According to a new poll, many Americans believe civil war is likely within the next decade. – I am extremely worried, says a Norwegian development expert.
Less than 20 minutes ago
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Americans believe the gap has worsened since the beginning of 2021 and most expect it to grow in the coming years.
This is demonstrated by a new opinion poll by The Economist e YouGov. It also shows that two in five Americans think a civil war is “quite likely” in the next decade:
US expert Eirik Løkke says he is “extremely worried” about the development.
– The numbers, attitudes and concerns expressed here are pitch black. And of course I hope I’m wrong, but the danger of more political violence and more polarization is great.
– It can spin out of control
Løkke is a consultant to the liberal think tank Civita. You point out that former President Donald Trump has promoted political violence to the highest degree.
– Creating images of the enemy like him also helps to contribute to a political climate in which political violence occurs more easily.
He thinks a civil war, like the one we saw in 1861, is unlikely.
Men:
– But we risk seeing more cases of political violence, as we experienced in 1968 with the murders of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King. And then we can experience that political violence can get out of control.
– Dark numbers
Refers to plans a kidnap the governor of Michigan in 2020the threats FBI Director Christopher Wray received from Donald Trump’s angry supporters after the former president’s home was raided in August and politics Liz Cheney who experienced the same thing after her criticism of Trump.
– Liz Cheney couldn’t hold public meetings at the end, and that’s where we are. The danger that this will degenerate is not small. And that’s also something that is reflected in this survey, says Løkke.
The whole discussion of the civil war in the United States in one form or another is no longer a ridiculous question or an unlikely issue, he points out.
– And you can see it when so many Americans believe it. The problem is that it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. It can expand out of control.
Republicans most concerned
The Economist and YouGov poll asked Americans about changes in the political climate in the United States, including whether the gap has worsened and what to expect in the future.
Republican voters believe civil war is more likely than Democratic voters.
More Republicans than Democrats believe the political divide has worsened recently and expect the political divide to widen.
Two-thirds of Americans (66%) believe that political divisions in the United States have worsened since the start of 2021, compared with only 8% who say the country has become less divided.
Few see things improve in the coming years: 62% expect greater political division. Three in five Americans (60 percent) expect political violence to rise in the coming years, and only 9 percent expect political violence to decrease.