So I was enjoying a nice Christmas lunch with my co-workers

[TexasBushwhacker]

Of 6 people, I'm the only Democrat. They don't KNOW that, but probably suspect it after today. Politics came up and they're all grumbling. I just sighed and said "Can't we just have a nice lunch?" They chuckled and one guy said "Well I'm stocking up on bullets because when Trump gets re-elected, there's going to be a civil war."

That's right, it's the Democrats who will take up arms and try to tear our country apart. I just raised my eyebrows and said, "I'm afraid there's going to be a civil war no matter who gets elected." I was being honest. I'm scared, but even if we were all Democrats, I don't want to discuss politics at work, or work functions.

They all met each other at church.

[elleng]

1. They think we ALL behave the way they do,

they appear not to understand AT ALL, but I guess it's difficult, if their sources for 'news' do not contain news.

[VOX]

23. They are blind to nuance and irony. Their world is black/white, with-us/against-us, yes/no.

There’s a whole dimension of human communication missing in their hardwiring, apparently. They have a comic-book vision of reality that just cannot grasp the everyday gradations inherent in life.

And, as you say, elleng— Republicans’ media/information-bubble only quickens their own inflexibility. It’s impossible for them to examine any information sources outside their default settings of Fox, Hannity, Rush, etc.

End of screed.

[stopbush]

2. The problem lies in the kind of people one meets at church.

[the_sly_pig]

3. and the confederates are going to lose again.

worst case scenario is the military is 40/60 trump supporters. Plus, the world will not allow them to win. Let them take up arms. Good luck to them.

[Blue_true]

13. Actually, I think the military is more 65/35 Trump supporters.

A lot of people from rural America, where there is less opportunity, have volunteered in the last couple of decades. The question is whether they take up arms against their country people, some definitely will, but the hope is most will refuse that order.

If can promise one thing, if the military starts going after citizens and police forces don't stop them or even assist them, we will have fallen into civil war and neither the military or police would be safe then because they would lost societal authority and should be treated as combatants for one side in a war.

[Freddie]

26. That is the disturbing part

Most of the military is Trumpies. Plus every police officer (active or retired) that I know. Authoritarian types all.

[Blue_true]

36. They have only the authority that all of society grants them.

Once a large part of society revokes that grant of authority, the military and police would become nothing more than combatants for either of the sides of the societal split, and the side they oppose would be under no requirement to defer to them or their safety. The above is what makes support of Trump by the military and police so dangerous to them.

[the_sly_pig]

32. I agree with the rural thing....

But I disagree with the percentage you present. Military personnel take an oath to defend the Constitution, not the president. I don’t believe more than 40% of the military are zealots. I think it’s far less.

That being said, I would rather see the theocratic confederate states form their own union rather than fight a civil war. Good luck to them.

[Blue_true]

37. I also favor breaking the country up over geographical lines over a civil war.

People can be given assistance to move to and resettle in the new country that they choose. Minors would be given one chance through the age of 25 to chose the country other than the one their parents settled them in, but they would do so with an obligation to obey the laws of their new country.

[EndlessWire]

35. I think we don't really know what the rank and file's loyalty is

until we're in it.

Soldiers are loyal to the man/woman next to them. They follow orders. So what really matters is what the officers tell them to do. Of course, if they think they're receiving an illegal order, they will then do or not do whatever they have been ordered. The problem is, how are they going to know what's an illegal order, in the age of Trump?

Trump, upon election, immediately began courting the military branches and the police. Even though he's a coward himself, he sure won't mind sending the troops out to die in the name of a Trump Hotel. And, the troops are NOT stupid. We have many good, smart people in there. They'll be able to see what's going on.

The troops are not going to speak up against the CIC. So, I don't see how anyone could know exactly what the officers think, or if they would resist shooting unarmed civilians just so Trump could persist in the pResidency. In fact, they might very well arrest the entire Congress and turn it over to those that are loyal to the Constitution. Trump needs those troops to carry out his wishes, and they might just surprise him.

If Trump is not impeached, and he were to be reelected, he will eventually get a good many of them killed in some war that HE chooses to support in favor of some dictator buddy of his, because that's the kinda guy he admires.

This is a big mess that We The People must fix pronto.

[Blue_true]

38. I rather things not come down to us trusting the military to do the right thing.

We see indication already that Trump has had a negative effect on the military.

We have one shot to stop him in November 2020, we can't let our small differences get in the way of that goal.

[James48]

4. The NRA is pumping gun sales.

That’s what they pay Trump for.

And that’s what they get Russian money for.

[Canoe52]

5. And I know people who went and bought guns after Obama was elected

because the government was going to come take their furniture and redistribute it to poc. They all were that paranoid. One of those people had a PhD.

[3Hotdogs]

8. He oughta'a ask for his money back from the university.

Clearly consumer fraud. He was 'sposed to have a degree that came with the ability to think.

[Canoe52]

21. They were women...

[Progressive Jones]

9. Our nation is littered with mental and moral defectives on the right. nt

[DFW]

30. We call them Strangers On The Right

[Progressive Jones]

42. LMAO !!! nt

[DFW]

45. Somehow, it seems the radical right didn't find it at all funny.

I was very insulted, especially after going to all that trouble to find a Sinatra sound-alike.........

[Blue_true]

14. PhD in what? Geezus!!!!!! nt

[Canoe52]

22. Music

[Blue_true]

41. Did his head get used as a drum at some point? nt

[Hekate]

6. When I heard DTs carrying on the other day I had 2 scary thoughts simultaneously...

One was, "Who could possibly believe this sh*t?!"

The other was, "By golly, this is so awful that if I believed it I would arm myself."

As with everything else, his original American Carnage speech was pure projection and pure id. Trump wallows in a sea of violence and fantasy-blood, and speaks to the darkest places in people's souls.

[marble falls]

7. You did the right thing. They act foolish because they're fools. Best of the season to you.

[roamer65]

10. Let them start a "civil war". They definitely won't like the "can of worms" that gets opened.

I guarantee it.

[Blue_true]

15. Those people think that they can start a civil war and the following happens;

They gun down the opposing side without resistance

They can go to their churches, grocery shopping, movies, ect

Their children will have a future

They are destined by God to win any war with "godless" forces

They their views and only their views are the right ones, they will hold onto that even in defeat (case in point, worship of the confederacy)

[Laura PourMeADrink]

11. wow, thought I had it bad, now living in central TX. Here they just don't even talk

about politics or the world around them. More interested in like NOTHING. May be guns? May be other people and gossip???????

[Blue_true]

12. They are serious. They really believe that God made this country for them to lead,

everyone else are subservient to their desires. One only has to look at pictures from evangelical churches after President Obama won a second term, those people were ready to take up arms and some did. They now believe that God met their wishes in Trump, him being defeated will likely be a bridge too far in their minds.

[dustyscamp]

16. If it comes down to a Civil War I hope our side will put up heavy resistance

Hopefully we can also convince foreign powers to come help us out and oust Trump and get rid of this Magat madness

[Blue_true]

39. Don't worry, the foreign powers will be very active in the matter,

but not to the benefit of either warring side. Study the French Revolution of 1789 to see what happens when a country falls into chaos. Armies will be at our borders, and not to help us unless they get something really big in return. Given the ethics of modern republicans, I can see them agreeing with Russia for help subjugating us

The country is not as evenly divided as some claim. There are numerically more democrats and I have yet to see a poll on constitutional issues where Independents agreed with republicans, typically they are a few percentage points lower than our position. The problem is at voting time, a lot of democrats and independents sit out elections while republicans turn out.

[radius777]

24. Exactly, the whole gun rights thing

is mainly just for rightwingers and Red America to maintain the threat of violence against liberalism and Blue America that embraces diversity and modern values.

We are engaged fundamentally in a culture war, and it's time our side showed up, instead of pretending it's all about economics and class struggle.

[Blue_true]

40. Unfortunately, economics and class struggle is being used by some to cause divisions on our side.

The Supreme Court was at risk in 2016 and many who claim to be on our side still attacked the Democratic Party for not embracing questionable economic policies.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

17. Remind me once again how guns make us safer?

[Dirty Socialist]

18. It's all talk and bravado

Fortunately they are all chickenshit.

[DeminPennswoods]

25. +1

As dKos likes to call them "the 101st fighting keyboarders".

[Tipperary]

19. Somebody talking about gun violence at work?

I am amazed your management did nothing about that.

[diva77]

20. The media should be held accountable for any violence that erupts regarding politics since they are

the ones perpetuating bothsiderism

[dewsgirl]

27. I recently moved to Matt Gaetz district, long story my son is

in the AF being deployed..anyways I ended up talking to a neighbor, he goes into how he is a progressive blah blah blah, it turns out he is the biggest Trump supporter in the neighborhood. He is one of these nuts that had a huge Trump flag in front of his house, until it got vandalized each and every night. We actually do live in a progressive neighborhood, my granddaughter has 3 boys named Mohammed, in her Kindergarten class and we have a mosque on our street.
Anyway..i could see a civil war happening here. I am from a laid back very red area of Florida, it is nothing like this there. I couldn't see it happening there.

[panader0]

28. Obama's going to take their guns first

and give them to the Jade Helm militia hiding in the tunnels
under shut down Wal-Marts.

[awesomerwb1]

29. Sooo Texas....

I've seen and heard some crazy shit in Texas. I guess it's just more common for right wingers to voice those opinions in Texas.

The weirdest part for me is they say those nutty things and then bring up religion in the same sentence. "Praise the Lord".

[DFW]

31. They met at church? What Kind? A Satanic cult?

It can't very well have been a Christian church unless they have decided to dispense with the "Prince of Peace" routine.

[sarisataka]

33. Unbelievable

What some people will say.

What was the response when you said there would be war no matter who wins?

[TexasBushwhacker]

34. They could tell it made me uncomfortable

And we changed the subject to HUNTING!

[cwydro]

43. They all met at church?

And what? All went to get a job together at the same place?

That’s rather weird.

[TexasBushwhacker]

44. Wife of the boss met the other gal first

in a divorce recovery group at the church. Then they met both their husbands (one is my boss) in a Bible study group.