‘This is what demagogues do’: Experts Warn of Civil War in America Ahead of Presidential Election
Bomb threats to schools in Ohio attended by immigrants, an assassination attempt on a presidential candidate, and an increase in threats to federal judges are just a few examples of the heightened level of political violence in the United States.
Much has been written about Donald Trump’s hateful rhetoric and incendiary language but what will happen if he loses the election? A study last year showed that violence is gaining mainstream acceptance, with one-third of Republicans saying that violence may be the answer to saving the US.
As the election approaches, can we totally discount the idea of a ‘civil war’ in the US?
Some say that this has all been a long-time coming. Jack Goldstone, an expert on Civil Unrest, practically predicted January 6th, writing alongside Peter Turchin less than two months before the 2020 election: “Is the US likely headed for still greater protests and violence? In a word, yes.”
In fact, Goldstone had already predicted over 25 years ago that in the 21st century, the US would elect a populist America-first leader who would inflict division and chaos onto the country.
Jack Goldstone, Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University joins this episode of ‘Mehdi Unfiltered’ together with one of the top experts on fascism, New York University’s History Professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat, the author of ‘Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present.’
