possible, and yet Congress has a 98+% reelection rate. I know this isn't Denmark, but something is sure rotten!

One primary concern for Americans is the perceived failure of our democracy. According to a Gallup poll, less than 28% of Americans believed that our democracy was still working as it should. To rephrase it, some 72% of us believe we're living in a failed democracy.  Before the January 6th protest, that number stood at 35%, a drop of 7% in confidence.

The Economist Intelligent Unit, the polling arm of the magazine, "The Economist", has shown America as a "flawed democracy" for years.  We are teetering on becoming a "failed democracy" as the top two contenders for president head into the November election with approval ratings in the mid to low 40%. Another election outcome similar to 2014 would likely push us over the line.

As an aside, a February 28, 2024 Pew survey of 24 democratic countries revealed that while 77% said that democracy was a "good" system of government,  59% weren't happy with how democracy was currently functioning. The poll reinforces what Americans have said for decades---there's a serious disconnect between government and the people. 42% added that none of the political parties represented the voters and 72% said elected officials couldn't care less about what citizen's thought.

The Gallup poll also revealed that 67% said the November election was extremely important and may very well determine the future of democracy. The question, however, is which way? A Trump victory or a Harris victory? Which of the two is the correct way forward for our nation, or is it another choice like Robert F. Kennedy Jr.?

Back to Morning Consult, this time teamed up with Bipartisan Policy Center, conducted another poll pertaining to the upcoming election. The result was that 85% of Americans were concerned about the state of our democracy. Half said they were more worried about having a "functional democracy" more than a strong economy! It's common knowledge that America is a defacto Oligarchy (rule by a small  elite group). In our case, that oligarchy is comprised of some very wealthy people and corporations.

Thanks to Citizens United, America has also transformed into a type of neo-fascist corporate state with government and Wall Street working in tandem for their mutual benefit. Congress, already known as the "Millionaire's Club", no longer represents ordinary Americans. They represent and serve the needs of Wall Street with outcomes spun to keep us pacified  while "bread and circuses do the rest.

The oligarchs underwrite their political campaigns, fund their so-called "Leadership Pacs", provides them with all sorts of perks like the use of private jets or staying at posh private beach homes, and so forth. They review legislation and make "recommendations" about which bill to support or oppose, what pork to add, and even help legislators write bills and then shepherd them through the maze of committees. Is it any wonder that 85% of our fellow citizens are worried about the state of our democracy? 91% believe it's the better financed candidate, not issue positions, who win most often.

Another telling survey about the November election, this time by Navigator, indicated that 87% of respondents believe something like January 6th could happen again. A majority of Democrats---94%---said they were worried that Republican members of Congress would aid the conservative protesters in some way, even by allowing "white supremacists" to take a leading role. 

Of course, there is some debate as to exactly what a "white supremacists" is these days. Some claim that if you lack "white guilt" you're a supremacist, or at least a "racist". Interestingly, 70% of Independents agreed that the Republican Party was more prone to allow or encourage violence from alleged white supremacists in the event they lose in November, although very little is being mentioned about the potential of violence by BLM and Antifa, who has already shown their readiness for violence.

This brings us to a good point to mention that roughly half of all Republicans and those who lean conservative believe Trump won the 2020 election, and not Biden despite what mainstream media has reported.  The extreme partisanship on both sides just may be the spark igniting the fuse to a civil war or even revolution, irrespective of who officially wins.

 Many pundits say that we're already experiencing a "cold civil war". 47% of voters believe that a "hot" civil war is all but inevitable according to a Marist National Poll taken on May 21st of this year. The poll indicated that 53% of Republicans believe a civil war is likely. 41% of our largest voting demographic, Independents, agree as does 40% of Democrats.

Going a step further, among Millennials and Gen Z, that number is 58%. 46% of Gen X also believe a civil war is on the horizon. Interestingly, just 34% of Babyboomers agree (must be all that "flower power" resurfacing again), but Boomers aren't alone. Only 19% of the Silent Generation expect a civil war.

When looking as race, 57% of Black Americans see the potential of an internal conflict. Of that, 22% are convinced that some form of domestic upheaval in the near future is likely. Half of all Latinos---50%---agree that civil war was likely to happen in their lifetimes as did 43% of whites (Asian, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders weren't included in the poll). When females in general were asked, 57% thought a civil war was likely whereas 57% of men disagreed.  

So, where does that leave us? Is a civil war likely to happen in America? For most Americans, they hope not but many are holding their collective breath in the hopes that our "national storm" passes us by. Both of the two corporate owned parties have denounce violence, and yet lame duck president, Joe Biden, is publically saying that he doesn't expect a peaceful transition of power. It's worth reminding ourselves of the old adage that every revolution carries with it the seeds of its own destruction. 

If such a internal conflict does occur, martial law would be nearly instantaneous. Many freedoms will be suspended. or restricted.  America would almost immediately shift from a surveillance state to police state, perhaps aided by the guise of another virus as China did in Hong Kong, crushing all resistance. The ruling elite has long been planning for such an event from the shadowy corridors of power. All the mechanisms required are already in place.  The mask of civility will fall from the face of the ruling Oligarchy and we will see them for who they are.

However, increasing numbers of social scientists, especially historical and political, believe that we've already entered a "cold civil war" phase, which is largely being fought with words, images, and innuendoes. The media has already chosen a side as has much of the political and economic power structure along with the "nomenklatura" ( ie: managing government bureaucracy such as cabinet and department heads), the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the heads of the various intelligence agencies, better known collectively as the "shadow government".

The embers of division among Americans, which is mostly manufactured and exaggerated, will be fanned until they burst into flames. The border crisis will continue to worsen because Big Business wants it to. They need the cheap labor, which drives down wages as competition for jobs increase. Politicians will continue to offer us lip service. After all, if the fascist duo of Washington and Wall Street saw illegal immigration as a serious threat to them, the border would be locked down tighter than Ft. Knox!

Racial tensions will subtlety be fanned as old hatreds and suspicions are rekindled.  The "battle of the sexes" will intensify, but not necessarily between the biological sexes, but between the boundary of transgendered men and women versus society's norms until it reaches a boiling point. Religion too will become ever more vocal, especially among the Right where morality will be tied to one's political stance. Tolerance may become a rare commodity. History is littered with the charred relics of such wars.

The peaceful transition of power has been a hallmark of our Republic's stability, a rarity in the world. It has been both admired and despised around the globe. Our loss of trust in government, the media, the judicial system are not unfounded. There exists ample evidence of their corruptibility. However, it's the loss of tolerance and basic trust in each other which has caused the most harm. A democracy represents the  will of the collective. We demand equality for all.  When that's been lost, we revert to our tribal nature. A society cannot function or survive for long when it engages in the cult of the individual.

Americans (and indeed the world) have been convinced that up is down and black is green. We've been made to believe that our neighbors are inherently our enemies because they look, dress,  think, believe, or act differently from us when, in truth, it's their actions we must judge them by.

Today, our Republic stands as a shell of its former self much as Rome's did early on under the Caesars. We must, if we're to save ourselves and the country, once again abide by will of the majority and peacefully tolerate differences of opinion while remembering our collective nemesis, while faceless, exists in the halls of power and in corporate boardrooms which comprises the shadowy ruling oligarchy.

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Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and the 14th Amendment: Surprising Facts You Didn't Know

 Everybody knows at least the basics of what Abraham Lincoln's "Emancipation Proclamation" was about. Once upon a time (before the dumbing down of public education), students everyone in the U.S. had to memorize at least a portion of it. In some schools, all of it, along with the Preamble of the Constitution. and the Gettysburg Address. It was part of the Civics program which went hand-in-hand with our history classes (which have also largely gone by the wayside).

Of course, if you know anything about the proclamation then you should be familiar with the 14th Amendment which was passed by Congress in 1868. Well, I'm going to provide you with some interesting and often overlooked facts about both which you probably didn't know.  I suspect that it may come as a shock for some of you. So, let's start with Lincoln's famous Emancipation Proclamation first.  

Contrary to popular belief, slavery was not the primary or sole reason for the start of the Civil War. However, it was seen as an important issue especially among certain groups, including Quakers, abolitionists, and some evangelical groups. One of the more famous abolitionist was, of course, John Brown, who attempted to spark something of a revolt with his ill-fated raid on a arms depot at Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859.

The question of slavery was a serious issue even before the Civil War with a majority of the states wanting to put an end to it, while the South refused, citing its dependence on the use of slaves. During our revolution for independence from the British, it was commonly accepted that without the support of the South the war would be lost (and indeed, the war was ultimately decided in the South), Therefore, the Northern representatives were left with no choice but to except the hated institution...for now.

Shortly after the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783. the importation of slaves into the U.S. was signed into law by President Thomas Jefferson in 1807 (becoming enforced in 1808) again caused a major riff between the industrialized Northern states and the largely agricultural Southern states. The riff came to a head  by the early 1800's and the United States came very close to ceasing to be.

However, a solution was reached in 1850 known as the "Great Compromise"  dealing with the admission of slave states into the union. It was engineered by Senator John C. Calhoun (D-SC),Senator Henry Clay (Whig-KY), and Senator Daniel Webster (Federalist-MA). Sadly, the "Great Compromise" is often overlooked in most history classes, and while it didn't "save" the nation as such, it did prolong the bloodiest war in U.S. history.

The issue of abolition was an important factor leading up the Civil War, thanks to individuals like Brown, Fredrick Douglas, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and John Quincy Adams, it was never the central cause despite what we're taught in our watered down and often distorted history classes in high school (or sometimes, even in college; all of which are intended to fit into a particular political agenda).

The key issues were more about economics and admission of free vs. slave (these are where slavery comes in), tariffs, and ultimately, the supremacy of the Federal government. This was more than interpretation of the Constitution's 10th Amendment. ("...the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people"), it was whether the states or the Federal government would be dominant.

Many Northern senators believed that the Federal government held all power not expressly assigned to the states as mentioned in the Constitution.  Most Southern senators said that the states held all governing powers not expressly given to the Federal government. That issue wouldn't be resolved until the final outcome of the Civil War.

Personally, based on my read of statement in question, and knowing how the Founding Fathers loathed a strong Federal government (and government in general), I tend to side with the South on their interpretation of the amendment, but that's just me. It should be noted that the descendants of most of the Founding Fathers also agreed with the South's position. So, what did Abraham Lincoln think about slavery as an issue and how did this affect his Emancipation Proclamation of 1863?

While campaigning for the presidency, Lincoln repeatedly said that he had no intention of trying to end  or interfere with slavery as an institution. That may come as a surprise to many people, especially those who've been taught to see Lincoln as a second coming of Moses, however, that wasn't the case, at least in the beginning. 

Even after winning the election, Lincoln said in his First Inaugural Address to the nation on March 3, 1861 that the Federal government "held no authority to interfere with the institution of slavery where it already exists". He went on to say that, as president, he wouldn't seek to interfere with any state's right to govern the institution.

That doesn't mean that Lincoln agreed with slavery as an institution ("I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, then nothing is wrong"). His first and primary goal was the preservation of the union. Secondly, he wanted to restrict (if not outright ban) the entry of pro- slave territories into the union as new states. Nevertheless, despite his best efforts, he failed. before he even had begun. The first state to secede was South Carolina in November 1860 following Lincoln's election. Other states soon followed until there were 11 in total, forming the Confederate States of America (CSA).

While all of the states were slaveholding, four states that held slaves didn't secede ---Maryland, Kentucky, Delaware, and Missouri (in anticipation of their leaving, Kentucky and Missouri were given stars on the Confederate flag). As an aside, did you know that several Native American tribes sided with the Confederacy? In 1861 the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Seminole, Muscogee (Creek) all signed agreements of support in exchange of being guaranteed title to territories west of the Mississippi River.

 The War between the States began (officially) on April 12, 1861 with the assault on Ft. Sumter in Charleston Harbor (with South Carolina having seceded in 1860, the fort was viewed as foreign occupiers on their territory). The war was naively expected by both sides to be over in a matter of weeks. Bull Run, Shiloh, and Antietam soon removed the nation from that illusion.

By the time of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, the war had gone worse than expected by the North. Unless something dramatic was done to strategically shift the balance of power, the best outcome that could be expected was a draw.  

As in nearly every conflict down through history, the ability to successfully wage war rests on the economy's ability to sustain the effort. The South's ability to wage war rested on its agriculture. According to the last census before the war in 1860, there were approximately 4 million slaves in the South, making up roughly 30% of its population (compare that to the West Indies where about 85% of the entire population were enslaved).

It should be pointed out that only a few landowning families--mostly large plantations--- owned any slaves. The overwhelming majority of Southerners were too poor to own any slaves at all.  Nevertheless, if, somehow, the South's economy could be disrupted, Lincoln thought, then perhaps the war could be brought to a close.

At this point in late 1862, Lincoln had to accept that despite his promises not to interfere with the institution of slavery, the country was at war with itself,  men were dying daily (the average was 504 per day), and the abolitionists hadn't gone away. If anything, they had grown in number and become a powerful political force. It was time for Lincoln to play his trump card.

On January 1, 1863 Lincoln delivered the "Emancipation Proclamation". It's often overlooked by nearly everybody that the proclamation didn't end slavery in America as claimed. The proclamation freed those enslave only in the states which had seceded from the union and were now a part of the Confederacy ("...that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states are, and henceforward are free").  But what about the slaveholding states which remained part of the union?

It meant that those slaveholding states which didn't secede, regardless of their sentiment, were excluded from the proclamation. Thus slavery continued in Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, and Missouri until the end of the war (the tribes which sided with the South were unaffected. Native American tribes long held slaves of all races  before, during, and after the war).

The second interesting observation is that despite Lincoln's decree, those states which had legally (at the time) left the union, were now part of a independent and separate nation known as the Confederate States of America with its own president (Jefferson Davis), its own Congress and Constitution, its own legal system and currency. and so forth.

That meant that President Lincoln was attempting to impose a unlawful degree on an defacto independent nation! It would be like a President issuing a decree to Canada or Mexico! The decree therefore had no legal standing, and no doubt Lincoln knew it. But if it could hamper the South's war efforts, it was worth the bluff. and it worked

At first slowly, then in droves as word spread, slaves began to abandon their fields and head north or to the western territories. Even though slavery comprised a small percentage of its population, the effect was cataclysmic for the South. With crops being left to rot in the field and the economy now in turmoil, soldiers began deserting to harvest the crops in order to prevent their families from starving. 

This left the South's military further undermanned. In addition there was diminishing food and supplies reaching  Confederate troops, whose supply lines were overstretched already. It give the North the edge it needed.  By 1865 the war was over and the South lay in ruins. It would be decades before it would recover. In some ways it never has. 

Following the war, the 14th Amendment essentially codified Lincoln's "Emancipation Proclamation",  along with the 13th which formally abolished slavery as an institution, was passed in 1868.  thus ensuring all those previously held as slaves were now fully U.S. citizens with all the rights which go along with it. The 15th amendment, passed in 1869, provided for the right to vote (it, however, excluded all Native Americans).  The trio of amendments prevented (at least on paper) any states from denying equal rights to all those held in slavery. 

The 14th also forbid any former member of the U.S. government who participated with the "rebellion" from public office and denied any and all compensation incurred by the Confederate government, including loans or contracts (as well as slaveholders, meaning they wouldn't be compensated for the loss of their slaves).

As an aside, Confederate soldiers were eventually allowed compensation for service connected injuries and pensions for Confederate widows as early as 1867 by the state whom they served. The Federal government expanded existing military benefits in two Congressional Acts to cover Confederate soldiers and their widows. One in 1927 and the other in 1957, long after many were dead. 

It should be pointed out that 28 of the existing 37 states were needed to ratified the amendment in order for it become law (which they received), but did you know that despite the passage of the 14th Amendment by Congress in 1868, several states didn't ratify it until later (in some cases, much later)? While most states ratified the law in 1868, several notable states held out. The 14th Amendment wasn't ratified by Texas or Mississippi until two years later, in 1870. 

Three of the slaveholding border states which didn't secede  decided to take their sweet time about it.   Delaware ratified it in 1901. Maryland got around to it in 1959 (as did California which had become a state in 1850).  But the "winner" was Kentucky. It waited until March 18, 1976, nearly 108 years later! The fourth slaveholding  border state, Missouri, was the 17th state to ratify the amendment in 1868 along with West Virginia, another slaveholding border state.

Lastly, I think it's important to point out that while the 14th Amendment provided equal rights and protection under the law to all former slaves as well as children born of foreign parents (legal or illegal), Native Americans weren't granted the same rights until 1924. That's 56 years after the passage of the 14th Amendment. 187 years after America's independence.

The  "Indian Citizenship Act of 1924", or the "Snyder Law" as it became known, was signed into law by President Calvin Coolidge (R) on June 2, 1924. It finally gave equal rights and protection under the law to all Native and Alaskan Americans. A sad commentary on "land of the free and home of the brave" don't you think? Never assume your freedoms are necessarily guaranteed or protected by anyone.

 

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National Archives: Emancipation Proclamation

 

The Roles of State and Federal Government

 

Kentucky's Abraham Lincoln

 

14th Amendment: Citizenship Rights, Equal Protection,Apportionment, and Civil War Debt

 

Ratification of Constitutional Amendments

 

There were 4 million enslaved people counted in the 1860census...

 

What Is the Snyder Act of 1921 and who does it apply to?

 

 

 

 

 

When Government Doesn't Trust The People: Who Blinks First?

 

The Founding Fathers didn't trust government. Nearly everything they did politically before, during and after the revolution was a reflection of that mistrust. Well, it should come as no surprise that modern Americans don't trust the government either.

Opinion polls have shown lows which borders on contempt for Congress, the judicial system, and the Presidency for decades. Even our trust of mainstream media, religion, financial system and our educational system and governmental bureaucracy with its myriad of agencies have reached anemic levels.

Perhaps even worse than our mistrust of institutions, is our lack of trust in our fellow citizens. We are more divided than at any time since the 1760's of the pre Revolution War. Others have argued that we're in fact much closer to the pre-Civil War years of the 1850's. Either way, it doesn't bode well for the country.

So, what should we make of government's apparent mistrust of its citizens? After all,  we've become a de facto surveillance state with camera nearly everywhere. We're monitored and tracked everywhere we go. Facial recognition is practically universal. Government has the technology to implement a police state unlike anything ever seen in the history of civilization.  

The following video from an episode of "On The Homefront" on CBN News entitled "Federal Agencies Arming Themselves" which brings home the point. The government has been on a buying spree of military grade weapons and ammo. It has been challenging our constitutional rights at an alarming rate. Some, as indicated in the video, claim that for all intents our Constitution is no longer a living document.  

There's no question that we've become a corporatocracy led by a super wealthy Oligarchy.   All we have to do is watch the biased "news" to see the two tier justice system at work (or should I say "not at work'?). Our trust of the mainstream media is nearly as low as that of Congress, which is something relatively new (as an aside, conservatives distrust the media at a higher percentage than liberals do).

There have been numerous psychological studies which have shown that when an individual or small group of individuals are treated with distrust, it tends to provoke anti-societal like behavior in that individual or group. Thus, one has to wonder whether we are being maneuvered into some reaction?  

Perhaps the result of this provoked behavior could trigger mass protests, riots, looting, violence such as we're now seeing in places like San Francisco, and so forth. If these manufactured  actions produce a certain "critical mass", it would be all the excuse needed to declare martial law and implement a police state. 

Then too, what about claims on both sides of mass election fraud and "stolen elections"? Are we going to start asking the United Nations to send in election monitors like we would for some failed democracy? 

The ongoing use of the FBI and judicial system to conduct a political vendetta and character assassination to neutralize an opponent is a gross misuse of power worthy of some third world banana republic.  Loss in faith of the electoral process has been central to the eventual fall of nearly every government down through history. Have we reached that point? 

There's no question that since 9/11 and the subsequent "Patriot Act" was implemented, the United States has moved in a decidedly anti-democratic direction. The Department of Homeland Security, the growth of the deep state and its affiliated intelligence agencies, and our state of perpetual war (be it direct or indirect) gives us about as much of a warm and fuzzy feeling as jackboots outside our front door.

Check out the video from CBN and see what you think. It runs just 7:05 minutes.  

 

Video: Federal Agencies Arming Themselves

CBN News

 

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Fields of Red Poppies and Rows of White Crosses: Remembering the Fallen of Memorial Day

Memorial Day. The unofficial kickoff of Summer, when thoughts turn to vacations to the beaches or lakes, a three day break from the drudgery of work, and cookouts. When it seems like every store is offering a some "gigantic" sale on everything from cell phones to appliances and everyone is suddenly "entitled" to "employee pricing". Where car dealers proclaim their "best deals are now available" with "low low" interest rates, special rebates, and all sorts of other bargains designed to lure customers looking for a deal. 

Yelp, just another day and another reason to go on a buying binge. Yet, Memorial Day is meant to be a day of national remembrance for our war dead, as well as those who were wounded.  It's amazing how something so solemn can so easily be turned into something so gouache and commercial isn't it?

Originally, Memorial Day was established as "Decoration Day" and as far as anyone knows, was first observed in 1862 by the women of Savannah, Georgia, who laid wreaths and flowers on the graves of fallen Confederate soldiers. In 1866, Confederate Memorial Day began and continued under the care of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. By 1863, the graves of fallen Union soldiers were being decorated at a the city cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Following the Civil War's end a few weeks earlier, the first national observance took place in Charleston, South Carolina on May 1, 1865 when former slaves and abolitionists commemorated the graves of some 257 union prisoners of war who had died and were buried in unmarked graves during their imprisonment at the Charleston Race Course, which had been used as a makeshift prison. In 1866, it was reported that the women in Columbus, Mississippi were laying flowers on the graves of both Confederate and Union soldiers, while similar observances were taking place at cemeteries at North. By 1882, "Memorial Day" as we now honor it came into being, though not as an official national holiday until 1967.

The poem "In Flanders Field" was penned on May 3, 1915 while its author, Lt. Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian, was sitting in the back of an ambulance the day after he had presided over the funeral of a close friend and fellow soldier, Alexis Helmer, following the Second Battle of Ypres in the Flanders region of Belgium. This was the first battle in which a chemical weapon (chlorine gas) was used for the first time in modern warfare and Helmer was among the 122,156 causalities of the five week battle. McCrea was moved by how quickly the red poppies appeared around the graves of the fallen and chose to composed the poem from the viewpoint of those who had died.

So, in your enjoyment of a three day holiday, cookouts, and sales galore, take a minute of your time to remember all those who served and paid the ultimate price for our freedom...your freedom and that of your family and friends so that they wouldn't have bear the horrors of war or the yoke of tyranny as so many others have. Freedom is never free. It's price is not only paid in vigilance and blood, but in empty beds, long lonely nights, endless streams of tears and "what might have beens". Finally, in closing, I would like to leave you with Lt. Colonel McCrae's poem, "In Flanders Field". It's well worth the read.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Taming the Golden Dragon: Facing Down China's Growing Military and Economic Influence

While military spending is important to maintaining a strong defense, it's only part of the picture. There are numerous other factors to consider, which brings me to the Lowy Institute Asia Power Index for 2023.

Founded in 2003 by Frank Lowy, the Lowy Institute is a independent Australian think tank. The institute's role is to provide original policy oriented research pertaining to political, economic, and strategic issues from a global perspective with an emphasis on Asia in this case.

The Asia Power Index examines a myriad of factors such as GDP, technological connectivity, resource availability, internal stability and military capabilities in to order to access the overall political clout each of the 26 Asian nations.

For brevity sake, we will focus on a handful of countries with an emphasis on China, Russia, and the United States who are considered the current key global players and some of the key factors affecting the standing. If you'd like to delve into the index more deeply (and we encourage you to do so), we've provided a link below. I'm sure you'll find it as intriguing as we did.

In terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), China was the largest. Alone of the top five, which included the U.S., India, Japan and Russia, its GDP showed signs of sustained growth. It's worth mentioning that sixth placed Indonesia's GDP was growing, making it 9th out of the 26 Asian nations in overall power.

When it came to productivity, the U.S. scored a perfect 100, followed by Australia, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, and Taiwan. Russia ranked 9th while China was 11th. India, Philippines and Indonesia ranked lower.

The United States was first under the heading of "International Leverage". This can be defined as global clout based on available financial, legal, sanctioning (and enforcement) capabilities.  China was second with its leverage showing sign of growth. Third place Japan, however, saw its influence declining, whereas India, Singapore, South Korea, and Russia all experiencing growth in their global clout.

Technology seems to be the byword for prosperity these days, which was puzzling as each of the top 10 nations associated with technological innovation all showed decline, including top ranked United States, China, and Japan. To find any country whose technology capabilities were growing, we have to drop down to Myanmar in 22nd place on the Index.

However, when it comes to high tech exports, the leading countries were Russia, Brunei, Cambodia, and Indonesia. The United States and China were in fourth and fifth place respectively. 

Under the heading of "Resilience", we come to resource security or the ability to protect and preserve national resources.  In looking at energy self-sufficiency, which would be essential in the event of a global natural disaster or world war, we had some surprising finds.

Each of the top ten countries, starting with Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, and Malaysia, scored 100, as did Russia and the United States.  China was 12th with a energy self-sufficiency  score of 79.6.

Another key factor was fuel security. Not unexpectedly, China, Russia, and the U.S. all scored 100, as did India, South Korea, and Thailand. However, only Brunei and Malaysia showed signs of growth. In terms of net fuel exportation of refined petroleum, China showed growth while Russia, the U.S. as well as India had a decline in their net fuel exportation.  

In today's high tech world, access to rare earth metals are critical. These minerals are used in everything from computer chips and digital cameras to cell phones, batteries (especially like those used in electric cars), flat screen TVs to refining equipment used in processing oil and gas.  

Ranked first, China was the only country with a score of 100. Second was the United States with a score  25.6, though production of rare earth minerals by tonnage was declining. It's worth noting that the U.S. imports 78% of it rare earth metals from China. In addition, China has roughly 90% of all known rare earth minerals in ground.  Fourth was Australia which has been increasing its share of mined rare earth metals. 6th ranked India and 7th ranked Russia were both reducing their percentages of tons mined.  

Perhaps one of the most overlooked but critical factors is that of internal security.  The U.S. was ranked 8th among the 26 Asian nation with its internal stability in decline, which isn't surprising. For five straight years the Economic Intelligence Unit's "Democracy Index" has rated the U.S. as a "flawed democracy" and ranked us 26th out of 167 countries, putting us between Chile and Estonia.  Other studies have shown the United States as no longer a Republic, but a Corportracy and an Oligarchy.

China was ranked tenth in over internal security, but also declining. This likely due to the rising tensions in China's Xinjiang Province among its Muslim population which makes up about 2% of China's total population. In addition, there has been a surge in China's Pro-democracy movement, principally around Hong Kong, and opposition to one party rule.

15th ranked Russia also faces declining internal stability. This appears due to several factors such as frustration with Putin's control over the country, a decline in democratic freedoms, the ongoing war with Ukraine and  its effect on the Russian economy, and rising militancy among its Muslim population.

Another related factor is political stability. Singapore and New Zealand are considered the most politically stable of the 26 Asian nations with scores of 98.5 and 98.0 respectively. Nevertheless, the United States was ranked 11th with a score of just 44.8. While the Index showed increasing stability, this may be a bit deceiving.

The two primary political parties have become dominated by corporate special interests and there has been less diversity of opinion from mainstream news sources, resulting in a drop in trust according to the major polling services.  Meanwhile, voters have been abandoning both parties enmasse, resulting in a 49% majority of voters registering as Independent.  

China, ranked 16th, too is showing as what passes for "political stability" as the CCP has exerted tighter control over the government amid the growing tensions with the United States and the West, and rising internal troubles. The same can be said for 20th placed Russia and Putin's tightening grip given the war with Ukraine and frosting of relations with the West, and particularly the United States.   

America was alone among all developed industrial nations in continuing seeing a rise in infant mortality along with a decline in life expectancy and general quality of life. In 2020, it ranked 50th of 147 countries. The U.S. ranks 47th in life expectancy, putting it between Albania and Estonia.

As an aside, it's worth noting the United States ranks last among the seven largest high income economies in terms of healthcare. The metrics used include quality of overall care, number of and access to hospital beds, quality of life, access to care, and efficiency despite having the most expensive healthcare system of any country. So who's the best? Norway, followed by the Netherlands, Australia, the U.K., and Germany.

Now we turn to the military.  In terms of sheer manpower, with 2.8 million men and women in uniform and another 500,000 reservists, China should be the largest military in world. However, according to the Index, India has taken over that honor with just over 3 million active duty military personnel. The Index also shows that China has decreased the number of active duty military while India's has increased.

China has, however, been on a building spree to increase the size of its navy which includes aircraft carriers--- one operational, one nearing completion, and another on the drawing board. It has increased the number of its cruisers, destroyers, and landing craft of various sides. It's chief problem at this time is a lack of trained carrier based pilots and that takes time. Russia was ranked fourth with roughly 1.4 million in uniform. The U.S. ranked 5th with 1,495,000 men and women serving in the armed forces.

In a related area, the Index still gives the U.S. the nod when it comes to long range naval force projection, though its ability has declined in recent years. China has been quickly rising from its number two ranking position and may overtake the U.S. in the Pacific within the next few years. However, for now, the U.S. remains first in naval deployment capabilities.

Both Russia and the U.S. have seen a decrease in the effective of their respective militaries. In the case of Russia, it's been the reduction in overall preparedness since the fall of the Soviet Russia in 1991. When it came to rapid deployment, China was ranked first thanks to a new emphasis on its naval development. Russia was a close second. The U.S. was fourth and trending down.

In America's case, this is due largely to the 20 year misadventure in Iraq and Afghanistan which has left the military understaffed and in need to a complete overhaul of nearly everything. Several defense report suggest that the only branch now capable of a full engagement was the Marines.

Other reports point out that the U.S. military, while able to quickly put boots on the ground anywhere in the world, would not be capable of sustaining a two front war as it was in the past. Still, U.S. troops remain the best trained and equipped of any in the world. The Index ranked the U.S. first followed by Russia and Australia.

The Index gave the U.S. a rating of 100 when it came to military platforms, though it acknowledged American military decline. Meanwhile, at  number two, China military capabilities are increasing, especially its naval power as mentioned above. Russia and India remained ranked third and fourth.

As an aside, China was ranked first in ground based missile launchers while the U.S. was out in front when it came to "boomers" or ballistic missile submarines. In terms of area deniability, which covers intelligence gathering (including recon and monitoring), air firepower, and naval capabilities, the U.S. remained first although those capabilities have dropped while second ranked Russia and third placed China saw their capabilities increase. 

When it came to airpower, the U.S. remained ranked first, however, China, India, and Russia were expanding their abilities to contest the battle from above. Meanwhile, Russia and China were expanding their drone and AWACS presence as the U.S. has been forced to cut back due to retirement, aircraft overhauls (along with facing shortages of spare parts and adequately trained personnel), and updates. All three superpowers face a reduction in cyber capabilities as well according to the Index.

Lastly were the nukes. The country with the most nuclear weapons was by far Russia. It's currently estimated that Russia has 5,977 nuclear warheads, mostly mounted on ground based mobile units. The United States has roughly 5,428 nukes spread throughout it naval, air, and land based forces. The Chinese have about 350 nuclear warheads.

So, where does this leave us? Based on the Index, the United States remains number one overall among the 26 Asian nations examined. However, while the U.S. remains strong in key areas, it's apparent that its overall capabilities, while still strong, are showing indication of decline. America remains vulnerable in key areas such as strategic or rare earth metals and outdated shipping facilities. It should be pointed that America's communication grid continues to be vulnerable to cyber or terrorist attack.

Finally, the U.S. military is badly worn down thanks to a badly conceived invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and an equally worse withdrawal. The final result was a defacto military defeat which left the Taliban and ISIS back in charge and in possession of billions in U.S. military equipment.

The military is in critical need of a total overhaul or replacement of everything from tanks to aircraft to ships to leadership while the country needs a clearly defined foreign policy base on new realities, not those of a Cold War that ended over two decades ago. Since the end of the war, the military is facing a serious shortages of qualified personnel as thousands grab their DD214's and get out.

America's healthcare system, which is vital in the event of a major war, natural disaster or another scare like that of COVID, is woefully inadequate. The political system of the U.S. is deeply fractured, which has greatly increased its internal stability, leading many to project "when", not "if" as revolution or civil war isn't far off. The stability of the U.S. financial system is shaky at best, forcing deepening cut backs in public services, which only worsens the economic and social divide.

Meanwhile, China has double down on its economic and military growth despite warning signs of overheating or even collapse. It has been busy buying up resources and making inroads throughout the world, especially in Africa and Latin America, as well as among America's enemies (most notably Iran). China controls many of the natural resources the U.S. needs to remain competitive globally. It also dominates American trade imports so much so that sanctions, an embargo or war with China would cripple the economy.

There's no question the winds of global power have shifted east. It growth in naval power will ensure its power projection throughout the Pacific. The Yuan is posed to replaced the dollar as the "go to" currency for international trade. It's developing economic and military power has many Asian leaders contemplating whether their best interests lay with Beijing rather than Washington.

Russia too is on the rise. Although Moscow has always tried to look westward to a future with Europe, the current war in Ukraine, brought on by an aggressive U.S. backed NATO, which has included economic sanctions, has forced Russia to turn again eastward where the bulk of its landmass and resources lay. The warming of the climate will allow Russia access to trillions in natural resources.

The cross-nation BRICS economic alliance, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, has allowed emerging growth nations the ability to bypass the Machiavellian policies of the West (and U.S. led sanctions), and create an essentially post-America future.

As Bob Dylan sang back in 1960's while the Cold War raged, "times are a-changing" . Indeed they have, and it appears the winds of change are getting stronger. Perhaps it's time we pull our collars up and dig our hands a little deeper into our pockets. It seems the eastward blowing winds are getting colder too.

 

If you want to know more about this article's topic, please check out the links below. If you enjoyed the article, please consider passing it along to others and don't forget to subscribe. It's free! Lastly please be sure to "like" us on whatever platform you use to read anotheropinionblog.com. It helps with the algorithms and keeps our articles in circulation. Thank you! 

           

The Lowy Institute Asian Power Index 2023

PH 51st on the lists of world's most powerful militaries

U.S. remains a 'flawed democracy' in annual rankings

World Data: Life Expectancy

AJMC: U.S. Has Highest Infant Maternal Mortality RatesDespite the Most Healthcare Spending

Mirror Mirror 2021: Reflecting Poorly

JAMA: US Health System Ranks Last Among High-IncomeCountries

US defense industry isn't prepared for a war with China, report says

 

Is a Civil War in the Cards for America?

 It's been said here many times, and I think it's appropriate to say it again. America is more divided than at any time since just before the Civil War just over 150 years. We are actually more divided on the number of issues than were our forefathers, and the division on those issues appears to be at least as deep as it was back in the late 1850's. There seems to be the same lack of interest in compromise. Politics has become, for all intent and purpose, scorched earth.  It's all or nothing.

Let's look as the recent 2022 election. For the first time (at least in recent history), there was a protest which morphed into an attempt at a coup by intimidation. Such was the anger directed at Congress. But who was really surprised? The approval rating for the House has been in the toilet for decades as has that of the Senate.

 In most countries, with approval ratings like these (some as low as 9%, but most around low 20's) would have already triggered a revolution.  What did we expect? Even the judicial system has shown negative numbers along almost every other institution in America. Ironically, despite the Antifa and BLM "peaceful" riots and lootings, the police was one of the few institutions whose numbers were positive (along with the military).  

As of September 2022, some ten months after the Presidential election, 61% of Republicans believe the election was rigged; that Joe Biden didn't win the election fairly. On the other side of that coin, some 64% of voters don't believe the January 6 protest was spontaneous. In both instances that's 6 out 10 individuals (as an aside, immediately after the election 70% of Republicans and conservatives that the election was stolen).

To make matters worse, the majority of Americans no longer trust the mainstream media (or as conservatives now call it, "lamestream" media). To further irritate the Right, the liberal media continues to call the opposition to Biden's election the "Big Lie", echoing Reich Minister Joseph Goebbels' use of the term when referring to his brand of propaganda (a backhanded way of calling Republicans and conservatives "Nazis").

When Trump was President, the Left routinely waved flags and chanted "not my President" and the media encouraged it. When Trump supporters did the same thing (referring to Biden), it's suddenly "anti-American". Could the bias get any more obvious? 

Meanwhile, political establishment has lined up to go after Trump and his supporters every way they can, with the media carrying virtual non-stop coverage despite continuously getting some of their lowest viewership numbers ever.

The media's role has traditionally been providing the American People and the world with impartial and unbiased news. It's essential to a free nation. However, since Watergate the media (which has come under an ever tightening control of a smaller and smaller number of corporate owners) has become increasingly biased as to be essentially nothing more than the mouthpiece of their owners.

According to a Gallup Poll from October 2022, only 34% of Americans trust the mainstream media...despite how slick or sincere they look. When broken down by the partisanship, 70% of Liberals and Democrats trust the media, which given its liberal list, isn't surprising. 14% of conservatives and Republicans agree (likely Fox viewers), along with 11% of Independents (the nation's majority political bloc).

In case you're wondering, 96+% of all media is owned by just five corporations. That means everything you read, see, and hear. It also includes the movies you watch. The music formats you hear. The newspapers, magazines, and even what books are published.

They control internet content (and who gets censored, blocked, or "shadow blocked" such as yours truly). They even willing cooperate with government agencies in turning over personal information. Joseph Goebbels would have wet dreams over this kind of clout!

So, how serious it is...really? Well, it ain't good. According to a poll taken in August 2022 said that 66% of Americans believe that the divisions in this country have gotten worse since 2021. 62% of those think things are going to get worse with 60% expecting an increase in political violence.

Another poll from August 2022, roughly 43% of those polled think a civil war is likely in the next 10 years. A further 14% expect something close to a Civil War within the next decade or so. 55% of Republicans and conservatives agreed. So did 40% of Democrats. A earlier poll, from July 2022, indicated the number of Americans who expected a civil war sometime "over the next several years" was 50%.

The liberal leaning Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights was even more pessimistic. They said that 78% of Americans believe democracy is currently "under attack" (it is, but not by who they think). 53% think that America will no longer be a democracy in four to five years (not breaking news: we never were a democracy. We were a Republic, but no longer. We're a neo-fascist Corporatocracy). 54% say we're on the path to a civil war.

As an aside, their polling also indicated that race relations in America is getting worse. 62% say that discrimination against blacks is a "big problem". 62% think the government should do more to protect blacks. 66% want the government to take steps to lessen racial inequality while 55% want to see the government to do more to end income inequality. 67% want to see gay marriage protected while 62% want to protect abortion rights. 

A University of Virginia poll from  October 2020 said that they felt America was already in a cold civil War. The same poll also showed that 41% of those who voted for Joe Biden thought it was time to "split the country".  The Institute of Politics at Harvard's Kennedy School released an even more stunning poll result.

According to their poll, over half of those under 30 years of age saw America as "failing" with over one-third expecting a civil war in their lifetimes. But what if that happened? Well, the Civil War was the bloodiest America has ever experienced bar none. Approximately 600,000 people died during the four year conflict. 

Using the same percentage killed based on population, that would translate to about 19.8 million today, and that number could easily go higher. Much higher given that we have a far greater percentage of trained veterans as a percentage of population now than they did then, not to mention the deadliness of the weapons available.

They say that every revolution contains within its own seeds for self-destruction. While the Civil War was fought to preserve the Union, America's future might be more balkanized. Our increasing diversity---racial, ethnic, and so forth, all under the guise of "multiculturalism" may well be the culprit.  It has already manifested itself in our politics by challenging our values, traditions, and even language.  

These changes are showing up in our neighborhoods and communities in the form of more drugs, more crime, and more violence, especially in the form of racial and ethnic gangs murdering for control of territory. In some instances, they demand "their own" do the policing, which is rejection of our legal system.

We already see "Little Havana", "Little Vietnam", "Little China", "Little Columbia", and so on. No longer do they seek to mix and integrate into their new homeland as our immigrant ancestors before them had done. Instead, they remain aloof and separate. Some don't even bother to learn English or allow their children to be taught the language despite being supported by taxpayer dollars, adding insult to injury.

Perhaps the only solution would be the balkanization of America, leaving  it a loosely based confederation of regions. It's happened before. It happened in Ancient Greece, in Ancient Rome, the Holy Roman Empire, the British Empire, and elsewhere. We are, as humans, naturally tribal after all.

 One thing is for sure, doing nothing will not only result in a de facto balkanization along various social, racial, and economic lines, under a neo-fascist Corportracy, but also allow the increasing diverse cultures to come into conflict, providing a greater excuse for the expansion of the surveillance state.

It seems there is only one other option, and that's to accept the multiculturalism on our own terms. But that means that the country we've known---our collective history---and we grew up with has to be allowed to fade into the past. No dominance of any one race or culture or language. It means changes in laws, values, and acceptance of different or perhaps new religions which could dominate or replace older ones. It means starting over again as a country surrounded by those who wish us harm.

It's possible. It's too has happened before, under Alexander the Great, Cyrus the Great, the Kings of Persia, and, albeit briefly, the Austro-Hungarian Empire. You could even include the Mongol Empire. But it's all dependent on maintaining liberal societies along with tolerant leaders and capable administrators. The instant someone comes who shows a preference or a tendency toward despotism, and it crumbles. Some have suggested an economic and political system run by artificial intelligence.

The power elites who dominate this country has been trying to divide us any way they can for decades. In that they've been largely successful. Divided we are easily controlled and manipulated. United and we're unstoppable, but can we do it? We've reached one of those historical crossroads. A "Rubicon" if you'd like, which will be crossed whether we want to or not. What will it be?  

 

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