If the U.S. has another civil war?

[John W. Hamm]

I am a bit curious of others that live in the U.S. and would like to know what they would do if the U.S. went into civil war again.

The scenario;

The federal government passes laws that interfere with the sovereignty of States rights to govern their own people as a result several states feel the federal government has over stepped it boundaries too many times and secede from the Union.

In this process the federal government deems each state must accept any laws it passes down rather it is acceptable to the people of the state or not. It also decrees that no State has the right to secede from the union

In making this decision the federal government uses military action to regain control of all states and people that decide to take up secession

The question;

You live in a State that has seceded from the Union, Would you feel your loyalty was with the Federal Government and the primary responsibility was was to preserve the Union, or would you take the side of the State that.

[August]

Originally Posted by John W. Hamm

I am a bit curious of others that live in the U.S. and would like to know what they would do if the U.S. went into civil war again.

The scenario;

The federal government passes laws that interfere with the sovereignty of States rights to govern their own people as a result several states feel the federal government has over stepped it boundaries too many times and secede from the Union.

In this process the federal government deems each state must accept any laws it passes down rather it is acceptable to the people of the state or not. It also decrees that no State has the right to secede from the union

In making this decision the federal government uses military action to regain control of all states and people that decide to take up secession

The question;

You live in a State that has seceded from the Union, Would you feel your loyalty was with the Federal Government and the primary responsibility was was to preserve the Union, or would you take the side of the State that.

Depends on the reason for secession, but I would not likely want to fight my neighbors.

[Growler]

From a letter written by Thos. Jefferson to James Madison:

I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. Unsuccessful rebellions, indeed, generally establish the encroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them. An observation of this truth should render honest republican governors so mild in their punishment of rebellions as not to discourage them too much. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government.

I can't tell you what side I'd fight for; with family in Federal Uniform, and having worn the uniform myself, I don't know how I could stand against my brothers. With no strong affiliation to party politics or the area where I currently reside, I don't know that I wouldn't join the Federals.

All that aside, Americans can't even organize enough to make any lasting changes in government peacefully. A Second American Civil War would be a bloodbath in which every American would lose.

[Armistead]

Never gonna happen. Any state that left the union would go broke in a week. Most states have about the equal number of people liberal and conservative.

I think what may be possible is general chaos against the government, not from state leaders, but as we turn more into a two class system.

A revolution from the people at some level, possible, like the mass riots we see in europe, civil war...nah. You may see the poor going after the rich in mass crime.

Sure we would all love to line congress up like a bunch of ducks in a shooting gallery

[TLAM Strike]

I think most Americans are too lazy to give a damn. Cut of their TV and MacDonalds for a week and they will surrender.

Personally I don't think there is much Sovereignty in NY worth preserving. Albany is worse than Washington.

EDIT: If it did happen, I would buy a one way ticket to Canada. I don't see the State or Federal governments worth fighting to defend. They both suck.

[onelifecrisis]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

I think most Americans are too content to give a damn.

Fixed.

[FIREWALL]

[mookiemookie]

Originally Posted by John W. Hamm

It also decrees that no State has the right to secede from the union.

That decree is nothing new. The Civil War settled it as well as the Supreme Court case Texas vs. White in 1869 ruled that unilateral secession is not allowed. The Union is permanent.

I'd leave the country before taking part in any foolishness like a civil war.

[August]

Yeah but the next civil war probably won't be fought along state boundaries. We're way too intermixed for much of that.

Like Growler says it would be a blood bath.

[Oberon]

We'll probably have had our third civil war...no...wait...sorry, fourth civil war (technically the first one was split into three parts), over and done with before then, so we'll let you know how it goes on.
Don't quite know what the battle-lines will be on this one, but not Royalists vs Parliamentarians again, that's already been done. We'll find something.

[yubba]

I sugguest you bone up on your Mad Max and Red Dawn. I don't know how the Fed thinks they are going to regulate all this junk with, no money to enforce. Remember tomorrows currency might be Beans and Bullets.

[TLAM Strike]

I think if there was a civil war it would be over so fast most would be wonder what the heck just happened.

And it not going to be fought by a bunch of country yokels with their 30-06s. Its going to be fought by geeks with laptops. Its going to be an digital and information war; Tweets are bullets, thumb drives are smart bombs. Look at Iran this year, the contested elections a bunch of students with camera phones turned the world's attention to their governments abuses. No matter how their government tried to shut them down they found a link to the outside world, and what they filmed became headline news. Second the Suxnet virus, a few lines of code potentially crippled a nuclear weapons program, imagine what something like that could do to a power grid or air traffic control system.

I wouldn't fight I'd grab my girl and take off to Europe or something. Just because I live in amerika doesn't mean I'm loyal to it.

[CaptainHaplo]

It won't happen - for one reason. Who is going to fight it?

From the scenario you gave, the federal gov't. is going to use military force against the states. It would find the military would not be amendable to firing on civilians en masse to pacify the states. Nor does the political will by the people in any region exist that would allow for such a thing.

In the US Civil war, there were significant economic reasons behind the north wanting to invade the south. By conquering the south, the Northern rich could purchase through the spoils of war property in the south that, upon rebuilding - would bring them significant profit.

There is no such economic factor in place. Thus, there is no political will. Without this, the government would face revolt without geographic boundaries, and a revolt by the people at that level would bring the gov't to its knees, because its funding comes from the people.

[August]

Originally Posted by Rilder

I wouldn't fight I'd grab my girl and take off to Europe or something. Just because I live in amerika doesn't mean I'm loyal to it.

And what country would take a person whose only loyalty is to himself?