don't worry. most americans don't have the intestinal fortitude to pick up a weapon and go to battle over something as trivial as what they believe in.

Griff, think of it as a double, or maybe triple polarisation.
First you have the apathetic majority and then a number of rabid types on both sides.
Then you have the increasingly polarisation between democratic and republican.
Then you have the rapidly increasing wealth divide deciding where the real power lies.

I'm ashamed to admit that at 26 years old, this is the first time I've felt strongly enough to get out, get registered and vote. I really do hope more people are starting to feel that way, but somehow I doubt it.

i posted this on the bush side so i thought i better put it here too.

i think there would be an internal power struggle with the big players activating military forces to counteract a "terrorist attack", which is of course their own uprising. senior military officers will of course be in on it and as the calls go down the chain some branches of the military will land on either side of the conflict. civil war involving our own military without the shooters even knowing what is happening in the beginning, by the time they do it is too late. individuals and small groups (think some members of the cellar) will collect their guns, camping gear, and families and head to the hills a la Red Dawn . soon the entire nation is involved in a guerilla style civil war with 2 governments in place. the "leftist" forces will be based in washington dc and the "conservative patriots" will be based from San Antonio. WMD will not be used because everyone knows someone on the other side, but a hell of a lot of lead will fly. after enough of the existing command structure has disintegrated prominent members of the EU will see this as their chance to regain their rightful place as leaders of the world and will go to the UN asking for action against the former US to protect the world from the Nuclear weapons that are in the control of opposing factions. the UN will of course support intervention which the factions will reject. The UN/EU will send in "peacekeeping" forces who will enter the conflict as a 3rd party with all 3 sides fighting each other. russia will invade alaska for easy access to oil. japan will invade hawaii, guam, etc. Canada will slowly stretch into some of the northern tier states. eventually the UN/EU forces will realize that they can't suppress the conflict because the military forces are the least of their worries; every crazy ass american with a glock and a .22 is taking potshots at them so they say screw it and leave. the firefights will slow down as the fragmentary groups divide into regions by race and religion issues. it will calm into a cold war for awhile and someday the former US will be like the Europe of the early 20th century - many small countries on one continent.

or i might just have an overactive imagination.
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Conversely, I vote in every election, but it doesn't matter, because I live in DC. DC will always go Democrat by a landslide, has no representation in congress, and any referendums can be overruled by Congress.

For some reason, I still vote, though.

Of course not. And who would you shoot if you did? What uniform does the enemy wear? What war has been declared? That's a part of my point. The chances of a bonafide shooting war seems slim (as long as the cable doesnt go out and cigarettes n' beer are still available.) A civil cold war seems much more likely.

Imagine if (an additional) 10% of the public went lawless for one day. No organized shooting from a team standpoint just a general "I'm going to do exactly what the fuck I feel is just and what I want to do today". Law enforcement would be overwhelmed and more sweeping restrictions would be made on the general public. Let that continue for a week and we may be close to game over.

i would shoot him over there *points to random individual in crowd*

"Don't point that thing at me. It might go off. You might go off. As a matter of fact, I wish you would." G. Marx

*little boy to his mother after being caught wanking* "honest mom, i was just cleaning it and it went off" :blush:

"hold on to the nights, hold on to the me-----mories" R. Marx, 1987

Et tu, UT. :lol: