Is the US on the brink of civil war?

I was alive and sentient through the 1960s. It was certainly a turbulent time of violence and political activism. So it was in mid-19thcentury America. But the ‘60s didn’t result in a civil war.

“In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, voices from across the spectrum sounded alarms that the shooting was just the latest flashpoint in a rising tide of violence.

“Progressive commentator Hasan Piker, shaken after watching video of Kirk’s murder, warned his audience of “people looking for decentralized forms of violence.” A Reuters analysis was even more blunt, declaring Kirk’s killing “a watershed moment in a surge of U.S. political violence.” Even Utah’s Republican governor mused whether this marked “the beginning of a darker chapter in our history.”

“These aren’t the first calls for open strife. When Donald Trump himself was shot last year, some right-wing figures rushed to declare it the opening salvo of a new civil war.

“Are we on the brink of another 1960s-style season of political assassinations and unrest?”

My gift of prophecy is mixed. But as a scientist, I turn to facts and evidence as a guide to action. The facts and evidence say that overall, violent extremism has declined recently.

“The decline in violent extremism is welcome, but the apparent reasons behind it should give us pause. What does it say about the state of the country when extremists stand down not because they’ve been defeated, but because they think they’ve won? It suggests that the battleground has shifted. The fights that once took place at the margins — in backwoods compounds or tense street protests — are now unfolding in courtrooms, statehouses, and school boards.

“America may be “a very, very dangerous spot” as one expert told Reuters, but not for the reasons cable news would have us believe. The danger isn’t an impending civil war in the streets; it’s a creeping normalization of hard-line political goals that no longer require mob violence to be realized.

“The assassins and agitators are stepping back, confident that the system now carries their torch for them.”

Still, it’s best to keep in mind this SEC disclaimer before becoming invested: "Past performance is no guarantee of future results"

 

https://theintercept.com/2025/09/17/charlie-kirk-political-violence-extremists-protests/?utm_content=bufferaed15&utm_medium=buffer&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=theintercept&fbclid=IwY2xjawM3o-hleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHvRqB859bCma9InDHm94C2XCe3GepCFIn-nUnAhCfrjI1BvIQBWmO2UIudrD_aem_ljLUt-NXHEX1oHyuSZDswA

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