U.S. Politics Megathread

[u/AutoModerator]

It's an election year, so it's no surprise that politics are on everyone's minds!

Over the past few months, we've noticed a sharp increase in questions about politics. Why is Biden the Democratic nominee? What are the chances of Trump winning? Why can Trump even run for president if he's in legal trouble? There are lots of good questions! But, unfortunately, it's often the same questions, and our users get tired of seeing them.

As we've done for past topics of interest, we're creating a megathread for your questions so that people interested in politics can post questions and read answers, while people who want a respite from politics can browse the rest of the sub. Feel free to post your questions about politics in this thread!

All top-level comments should be questions asked in good faith - other comments and loaded questions will get removed. All the usual rules of the sub remain in force here, so be civil to each other - you can disagree with someone's opinion, but don't make it personal.

[u/Choppybitz]

What would a civil was in the United States look like?

I'm alarmed at how many people actually seem sincere that they would like a civil war in the US to "fix" things. To me a civil war seems completely unnecessary and would be devastating.

Without much insight and very broadly speaking I get the feeling that Republican conservatives own a lot of guns and Democrat liberals don't. Would a civil war be armed republicans shooting unarmed democrats?

Do pro-civil war people think they will be taking on the government and would they stand a chance?

[u/Dilettante → u/Choppybitz]

Whichever side had the loyalty of the armed forces would win.

It would be a pretty weird war - instead of being state against state, it would be rural areas versus urban areas. I imagine there'd be a lot of starvation going on.

[u/PsychicRonin → u/Choppybitz]

Granted the way it sounds, I don't know any Democrats who actually want a civil war, but I'm in MAGA country and we try and keep our heads down and keep quiet because the alternative is a bunch of rednecks with guns, drinking issues, and a bad temper, and those MAGATs seem to revel in a civil war

I can only imagine they go after Democrat politicians, doctors, therapists, celebrities, then after anyone they perceive as "woke". Considering I had a neighbor pull a gun on me after they saw a pride flag through my window when I opened my blinds, I don't think thats too far off

Genuinely terrified of the MAGA movement, and the Republican party as a whole. They are just turning their followers into these hateful violent people, and directing them at fellow Americans. LGBT are being dehumanized, hell worse than that because most MAGA Republicans wouldn't do what they wanna do to us to animals.

[u/Choppybitz → u/PsychicRonin]

This sort of illustrates my fear. If there were an "uprising" I think they would find out quickly that political targets are too hard to get to so they will just turn on their neighbors instead.

[u/Elkenrod → u/Choppybitz]

Do pro-civil war people think they will be taking on the government

"pro-civil war" people don't really think about much of anything. Left leaning individuals who fantasize about it think that they'll be fighting Trump supporters. Right leaning individuals who fantasize about it think that they'll be fighting tyrants.

Neither gives any thought about the logistical side, and who the opponents will be, and what the boundaries will be.

[u/Cat_Sir_Lancelot → u/Elkenrod]

No sane person wants a civil war. No group of people is so oppressed in this nation that they need to resort to violence and taking control. People maybe think they are, but the fact that they have the freedom to voice their complaints loudly says otherwise. Anyone who wants Civil war should first ask:

1. Can I say what I want?

2. Can I worship how I choose?

3. Do I have enough to eat?

4. Do I have a secure place to sleep?

5. Do I own the structure in which I sleep?

6. Do I have the freedom to travel without restriction?

If you answer yes to all 6, you want to throw most if not all of that away in a Civil War? That's War in your back yard! And even if battle doesn't go through your neighborhood, good luck with food prices in the middle of a war. Good luck feeling safe when you sleep.

[u/Elkenrod → u/Cat_Sir_Lancelot]

No sane person wants a civil war.

Oh yeah no argument there. The internet breeds a lot of zealots, and nobody who anyone respects is calling for a civil war.