US Civil War Scare: Profitable Punditry, Not Prophecy
📰 THE STORY: Al Jazeera, citing a 2024 simulation, reports on the hypothetical makings of a US civil war triggered by clashes between state and federal law enforcement, using Minnesota as a potential flashpoint for broader national fragmentation. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The idea of 'clashes between state and federal law enforcement' often serves as a euphemism for the
militarization of domestic policing, a trend sharply accelerated post-9/11 with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the 1033 Program, which by 2014 had transferred over $5 billion in surplus military equipment to local police departments. This wasn't about civil war, but about pacifying internal dissent, particularly targeting communities of color, as seen during the 2020
George Floyd protests in Minnesota itself. Double Standard: Western media often frames 'inter-state' or 'factional' violence in Global South nations (Libya 2011, Syria 2011 onward) as inherent instability requiring external intervention, ignoring how US federal interventions, like ICE raids, often destabilize communities and state-federal relations. When these cracks appear in the 'homeland,' they
are presented as a novel threat, rather than a consequence of decades of internal policies and a foreign policy that often fosters such divisions abroad. Follow the Money: Fear-mongering about civil war, whether in simulations or media, directly benefits the defense and 'homeland security' industries. Companies like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, while primarily external arms suppliers, also profit