Are We In a Cold Civil War?

 

      I’ve been hearing quite a few anxious murmurs, locally and nationally, that the United States is heading for another civil war.  They believe the political divide and animosity between the parties is causing an escalation that will lead to the two sides possibly taking up arms against each other.  If I’m being totally honest, I’ve had similar thoughts myself, but the analogy troubled me.  Something about it felt off, and I couldn’t quite pinpoint it.  In some ways, I feel like the fight is already happening, but under the radar like some negative vibe sitting just under the surface.  I have spent the last couple of months covering the Cold War in my junior classes, and a few weeks ago a realization hit me.  Is it possible that we are currently in a cold civil war?

     After joining forces to defeat the Nazis in World War II, the United States and Soviet Union spent the next 45 years in a perpetual state of indirect conflict which came to be known as the Cold War.  With the constant threat of nuclear holocaust restraining both of the new superpowers from a face-to-face, old school land war, they instead found the ability to fight proxy wars in almost every facet of life.  Whether it was Korea, Vietnam, Berlin, espionage, the Space Race, or even the Olympics, the Cold War took its toll around the world.  The closest it came to direct conflict was the Cuban Missile Crisis, which, if first hand accounts are to be believed, had us hours (maybe minutes) away from mutually assured destruction.  

     Both countries held onto their ideologies with death grips.  Neither could admit that the two countries were mirror images of each other.  While the United States held firm to capitalism, it also needed socialist aspects to keep it sustainable (Social Security, public education, welfare, and subsidies).  The Soviet Union was all in on it’s Leninist version of communism, but realized it needed to incorporate capitalist processes to make the money it so sorely needed to keep up with the US in the nuclear arms race.  Both used propaganda, secret intelligence agencies, spies, alliances, militaries, and nuclear threats to win the hearts and minds of people and countries, without ever admitting guilt or weakness publicly.

     Instead of two superpower countries, we have two political parties that are desperately holding on to their ideologies, knowing that any admission of success by the other or failure by itself will not be seen as a sign of detente, but instead used in ads, speeches, and social media posts as a “gotcha” moment. Yet, both sides also know they need each other to survive, and hopefully never reach the point of mutually assured destruction for this country.

     First of all, I would strongly recommend not blaming the politicians.  They are a reflection of the people who voted them into office, and are only beholden to their constituencies.  And whereby the president is (indirectly) voted in by all of us, a senator answers to one state, and a representative to one district.  Their decision making process often starts with what benefits themselves, then their constituents, then their country.  This is why people such as Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer are so opposed to each other.  The people of Kentucky keep verifying to McConnell how they want him to act by reelecting him, and the same for New York and Schumer.  The core of our dysfunction is not them, it is us.

     Secondly, we apparently have not fully emotionally recovered from our original Civil War.  The absurdity that we could still be arguing, fighting, hurting others, and in some cases dying over the Confederate flag and statues of Confederate leaders from over 150 years ago is evidence that we have never identified, addressed, and healed from that trauma.  Instead, the trauma continues on through actions taken in the name of other causes, in essence hiding the true reasons why we continuously self-destruct.

     So, where can we see this cold civil war happening?  I submit the following as evidence;

     Charlottesville (2017)- Calls for Confederate statues to be removed.  Neo-nazis rallying to protect them.  A car used to plow through a crowd, killing  a young woman.  Two policemen killed. A president who declared there are “fine people on both sides.”  All in the hometown of Thomas Jefferson, an anti-slavery slaveowner who’s reputation has taken a present day hit.  Our justice system put the driver of the car away for life, but it was clear at the time that something bigger was happening in our society.

     Professional Sports- Besides the typical high-profile political endorsements and White House visit snubs that commonly occur, we have seen; Colin Kapernick kneeling during the national anthem and inspiring many to copy the act (which symbolizes totally different things for supporters and detractors, despite the rhetoric), postponed MLB,NBA and NHL games after the shooting of Jacob Blake, and the MLB All-Star Game moved out of Atlanta after a restrictive voting law was passed in Georgia.  These mirror the boycotted Olympics of 1980 (Moscow) and 1984 (Los Angeles).

     Covid-19- This may symbolize the cold war division more than anything else, as masks, lockdowns, vaccines, and mandates created a chasm between neighbors and families.  A common enemy like this virus can oftentimes unify rivals.  But instead, the divide grew, as people’s fears of getting sick and dying by some were countered by fear of loneliness and economic disaster from lockdowns by others.  The argument was framed as a personal liberty vs. caring for others debate, which each side found offensive.   The election of 2020 only exacerbated the situation, speaking of which…

     Elections of 2016 and 2020- There have been any number of close and emotionally charged elections, but these two had a different feel.  The win by Donald Trump was seen as an unbelievable underdog triumph or democracy-ending tragedy, depending on who you were.  Four years later, the tables turned, where both candidates were of record-breaking age and each gathered record-breaking amounts of votes.  No election saw more people vote in the history of American politics, and the ensuing political division in our society was the most pronounced since Lincoln in 1860. 

     Capitol Building Insurrection (January 6, 2021)-History may show that this was our Cuban Missile Crisis moment, as it appeared American democracy was under attack.  Electoral votes being tallied as a formality, mobs of people breaking windows and entering the Capitol building, Senators and Representatives hiding for their lives, chants of “Hang Mike Pence”, a protester shot to death, Capitol police deaths, right at the location of where a peaceful transfer of power was supposed to take place in two more weeks.  If that transfer had not occurred at the inauguration, who knows where things would be now? 

     A case could be made that events like this have been happening for decades now, and I would agree.  I would also say that there are many more events like these worth mentioning.  Yet, there is something about the current era that feels different.  Like the US and USSR of the Cold War, both sides knew not to push too far, or everyone loses.  History fatefully put leaders (Reagan and Gorbachev) in charge that brought the two superpowers to a place of compromise, and the wall came down.  Hopefully, future leaders of compromise will be put in positions of power here today, and we will, as a country and a population, follow their lead, before this cold war turns hot.